Let’s get back to the discussion!! I would strongly disagree entirely with Jon Wright - Faster rolling starts are not the answer.
Faster Rolling Starts are in fact the Right Answer!!
Rolling Starts - Risk Assessment of a likely accident should decrease due to increased spacing between karts. The severity of any accident which could occur might be higher especially if the driver is unable to take avoiding action could possibly result in a driver being seriously hurt. (Quote - MSA Motorsport can be Dangerous) Therefore, there’s always risk of personal injury for all those who complete in any serious form of motorsport which includes kart racing!
I would accept that in any recognised ‘risk assessment’, there's never going to be a totally acceptable solution in competitive motorsport.
Standing starts do not necessary reduce the likelihood of significant collisions occurring but bring other significant risk factors to the table i.e. karts failing to start, karts bogging down, karts driving off circuit, karts lining up three/four/five abreast trying to gain/hold position whilst entering first-second hairpin/corner, greater number of karts all arriving together at first-second hairpin/corner at full racing speed resulting high braking blocking, defending, colliding, spinning, etc all increase the risk of serious or unavoidable contact. (Contact/accidents are not necessary always due to poor driving standards)
Regarding engine/clutches repairs as a direct result of standing starts. The costs of engine repairs are not necessary cheap to the majority of competing karting customers. And yes these woe's are starting to affect everyone on the grid including our wallets, there’s nobody I know in karting who want to blow stacks of cash on clutches. We often talk about keeping karting costs down, but this situation is simply destroying karting!!
I’ve seen a number of threads posted onto this web site from people who have never taken part in any National Karting Championship or at best have just competed in a small handful of club meetings who favour standing starts. We all need to stop bowing down to pressure from these Weak Minded individuals because they find Rolling Starts - Too Frightening, should consider taking their little Annie/Johnnie to the park to play on the swings and roundabouts – hold on they could fall off, have an accident or get seriously hurt!!
Karting should be taken as a seriously and highly competitive motorsport enjoyed by people of all ages (It’s not just a kids sport) If we take away the competitiveness, unexpected anticipation, excitement, noise, action, and thrills we’d might as forget karting and stop at home and wash the car or do some DIY.
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