Jump to content
Kart Review UK

Heyhoe

Administrators
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    387

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Heyhoe

  2. 2016 CIK "OK" Engines

    In Karting

    Posted · Edited by Heyhoe

    The new "OK" engines which will be ran in 2016 will replace the current "KF" engine.

    Apart from choosing possibly the worst two letter combination for the name, we are eager to see what the future holds for these engines.

    They are direct drive (no clutch) so are fitted with a decompression valve to aid starting. The driver presses the valve to enable another person to push the kart, once some momentum is acheived, the valve is closed and the engine starts. Its very similar to how you would start a KZ kart with a hand clutch.

    This also means they do not require a battery, loom or starter motor so reduces weight.

    The weight limit has also been reduced to 145kg which we think is a very welcome change.

    They still have a manual power valve but apart from that, they are much close to the direct drive classes of old.

    Additionally, manufacturers have committed to supplying the engines for, and I quote the CIK, "Around 2000 euros" What this will mean in the real world here in the UK is not yet clear. This price includes "all ancillaries", we assume this means the ignition, carb and exhaust.

    Here is a video of Rick Dreezen showcasing the IAME OK engine at PF International.


    With the new weight limit and relative simplicity of the engines, we are eager to see what this class brings. On paper, they appear to have made the right decisions but only time will tell.

    If IAME, Vortex or TM are reading, we would love to have a go to give our thoughts! (wishful thinking)

  3. KartSim - KartKraft

    In Karting

    Posted · Edited by Heyhoe

    KKfront.thumb.png.fcb3262a4994b5fa4dcaa7

    KartSim, which is a karting simulator game has been in development for 6 years!

    There have been many times over the last 3-4 years that we thought this project might have been dead in the water. However, they have recently announced the biggest news so far with a total re-branding of the game and development company (formerly Zach Griffin) Black Delta.

    Official announcement from Black Delta

    After closing our first round of funding in January of this year, the Black Delta gaming team has grown to 9 full time developers and focused itself on the development of its game, previously known as KartSim. It’s been a massive year for the entire team and it’s now time to reveal what’s been happening behind the scenes as we approach release.

    By far the biggest news for the game, is its new name, KartKraft; a name which we feel better represents the on and off track gameplay, alongside the level of race craft required to win in such a cut throat sport.

    KartKraft lets players race karts capable of accelerating from 0-100km/h in 2.5 seconds, with triple the cornering forces of a road car.

    Featuring laser-scanned circuits from around the world, players can customize their avatar, kart and team with products from FREEM, Alpinestars, CRG, IAME, MIR, Sparco, Arai, Arrow, Monaco and many more.

    The industry and most importantly you as our fans, have been patiently waiting for the release of KartKraft. Over the coming months we’ll be releasing our Development Diaries to take you behind the scenes at Black Delta, as we get closer to the game's scheduled Q4 2015 release on Steam’s Early Access.

     

    Debuting the title at Gamescom this year, KartKraft will be on full display at the world’s largest computer and video game event in Cologne, Germany between the 5th-9th August, 2015. Fans and media will be able to race on a 6-DOF hexapod motion simulator with the

    Oculus Rift, similar to those used by Formula One teams. Airfreighted from Australia specifically for the Gamescom event, the simulator lets players feel every bump and vibration as the tyres grip, slide and bounce over the laser-scanned circuit.

    They have also announced backing from several top names in karting including FREEM, Alpinestars, CRG, IAME, MIR, Sparco, Arai, and Arrow.

    brands.thumb.png.8e811ba3196128c3f837d51

    There is once again, not much in the way of in-game footage so here is a very early Alpha testing video which should give you an idea.

    We are just praying this game lives up to the expectation.

     

  7. Super One Championships - KZ1

    In Karting

    Posted · Edited by Heyhoe

    S1LOGO.thumb.png.929b05b7f6f83de5a59e2a2

    Last month was the first time I have actively been involved in a Super One meeting. I was Paul Sleight's mechanic and he was running in KZ1.

    The Friday was rather busy with things like stickers having to be applied to the kart in a particular way, as well as race suits having to be handed in to have the sponsors badges sewn on. All very nice for the cameras.

    Saturday was much better though and I can honestly say I have not been so relaxed at a race meeting. The Parc Ferme is not a huge deal and actually helps when the weather is changeable. It means you can get down next to the circuit, see what it is doing and then decide which way to go with setup.

    The fact the meeting is heavily timetabled also helped. There was no rushing around to see who was out on track and gambling on whether you had enough time to make some changes.

    The officials were surprisingly accommodating. I had imagined they could be hard work but they were very understanding and helped out when they could. I didn't feel I was inconveniencing them if I had a question about the format of the event which you can sometimes feel with officials at certain circuits. Especially when you are new to something

    One thing which was a little frustrating, was the feeling that the event is all about the younger drivers and the "Teams". I understand that this is probably the image that they would like promoting as some of the team setups etc are impressive to say the least.

    I think this is a reflection on karting in the UK in general, which very rarely sees senior karting promoted.

