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It has to end - Printable Version

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It has to end - steve welte - 06-19-2017

The aggressive driving, contact and disrespect for others has to end. The vintage karting future is at stake. It's your choice. It seems to be at every event. When you can't practice on a 1 mile track, 40' wide safely something is very wrong. I will be preparing some type of discussion on the VKA site whether anyone wants to hear it or not.


RE: It has to end - ted johnson - 06-19-2017

Good for you, Steve! It's not everybody, thank God. Ted


RE: It has to end - steve welte - 06-19-2017

Here is something for everyone to think about. An insurance company likes to make money too. So if the insurance company had to pay out $15,000.00 for Barnsville and has to pay out for New Castle and there are any claims for any of the other events held so far this year, how long before we have no insurance carrier for VKA events. The payout is more than the entire entry amount for these events. Only you the drivers can fix this. Some are in classes that are faster than their experience can handle or maybe just don't care. The hired gun is also in some driver seats. Personally I pick classes where I can know many of the entrants and feel comfortable. We can't just shrug this off. It is upon our shoulders.


RE: It has to end - chuck giacobbe - 06-19-2017

steve, i've tried getting on the VKA website but can't get on. with close to $20,000 in their till you would think they would have a more modern website so we wouldn't have to have discussions here. or at least have somebody that can fix it when it goes down. but i was there when you were asked to become part of the board. and if you expect to make a change you will have to do it within the organization. you are well respected and people will listen to you. because all the talk on this forum will not make a difference. honestly i think new castle went very well. but i'm sure there are some that will disagree. no one got hurt. karts can be fixed. and it was a great time. as far as the barnesville incident if you would have seen the rotor that was being used to stop that 135 motor and to see paul martin working on the brakes at barnesville and at new castle the kart was definitely under-equipped. remember when you make them go as fast as they can you also have to be able to get them to stop. and paul has all my respect for making sure that his products are being used correctly at the track. there are a lot of good people involved in all of this. my biggest concern which i have addressed to everyone there in power was the kids being included with the adults. this i think is a disaster waiting to happen. this time no one got seriously hurt. next time they may not be so lucky. and wheelchair dave you have all my love. it was really nice to see you out there on the track. had a great time. will definitely be back next year for what i believe will be an even bigger event.


RE: It has to end - Duke Zink - 06-19-2017

Seeing as I was involved in an incident I'm going to ring in. If VKA doesn't want racing they had better put that on the entry. If these are going to be exhibition events, good luck, but I don't see how VKA would survive. And Chucks point is spot on. Putting sidewinders and C-opens out with 49 powered rears and kids was ridiculous. That's how I ran into Ken in practice. A slower kid made a sudden move and he responded and didn't realize I was on the inside. I know New Castle is a huge track (as I heard one man say "how can you hit someone on this big of a track") but the closure rate is so fast it doesn't take long to be on top of the slower karts.

And to address the insurance issue, we do horse events on our property and I've talked to the provider and she has told me that kart racing and dirt bike racing have 2 of the highest payout occurrences but the companies know it and bill accordingly. And yes I realize it could come to a point where it would not be feasible and would not be affordable. I personally don't see that happening.


RE: It has to end - steve welte - 06-19-2017

You are correct Chuck in the fact the Barnsville incident was just a racing/safety thing. At some point we need to do a brake upgrade article for people to follow. Remember i was there working on your kart when Paul was there. Even after New Castle, Rick will go back and do more to his brake after we talked. While no one was seriously hurt at New Castle we were really lucky with Dave being thrown from the kart. I will be putting together some suggestions to go on the VKA site when it comes back up. I would rather put things where they belong than where they reach many of the people that can't make the change. Yes New Castle went fairly well considering the numbers that were there but we have to try to improve EVERY event. Hats off to the Jeff Brown crew and he gives some of the coolest awards ever. Love that steering wheel trophy.


RE: It has to end - Duke Zink - 06-19-2017

Just to add to my rant above, I did not have a single one of Jeff's people ask me if I was ok or check on me later in the day. I had plenty of racers ask me and track personnel but not once from any of his people, not even when I turned in my transponder or told the race director I was out.


RE: It has to end - steve welte - 06-19-2017

I'm not saying we shouldn't race. I run as hard as anyone but I can't speak for everyone and their attitude. It will be up to the racers to see where this ends up in the future. One thing is for certain, this has to be looked at far more closely. It's far easier to look forward than to look back and say "what if". Here is what most people overlook. If you haven't been around most of these people or attend an event that is out of your area and don't know everyone and you start to mix it up with someone and get a bit aggressive who or what is his situation? Maybe he has 2 artificial knees. Maybe he has 3 stints near his heart. You don't know their condition. If safety isn't the number one priority when attending a VKA event then a person should move directly to modern karting. Who wants to be the one that creates the accident that leaves someone injured for life. One can say they shouldn't be out there then if they have these type conditions but they want to run too. It isn't going away and it can't be ignored.


RE: It has to end - brent hays - 06-19-2017

Some people have to win at any expense , I know I don't have a chance to win I'm down on horsepower compared to most and spot most of the field 80 to 100 lbs but I'm determined to have fun and do the best I can . I spent several months restoring my Emmick a little hear and there after work making sure everything was as good as could possibly be and as safe as it could be only to be taken out on the first lap of the first heat in the Yamaha piston port class on the short straight after the hair pin , it wiped out the entire right front corner. spindle , tie rod , heim joints , rim and tire , come on fellas on a straightaway , as far as I'm concerned some one owes me at least an apology and the $250.00 in parts wouldn't hurt either !


RE: It has to end - Ludovico Prelogar - 06-19-2017

I was a little bit scared of some of the other kids driving out there, unfortunately. The same kid that hit wheelchair Dave hit someone in front of him, sending me off the track. I tried my best to stay out of people's way, and don't think I hit anyone, but if I did, I didn't feel it. Another kid was intentionally swerving in front of me to keep me behind him, but again, my front nearly snagged the rear of his kart. I don't know, maybe I'm just to worried about my kart being hit?

Vico