With all the talk about points, championships, etc, I'd like to make a new suggestion to discuss.
The topic is "Overall Championships" for Am and Ex. This would also include instances such as the BHF Track Champion, etc.
Now as I am led to believe, the way these championships are tallied, is just "Who has the most total points." Meaning - if you have a guy, with a boatload of money, who can afford to have 3+ bikes, he could wind up being the champion, simply because he enters more races.
Now, in my mind, doesn't that kind of make the #1 plate a little hollow? I've always considered the #1 plateholder to be the fastest guy. He got it based on his ability, not his wallet.
What if we were to limit the # of classes that would contribute to an overall points standing?
Say for example, that some guy buys 3 bikes. An SV, an R6, and an R1. He proceeds to enter 14 of the 16 classes that are available in a given weekend. He's slow, doesn't finish in the top-10, but because of all the points he's acquired, he goes home with the #1 plate at the end of the season. What I would propose is that, rather than tally up all 14 classes, why not just pick his top-3? Or, if that's too much work, allow the rider to pick, at the beginning of the season, which classes will contribute to his overall points - and limit him to 2 or 3 classes?
Just an idea.....
That happens all the time....
The only way to beat em is to beat em, so just buy more bikes and enter more classes.
Top three classes in a weekend is just about the perfect way to go, but then you end up with a lot fo guys with prefect points... We won five at the last weekend.... Maybe it shoudl be based on performance index...
Its a little hollow anyways for the Am's.. We are working on winning the Pac and Sw am title overall... What can we do with it next year... Im pretty sure they wont let us stay am... lol So no number one plate either way... Maybe they will let us run 1x...lol That wont put an even BIGGER target on our backs...
Yea, Ptak, good suggestion, but realize, with almost anything... if you've got the money, you've got an advantage.
Whether it buying trick parts, more track time, more bikes, etc.... as we've discussed in the past here.. chasing a points championship 'could' come down to who has the biggest $$, as you said.. more bikes, more points, etc.. It does suck, but that the way it is.
Just for the record, BHF champ Benji only has one bike, a GSXR-600. He just rides the heck out of it in both middleweights and heavyweights. He comes to the track with his S10 pickup and that's it. No 20' trailer filled to the gills, either.
Track champs aren't hollow. No fees next year is a huge deal.
Heather
QuoteJust for the record, BHF champ Benji only has one bike, a GSXR-600. He just rides the heck out of it in both middleweights and heavyweights. He comes to the track with his S10 pickup and that's it. No 20' trailer filled to the gills, either.
Track champs aren't hollow. No fees next year is a huge deal.
Heather
Not bagging on Benji. I could have easily have said Gateway champ. Benji is fast, he acquired the points, he deserves the track championship.
If he dawdled around in 10th place every race, I would think otherwise.
Woah! I've been missing something here. Does an AM champ of a class get free entries next year? Or just a track champ? Where do the rules talk about this? Do they get all the entries they want, or what? ???
QuoteTop three classes in a weekend is just about the perfect way to go, but then you end up with a lot fo guys with prefect points... We won five at the last weekend.... Maybe it shoudl be based on performance index...
I didn't mean each WEEKEND. I meant, at the end of the SEASON. Only your best 3 classes count. If you've got a guy who wins 3 given classes, every weekend, consistently, such that he has a perfect record, then so be it. At least then the championship was given to someone who wins, and who is a good representative of the championship. Not some guy who crawls around the racetrack but shells out the most cash.
Yes, I realize that money CAN buy championships, even with my proposed idea. Somebody can go buy a kickass bike, kickass equipment, etc. But at least it's not as blatantly obvious, ya know? And besides - I'm still a firm believer that this sport is 90% rider, 10% machine. An updated bike being the only change is not going to send a backmarker to the front of the pack.
Our overall FL region AM points leader, Laz Diaz, does not win many races but does finish top 10 to 5 often. he is a very good and consistant rider. He rides NINE classes often on the same bike. An older r6 in heavywt AND unlimited classes. He is WAY out in front with total points. :)
Isn't racing all about who's got the most money? Howcome nobody complains that so and so can afford new tires for every race when so and so can't?
QuoteIsn't racing all about who's got the most money? Howcome nobody complains that so and so can afford new tires for every race when so and so can't?
