Introduction
The Stevens formula that defined cyclekarting several decades ago has successfully spawned a movement that is experiencing very rapid growth now.  The wisely crafted rules set forth by this formula helped to make the sport affordable, fun and keep everyone safe while racing these unique motorcars.  The rules were also intentionally designed to make this sport accessible to a larger population who could build these machines at home using simple tools, and with little or no skill.  Learning how to build these cars is seen as part of the fun and the price paid for entrance into this sport.  The focus on the early (vintage era) race cars of the 1920-1930’s were a perfect match for creating simple, rugged cars that could be built in one’s garage just as they were back in that era.  The appeal of such simple race cars, also appealed to our sensory appetite for driving loud, vibrating, and seemingly fast machines built with our own hands that had to be manhandled using only our brains and muscle coupled with bravery.  It inspires visions of glory, fulfills our inner creativity, and satisfies a wide range of other personal ambitions.  These are but a few of many reasons why cyclekarting is experiencing unprecedented growth at this time.

Call for Expansion
Many voices have begun to request bending or expanding the rules initially set by the Stevenson formula to accommodate other car types and styles.  Its only natural that appeals exist given the wide variety of motorsport that exist today.  When viewing motorcars history, vintage race cars only represent one of up to ten eras spanning over one century.  Coupled to that, you have multiple styles and categories within each era thus creating a myriad of car types represented by many generations of motorcar enthusiasts. 

The appeal of cyclekarting’s basic premise of affordable motorsporting is casting reflections in many different forms of motorcars.  There are some enthusiasts already participating in these vintage era racecar style cyclekarts seeking expansions.  A sanctioned movement by the cyclekart community at large has already  created an Edwardian category of cyclekarts that adopt most of the same Stevenson rules but increases the wheel diameter to 18″, lengthens the wheel base to better fit the large car style, and requires a higher seat placement.  In another movement, one prominent leader within the cyclekart community has openly invited others to participate in very unique style of Aero-karts that are patterned after WWII fighter aircraft in the form of a type of cyclekart built for speed runs.  This movement is totally independent and not associated with cyclekarts.  He is following his own advice to everyone who expresses modifications to the Stevenson rules by going and starting your own form of motorsport.  

To many though, starting a new movement when its difficult enough for them to build a cyclekart in the first place is not an appealing proposition.  It has generated some controversy on the social platforms and has actually turned a few people away from the sport which is most unfortunate.  It is indisputable that the growing appeal for affordable motorsporting in the form of cyclekarting other than only vintage race cars is garnering greater support.  In my opinion, the cyclekarting community should openly embrace an orderly expansion to the sport as its only a natural progression of a very good thing.

Example of a Sport Organizations Growth
I have watched a similar movement called the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) grow massively in just my lifetime.  It began on the simple premise of having the freedom of scratch building a simple affordable airplane in ones home and flying it anywhere wanted to becoming a large international organization that covers every imaginable type of aircraft ranging from ultralights to multi-million dollar aircraft.   The founder Paul Poberezeny could never have imagined what this organization has become when he initially started this movement.  The EAA’s central appeal to bring together flight enthusiasts of every type and preserving the freedom to fly their aircraft fueled a large movement that continues to thrive and grow despite the increased costs of flight today.

I sincerely believe, the almost limitless appeal for affordable motorsporting that cyclekarting represents can open the sport to become something far greater than the Stevenson’s or any of us could ever imagine.  In my mind, it is inevitable that cyclekarting will expand immensely, way beyond vintage style race cars, it’s just natural just as it was for the EAA.  

Path Forward
So the key question is how will progress happen and which path will it take?  I suggest that an orderly, methodical, and organized manner would be best.  To see this sport expand successfully, it must establish:

1. The key principles that define the core of this type of motorsport that are always present in whatever manner this sport expands.  Some key core attributes may  be things like affordability, horsepower limitations, focus on safety and maybe several other criteria
2. A governing body of volunteers that sanctions and publishes the rules
3. Creation of a body of rules around each class of cyclekart such as Vintage Race Cars, Edwardian Cars, etc. that are created by bodies of enthusiasts and submitted to the governing body for approval and publication.
4. Anyone holding their own event can invite whatever class of cyclekart they wish and add rules as needed to accommodate the event.  Those not approving or liking the event rules are free to create their own event. 

This admittedly is an overly simplistic set of ideas; however, it keeps all that is good with the sport as it is today and allows expansion and growth in a manner that represents the core of what cyclekarting represents.

Re-Imagining Cyclekart Sport Definition
The question that immediately looms in everyone’s mind is how to classify or categorize the sport to permit expansion in an organized fashion?  But before deciding how to answer this, one must first agree upon the overall parameters that define the cyclekart sport.  It needs to be simple, concise, ideally embody the initial sport criteria, promote safety, and be affordable.  

