YAMAHA VS. IAME: CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
There have been rumors floating around that Thompson Kart Raceway is switching to all IAME motors this year. THIS IS NOT TRUE. The Board of Directors has had several requests to run the IAME Swift motor in the Jr. Sportsman class as well as the KA100 in the Junior Class. In response, we will conduct testing early this season with several drivers in the Junior Sportsman and Junior ranks. The plan is to run the same driver in the same kart on the same day. The driver will run a few sessions using the Yamaha KT100 and a few sessions running the respective IAME motor. Times will be recorded and compared. Weight and/or restrictor rules will then be determined and re-tested by the same drivers in an effort to find parity.
As a "Club Racing Facility," it is our goal to be as inclusive as possible without fragmenting age groups. While many members would like to run these newer IAME motors unencumbered, it is simply cost prohibitive for our new members who are not ready to invest in this equipment until they know they or their child is going to stick with it. Kart Racing is the foundation of motorsports, and Club Racing is the foundation of Kart Racing.
It is our position that we would rather have 6-10 new and veteran karting families race together in the same class than have 2 or 3 karts racing in separate classes only to get bored and quit because the numbers aren't there. We will keep you updated as we have more information.