    The KZ1 class is the MSA's "British Karting Championship" which means it's THE class. But, as the grid is made up of some older guys in much smaller teams or as privateers, does not enjoy the spotlight as much as some of the Rotax classes.

    You only have to look at the "Drivers Parade" in which all the privateers are sent to one end because they don't match!

    tn_IMAG1356.thumb.jpg.8ababd2a6f1d238ce2

    Privateers end of the parade

    tn_IMAG1351.thumb.jpg.be17144c85ade34695

    Opposite End

    In my opinion, these are the guys who should be given the exposure, showing that you don't need a tonne of money to fill a teams pockets. Currently, people look at an image of the drivers parade and think "Look at all that money, I could never compete with that".

    Overall though I really enjoyed the event. If you are contemplating competing in Super 1 and can afford the extra outlay, I would definitely recommend it!

     

  8. Anyone else losing interest in F1?

    In Other Motorsport

    Posted

    I'm sure it's not just me that's totally losing interest in F1 recently.

    What do you think the main reasons are? Here are a few I think could be contributing.

    • Mercedes Dominance
    • Engine regs
    • Circuits/Circuit safety (Large run-offs, no real punishment for pushing too far)
    • Media Coverage (Trying too hard/too in-depth?)

    These are just a few that come to mind. I'm sure there are many more.

    One of the main issues for me is the lack of punishment to drivers for going beyond the limits of the car.

    All of the drivers go out in practice and keep going quicker until they start running wide at each turn. They then know exactly how hard they can push with the current car configuration/setup. My issue is that this can really take the control away from the driver and put much more emphasis on the car. I realise the driver still has a large part to play but I cannot help but feel that all the drivers on the grid are already maximizing the car underneath them. It's then down to the team to tweak aero, setup etc to find a few more tenths.

    If we still had a gravel trap at the edge of every kerb, the drivers would have to take much longer to find the limit of the car and hopefully this would still be happening by the time they race, thus rewarding drivers who can find the limit quicker, but also punishing drivers who push that little too hard.

    No drivers want to be stuck in the garage while their mechanics replace the floor on their car!

    I understand there is always an element of the driver knowing how hard to push as the circuit is always evolving and the car reacting differently the changing conditions. But again, if they are not punished when they get it wrong, they lose a few tenths, or half a second. If they ripped the front wing or the floor off when they get it wrong I think we would see many more driver effected races etc.

    Your opinions?

     

  13. January 2015 Upgrade

    In Kart Review Site Information

    Posted

    We hope you like the changes!

    As well as fully supporting mobile, the system is much more advanced and brings the site up to the highest standard of community based software.

    Our next project is to implement a fully featured Classifieds system. This will allow users to control all of their adverts as well as uploading multiple images.

    There will also be added security as we will require some security questions if you are planning to sell on the classified part of the site. This should hopefully go some way to stop thieves operating. We cannot guarantee this, but the alternatives currently don't offer much in the way of protection to buyers.

  20. IAME X30 Regional Championship

    In Karting

    Posted

    I got fed up of chasing nothing around so decided to not post an update until it was clear what was happening.

     

    http://www.x30world.co.uk/

     

     

    2014 will see for the first time the X30 by IAME being run in the UK, and as part of the new MSA class homologation it is not permitted to run a championship. The Tour UK will see a format that helps reduce racing cost by running with in a club race, this also ensures maximum track time and enjoyment. As it will be contested round by round this allow drivers to do selected races or the complete calendar. The summer race calendar will see 8 races contested over the UK and will shadow the successful LGM series.  The LGM Series is now staring its 12th year and has been recognized as the first step into championship racing at minimum cost and to ensure that this is the case slick tyres will be restricted to one set for all the weekend track time competitors will also have the option to receive a discount on tyre purchases.  All subscriptions to the Tour will have the opportunity to compete for a place at the IAME International Final, and other fantastic prizes along the way, the season will end with your invitation to the LGM Gala night to celebrate with family, friends and fellow competitors all your highs and lows of the season.

  25. January 2015 Upgrade

    In Kart Review Site Information

    Posted · Edited by Heyhoe

    You will be pleased to hear that Kart Review UK is pressing on with keeping the site as current as possible. You may notice that websites are becoming slicker and more feature rich than ever. This is all down to the advancements in technology and more importantly, your browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome etc)

    Our site is no dinosaur in comparison to other UK Karting websites, but there are currently issues with things such as viewing the site on your phone. I mean, who uses a computer these days? You want to be able to see the reviews when you are on the go, or on tea break, etc.

    Along with many other improvements and generally a much nicer interface it should be much easier to search for reviews as currently the search feature is pretty useless!

    We don't expect this upgrade to happen until around July but there is the potential for it to happen sooner. We may have to temporarily suspend the site while we ensure everything is working correctly.

    None of the current reviews, posts or comments will be lost when we upgrade so please carry on engaging in the community.

    Thanks,

    Kart Review UK Team.

×
×
  • Create New...