u/Jombes_Industries

TL;DR edit: Poor planning, inconsistent karts, unreliable communication, equipment failures, uncaring management, bait-and-switch pricing, and shifting championship rules.

I’ll start by saying that we are genuinely grateful for the experience my son gained through FKL. He grew tremendously as a driver, and we appreciate the opportunity he had to compete. That said, the meaningful coaching, encouragement, and day-to-day support we received came from staff employed by the tracks, rather than from the FAT organization itself.

The season was repeatedly undermined by avoidable equipment and operational issues. Inadequately charged batteries left my son stranded by the side of the track on multiple occasions, costing him three potential victories or likely podium finishes. Despite that, he still managed to finish third in regionals.

The equipment inconsistency was significant. Some karts understeered heavily, some oversteered, some had inadequate brakes or power, and others were properly dialed in. The difference was not subtle. At Willow Springs, for example, my son had previously run roughly 58–59-second laps and won there, but later found himself stuck around 1:04–1:05 in multiple karts with serious handling or power issues — a five- to six-second-per-lap swing attributable to equipment rather than driving. He entered that weekend tied for first in championship points and lost ground through no fault of his own.

There were also instances where his (polite, respectful) feedback did not appear to be taken seriously. He specifically reported handling and power issues, only to have his concerns dismissed as "you just want to try all our karts." He's a tough kid, but this left him in tears.

Organization was consistently lacking. Calendar dates, race times, rules, equipment requirements, practice availability, and session schedules were often unclear, incomplete, or contradictory. Emails would say one thing while staff communicated something else. In one instance, miscommunication forced us, along with many other parents, to spend hundreds of dollars on rush shipping for more than a thousand dollars of CIK/FIA-approved safety gear that was announced as required only 48 hours before an event.

One practice session at Adams started three hours late because the transponders could not be made to work. The workaround was to reduce sessions from 10 minutes to 8 minutes — a 20% reduction in track time — in order to stay on schedule. When we asked about a corresponding discount, we were told that no discounts would be provided and that timing “isn’t necessary for training sessions,” with the suggestion that we bring a stopwatch.

There were also concerns around advertising and pricing. We paid roughly $12,000 for what was marketed as an “all-inclusive” season. The day after registration closed, the organization announced that additional pre-race practice sessions would be offered for $600 per day. That felt like bait-and-switch, and when we said so, we were brushed off.

Our younger son’s assessment experience was similarly problematic. Staff determined that he was better suited to Cadet rather than Bambino, but no Cadet kart was available, so he received no track time. Later they sent us an email praising his track performance, and announcing he had qualified for the full race series - "that'll be $12,000, please."

Finally, after my older son fought through these circumstances to finish third in regionals, management announced that entry to the world championship would be opened to everyone regardless of points accumulated, despite having previously represented it as something earned through regional performance. That decision undermined the competitive value of the season and the meaning of the points championship.

Avoid FKL - spend your money on local rentals and race series run by your local racetrack, which are actually probably more affordable to begin with.

Heeeey everybody

Like it says - looking for an FA5. Not picky, interested in all colors, high mileage, low mileage, just prefer few (if any) modifications and good synchros. Cash in hand, I won't waste your time.

Thanks!