Enduro 2023

[John Kwong]

Here is the registration link for the 2023 CKRC Enduro: https://www.motorsportreg.com/events/20 ... art-626966

This year's event is a little later than usual but historically, CKRC Enduros have been run this late with a bit of chill and lots of fun. For the uninitiated, the end of the season CKRC Enduro race has a long history of bringing out old equipment, use-to-could drivers and some karts that don't fit into the regular club class structure. It is an opportunity to get some friends that don't race regularly into the seat as well as some rarely seen motors.

A couple races ago at the driver's meeting, it was mentioned that suggestions for this year's race be put on the forum. With the race about 2 months away, it is time to start thinking about this race.

Senior Race - 3 hour enduro suggestion:

Many moons ago, we incorporated a rule where your team had to have someone who had not kart raced this year. It could be someone brand new or a former karter or someone who races full size vehicles. With the mostly bulletproof nature of karts these days eliminating the machine endurance part of this, I would like to suggest that we bring this rule back. Most of the entries for the past several years have been 4 cycle motors, so I think the risk is fairly low. It is an endurance race where lasting and/or staying out of trouble is how success is attained.

If people don't want to do this, perhaps making it so that each team has to have someone that does not race that class on their team. For example, a team running a Briggs kart would have to have someone who races VLR, Rotax or Shifter on their team.

Bring on the suggestions.

[Mark]

Bryan (Club manager) mentioned at the last race that he had some "new ideas" for the Enduro. As this race is only 2 months away, it would be a good time to float them so we can get feedback and decide on a rule set. Personally, weight limits and requirements for new drivers, for example, will make or break it for us. Need to know !

[Sheriff525]

I like the suggestion that each team has to have someone who has not raced within the last year, new to racing or from a different class. That makes it fun and might bring some alumni back or allow classes to expand their horizons and build relationships in other classes.
I think it would be important to have some weight divisions. Fat guys and skinny guys. Just have to finish above weight restriction.

[John Kwong]

Over the many years that CKRC has had the enduro, many suggestions such as minimum weights, racing by class have been tried and there has never been a successful execution where it did not affect the number of entries. Once the rules got too complicated it kept entries away because people dissected them too much. Keeping it simple and promoting this race properly has been the recipe for success. The basics for the senior enduro are: 4 cycle class, 2 cycle class and shifter. This is what they used to call "Run What Ya Brung" racing. Back in the day, I had won the enduro using an 80cc shifter. If you have bigger drivers, build a hot rod briggs motor. There are more than a few briggs motors around that have had seals that broke that are not eligible for regular club racing that could be hopped up.
This is a FUN race that hopefully we can get a large grid of 20+ entries which would be about 60 drivers to compete and there would be a lot of traffic to contend with = fun.

[Jackmazury]

I agree with John on this. We had awesome enduros in 2017 and 2018 when they were a little earlier in The year, usually the weekend after the last club race.

There were 4 stroke, 2 stroke, and shifter, that was it for classes. The weights are a null point, since it was pretty easy to plop somebody in for 2 laps at the end to make weight. The grids those two years without all the rules were right around 20 people, I remember running them in rotax was quite a challenge, navigating the 4 strokes safely and trying to pass Franco’s modified briggs.

I align that we should try and get the enduro back to basics, encourage participation from a fun standpoint rather than result. It allows old equipment, new or returning drivers, and so on to experience the fun of a race without necessarily needing to run competitive lap times. I’ve run all the classes in an enduro on varying degrees of competitive equipment and never had a bad time.

[SteveO]

I think it's great to have one driver that doesn't compete regularly in the class on a team, but what about those of us that want to do an iron-man race?
I did this in 2021 and had an absolute blast. I was half a lap behind Franco's team and his monster motor.
My neck was sore and I was the last person to leave the track, but I'll do it again this year, as long as it's within the rules.

[John Kwong]

Hi Steve,

That is an easy rule to administer for this event. Multiple driver teams need a driver that has not raced this year and Ironman single driver teams do not but must have "X" number of years of experience to do the Ironman. Whatever keeps it fun and inclusive.

[John Kwong]

At the last race, I didn't have a chance to read the proposed format for this year's enduro. The second hand gist I got was that it was broken down into 40 lap heats and racers used their individual karts to run the race. Please fill in the details as there has been no further discussion so far.

[Mark]

The jist of the sheet that was posted on the weekend is that each entry must be comprised of:

1 Cadet
1 Jr
1 Sr/Master 2 Stroke
1 Sr/Master 4 stroke

Class weights apply.

Let me climb up on my soapbox and put on my "Mr Positive" cap for a moment. This is a good way to get people to get to know other people in the club by forcing them to go looking for people they probably don't know well.

Now I'll put my "Mr Practicality" hat on: It'll never happen. People want to call a few friends and throw together a team with minimal fuss. This 'aint that.

Now I'll pull out my big "Mr Negative" cowboy hat: The proposed format isn't an endurance race. It's four 40 lap sprint races that is a test of neither driver nor machine. It's logistically complex for people to make up a team (I want to race with my son (who races in Masters !); I don't want to go hunting for a Jr and Cadet and someone who wants to run a 2-stroke with us.

The rules still aren't firm which means friends from out of town can't attend and the race is so late this year that it would be very risky for them to come anyhow.

This is a noble attempt to "shake things up" but the old guard is tried and true:

The fewer rules the better
No weight requirements
Run what ya brung; if it looks legal from 15 feet, bring it !
All fuel and safety rules apply.
This is a chance to ignore all the (non safety) rules and have fun. There are very interesting karts and motors out there that no one sees because of all the rules -bring them !

Also, if this event is ever to thrive, the rules needed to be fixed and posted a month ago. Evil minds need time to scheme !

<dismount soapbox>

[Sheriff525]

I have to agree the suggested format doesn't have me interested. I spoke with my kids and they were more excited to run for 45 mins straight (cadet), or 1 hour straight (jr2). And the fun engines wouldn't have a chance to come out in the enduro if we did the new suggested format. I like the tried and true format "run what you brung....for 3 hrs"