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I don't think IKR is the threat to MSA karting that some think it is. The growth of IKR has done the MSA a favour. As it stands now, IKR needs the MSA just as much as the MSA needs IKR, the two complement each other but nobody seems to see it.
IKR racing generally follows the MSA rules and regs. In effect IKR just takes what's good about MSA and tries to change what's bad. Nothing wrong with that but without the MSA, the IKR events would be a much bigger muddled up mess with the rules and regs, each track would have vastly different regs which would just fragment the sport into non existence.
All the MSA has to do is to keep everything as it is but with a few tweaks. This might sound stupid, but the one thing you can guarantee with MSA racing is that there are rules and regs for each class, that are the same rules and regs for every circuit that has MSA racing all around the country. This is the MSA's massive strength, IKR doesn't and will never have one set of rules and regs for all circuits, it can't because if it did then it could no longer be classed as IKR.
The major problem with MSA racing is all the hurdles that they make you jump before you get to taste the kart racing. Stupid rules on Snell helmets, outdated race suits and all the bloody costs with tests and licenses is what drives karters down the IKR route. If they removed all of that, then that would be a massive step in the right direction and the numbers would increase overnight.
If MSA karting fails it would not be because of IKR, it would be because they haven't corrected the problems that every man and his dog has been complaining about for the last 15+ years.
The worst thing that they could do would be to bring out another form of racing called IMSA whereby they try and merge the two. As daft as it would be I wouldn't be all that surprised if they tried this though.
Chris.
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