Both classes have their good points and bad points.
I am biased towards Formula Blue, simply because you are racing 'on the level' with all the Blue drivers in the country, while in Rotax you are racing only that subset of heavy drivers in 177.
After several years of very good grids (averaging over 20 drivers a time) Formula Blue in the South of the country seems to have retreated somewhat and be producing smaller grids this year. (In Scotland, they are the largest grids and they seem to be quite numerous in the middle to north of the country.) However there's been a resurgence of interest from novices / potential drivers recently.
The main tracks in the South are Forest Edge and Clay Pigeon. We are trying to get a grid together at Dunkeswell again, which used to be a popular venue, but it's a case of drivers' budgets and distances.
Formula Blue also has Masters, Veterans and Topweight trophies and championships built into the race structure, so that even though you are racing against drivers of 16 to 60 in age, 6 stone to 16 stone, there's a chance of a trophy if that's important to you.
There is also the NKRA championship which encourages a regional series of races (see planetkarting.co.uk ) normally about 9 races which includes the 5 NKRA qualifying rounds (2009 at Clay Pigeon, Forest Edge and Rye House and the NKRA Championship at Hooton Park.
The engines are quite quick, much on a par with the Rotax, with the difference probably being due to the stickier Rotax tyres. They seem to have comparable maintenance periods but not having a seal, you don't have to pay for it to be resealed each time. So Jamie Crease won the NKRA last year on a budget below £4000 including his tyres. Indeed, at Clay Pigeon some people suggest that tyres with at least one meeting on them 'work' better.
The maxi engine is as quick as the standard Lynx even with a heaviweight in the seat and the system of restrictors does seem to work. Some of the fastest drivers are heavyweights.
Does that help?
|
|