Our friends at VROOM Karting Magazine are reporting that the CIK and KG Bodyworks have developed and tested a new front bumper system to help reduce the amount of excessive front end contact in karting.
Contact in kart racing has become an issue worldwide with drivers using their bodywork to gain significant benefits at relatively no harm. In Canada, it is very rare to see a Rotax Junior or Senior grid exit the track after race with less than a handful of karts without a scuff or dented nosecone.
Noted from the VROOM article:
“The FIA World Motor Sport Council has recently approved a new technical solution for mounting the front bumper that will force drivers to avoid contacts. A divergent “connecting bar” fixed on the two tubes allows the front bumper to move backwards, disengaging the lower support and dropping downwards in case of hard contact – allowance provides 7km/h speed difference between the two drivers, above which the front bumper drops forcing the driver to pit. Safe to say that a contact over the allowance cannot be considered fortuitous, and consists in a substantial disadvantage to the malicious contact without putting safety at risk, as the bumper remains attached to the chassis.
The solution, developed by KG in collaboration with the CIK and tested by Tony Kart drivers Ardigò and Camponeschi – who did try hard to assess the efficiency of the system by pushing each other without hesitation – seems to be going in the right direction.”
The official announcement from the CIK and FIA is forthcoming, as is an in-depth article about the new system in the next issue of VROOM Karting Magazine.
