Registration for Race 2 Closes Soon!

Race 2 is approaching fast! Member registration ends at midnight on Tuesday May 30. So if you haven’t done it yet, get yourself over to bikereg.com/NHKA right now. Remember: All members received a new BikeReg password via email. So if you’re having trouble logging in, you probably need to check your inbox.

Race 2 will be on the same track configuration as Race 1 but in the reverse direction – clockwise. We will also welcome a few more new drivers with our second and final Karting Safety Course on the section of track to the left of the paddock.

Yes, we have a fresh batch of tires at the office. And yes, there will be tires for sale at the track, but only as supplies last. We recommend that everyone who knows they’ll need fresh rubber for the race use the tire order form to reserve theirs now.

Briggs 206 Cadet Weight Change

Starting with Race 2, the minimum weight for Briggs 206 Cadet will decrease to 250lbs. We are lowering the weight by 15lbs in the interest of safety and to stay in line with other race series. After speaking with drivers and parents, we feel this will be fair for everyone – not to mention easier on the backs of mechanics. We’ll watch the on-track results and if necessary make further adjustments.

Briggs 206 Valve Spring Q&A

What the heck is going on with Briggs 206 valve springs?
In the weeks leading up to Race 1, NHKA became aware of the presence of performance-enhancing aftermarket valve springs in some Briggs 206 engines. So we encouraged racers to have their engines inspected to confirm the exclusive use of stock parts, as required by the Briggs 206 Rules.

On May 3rd suspected aftermarket springs were found in an engine volunteered for inspection at the NHKA office. The springs were sent to Briggs and Stratton. On May 9th Briggs confirmed that the springs were not stock and that they were identical to known aftermarket springs.

Why wasn’t this resolved before the first race?
Unfortunately, with confirmation from Briggs coming only a few days before the first race, there simply was not sufficient time to address the issue club wide. Thus we were not surprised that post-race tech at Race 1 revealed non-compliant springs in two engines.

What does the Briggs 206 Rule Set say?
23. Valve Springs
a. Valve Springs are single coil stock, unaltered B&S part #26826. Must be identical in appearance to factory part and have 4.00 to 4.75 coils in stack.
b. Spring Wire Diameter: .103 to .107 inches
c. Valve spring length: .940 max inches Tech Tool A15 Inside diameter: Use .615 Class Z Go), .635” No-Go (Use .635” Class Z No-Go)

To paraphrase: Everyone must use B&S stock valve springs and nobody is allowed to mess with them.

Now what?
We need to eliminate these illegal springs from the NHKA’s 206 engine population as quickly as possible so we can get back to the box-stock fair racing you bought your 206 for in the first place!

How?
The key words in the rules for getting this mess behind us are “Must be identical in appearance to factory part”. The illegal springs can be easily identified just by popping off the valve cover and looking. That means the solution starts with you!

What am I looking for?
The aftermarket springs look different from stock springs in two key ways. The first difference is color. As you can see in the photos, the aftermarket springs are bronze while the Briggs stock springs are black. The second visual tell is the shape of the “tail” or end of the spring where it is ground flat. As circled in the side-view photo, the tail of the aftermarket spring is significantly sharper/thinner than the stock spring.

The arrows on the photo from above shows a third point of visual comparison. To see this the springs in question need to be uninstalled and compared directly with a known stock spring. Stand them up next to each other making sure the bottom “tail” of both springs are in the same relative position (i.e., they are both in the 6 o’clock position in the photo.) Now compare the relative positions of the top “tails” and it is easy to see that the aftermarket spring has more coil.

What if my springs look bronze or my tails look too thin?
You should take your engine to your kart shop and ask that they make sure that your springs are the stock B&S part #26826.

I’ve read that the bronze color could be the result of the break in process and oils used by some engine builders.
That theory is entirely plausible. However, the engines found with the bronze springs showed ZERO discoloration on any other parts.

Doesn’t Briggs make go/no-go tools to check valve springs?
Yes, but the dimensions of the illegal springs (height, outside diameter, inside diameter and wire diameter) will pass inspection with Briggs tech tools.