So in a broad stroke, one could define the cyclekarts as;

“Affordable, homebuilt gokart-like vehicles that characterize cars from an automobile era, are powered by a 212 cc engine or electric KW equivalent, employs three or more wheels, and are limited to 50 mph top speed.  The cyclekart community’s primary objective is for its participants to design and build very affordable vehicles that can be built with ordinary hand tools, and allow the builder the freedom to create an automobile from a period that captures their aspirations, dreams, or imagination.  Cyclekarts are meant to be a lot of fun to drive, be safe, shared with others, and compete in gentlemanly races and other forms of friendly contests.”

This is just a quick take on what the definition might be… more thought needs to be directed at this important task to get it perfect. Further clarification needs to be added answering the definition of affordability and safety.

Cyclekart Classes
Once the overarching description and parameters that define the cyclekart sport are agreed upon, we can then advance to defining different classes.  This gets to be a little more difficult and there may be many opinions on the best route.  After much thought, I believe the simplest and most expansive and inclusive concept is to divide the cyclekarts into one of three classes by one extremely simple criteria, and that is the number of seats the car has.

I specifically chose three names that would be easy to remember (alphabetical order R,S,T) and relate well for each class of automobile.  Very specific rules need to be established for each class.  In addition to the basic premise criteria for all classes of employing 212 cc or less size engines, employing three or more wheels, being affordable, and having a top speed of 50 mph, other criteria and names for each of the three proposed classes might be as follows:

• Racers: have one seat, use 17″ diameter motorcycle wheels, have a maximum 39″ wheel track and a targeted 66″ wheel base.  Employ torque convertor transmissions, no gear shifting speeds; however, a rear reverse gear is permitted
• Sportscar:  have two seats, use 17″-18″ wheels, a maximum track of 50″ and wheel base around 78″.   Can use either a torque convertor or multi-speed forward and reversing transmission. 
• Tourer: have three or more seats, use 17″-20″ wheels, a maximum track of 60″ and wheel base up to 100″.  Can use either a torque convertor or multi-speed forward and reversing transmission

Builders can pick an inspiration car from any of 10 different automobile periods (identified below). 

1. Veteran (1890-1904)
2. Edwardian or Brass era (1905-1918)
3.Vintage (1919-1929)
4. Pre-War (1930-1942)
5. Post War (1946-1959)
6. Muscle Car (1960-1974)
7. Malaise (1975-1983)
8. Modern (1984-1999)
9. Contemporary(2000-2019)
10. Electrification and Autonomous (2020-present)

Competitions
Careful consideration when picking an inspiration car should include an investigation into what events exist that cover the class and era you’ve picked if you wish to compete and share your creation.  The cyclekart sport’s genesis is the single seat Racer class from the Vintage era.  Most if not all current events are focused on these Vintage Racers that loosely cover the period from 1919 to 1929 and sometimes through 1942.  Hopefully in the future, event organizers will invite any period of cyclekart to participate within each class.  Racing events, might also be expanded from just Racer class cyclekarts to also holding separate races within the same event for the two-person Sportscars for example.  In addition to races, other contests might include timed courses, rally races, drag races, ice racing, endurance races, etc.  Other contests might be for builds that best exemplify the period, workmanship, ingenuity, sportsmanship etc.  The wonderful thing about opening up this sport across all generations of automobiles is that the variety of cyclekart creations will let loose our imagination to all the ways we can possibly have fun together and share it with the world.

Conclusion
Whether we like it or not newcomers and some within the existing cyclekarter community are already seeking for expansion to the traditional rules.  Some builders are currently building Racers from the Edwardian era and a few are venturing even further with dual seat Sportscars from the Edwardian period.  So whether or not original cyclekart purists like it or not, expansion beyond the Vintage Racers is already underway.  The opportunity to expand the sport from its genesis as vintage racers to be more inclusive of other automobile eras and classes will enhance the sport without threatening or diminishing the native sport in its current form.  It is a win-win scenario that fully retains tradition and embraces diversity that reflects the real world variety of motorsport we see today.

There is an undeniable yearning for motorsport that is affordable, fun, safe, and ACHIEVABLE!  The sport of cyclekarting in a more expansive version can capture the hearts of millions who have this yearning within them.  By embracing the change today and creating a well structured program, we can watch the cyclekart motorsport grow organically in a carefully controlled and safe manner that represents the spirit of what its founders envisioned.  Secondly, a well structured program also helps to better protect the sport from getting hi-jacked, undermined, or smeared by exhibitionists performing unsafe acts in their pursuit of fame on social media.

Let’s embrace an expansion to the cyclekart sport from where it is today by deploying it’s successful principles into other classes and eras of cyclekarts.  This will expand and enhance the sport over time to something that can be enjoyed my millions who yearn for and affordable, safe and achievable means of motorsporting. 

Let me leave you with this thought: 

“Just as God did not make all men alike, and man did not make all automobiles alike, let cyclekarts stand as an affordable tribute to the diversity and ingenuity of all the automobiles ever crafted by human hands.”