I've had my eye on the new Dragon Fire Chassis for a while. I've talked to Todd a couple of times about the build.
For me, and anybody who's starting a build right now, (You guys are wanting to structure rules to attract new racers correct?)...we have to make sence of the power plants currently available. I don't see the point in building an 800cc car when the 950 Artic Cat is a superior motor to base my build off of, and it cost the same to boot. More power, No cost penalty.
I sold my RZR late last year after spending oddles of time dialing in the suspension. The motor package wasn't strong enough at the time. (Obviously RJ is doing just fine with his KROYER motor this year. At the time, KROYER couldn't give me a straight answer as to what he thought he could do with the Polaris package. He's worked it out in a years time to be a top finisher). After selling the RZR last year, I bought an '08 Kawi, in 2009, because of the potential the motor was showing. I then sold it a month or two later, with out doing a thing to it, because the artic cat is now showing potential. Frankly I think the Artic Cat motor package is hard to beat in stock form. I personally think the displacement game has platued and 1000cc will be about as far as it gets in the UTV world. The boxer Goldwing 1300cc Honda motor, or the 1000cc R1 would be cool as a factory Rhino, but I highly doubt that's going to happen. Honda has side stepped the big motor UTVs altogether.... There has to be a reason for it right?
So as far a motor packages go, we have to consider a rules change, and allowing motor swaps. The Rhino Motors are very close to becoming obsolete in race venues against the Kawi. The "Rhino" race chassis most of you guys have currently built, are far from obsolete, and can easily podium with a motor swap.
Frankly we all know LOORRS pulled the plug on the UTV class because they were "boring" to watch. We heard it alot at CORR, in the stands, and on the forums.
The UTV's HAVE TO BE FASTER if they're going to compete for attention and love from 1) average joe smoe fan, 2) the big race promoters, and 3) for any TV time. The combo of these 3 factors is what's going to get the Yamaha's and Kawasaki's, and Polaris' of the world to throw $ at race programs. We, as UTV guys, have to be more entertaining to watch in the eyes of the standard end user if UTVs are going to continue to be a viable race class in the big shows.
Larger displacement motor packages are here. Motor swaps make sence at this point in the game to bring the existing Race Rhinos up to par, and to allow the new UTV builds to run current power packages. Why handycap new builds if we know the UTV class as a whole, needs to faster to be more entertaining to watch?
-Sean