CCS/ASRA cuts payouts again this year

[ahastings]

Hopefully we won't lose contingency too. See I am just a blue collar worker and I have been racing steady for 6 years now, but if I can't offset my costs with winnings I can't afford it unfortunately. I have worked hard to bring my skill level up to being a front running expert, but if there isnt any payout other then a trophy I might as well just go do a trackday. If it weren't for Michelins awesome payout last year I would not have been able to chase the MidAtlantic overall championship. I hope they return with as good of a program this year.

[Garywc]

what about offfering the purse for a class that has people who race in it like a 600 class instead of a unlimited class. who rides a 1000 anyway? if there are only 10 entries it would have been the first thing i would have done was switch it to a class that can cover it with the entry fees.
might have already been tried.

[Ducmarc]

i tend to wonder if payouts even affect grid sizes looking at kevins info.   this year i tryed to help thunderbike out by offering a small payout 75 50 and 25 bucks. i get some PR and the class gets a little boost. i don't think we had 1 extra entry. i really thought that one of the faster riders would borrow someone's 748 or bimota and pickup a quick 75 bucks but nothing.   if i offer a payout again i might do the last 3 riders in amatur ultalight that might add a few.  i think there are 2 or 3 riders that have a hammer lock on each class  and the rest are out having a trackday.  it's like this weekend in light weight there are 2 guys that will win all the lightweight races if they show up. i'm sure middle and heavy are the same.  amatur maybe the only classes where there is some chance of different winners

[tug296]

I've been proud to support the Championship Cup Series with real money from year one, 1983 or so.
Always on a outdated bike with not much chance of winning.
There were 81 entries one year in Am Unlimted Superbike, I'd guess that not many were there to win purse money.

Money was never a motivating factor for me to race,  knew I wouldn't make a living at it when I couldn't keep up with Schwantz.
The wife is putting some old video I shot on DVD's from years back, tonight we watched Colin Edwards in CCS at Daytona whoop the field when he was 16.
There's lots of good long  history with CCS, whatever it takes to keep the series going should take precedent over a drop in purse money for a certain class.

Ducmarc has a good idea, I also would like to put up some money at the Jennings GP round next year, wouldn't want to see Mike Smith come and sand bag it home though.
Support the Sport.

[Super Dave]

Guys, to follow a little with your thoughts, CCS had purse paying middleweight class some years back called Sportbike.  That went away for the reasons Kevin gave, it didn't attract enough entries to pay for itself, let alone the track time that it took during the event weekend.

In 2004 at Blackhawk, a generous person and lover of motorcycle racing put up a reasonable purse in Middleweight Grand Prix.  I think he did this in a couple of other classes too.  Might have been in unlimited and a lightweight class too during particular events.  I know that one of those weekends at Blackhawk was very, very full, I think there were around 850 entries, August of 2004, Kevin? 

Anyway, Kevin, just talking out loud, it's rough to pay for purse races all the time.  I think in 2003 we had the three GT solo classes, Sportbike, and Unlimited GP.  That along with the very, very good payouts in FUSA.  Comparing that to 2004, it was harder to commit to the whole series with the reduction in purse, an opportunity for a return on investment.  But when Russ put up that money, it was a good attraction. 

Maybe it is in CCS's interest to offer some kind of purse program, but offer it at select club events to drive certain weekends and certain classes.  Not just ULGP.  Formula One and Unlimited Grand Prix classes, while representing the idea of a run-what-ya-brung class, isn't relevant so much to the current state of production, street going racing motorcycles.  We'll never see the state of racing like the Michigan Grand Prix with TZ500's and 700's with components off of newer bikes, racers don't build big block 1100's.  Even world championship racing is filled with rules and restrictions. 

[CCS]

There will be contingency again this year, but the amounts are still up in the air. We are working with companies other than Pirelli to offer some more great things for all of you, but until the ink is on the paper, I can't tell you what they are..or I'd have to kill you.. 

