For the last two years, the Shifter Open and KZ-M1 categories were separated because of the special prize awarded to the KZ-M1 Senior and KZ-M1 Masters champions. As this special prize no longer exists for 2023, and considering the number of participants in each category, it didn’t make sense to still have four Shifter categories.
For 2023, the Shifter categories have been reduced to two (Senior and Masters), and as 125 cc and 135 cc engines don’t have the same power curve, it was decided to have a 15-lb difference between the two engine types to balance the results, with the possibility of modulating this difference during the season if necessary.
After two races, we consulted the teams with drivers in these categories to get their views on the matter. We also consulted the results of the first two rounds of the season, as well as the results of the 2022 season where the weights were identical for the equivalent categories (Senior-Senior, Masters-Masters). With this information, the Coupe de Montréal organizers decided to keep this difference for the rest of the season. We know that this difference is not perfect on all racetracks, and that some tracks are more advantageous for one type of engine than the other, but on the whole, this difference does not result in a marked advantage for one type of engine over the other.
During the post mortem of the season, with data for all racetrack in hand, we’ll reassess the situation. Perhaps we’ll have confirmation that this difference was correct, but not perfect. Perhaps we’ll have to look at other avenues, such as putting Senior drivers on one type of engine and Masters drivers on the other. In short, we’ll take into consideration all available elements, including driver feedback, to satisfy the majority of Shifter category drivers.