For those that have noticed the name ‘REV Performance Materials’ circulating the North American karting airwaves lately, you might be wondering who they are and what do they have to do with the sport.
Well, we have caught up with Kenneth O’Keefe, who has partnered up with Trevor Wickens to create REV Performance Materials, to learn about this new business venture and what it means for the karting industry. O’Keefe has been involved in the karting industry since 2004, first as a racer and now as a highly respected mechanic and coach, supporting drivers and teams across North America. Together they noticed a need for improvement in providing everyday products for all racers and began to develop, manufacture and source them.
“Trevor and I have a strong knowledge of competitive karting from grassroots to international competition. We saw many areas that we could offer improved products for the end-user, including products that are either more ergonomic or offer improved performance. This is the philosophy behind REV.”
REV will support the sport by providing access to products, parts and key items that every racer and team uses nearly every time they take to the track, regardless of the chassis brand or engine they are using.
A key to some of the feature products REV is offering is where they come from. Their REV engine mounts, premium sprockets, sprocket protectors and chassis guards are all made right here in Canada.
“It was important to us to keep our CNC’d products based within North America to ensure the best quality for the end-user. In our research, we determined that the little bit you save on the final product, you lose back in shipping from overseas. That partnered with the ease of open communication with our engineers and machine shop along with the higher quality raw material available made manufacturing in Canada a no-brainer.”
REV has developed its own spin on the engine mount for both two-cycle and four-cycle racers. For the 4-Cycle racers, an 8 and 14 Degree Sliding Mount is offered along with a more cost-effective two-piece ECO mount. For the 2-Cycle racer, a 0 Degree flat-mount is offered with different positions for all engine types. A 1cm spacer is offered for the 2T mount to help with exhaust alignment and airbox height on some chassis/engine combinations.
A full range of 219 sprockets have also been developed by REV and racers have two different options to choose from. A premium version is made of aircraft-quality aluminum and ‘are accurate to within 0.1mm and have optimized tooth precision to produce minimal friction between the sprocket and chain’, while an ECO option is geared towards racers looking for an affordable option to keep them on track. The sprockets range from 64-tooth to 90-tooth options.
REV has also secured the Eastern Canadian distribution rights to RK Chain. The popular 219 chain brand has O-Ring and Gold Chain options.
Another key item from REV is their universal chassis guards, a popular item to keep the bottom of every chassis in great condition.
Other great products available include tool boxes, cables, clamps, karting specific hardware kits and engine accessories such as spark plugs and fuel filters.
All of REV’s products are available through their website, https://revperformancematerials.ca/ and they are currently offering free shipping on all retail orders of $300.00 or more. With the Canadian season hopefully right around the corner, now is a great time to stock up on the products you will need to compete this summer.
REV is looking to build its dealer network for teams and businesses looking to add these great products to their showrooms and inventories. Notably, some top Canadian companies including SRA Karting, PSL Karting, Mosport Karting Centre, Kevin Glover Motorsports, Premier Karting, Racing Edge Motorsports, Collison Racing, VSR Racing and Prime Powerteam have joined the REV dealer network, while in the USA, AM Engines and Full Gas Motorsports are currently representing.
If you’re interested in adding REV products to your product line, contact: Kenneth – kenneth@revperformancematerials.com or Trevor – trevor@revperformancematerials.com
