Karting on Dirt

Do any of you have any experience racing Karts on dirt ovals. It looks like that's the most affordable form of racing in my area. I've priced engines and know it's really NOT that affordable but I intend to look into it further.

Nobody runs a HF engine class?

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Nobody runs a HF engine class?

I really don't know. They don't have the rules posted on-line and just a little while ago I sent them an e-mail requesting class rules. I've intended to check it out since 2010 but had no time until recently.

I ran a dirt sprint kart for a few years, but that was over 30 years ago. I also ran asphalt, and the only real difference back then were the tires. In both cases it was pretty affordable to race, and expensive to win.

Depending on which class you run, it gets expensive really fast, especially if you want to run up front. Tires, engine, and a few parts will quickly destroy $1,000 and more. Go to the track where you'll race at and see who's racing what. It's usually a good idea to race in the biggest class. The track I used to run at leaned more towards "outlaw" style racing with very little rules.

When I was doing asphalt road course karts 10 years ago it was cheap compared to dirt oval. This was at the beginning of the new Briggs OHV motors, so the flatheads were at a very high level of development and were being run very, very hard. So having multiple $1000 motors was the norm, and tires were completely out of control. They were shaving tires and using all manner of crazy toxic traction compounds, and running multiple sets/weekend.

It was the classic arms race that's dictated by "cost contained racing".

Avoid terms like "Briggs" "Box Stock" "Controlled" "Spec". Those words mean "Spend all your money on the pistons and cylinders that allow you to make the last tenth of a horsepower".

Playing Italian Roulette on eKartingNews.com gives you a roughly 3 in 5 chance of getting a healthy TM K9B for less than a grand. They make 40 horsepower. It's more than anyone can put down on dirt. You get to do nice things like back off on the timing, run the mixture a bit rich, not care about porting, use a passenger car air filter that blocks all the dust. This leaves an engine that starts all the time, runs all the time, gets a new piston kit and rod bearing annually - and scares the living daylights out of you every time you hit the track.

bravenrace wrote: it was pretty affordable to race, and expensive to win.

That's a good way of putting it. No, that's a great way of putting it.

You guys have made me very glad I asked this question. The truth sounds worse than I thought it might be. Bravenrace said, "pretty affordable to race, and expensive to win". That seems to be the truth about any form of racing.

In reply to Graefin10:

Well it can be a lot cheaper if you steal someone's front running kart, like someone did to me.

Years ago, everywhere in N. Ga., I raced "Unlimited Briggs Heavy" on dirt. At the first of the season, I had a 50 gal drum full of money. At the end of the season the money was gone and the drum was full of broken Briggs blocks. 10,000rpm from a block that started life putting out 5hp is expensive.

In reply to Gasoline:

Tell me about it. I ran unlimited briggs. Way back in 1983 I had over $4000 into the engine alone. It made 30hp on methanol, but it had a maintenance schedule on par with a top fuel dragster. I literally rebuilt it after every race day, if it made it through without blowing up. They have better engines, parts, and make more power now, but back then that engine was like a one lung funny car. I was young and craved the challenge, but several years after my kart was stolen I got back into kart racing and did it in the Yamaha Lights class, where my engine made great power stock and needed rebuilt every couple years. It made focusing on the racing much easier.

See if your track has a "Predator Class". Its based on the 212 cc Harbor Freight engine and allows very basic mods (remove governor, header, valve springs) Our autox club has a kart class based on these rules too. I'm attempting a low budget build for my kid and should be around $600 ready to race. Tires seem to be insane, even take offs. http://karting.4cycle.com/showthread.php?t=490041

Can you imagine converting a lawn mower engine to run on alcohol ?

At one track, they are required to run slicks. Doesn't chew up the dirt.

In reply to iceracer:

Yes I can since I've done it several times, at least if you consider a 5hp Briggs a lawnmower engine. All it takes is the right CR and carb/fuel system.

chrispy wrote: See if your track has a "Predator Class". Its based on the 212 cc Harbor Freight engine and allows very basic mods (remove governor, header, valve springs) Our autox club has a kart class based on these rules too. I'm attempting a low budget build for my kid and should be around $600 ready to race. Tires seem to be insane, even take offs. http://karting.4cycle.com/showthread.php?t=490041

This is what I was hoping for. I still haven't heard from the track re: rules, classes etc.

bravenrace wrote: In reply to iceracer: Yes I can since I've done it several times, at least if you consider a 5hp Briggs a lawnmower engine. All it takes is the right CR and carb/fuel system.

I was attempting to show the absurdity karting has become. Back in the days when I raced carts. Ran the same engine, chain, tires all season and maybe into the next.

In reply to iceracer:

And I was attempting to show that while other aspects of karting may have become absurd, running on Alchohol isn't all that hard to do, and isn't much more expensive than running gas, but it does have huge advantages. BTW, you must be really old. I raced in the early 80's, and this stuff was nothing new at that time.

Converting to run on alcohol/methanol from gasoline requires a larger jet and a different spark plug. That's it. It's been about 12 years since I raced karts, and back then methanol was $2 a gallon.