Interesting day at Daytona

[Boneman]

I took my two young kart racers up to the speedway today to see the track filled with 3 simultaneous events, and around 500 teams in action. I love the grand scale of this event! it is 3 days long and attracts racers from across the country!

The strangest thing I saw today was a series practicing on the big track. Actually, they used the same course as the Rolex 24. Some of the kart classes were real plugs, I don't know how the drivers stayed awake, BUT others were really quick. Their enduro class karts were smokin' along pretty damn fast. A few of the drivers estimated they were in the 140-145 range, and I believe them. As I was on the way out, there were shifter karts, multi-engine creations and other hot rods lining up in staging, so I am not even sure I saw the fastest guys there.

There is also a road course in the infield near turn 3 of the oval, where they were practicing on a fast and challenging track. It looked like a blast to drive on. Road racing is not everyone's favorite thing to watch, however if you are in the event it is really cool.

Finally, we hung out at the dirt oval outside turn 1. They were delayed by rain in the morning, so all we saw was a bunch of qualifying groups. Hopefully we'll head back tomorrow (weather permitting) and see some races at all 3 venues.

http://www.worldkarting.com/

[Jimmy McKinley]

I've never seen the karts in person at Daytona. But, back in the mid to late '80s on the year-end racing shows (Motorweek Illustrated, SpeedWeek, etc.), they always showed the karts as part of the highlights of the last week of the year. I remember seeing the Enduro karts hitting about 150mph going into the chicane at the end of the backstretch; and recall one guy going off-track at the Carousel and hitting some hay bales *big-time* (like a throttle stuck or something).

Watch these guys use the draft: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au9NIx9-xjQ

[Frasson118]

Pretty cool clip. I liked how the driver purposely stayed out of the top gear on the backstraight, until he dropped back to about 6th. Then dropped in 'overdrive', used the draft, and worked his way back up to 2nd.

He knew that he was a sitting duck if he'd tried to lead that last 1/2 lap. He times it almost perfectly to do all the passing, while leaving no time for anyone else to re-pass him. Good strategy that 'almost' worked.

[RSB]

Those guys are NUTS! I'm looking forward to running there in May in the Camaro and might just have a couple of open seats if Daytona is on anyone's bucket list!

[Boneman]

In my quick estimate, there were 500 karts on the grounds. They traveled from all across the USA, and some from other countries no doubt. Where was the excuse that "the economy" kept them from racing? WKA has a package that works, and racers flock to it. Most race for no prize money by the way.

[Mark Tanner]

Daytona Karts

Raced at Daytona for years, first in the regular "sprint Karts" (we would start 139 one year from a dead stop on pit road) then in an Enduro and loved it where else can you pay a $35 entry fee, practice for two days and race on the 24 Hour Course. Raced there before and after they added the chicane because speds were too fast down the back stretch. Adding the chicane made it interesting, if you hit it right you would have one groove that you did not have to lift. I had my right front go down (wheel split) turning off the trioval into the infield and split the two guard rails crossed the access road and stopped ten feet from the chain link fence, all while going backwards. All I could think about was the chainlink fence and going underneath it. I loved racing my Karts, Raced with Chuck West from Longwood and High Speed Products we raced at Sebring, Road Atlanta and my favorite was Roebling Road.

[ancrdave]

Not really "kart" related but one thing I really miss was the Tangerine Invitational Quarter Midget event at Clarcona Horseman's Park near Orlando that was held during the days between Christmas and New Years Day each year... The last year, before the track was torn down, it attracted around 300 cars/drivers for four full days of racing from pretty much sunrise until midnight... Remember watching kids like Kory Abbott, Mark Hooven, Alli Owens, Britney Frosh and others who all went on to race things like Legends, Trucks, Mini Sprints and Alli even made it to ARCA but, I guess, has retired since getting married... Also in attendabce were Mark Martin with his son Matt and Bobby Labonte with his kid Tyler...

[egspeedway]

Since we are on the subject of karts, the 85/86 Florida Dirt Series was contested on tracks from Ft. Pierce to Blounstown and many towns in between. This series was the start of racing careers for Earl Pearson Jr.,Johnny Collins,Justin Drawdy, Doug Moff, Adam Bedenbaugh, Carlton Allen, James Edgley and Wendall Miller. There were probably 20 others who raced at various times in late model, modified and sprint cars. One of the more notable being Shane Russ. While we constantly look at the health of our local race tracks it is obvious the health of kart and quarter midget is just as important to the future of our sport.

[mr south 59]

In my quick estimate, there were 500 karts on the grounds. They traveled from all across the USA, and some from other countries no doubt. Where was the excuse that "the economy" kept them from racing? WKA has a package that works, and racers flock to it. Most race for no prize money by the way.

I was just catching up on my Karnac and ran acrossed this post. Although there was a decent turn out it was another VERY POOR year for WKA at Daytona. I have been racing at this event for 20+ years now and I would say they are down 60-70% from some previous years. A lot of it is economy and gas, a lot of it is WKA raping their members(over $500 buy the time you enter your first class), and the rest is the money races killing karting. We hope it gets back to its glory days. With the new management in WKA it might happen.

Your estimate of 500 teams on the grounds was a little lite. There was over 1700 entries. At the drivers meeting they said there was over 450 teams and over 800 entries at the dirt track alone. This is very weak year for WKA. Before the bubble burst, in '05 there was over 4000 entries and over 2200 entries at the dirt track alone The event was 5 days long. Now a days this event only draws enough entries to constitute a 2 day event.

Back then at the dirt track there could be over 200 karts in one class. If you didn't make the top 30 in qualifying you went home and did not race. It is nothing like it used to be. This year I saw classes with 8 karts in it. LOL. Back in the day, if you got an "I Made the Main"decal(top 30) you did something. Now a days a 10 ten don't mean much in a lot of classes.

On a side not. There has been some good paying money races in karting the last few years. They were paying $10,000 to win this year at Daytona and there are several $10,000, $25,000 and $50,000 to win races through out the year. A friend of ours won 3 races and won $125,000 in just a few months time. He won 2 classes at Daytona this year also.

I didn't get to race it this year(broke my wrist). But I did get a podium finish last year and was really looking foward to racing it again this year. My son crewed and raced. They got 1 win this year again.

Here's a link to the entries at Daytona this year.

http://www.worldkarting.com/index.ph...m_medium=email

That is just my observation. Carry on....

[mr south 59]

I also do want to give a shoot out to one of our newer Karnac members and my friend, Jack Burroughs. Jack is a team owner and sponsor on the Florida karting scene. Jack and his driver Mike Nicosia got the well deserved win in the most powerful and prestigious class at the Dirt World Championships, the Unlimited Allstar's. Great job Jack!!!

I wish I could have got in the kart this year. I though my boy was going to get in Tim's Unlimited and give you guys a run for your money but, we got to let Tim have some fun every once in a while so he don't get bored. Maybe next year.

Is there a date for The King of the Outlaws race this year yet?

[Jack Burroughs]

Karts at Daytona

Andrew, thanks, we've been getting closer last few yrs. Flat track entries were 838, surely a lot less than yrs. back. We also were able to qualify in the Yamaha class on pole and finish 2nd. Used same tires on both karts. Boneman, I saw you at N.S.S.with TBARA sprints few months back, we are the yellow nose winged karts #37.maybe you saw them, specially the last lap pass for the Unlimited All Stars race.