Rubbin's Racin' – Robin Hill
The formula itself was started by Colin Bunyard around 2005, and having seen a video of them on YouTube in early 2009, Ian thought “they would be a bit of fun for my two boys to race” as they had enough of Grasstrack racing. Ian’s brother had also seen the formula and liked the look of them too so went to see Colin who lived only a few miles away to discuss buying some karts. “Long story short Paul and I ended up making him an offer to take over the formula and a deal was done in October 2009” says Ian, and “the rest is history”. With 44 Seniors and 25 Juniors registered to race Ian is kept on his toes. Running the formula is a “lot more time consuming than I imagined it would be but that is partly my own fault as I am not very good at delegating”.
StoxKarts are “affiliated to the ORCi”, built to a certain specification and those regulations are lodged with the ORCi too, along with having “liability insurance to cover us for manufacture”. The rule book combines a range of ORCi rules including safety guidelines along with rules set straight to the StoxKarts such as wheelbase, weight etc. The formula only allows you to adjust the Karts tyre pressures and toe in and toe out on the front tracking, meaning that nearly every car is on the same level playing field making it manly about driver talent.
The Karts general shape hasn’t changed much since the start of the formula, with there being “3 different types of Chassis in the Stoxkarts. All new karts are built by us on a flat chassis that I had designed by well-known Grasstrack racer Ant Ross at ARD Racecars. The pre-2010 Karts are built on Startos Kart chassis then there are the ones built between 2010 and 2013 built by NFR again on a Stratos Chassis”. However at the end of 2013, there were no more Stratos Kart chassis’ available “so we tried to buy the jig to build them but they wanted £80,000 for it”. Safe to say Ian and his team weren’t paying that, so worked with ARD to build a chassis which was run as a prototype for a year, the design was then put into production the following year. The current chassis are still built on that design but built by a company called H2O Racing, run by ex V8 Hotstox driver and chairman, Paul Heath. Ian jokes that “the guy who owns the Stratus chassis jig still has it stood in his garage!”
Under the skin – Carl Hainsworth
The formula has a recommended engine builder but drivers are allowed to build their own as per the rule book, Ian says “once an engine has been built it has to come to HQ to be Dyno tested and sealed by us. If it is over the limits we de tune it then seal it before it can race”. Again, this keeps everyone on the same playing fields so all Karts - subject to servicing and maintenance - will perform the same.
Maintenance on the Karts is very simple and can be carried out with minimal tools. Race damage is mainly easy to repair, the newer Karts even have bolt on and off nerf rail bars which can easily be replaced whenever. Obviously in a contact formula damage is expected, despite this, the most common damage to a Kart is a plug-in/front hub to become bent, which are very easy to replace and are rather in-expensive. However, if damage is beyond what a team can handle, Stoxkarts Ltd. can always take your Kart back to their workshops and repair it for you. As Ian says “as with all formulas it depends on how you drive”, the top graded drivers in the sport tend to spend an evening a week to do “a nut and bolt check, check the tracking and grease the bearings and oil the chain. At Stoxkarts HQ we do a Wednesday evening and 4 of us manage to get 4 karts done and loaded ready for the weekend”.The formula is now well established with both Juniors and Seniors. Ian says that he’s “recently put the formula up for sale as a going concern as I want to retire and move abroad but it would have to be the right person that takes it over”, going onto say that “it isn’t all about the money with me. All the drivers have invested in the formula and it has been a great stepping stone for many new drivers into other formulas. There are drivers now racing in just about every oval formula that have raced in the Stoxkarts formula even in F1s”. Ian knows that the formula has it’s own “unique place in oval racing”, as a stepping stone for some drivers into motorsport or to those who simply don’t have the money or time to race in the more bigger named formulas. Ian’s point of view is that “it is a competitor’s formula so it is the drivers that are my main concern, if a few fans enjoy watching them then that is a bonus but we are not paid to entertain, we pay to race and if we are entertaining then that is a bonus”. We’ve seen some excellent racing in the Seniors as well as the Juniors too, and Ian believes that there isn’t a formula out there that produces as close racing as the StoxKarts or one that can be done on less of a budget.
Follow the leader – Aimee Hovercroft
Despite being one of the smallest formulas on the Short Ovals, the StoxKarts head up to Scotland to race at Cowdenbeath Racewall, arguably one of the most daunting tracks in the country. However Ian says that “the drivers love Cowdenbeath, it is almost flat out all the way round but not quite. It is a real adrenaline rush with your backside 3inches off the floor, the Kart skitting about all over as they have no suspension and often 5 abreast”, Ian goes onto say that “no matter which track you race at the racing is so close due to the rules you know you are in with a chance and even if you are mid-pack you know you will not be getting lapped and blown away so again the adrenaline rush of racing in close groups is what appeals over the speed”.
Ian finishes our interview by saying “Oval racing is fantastic. I have been involved for over 40 years but as much as it is great it can also be heart-breaking! No matter what formula you race you get out what you put in, that is not in monetary terms but in time in the garage being methodical”. He continues to say “don’t expect to buy a top man’s car expect to compete with the top men or ladies straight away. The biggest thing though is to enjoy it. The minute you stop enjoying yourself is the time to pack in”. We thank Ian for his time and wish him and the StoxKarts all the best for the future!
If you want to learn more about the formula, look into the hire car options available, or Karts for sale they formula has an excellent Facebook page and a website too, stoxkarts.co.uk, that should tell you everything that you need to know.