EPIC, Inc. kicks off the New Year with several exciting new projects already in the works. These new products are in various stages of development and each are expected to become available to the karting community before the close of the season.

Kicking off the first in a series of new products EPIC introduces a pair of stone guards to complement our side-mount radiator kits. Carefully designed and tested to provide the ultimate protection against airborne projectiles while on the track, plus an ergonomic mounting system to allow the customer easy removal for cleaning debris, the 6-guage stainless steel front-mounted screen is the first OE product of its kind available for karting radiators. The hand-welded screen integrates into the two side lips of the EPIC radiator and is retained with a pair of aircraft-grade aluminum channels as a means to tension the surface away and in front of the delicate radiator core. (see photos) Integrating with the outer side mounting brackets, and positioned to the rear of the radiator to prevent rear tire ‘kick-up’ from damaging the rear surface of the radiator, the rear rock plate is laser-cut and hard-coat anodized to match the superior finish qualities of the EPIC radiator mounting kit.

Scheduled to hit the track this spring is our own EPIC ‘Ghitonne’ 250 sprint chassis. In a collaborative effort with Wildkart, Italy, the Ghiotonne will be the first ever sprint chassis specifically designed and developed for the 250 single-cylinder sprint application. “Strong enough for a 250, but made for a 125” the Ghiotonne can also be expected to serve well the ICC and 125-moto applications. With an emphasis on tunability, high-speed stability, aero efficiency and the significant braking loads encountered in road-racing applications, the Ghiotonne is a new concept in sprint kart road racing design. On par with traditional EPIC styling cues and quality, the Ghiotonne will likely live up to its namesake; ‘gluttony’ as translated from its Italian factory. The first prototype in currently on the test stand and we will be track testing imminently. As the course of development and refinement is an open-ended process we cannot make promises for chassis deliveries in the first part of ’08, but our intention is to release production models towards the end of the season with our sights set on capturing championships in 2009.

Another exciting new product under development but without a hard release date is an innovative detonation counter for engine performance monitoring. Utilizing a proprietary peizo-crystal sensor, and a user-friendly heads-up display, this system is engineered to count the number of engine detonations, or “knocks” in real time and display them to the driver. Incorporating a flashing LED indicator as an additional safeguard, the EPIC detonation counter will reliably warn the driver of problems with his/her motor before it is too late. While some ‘dets’ are normal and expected from an engine producing maximum power, too many detonations will quickly lead to piston pitting, damage to the head, and ultimately engine seizure. This EPIC detonation counter is designed to be an early warning prevention system that informs the driver of imminent engine meltdown. With a target price point of $350-400, if this kit were to prevent only one engine stick –i.e. top-end rebuild and cylinder repair –it would already pay for itself! The system is currently being developed and de-bugged to offer our customers a lifetime of reliable service.

And of course what would EPIC be without its acclaimed radiators?! So expect some new headlines coming from our thermal engineering team in the months to follow. Expected to be released in time for the summer racing season are two new radiator designs. The first is a one piece side-mount radiator that integrates with our current bracket system and offers extended cooling over our current 57mm design. Of course as engine cooling is a compromise, this radiator will have slightly more associated drag, but the intended application is the relatively low-speed sprint kart where aero drag is not such a big factor. The final weight of the unit is not yet determined but our engineers expect it to have a comparable mass to our 57mm radiator. And finally, EPIC is working through the last development details of an ‘end-all’ radiator for top-level ICC competition. The new EPIC double radiator system –that’s right, “double radiator” not just ‘double-core’ radiator! –will offer the absolute most cooling potential for those impossible to tame engine temperatures. With so much cooling on tap, it is highly recommended that customers also incorporate our renowned TCU in order not to over-cool their power plants. But for top-level competitors racing in the extreme ambient conditions of the summer months, this radiator is likely to become a staple as no other manufacture in the world offers a better design which is fully compliant with the FIA/CIK regulations. Look for this exciting new product to be available exclusively factory-direct beginning in May.