It seems like only yesterday that the CIK/MSA/ABKC consortium introduced the droopy bumper to widespread criticism. Everybody on one of those popular green had to go out and buy a new upper front bumper bar since the new style bumper brackets did not properly seat the bumper. The world and their dog went out and bought stronger bumper clamps and… The response at the end of the season was overwhelmingly positive!!! First corner incidents were largely eradicated overnight and, although there was a feeling that officials came to rely on drooped bumpers alone a little too much, the punters were generally happy. Who’d have thunk it?
So why are we in exactly the same place twelve months on? It appears as though the CIK were not overly enamoured with the solutions that some of the chassis manufacturers produced to address the bumper situation and were working on a revision as early as the summer that would be introduced for 2017. Not all kart manufacturers are affected but, if you drive one of those popular green things, you’ll be needing new upper *and* lower front bumper bars. This is a screenshot of the latest MSA release:
The annoying thing is that, to my mind at least, the CIK didn’t do as thorough job in writing the regulations as they should have. It is clear from the Tal-Ko communication that they believe manufacturers were seeking to gain an advantage. I’ve no idea if this really is the case but I’ve long been near that threshold where you just wonder why bother to pay so much to race MSA and facing ever more red tape(particularly when the ABKC are talking about the need to simplify things for drivers). There is a lot that appeals about IKR and we find ourselves seriously looking at the prospects of going non-MSA for a large chunk of next year. If the TKM Southern Championship plans do not materialise (and I’m losing hope since Tal-Ko and the MSA have been sat on them for a month or so now), we’ll be contesting the National Kart Cup over five rounds on a single set of harder-compound slicks! A SAVING OF £600 ON RUBBER ALONE!!! Sounds perfect but more on that shortly… 😉