Intrepid make powerful statement!
By Karting1 ~ March 8th, 2007. Filed under: Kart Racing News.
Intrepid have released the following statement through their website -
“IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION
After having acknowledged the new karting regulations which fosesee a substantial variation in the various engine categories, among which the KF1 class, the Intrepid Kart Technology factory team has decided to withdraw it’s participation for the current racing season underway.
The lack of Intrepid’s participation in the above mentioned category has forced Intrepid to deprive itself of the current reigning World Champion.
INTREPID would like to make absolutely clear that such decision was in no way due to a lack of technical competence or lack of valid drivers, but rather represents a necessary and coherent response in light of the Federations erroneous decision, which may have been inducted by other competitors/manufacturers who do not want to compete on a level playing field and would rather opt to win competing alone.
INTREPID RACING TEAM
Sguerzoni Mirko”
This is another blow for the KF1,2, and 3 project from the CIK after Birel announced a temporary withdrawal from racing. Added to that growing dislike for the drivability of the engines from some drivers we have spoken to – it has been described as ‘like a MAX, and ‘prokartish’ – the future certainly looks rocky for the new classes this year.
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March 8th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
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March 8th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
this is a shame that intrepid have decided to pull the plug on there team and especially for their drivers including Jenkins and Kozlinski, it’ll be interesting to see where he goes now. With regards to the engines being like prokarts or max i think think that is nonsense, the lap times this year are quicker now at all the tracks we have been to be around half a second so they are obviously still fast, they dont pop and make silly noises like max and the power is much more consistent right up to the limiter than a max and a much better to drive than a max engine. Some people are still encountering some problem with their engines but in kf 1 the engine situation is similar to last year with vortex, iame, pcr and tm all having drivers competitive in the class and its only really maxter that seem to be lacking speed. In the long term this is definitely going to help the cost of karting with the engines lasting longer before needing to be rebuilt so i think its definitely a good thing and when you’re at a track with a kart with the two engines going round together its actually the old engine that looks the least impressive and sounds very flat and slow compared to the new kf 1.
March 8th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
the new engines are nothing like a max or or prokart. round all the tracks they have been tested around they are always faster. the new engines feel more powerful than the old engines aswel and i think they are better to drive.
March 9th, 2007 at 12:35 am
Note that the two responses have been Tony/Vortex factory drivers! I think reading between the lines it is the Vortex (tony) engines that Intrepid are pointing the finger at. It was interesting to note that Swiss Hutless changed from Vortex to Iame this year. Maybe vortex are getting a rep for not suppling the same engines performance wise as they use themselves. Otherwise surely Intrepid would just change engines wouldnt they?
March 9th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
I dont think its as simple as that. Its easy to suggest that if you dont know the facts. I dont think vortex have that reputation at all. At this stage i think its just important that vortex win and i dont think they mind who wins but its important that somebody wins on the material to sell engines.
March 10th, 2007 at 8:54 am
Gee Gary im sure the managment of Tonykart will be pleased with you towing the party line. So lets look at the facts. Birel and Intrepid. Two of the bigest names in karting have not been competing in KF1. Is this good for their sales? Is it good for karting in general? I think not! But the fact they have decided not even to compete at all tells me that things must be pretty bad. They are both very proud companies and i am sure they are not happy just making up the numbers in the class. There is too much money at stake for them too.
I am sure that you do think it is important that Vortex wins to sell engines. I am also sure Intrepid & Birel think it’s just as impotant for them to have the same chance at winning and there for increase sales. What manufactor would’nt? It would be interesting if Mr TonyKart would be happy if the shoe was on the other foot and others were dominating. I think not!
At the end of the day all everyone wants to know that they can go racing and compete on a level playing field. It seemes that there are some that think this is not the case currently. No one wants the same people winning every weekend. Or do they?
March 11th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
I do not understand. What about IAME, PCR, TM and other manufacturers? It is not only Vortex that are competitive and wins. So why should the lack of participation from Intrepid and Birel be the fault of Vortex?
March 11th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Brad, first of all i’m not trying to tow any line so thats a little unfair as i’m just giving an opinion (an opinion which was just about the feeling of the new engines) but you say lets look at the facts but there seems to be a few facts that you seem to be missing, one fact you miss is the situation in jica last year where you had iame well ahead of everyone but everyone ended up using the engine because if they didnt they were wasting there time even trying to win, so surely if your theory is correct this is hardly good for karting is it??? Another thing you say is it not being a level playing field, now this is silly because the new rules were not made to suit one manufacturer so it is a level playing field, the rules are the same for every engine manufacturer so it is a level playing field and you cant blame any company for building a good product and being ahead of the rest, that is the aim of all the manufacturers surely. Another thing, if you were to ask a privateer last year about the cost of karting the first thing they would complain about is the cost of engine rebuilds with having to pay for a rebuild every couple of hours, now surely the new engines lasting longer before needing to be rebuilt is a saving in cost for everybody. But the thing that amazes me most is your question where you ask do we want the same team winning all the time, this is a bit of a silly question, If you ask any professional in any sport what there goal is and they would say winning. So if your asking me whether I would like to win every race then my answer would certainly be yes as I’m sure it would any other driver and team in the paddock and that is why all the teams and drivers (myself included) spend alot of time, effort and money testing and developing their equipment for one reason, to win!!!
March 12th, 2007 at 9:15 am
I take your points Gary. One thing i will corrrect you on is i didnt say i did’nt think it was’nt a level playing feild, i said that there are some others that don’t think so by their actions. i.e. not racing. So you are in a better position than most to tell why these factories are not racing so maybe you could tell the rest of us. Is it just sour grapes?
March 12th, 2007 at 10:14 am
I dont understand either, I cant work out exactly who brad is trying to get at? The new rule or vortex? You cant blame anyone for building a good engine, at the first 2 races in Italy you had a driver on every engine that had a chance to win and if you look at the results from last year when it was dry with the old engines it looks nearly the same. The new rules are the same for everyone as it was a few years ago when the engines changed from air cooled to water cooled.
March 12th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
To be honest i’m not sure, i think birel didnt do the winter races because they felt that there engines werent ready to win yet but by there performance in parma it looks like they’ve definitely improved enough to be right at the front and they will be back with there full team out at the first Italian round in Sarno in a couple of weeks. One thing I would like to say is that what i’ve said before on this post is only an opinion, i’m not saying i’m right it is just my opinion, in fact i know alot of people who think the new engine isnt the way forward for karting. One thing i agree with you on is the fact that works teams like birel and intrepid not racing isnt good and hopefully in 6 months to a years time the amount of drivers competing in kf1, kf2 and kf3 is greater than the amount of entries when it was formula a, ica and jica because that is what everyone involved in the sport want and also that we can keep drivers in karts for longer before they go to cars because the price of car racing is similar to what they’re spending in karts.
March 12th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
hahahhahaha very nice but vortex are awsome safe mate safe get in tonykarrrrtttt!!!! huraaa!!