Woohoo.. thanks.. I just found my new excuse ;)
QuoteIsn't racing all about who's got the most money? Howcome nobody complains that so and so can afford new tires for every race when so and so can't?
Again I think it falls were your priorities are at. I have basically shown up to almost all the events in the 3 MW Regions with my GSXR 600 and ran 4 classes per event, twice if a Twin Sprint event. I have not had the extra money this year to buy tires to run competatively so if I wanted to race at all I was going to be in the back. What is rather odd is that I am in the top 10 Expert overall points by following the previously mentioned schedule. I personally don't think that 4 classes for the season is that unreasonable to earn a top 10 plate, but it's strange to me that more people apparently are not making that commitment. If I am finishing in the back and can get enough points for a top 10 plate, then anybody else should be able to do the same. It's all about showing up to every event and always racing the same classes if you want class championships (which I also have at this moment, but may give away this weekend by intentionally not showing up, to let some of the faster guys this season have those championships). I just want the good grid position at the ROC, since I am buying tires for those races, and class position by region is what determines that so I have held onto those class championships.
Mike,
why give up anything intentionally? It's yours.. you've earned it by being committed. At any level.... guys who show up and race every weekend win championships not the guys who pick a few select rounds to race in. Some guys here want to argue that some guys buy championships. Does a guy who comes in second place everytime deserve the championship more than the guy who finishes last but shows up to every race weekend? I don't think so.
Whoa hang on now.
Mike, you earned those class championships fair and square. Believe me, I know that being the fastest doesn't always win championships - consistency does. No way would *I* deliberately step down to let someone else take it.
I just want to be clear that ALL I am talking about, are the OVERALL championships. i.e. the Midwest Expert Champion, the Blackhawk Track Champion. etc. As in - the guys you see at the top of the "overall expert/amateur points" sheets. The championships that are calculated by totaling up all of your points, earned in every class you've ever raced, for one giant lump sum.
If you win a class championship by finishing 10th all season, that's awesome. Obviously you were the most consistent of the group.
But if you win the overall regional championship, because you finished 10th in 16 different classes racing 5 different bikes, it kinda takes away from the guy who won 4 or 5 classes, all on the same bike.
Example: how would Benji feel (the '03 BHF champion) if he lost the championship to some schmoe with an unlimited budget, who had multiple bikes and ran every class available - but never got over 40mph on the track? (an over-exaggeration to prove a point.) Kinda crappy, don't you think?
Well, now you would be talking about Doc Stein. He's been racing and paying his dues forever, but with his kids heading for college, that will all likely come to an end. He decided to go after the #1 plate this year with an R6 and an SV. He'll be the first to tell you that since everyone always says that the #1 plate is for sale, he thought that it would be nice to buy one before he quits. Even a broken collar bone has slowed but not stopped him. Do you begrudge him his goal? Personally, I don't.
I've never had the money to race at the level I would like, but I don't whine about those who are better funded. At least I get to play this game. How many people have the dream, but lack the knowledge, funding or balls to go out and do what we do?
Mike? Go get your titles. They belong to you. I wouldn't want to wipe my @ss with a championship trophy if I thought that someone backed off and gave it to me.
In the begining of the year I thought I would content for the overall championship and the summit point track championship. And after at mid-season I was second overall and second at summit. but, there was no way I would have been close to first as Hector had twice as many points, and I was second!
He does 10 races a weekend, all on the same bike. I don't know how many tires he use. I do know he is really fast, but he has his moments not finishing races. But it was impossible for me, or anyone else to get close in overall or track points standings because I do 7 races at summit point and thats really pushing my budget.
And this year, it was about who can go far. 2 roebling road and Barber, and Daytona. That was 4 12+ hour trips. If you wanted to keep up in the points, you better pay and go. I am actually kind of glad that I could not keep following the series, or I would have been in a bigger hole. Now I get to skip the last round, and skipped the last 2 far away rounds...
From what everyone says, it is easier to win a top 10 plate as an EX. I busted my a$$ this year and only going to finish 5th or 6th or even lower this year. If I had this much commitment as a EX, I would probably finish higher.
So I will save it for next year. The only remaining goal for me is to win a race at Daytona :) now someone tell me the national championship is hollow too :P