Is it true that one of engines that failed post-race tech after Race 1 had passed tech at a race with a different series that uses the same rules?
It doesn’t matter. While the Briggs 206 Rule Set has enjoyed broad adoption, each race series that employs it is responsible for their own technical inspection procedures and decisions. The NHKA believes strongly in the spirit of fairness at the heart of the Briggs 206 Rule Set and strives to enforce them for the benefit of all our members.

Who is responsible for these springs?
We do not believe the use of these springs is deliberate cheating by any of our drivers, in fact most engine owners with them were genuinely surprised. Nonetheless, responsibility for the legality of a kart falls to the person racing it. So out of respect to your fellow racers and to avoid possible penalties, we again ask you to make sure your engine complies with the rules.

The First Race of the Season is Finally Here!

This will be the final update for Race 1 of the 2023 season which means it’s time to GO FAST! The weather will be awesome and we are looking forward to a great start to a successful season for everyone.

As always there are lots of things to go over so please read carefully.

This weekend we are a little short staffed. We will have a new gatekeeper as well as an experienced volunteer friend at the front gate. Please be patient. We will work as quickly as we can and will appreciate you all working with us.

Also we could use 1 or 2 more helpers with strong backs to pull barriers from the barn Friday afternoon. Please see Mike if you can help.

Please remember that we are unable to have any contact through email after 6pm Thursday night. Facebook or text are better bets but replies are not always possible – we’re very busy setting up!

Friday Night
Entry 4-8pm for trailer drop off or camping. No entry or exit after. No exceptions.
Camping fee is $25. Only quiet generators. No fires.
Pit pass sales only for those present to sign waiver.
Pre-race kart safety tech will be available.

Saturday Morning
Gate will open at 6:30am. Use the first entrance to the property.
Do not arrive early, there is no place to wait outside the gate. You may NOT park on the street and interfere with the neighbors coming and going.

Any guests under 18 yrs must be accompanied by one of their parents unless other arrangements have been made in advance. This is non-negotiable. If a minor release form has been submitted and accepted you are good.

The drivers meeting will be at 8:15am sharp and lengthy. Please be on time. There will be a Briggs 206-only meeting immediately after. Drivers not at the drivers meeting will not race.

Race Day Format
Same format as last season starting at 8:45am:
Two morning practice sessions per practice group.
Lunch break.
One timed qualifying session per race group (which may differ from practice group.)
One 20-lap final race.

Practice / Race Order
1 206 Cadet
2 206 Senior
3 206 Junior
4 World Formula
5 All Shifters
6 TaG Masters
7 206 Masters
8 TaG Senior / TaG Junior

Please Remember…
Leave your pit area as clean as you found it. Take out what you bring in.
NO bikes, skates, scooters – motorized or otherwise – allowed on the property at anytime.
No alcohol or mind-bending substances allowed by anyone at any time on Saturday until the races are concluded for the day.
The track configuration is posted below. We call it Half Track 2. We will be running counterclockwise and using the chicane (the little dotted section.)
Kid Karts will run on the Karting Safety Course track to the left of the paddock.

The Latest Info for Race 1

We are are ready for Race 1. Are you?! Thank you to all who registered on Bikereg. We’ll have 113 entries plus another 15 new drivers who will be attending the Karting Safety Course.

The new handbook is now available by clicking here. Please download it and read it. It covers covers all aspects of your kart, racing and safety procedures and rules of conduct. Detailed engine and chassis rules are covered by the rule book of the sanctioning body governing your class.

The previous web post has the map of the track configuration we’ll be racing on: Half Track 2. Direction is counterclockwise.

The Karting Safety Course will be run counterclockwise on the variation of Half Track 1 utilizing the Kart Track/cut-through nearest that end of the facility.

A complete schedule will be released on Wednesday with property entry times, camping info and other details you’ll need to know to get your race day started right.

NHKA Race 1 is Only Days Away!!!!!

Thank you to all who have entered our first race of 2023 at Canaan Motor Club. The registration deadline for Race 1 is Sunday May 7 at Midnight. Remember, we will not accept any registrations at the track. So if you intend to go but have yet to register do it right now! We’re looking forward to seeing ALL of you!

