06-29-2018, 10:48 PM
good point ted then we can call it vintage yamaha racing!!
while i can understand the desire to grow vintage karting i fail to see the need to make it grow faster then it already is right now.
especially if we dilute vintage to the point where it just becomes cheap obosolete go kart racing.
i've been involved with vintage for a while now and i personally am amazed at how much it's grown.
when i started there were maybe three events a year all far far away.
we discussed all sorts of things on the forums like
how will we rebuild engines and karts when we run out of
tires - rings - pistons - seals - gaskets - clutches the list went on.
A BIG fear was always about the forums disappearing.
back then forums would crash and go off line routinely we had personal email and phone numbers and we'd call each other panicing about WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FORUM!!!
often they'd be off line for DAYS.
back then, to me , the internet was kinda voodoo majic anyway.
i talked with and met people i'd never have met otherwise every day.
we argued and discussed EVERYTHING About vintage karts.
the arguments and personality wars about what and where vintage was headed were epic.
at one point tension ran so high that vka and vkca became rival clubs.
that was then and we are a calmer bunch now or maybe just a bit older?
regardless
as time passed we learned ALOT both about the internet and how to create events.
as we went parts were repopped restored or recreated.
whole chassis were repopped , new pistons and rings were made seals cross referenced gaskets recreated.
the EVENTS, man the events have gotten insaner every year.
140+ ENTRIES in several venues this year.
back then we doubted there were 300 vintage guys willing to show up to ANY event through the whole season.
attendance back then was considered good if you broke 40 drivers now that's considered a bit small.
TBO held the most attendees record for years and only recently have others gotten as big.
so vintage is a growing for sure.
of course there seems to be a vintage kart something somewhere nearly every warm weekend available.
more and more keep popping up.
so as this happens we will see a slight drop in event attendance not because there's less drivers more because there's more local options.
my point with all this it happened at a pace we'd never have predicted 15+ years ago and is gaining momentum.
to me MANAGING the classes we have in a safe and well planned way is a good approach to growing .
the willi-nilly add karts to a class to grow it needs to stop.
and polling only vka members is extremely short sighted.
VKA needs to consider what THE drivers in the class want in their class and please ask EVERYONE not just VKA drivers.
many who attend EVENTS aren't VKA club members BUT THEIR PRESENCE IS VITAL TO VINTAGE KARTING GROWTH.
VKA as a club is definitely the last word in rules regardless of how they avoid admitting that idea.
the responsibility of vintage karting growth is a big one and they have done an excellent job so far.
in the future i hope they'll consider the outsiders point in their ruling about class changes
anyway,
imho i think maybe we should cool down a little about changing things "to get more drivers".
let the newbes find the level they want to run in and the class they like.
adding extra kart options to already existing classes has to be done VERY carefully or you'll see the class fade out as many already have in the past.
to me yammies already have two classes a stock class and a competetive class.
if those classes were overloaded say 30+ entries at a race i'd say maybe we could consider more yammie classes but at about 15-20 per grid we're right where those classes need to be.
rant over
d
btw i was reading my post and noticed my pix i use.
it's really old one that was taken way back then.
i STILL HAVE DARK HAIR IN THAT PIX.
IT'S MOSTLY GRAY NOW
WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED??
while i can understand the desire to grow vintage karting i fail to see the need to make it grow faster then it already is right now.
especially if we dilute vintage to the point where it just becomes cheap obosolete go kart racing.
i've been involved with vintage for a while now and i personally am amazed at how much it's grown.
when i started there were maybe three events a year all far far away.
we discussed all sorts of things on the forums like
how will we rebuild engines and karts when we run out of
tires - rings - pistons - seals - gaskets - clutches the list went on.
A BIG fear was always about the forums disappearing.
back then forums would crash and go off line routinely we had personal email and phone numbers and we'd call each other panicing about WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FORUM!!!
often they'd be off line for DAYS.
back then, to me , the internet was kinda voodoo majic anyway.
i talked with and met people i'd never have met otherwise every day.
we argued and discussed EVERYTHING About vintage karts.
the arguments and personality wars about what and where vintage was headed were epic.
at one point tension ran so high that vka and vkca became rival clubs.
that was then and we are a calmer bunch now or maybe just a bit older?
regardless
as time passed we learned ALOT both about the internet and how to create events.
as we went parts were repopped restored or recreated.
whole chassis were repopped , new pistons and rings were made seals cross referenced gaskets recreated.
the EVENTS, man the events have gotten insaner every year.
140+ ENTRIES in several venues this year.
back then we doubted there were 300 vintage guys willing to show up to ANY event through the whole season.
attendance back then was considered good if you broke 40 drivers now that's considered a bit small.
TBO held the most attendees record for years and only recently have others gotten as big.
so vintage is a growing for sure.
of course there seems to be a vintage kart something somewhere nearly every warm weekend available.
more and more keep popping up.
so as this happens we will see a slight drop in event attendance not because there's less drivers more because there's more local options.
my point with all this it happened at a pace we'd never have predicted 15+ years ago and is gaining momentum.
to me MANAGING the classes we have in a safe and well planned way is a good approach to growing .
the willi-nilly add karts to a class to grow it needs to stop.
and polling only vka members is extremely short sighted.
VKA needs to consider what THE drivers in the class want in their class and please ask EVERYONE not just VKA drivers.
many who attend EVENTS aren't VKA club members BUT THEIR PRESENCE IS VITAL TO VINTAGE KARTING GROWTH.
VKA as a club is definitely the last word in rules regardless of how they avoid admitting that idea.
the responsibility of vintage karting growth is a big one and they have done an excellent job so far.
in the future i hope they'll consider the outsiders point in their ruling about class changes
anyway,
imho i think maybe we should cool down a little about changing things "to get more drivers".
let the newbes find the level they want to run in and the class they like.
adding extra kart options to already existing classes has to be done VERY carefully or you'll see the class fade out as many already have in the past.
to me yammies already have two classes a stock class and a competetive class.
if those classes were overloaded say 30+ entries at a race i'd say maybe we could consider more yammie classes but at about 15-20 per grid we're right where those classes need to be.
rant over
d
btw i was reading my post and noticed my pix i use.
it's really old one that was taken way back then.
i STILL HAVE DARK HAIR IN THAT PIX.
IT'S MOSTLY GRAY NOW
WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED??
Dave L.