Extract from Karting 1 sent to Talko
This is a copy of the response I have sent to Alan Turney at Talko
Dear Alan,
Thank you for the prompt response and the attachments which I have read with interest. I note you have spoken to a number of experienced drivers and the impression you give is that all experienced drivers are having no problems and the implication from this is that the problem lies with the less experienced drivers having problems with set up. I would be interested to know which drivers you had spoken to as the consensus on the karting forums is that, with limited exceptions, there is a widespread discontent with the tyres.
A large proportion of those reporting problems are in fact Super1 drivers who cannot be considered inexperienced. For the record we have been competing in TKM for 19 years including 4 years racing at Super1 level.
It is interesting also that you observe that the driver setting the fastest times in TKM testing this weekend had completed 200 laps on the tyres. Could that be the same Talko driver who had been unhappy with the performance of the tyres at PF on Dec 4 and who had been slower than us that meeting? The same driver who had said that having done 200 laps the tyres were at last getting better? Can you with hand on your heart say that the driver/team most involved with the development of the Talko chassis had not made any comment to you about the poor performance of that set of tyres?
Whether our tyres improve with age remains to be seen but you must admit that being at their best after 200 laps is not what one would expect. Who would want to buy new tyres in this situation?
In these days of the internet, information disseminates very quickly and, rightly or wrongly, TKM drivers are becoming concerned that there is a problem with this batch of tyres. If it is not acknowledged there is a problem (whether this is with odd tyres or the batch as a whole) there will be a widespread lack of confidence in new Maxxis tyres which could ultimately lead to demands for a change in the control tyre as happened with the Rotax classes in 2010.
Could I ask please that you take the complaints that have been made seriously as this issue has gained too much momentum for it to be swept under the carpet.
Ken Harris
Note the above is beeing discussed on Karting 1 forum also
Steve Dickens
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