I think karts are neat . . . and if I was a decade or two younger (and
didn't have a CM formula car already) I would be very tempted to run one.
The bang for the buck and the logistical advantages (such as tow with your
Miata if you want to) are clear.
That said, I suspect that a really big part of the lack of popularity of
the class is that karts aren't cars . . . and autocrossers are "car folk".
This isn't a "value thing" or anything "good" or "bad". It just "is". We
relate to "cars". We are much more likely to follow car racing and read car
mags and books than to follow kart stuff.
At autocrosses, people driving "real cars" can relate to formula cars and
sports racers as the ultimate expression of "cars".
Karts are something "different" and far fewer "car folk" are interested it
seems. It may be similar to why many folk shy away from formula 500 even
though it is the next best bang for the buck behind karts . . . but the
cars are harder to relate to for "car folk".
If we were "kart folk", we wouldn't be "into" SCCA or other types of
autocrossing in significant numbers. Best I can tell, grassroots kart
racing is . . . kart racing, not autocrossing.
Therefore, very steep uphill battle to get enough interest.
Dick Rasmussen
CM 85
85 Van Diemen FF
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