2009 Burris National Speedway Series Introduction

Welcome to the 2009 Burris National Speedway Series! Both the BNSS and F200 programs made big strides again last season with programs expanding nationwide into both the sprint and oval markets. The F200 Sprint racing format grew significantly in the Midwest and is now rapidly expanding to West coast sprint tracks in California and Washington as well as the North East Asphalt oval circuit. (The F200’s superior power and higher quality engine components, versus the other “traditional” 4 cycle spec engines, has attracted interest from the 2 cycle crowd which has been a big help broadening its acceptance to all segments of karting.)

Mini Sprints, Outlaw RWYB Karts, Jr Dragsters, as well as quarter and half midgets have all jumped on the F200 band wagon and it is fast becoming the preferred engine structure. With this wide acceptance, F200 is fast becoming a “universal” format for many small engine racing groups and is a testament to the popularity of the concept and the recognition of the rules that govern it!

Take a look at our oval class structure and note that we still have classes for the 5 hp Briggs flat heads and we intend on keeping them in the program as long as there is sufficient participation to warrant this. We don’t believe it would be fair or equitable to mix them with other engines (such as F200’s or Animal’s) so they will remain as stand alone classes as long as there is support. Our aim is to transition people leaving the flat head classes into F200 so that we can eventually reach our goal of an all F200 class structure within the BNSS. As participation gets to higher levels, we can then start modifying the class structure to one that is similar to Moto-Cross where the classes reflect a person’s skill level or commitment, such as amateur, Masters, Pro, etc, and not what engine(s) or modifications they have. This way there are classes for the new drivers and/or Saturday night racers (Amateur) so they don’t have to compete against the factory or sponsored (Pro) drivers, classes for our bigger and older Senior drivers or Super Heavy, and of course the F200 Pro classes to showcase our top drivers, engine builder and tuners.

Within karting only the F200 format can accomplish this because the engine rules are generic (like chassis rules); therefore the BNSS class structure won’t be fragmented like the other sanctioning bodies do: with their Stock, Controlled Stock, TAG, one brand “Spec” engine formats. This structure change is being readily accepted through out the industry and with the rapid growth of the BNSS and F200 this format looks like it will be a reality before long…

For those of you who are new to the BNSS and the F200 programs, take a minute and go to www.speedway-karting.com, click on the “F200” button at the top, and check out the “Concept and Rules”. This will give you an insight into this exciting new format that is really coming in to its own and is now having a big influence on karting’s future…

The growing interest in F200 from companies such as: Yamaha, Honda and Kohler, along with a large number of the automotive aftermarket businesses (K&N, Dyno Cams, Wiseco, Cometic Gaskets, etc) see this as an opportunity to participate in our sport from which they have been summarily excluded from in the past because other sanctioning bodies insistence on allowing only “approved”, “homologated”, and “spec” replacement parts.

The aftermarket companies have huge resources and will give BNSS participants the well deserved recognition and support, pledging to be a big part of our future growth! The simplicity and stability of the rules (with no meaningful changes in over 5 years!) have given these companies an incentive to participate, which will result in a “win/win” situation for everyone involved!

In addition to the F200 link, we have set up the “No Spin Forum” link which deals with all kinds of F200 and BNSS related topics from technical to race announcements, and is a valuable resource to shops, clubs, tracks, and individuals needing information about the BNSS/F200 scene. (Race schedules and special events can be viewed at www.burrisnationalspeedwayseries.com.

Once again, the BNSS has made great strides in the last year, and with the help of the many dedicated and loyal supporters will continue to do so in the future.

Thank you and best of luck in the coming year!