Having just finished the edit for the first Rotax Super 1 round, it is pretty clear that the standing starts were a real success and have proved the naysayers wrong (most of whom do not race at Super 1, have no intention of doing it, or were not even there to watch it). Comments that the racing would be "boring" or that nobody would be able to make up a significant places should look at the results. Top drivers starting from mid-back of the grid were able to make up 16-18 places..... Not unlike they would do in a rolling start..... And the racing proved to be as close as it would normally be....top ten in senior max just over a second apart across the finish line, all other classes going right to the wire for the podium places.
As John says, if we had started karting with centrifugal clutches we would have been unlikely to come up with rolling starts as a way of starting races. By turning engines off before starting each race it got around the issue of revving the nuts off the engine and destroying the rotax clutch. In the longer term I am sure rotax could in fact design a clutch that might be more suitable, but in any case by turning engines off then starting and going green within a second appears to have provided a standing start solution. I also think it adds something to the spectacle. Negative comments from people who are not in Super 1, not interested in doing Super 1 and were not even there to watch it just go to prove whatever you try and do, for some people it will never be enough..... you will NEVER satisfy everybody........And god forbid it's different from the norm, because change....for some....= bad.
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