Santa Maria Karting Association Spec Clone and Pilot Clone Perspective and Spirit and Intent.

 

The Clone classes are designed for the karter who wants to enjoy racing and doesn't want to mortgage the farm to do it.  For a karter that wants to race but not feel obliged to chase a championship.  A class designed to be more recreational than competitive.  The Pilot Clone and Spec Clone classes follow the same technical regulations but Pilot Clone is for the newer, less experienced driver.  Both are very cost effective and stable.  With only a single make and model of chassis, there will be no outdated or obsolete chassis for the foreseeable future.  A 10 year old chassis will be the same design and construction as the new one shiny off the showroom floor.  That gives used chassis an unprecedented (in karting) high resale value for karters wanting to move to a faster, open chassis class.  It gives a new karter the opportunity to buy a used chassis at a discount over a new (albeit affordable) chassis and be just as competitive.

 

Drivers that feel the urge to push the rules, find loop holes in the rules or try to take the class to another level other than the grass roots one, will be kindly asked to move to another class.  This is not to be mean, but there has to be one place in motor sports where racing is just for the pure joy of it.  No championship to chase, no news crews to attract, but to compete with friends and walk away smiling at the end of the day with money still in your pocket.

 

 

The Santa Maria Karting Association may change any regulation for the Pilot Clone or Spec Clone class at any time to keep with the Sprit and Intent of the classes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note:  There is always a desire to try and find loop holes or areas to be exploited in the rules for any class, but it is a false gain.  Using after market or blue printed parts is an example of side stepping the rules.  The long term cost is that everyone in the class ends up with the same setup, spring or widget putting everyone back on the same level but spending more money.

 

Racers have a tendency to turn into lawyers over rule books.  Reading the literal wording or parsing every phrase to their advantage is the rule of the day.  Just because a rule says "You can not bore the carburetor venturi," that does not give you the green light to "ream" or "hone" it.  Please, please, do not ruin this class for all the people who just want to have fun on a budget.  Reading around the rules only costs everyone money in the long run.