LP Sport Rider Day using OUR practice ???!!!

[Triple]

Good call.  What he said...

OldRacer, I mean.

[MZGirl]

Just something to consider...

Street riders are not as experienced with dealing with a cold track.  Many are excited about getting out and riding on the track, and may be a little too generous with the throttle those early sessions.  Racers know all about traction and riding gingerly before picking up the pace.  Most of the tracks I've been to run the experts first, then intermediate, then beginners.  There may be a higher risk of crashes running beginners first.  Not all of them have oil-retaining catch pans, so if a crash happens that first session, everyone waits even longer as stuff gets cleaned up.

Just my thoughts as a rider turned newbie racer.

[OldRacer]

I mean really... I drive three states and 15 hours to get there and they think I'll cry about higher entry fees?  Hell tires cost more than the entry fees.  I'd pay an extra $20 per race if it meant the street squids were back to a morning session or two and then we could all get back to racing.  

While they are at it maybe we could ditch the " bring whatever crap you have dripping oil on your garage floor" classes and start racing classes that make some sense... even if it costs a little more.  I don't think dropping the quality of racing is the answer to the money problem.  Who's the real target market here anyway?

[OldRacer]

MZGirl,

Once you've raced for a while you'll realise that the most important thing is consistency in your setup which is almost impossible given this format.

what you don't get is that there is a 30 degree temp difference between 8am and noon and that means your suspension works different, your engine will perform different and your gearing will be different in most cases cause you can't carry as much speed in the corners.

point being:  an 8am practice is meaningless if you are racing at 2:00 the next afternoon.  your setup wil be totally different so why even bother.  you may as well just go preactice on your pit scooter for all the good an 8am practice does you.

[tcchin]

I knew there was a reason why I didn't pre-register for this weekend's event. Were we supposed to know before pre-entry registration closed that MWGP was no longer on Saturday's schedule? Would it be reasonable to assume that this is the format around which all of this year's races will be scheduled? If so, how can we find out about Friday practice at future events?

If nobody steps up (as Mr. Baker did this weekend) to host a Friday practice, there will be precious little track time with which to do setups and track learning. How safe is that, especially in the context of EX/AM combined races where some participants may only have a few minutes of exposure to the track with warm tires, suspensions and engines?

Where's the value in driving up to the track for only three practice sessions on Saturday, only to have nothing to do the rest of the day (if not running GT)? That's barely worth the price of the gate fee for which we are all gouged. And we can pay $50 for an additional 30 minutes of track time? Woo-hoo.

BTW, there are no one-day gate passed issued on Saturday. The gatekeepers make you pay for a two-day pass on Saturday, even if you assure them that you aren't coming back on Sunday.

[OldRacer]

Tim,

You are 100% on target here.  Instead of addressing the problem with rider turnout by offering a better product it seems like w are being asked to pay more for lower quality events.  I don't mind paying as costs increase so I have a place to race next month or next year but his is just stupid.

Those 125 guys got their act together last year and they have a pretty good thing going now... why can't ccs do that for everyone else and cut out the classes that suppot 50 year old crap bikes and concentrate on real racing machines like a good 600 production class and a production superbike class.  quality not quantity... more practice and less BS sprint races with 30 different bike types.

Get back to real racing with real bikes and like 12 classes max.  there's just too many classes out there and not enough time.  I'll pay more if they give me more, quality that is.  hell there's like 25 classes now... what the..?

[Litespeed]

Let's get the correct information out there.

Reality is that the Pacific and Southwest events have been financial disasters for the past two years.

Is there any particular reason the Pacific and Southwest events are having issues?  Is it due to racer turn out or the tracks charging more or a combination of both?  If you let the racers know what's happening they may actually be able to come up with some ideas to help...

[Triple]

If I understand what's been posted by CCS about the track day, the cost for licensed racers is $50 minus the $15 gate (gouge) fee?  If that's correct, $35 bones for a couple extra sessions starts to look okay.  Especially since we have to pay that $15 either way.  At least we would actually get something for it instead of it being the typical arbitrary charge.  Anyone want to confirm that I'm right or wrong?

Also, how many of you would rather have the gate charges figured out and included in our entry fees versus having to pay at the track.  I know it's six of one, half dozen of the other but it never ceases to annoy me that I pay to race the event and then have to pay to get in to the facility the event's being held at.  Also, who is getting that money?  I can't believe the faciilty charges a fee to rent the track and then also sits there and charges people to come in.  If that's the case, CCS should resist that to the fullest.  If CCS is charging the money, then WTF?  Do you have to buy tickets to a ball game and then pay to get into the stadium?  I don't see the logic.  If you want to call it an admission ticket, fine.  Charge spectators and friends when they come in.  Doesn't seem right to charge the racers.  I've raced cars for a long time as well, and in most instances, your entry fee includes one or two pit passes for crew.  I've NEVER been charged anything in addition to entry fee to get into the track...

[OldRacer]

Here here Triple... one fee.. take the guess work out of it... one fee gets you in plus  one crew member.  show your license at the gate... don't have your license yet???  too bad pay the gate fee.. should have registered for that license earlier  ;D  

use wrist bands or something to handle the count... i hate getting nickle and dimed all weekend.  it's like your kids in the back seat asking if we're there yet... it's just annoying and it's just unnecessary.

[Triple]

Great minds...

[Gumby647]

Hey atleast they aren't making you run with Legends cars. That was the worst thing I've seen done in conjunction with a race weekend. Every session they went out one of them would oil the track, every time.

[rick]

If I understand what's been posted by CCS about the track day, the cost for licensed racers is $50 minus the $15 gate (gouge) fee?  If that's correct, $35 bones for a couple extra sessions starts to look okay.  Especially since we have to pay that $15 either way.  At least we would actually get something for it instead of it being the typical arbitrary charge.  Anyone want to confirm that I'm right or wrong?

I dunno about CCS but in the AFM, as I recall, the tracks gets a percent of the gate fees up to some maximum figure.  For example and I'm making these numbers up, the track gets 10% or $1000 or which ever is smaller of the gate fees.