Comparison of WF to Clones & TaG

[warx]

Hi all

I just realized I don't know much about WF at all and was curious as to real world experience of this class. Two things that seem very appealing to me from an outsiders POV (no racing yet - just practicing).

1) ability to do Road Racing
2) less opportunity to be victim of cheaters

I am most definitely a 4-stroke fan (Aixro and three clones now) and am getting close to racing (weening off other hobbies) and wondered if WF might be a better option than Clones. Why? Less crazy with smaller fields and 2 above I guess.

Also I live right by Infineon and I think the WF would be more welcomed than the clones for practice. I feel comfortable on the Aixro on that circuit (even though I still the slowest!) but on the Clone I would feel even more in the way if I ever dared try it there.

Anyways - I wondered what is the expected maintenance cycle of WF (is it like 2-stroke for rebuilds?) and the need for spare engines and how much they cost to be competitive. Seems like WF and clone are the only viable 4-stroke options really (shame!).

Thanks
Mike.

[Brad Wunder]

In terms of maintenance, there is no comparison. After a year and a half of racing my WFs I took them to Terry Ives so he could take a look. On one he inspected it and slapped her back together without replacing anything. On the other he replaced the piston/rings primarily because it didn't fully breakin before I switched over to synthetic oil and therefore the rings hadn't seated as they should have.

Being a spec engine my sense is that you will run into fewer "cheaters" since you can't really change ANYTHING without being illegal. Of course you can never say never when it comes to cheating. I am confident that there will be no cheating amongst the NFRA drivers. I also feel confident to say the same thing about the WF drivers on the road racing circuit as I've been racing with them for over 3 years now.

Another upside of the WF (at least with respect to the NFRA) is that we are out there to have fun and generally don't engage in the bump and run style of racing. We are mostly a group of relatively old farts that have to go to work the day after a race. ;D

When I transitioned into a WF I bought a spare motor. That was mostly because I kept blowing up my F200 and wanted to have a backup just in case. I haven't ever needed to use a backup motor but it is nice to have from a piece of mind point of view.

The cost of having a competitive motor is basically just to cost of buying a motor. Again, basically being a spec motor, the onus of being fast basically rests with the driver and not the motor in this class.

[warx]

Well I fall into that category of racing. I am more into the fun of the day than the late nights in the garage and saving for bits! I like the idea of a group that self governs.

I see Comet lists new stock motors for $979. Does everyone BP them or leave them box stock? I think I'd need to update my ~2000 Top Kart chassis too - although its already modded for 4-stroke. I know my Intrepid is not.

I'll be sure to visit the first race of the season to try and catch up with you all. Not sure I'll be ready for racing - many more practices are needed I think. Wanted to make the swap-meet this weekend but my son has little league tryouts.

Thanks!
Mike.

[Brad Wunder]

Mike, first off, practice is WAY over rated. ;D You can practice all you want but a race is WAY different than practice. When I got into karting I told myself that I'd just practice for the remainder of the season and then start racing the next year. With a couple races to go I said what the heck, I'll give a race a try. I had soooo much fun I was kicking myself in the butt for not racing sooner.

No one around here BPs their motors except one guy that road races. He's beaten me, I've beaten him so I'm not sure how much good it will do you. It should give you about 1HP +- more but driving skills and chassis setup are WAY more important.

The price you site from Comet is the normal price for these motors and you can expect to pay roughly that where ever you buy the motor. One of the advantages of buying more locally (Terry Ives) is they will go through the motor just to make sure all the clearances are correct and adjust if necessary. Plus if you buy from Terry you then have one of the most highly respected WF engine guys around to help you with anything the NFRA guys can't help with.

[Brad Wunder]

Oh, and one more thing. Don't worry about updating your kart. As long as it is 4 cycle ready, slap a motor on it and let's go racing!