We will be racing counter clockwise on Half Track 2… meaning the end of the track with the chicane to the right of the paddock area. We will go out onto the track along the guard rail. We will use the bus stop chicane and turn into the infield track just before the infield garage then turn left back onto the main track. The Karting Safety Course will run counter clockwise on the far left end of the track.

As always we will release a Friday night and Saturday morning schedule on Thursday before the event. So stay tuned!

Briggs 206 Tech Update

Back on March 14 we announced stricter tech for Briggs 206 classes. After inspecting several engines we have found a common area of non-conformance: valve springs. These springs are from the same aftermarket spring maker and do have a positive effect on performance.

These springs are NOT a Briggs part. The Briggs 206 Rule Set does NOT allow for the use of springs made by a manufacturer other than the manufacture that made the springs that originally came in your engine.

The NHKA will be conducting tech on top finishers and may also check engines throughout the field. Valve springs will be an area of special interest. There will be NO leeway or mulligans. As is the case when we find any non-conforming parts, the driver will be subject to disqualification and further penalties because the driver, and only the driver, is responsible for making sure their equipment complies with the rules.

We are always working to provide the fairest and safest competition possible. We expect all our competitors’ full cooperation in achieving that goal.

The 1st Race of 2023 is Set to Go!!!

We are excited to start the new season. Our goal for 2023 is fun and family friendly racing. We are looking forward to seeing our many drivers, and to welcoming some new friends. Our new Karting Safety Course will instill confidence by giving them an environment they can get up to speed quickly. They’ll have a separate track to get a feel for their karts while learning the flags and safety procedures without the pressure of being thrown into a full race day. This course might be just the thing for some of our “experienced racers” who struggle with the flag and safety rules. You know who you are!!!

Online registration for Race 1 on May 13 opens Monday April 17 at 6pm on www.BikeReg.com/NHKA Registration deadline is SUNDAY May 7 at midnight. Yes, that’s a couple days earlier in the race week than usual. We have some staffing scheduling conflicts, so we want to get our pre-race work done early. Remember, only approved 2023 NHKA Members can register for races in 2023.

We do have some minor drivers who have not yet submitted their minor waiver package. The deadline to get them in is April 21 to not be locked out of registering for the race on Bikereg until those forms are submitted. That’s less than a week away!! Yes, the form does say you can turn them in on race day, however we are asking for them before because will be training some new staff at the gate. Your help with this will be greatly appreciated.

The latest version of the World Formula rules is now available. There have been just a few minor changes since our last update, so please be sure to check it out. Speaking of rules, a full NHKA Racing Series Rules & Procedures Handbook will be available on the website very shortly. Stay tuned!

Finally, a new tire order will be on its way next week. Preorder your tires now so you can be sure yours are waiting for you at the track on race day.

Do You Have Tires????

Race day is just a few weeks away!!!!!

Our first order of LeCont race tires is on the way with another order shortly after that. We will take pre-orders and have them ready for you when you get to the track. You can also pick them up ahead of time at the office or we can ship directly to you.

Don’t wait until the last minute. Pre-orders will guarantee you have some nice, fresh and fast tires. Order yours today!

Tighter Tech for Briggs Engines in 2023

Over the winter months, NHKA and Archie’s Kart Shop have been working on tightening tech for Briggs 206 and World Formula engines. This is in response to the discovery of modified and non-stock internal parts. One action we are taking is the establishment of a parts database with reference measurements from known stock engines and parts. Done in accordance with the Briggs rule set, it is a tool we will be utilizing and expanding in 2023.

NHKA Racing Series follows the latest Briggs technical rules for the 206, and its own box stock rules for the World Formula. Any and all infractions will be subject to disqualification from that event’s results, and exclusion of the engine from competition until it is able to pass inspection by Archie (at the owner’s expense.) Additionally, the driver may be subject to suspension for the remainder of the season.

It is the responsibility of engine owners and drivers to make sure their engines comply with the rules. We will not hear any “I didn’t know” excuses. We strongly recommend that you contact your engine supplier/builder/tuner to make sure your engine is legal. Do it now while there’s plenty of time to find and correct any issues before the season starts.

The NHKA works hard to provide the fairest competition possible. Deliberate rules violations are not only detrimental to our sport but disrespectful to other drivers and event organizers. Cheating will not be tolerated.