[Garywc]

the way i look at it I am there to race and have some fun. if there is a payout it makes it that much better but if not i will still do some racing anyway. and i am sure most other people will to

[skiandclimb]

I read this post, and was reminded of one of our local shop owners- Jerry Davidson of WFO Motorsports (STL/IL). Jerry put up purse money at the MCRA Challenge Series @ Gateway, and the draw of riders increased. Jerry's shop is a smaller one, and he did this on his own accord.  I just wanted to publicly thank him for giving so much back to our sport.

Maybe this is the future of contingency/purse money for this racing organization???  Regardless of future payouts, it is great to see local businesses doing something to promote our sport.  Kudos also to those, here, who have stepped up with purse monies. Racing for money shouldn't be the goal of a club level racer, but it definitely helps defray the inherent costs....even if it's just winning back your entry fee.

-Ski

[F2RGK]

i tend to wonder if payouts even affect grid sizes looking at kevins info.   this year i tryed to help thunderbike out by offering a small payout 75 50 and 25 bucks. i get some PR and the class gets a little boost. i don't think we had 1 extra entry. i really thought that one of the faster riders would borrow someone's 748 or bimota and pickup a quick 75 bucks but nothing.   if i offer a payout again i might do the last 3 riders in amatur ultalight that might add a few.  i think there are 2 or 3 riders that have a hammer lock on each class  and the rest are out having a trackday.  it's like this weekend in light weight there are 2 guys that will win all the lightweight races if they show up. i'm sure middle and heavy are the same.  amatur maybe the only classes where there is some chance of different winners

I was there with a few bike issues that I had to work out this year.  Overall, my season was over because I started this year late.  2010 is another year!  Carburetion?  What's that? The cubans don't know enough about Thunderbike let alone run an older bike, just my experience here in Florida.  That doesn't mean I've forgotten or didn't appreciate the offer, I know better.  As far as a Bimota or 748, which in my opinion is overrated for that class, people got the wrong idea of what to ride for that class.  No offense to Mendez, but riding an air cooled bike at 135hp or better is not what Thunderbike was intended initially.  How can you expect someone to run a modern bike with all of that technology, and expect someone to spend an exhorbitant amount of cash to compete in that class?  It was designed for the older bikes, F2's, SV's, and Buell's (which can be built extreme) but were competetive.  That was a loophole for the Bimota!!  As an Fyi-I'm not bitching....I just have to go faster....and I know I can!! 

[roadracer162]

My take of it: I certainly appreciated what Marc Miller did for the Thunderbike race and wondered myself why others didn't join in. marc did allow me to ride his 748 in the class with the intention of a little PR for European Performance Cycles and just for the fun of it. Our first real race weekend foiund we could go pretty well with worn out tires and an Ebay bike.

The 748 of old was a Middlweight bike back then. The FZR600 which I own and have ridden in the past and the F2 are also middleweight bikes of the past. The SV is considered racing up a class along with the Bimota which is the new Lightweight class killer, at least in Florida.

Kevin is one fast dude and the Bimota is one fast bike, but 135rwhp I would surely doubt. I believe that Marc's 748 can keep up and maybe even be a tick faster-if only I knew how to ride. Of course dyno hp numbers are relative to what dyno is used. My FZR600 produced 106rwhp on one dyno and then some 10 hp less on the Prieto dyno. I know my FZR is no match for the 748 that I am currently riding for Marc.

I also believe that the FZR600 and the SV are a pretty good match. I would have to include the F2 in that group but I do believe that the F2 is a tick faster than my FZR600. I can only go on what I know or have observed for myself.

I do smile when I ride especially when I am "bringin it" on one one of those old bikes.

Mark

[yetidave]

As bad as it sucks that purses are dropping again, I find it far more disappointing that one of this seasons ASRA national champions has yet to receive his purse money. Many tens of thousands of dollars were spent to put him in position to win those #1 plates, and now he's waiting for his payout. I wonder if ASRA would have been willing to wait this long for it's entry fees into those races? I'm sure they would have, right?   

[ahastings]

did he email eric about it? Eric is usually pretty good about answering emails timely