AM & EX Status Question

[MightyDuc Racing]

I have already asked Henry DeGouw for his take on this question, and was just looking for some past experiences of yall's to help with some answers.  I am a first year racer that, as you all know, did fairly well my first weekend.  A lot of my success was due to a very fast bike, not necessarily all rider.  My question is about championships.  I would really like to try to win an amateur championship before turning expert, obviously.  I have already missed the Daytona round and the guy that won the races at Homestead in my classes won again at Daytona (one 2nd) and has what will probably be an insurmountable lead on me (not to mention he's still significantly faster than the rest of us in that class).  However, I don't think he'll be able to beat me at Daytona due to sheer horsepower in October.  If I go to Daytona in October and win a race or two, am I still allowed to petition to stay amateur for another year and try to win a championship with the guys I can compete with before turning expert and running mid-pack for several years before I get to their level?  Sounds like cherry-picking, but remember, I am a first year racer.  This may be premature, but I'm bored and can't really think about anything but racing since I've started  ;).  Thanks in advance for your opinions/advice!

[Baltobuell]

 You'll never beat the Buells, You'll be an amature forever.
 Seriously, once you get 500 points you'll be moving up. They'll never let you stay back to win a championship, and you wouldn't want it that way.

[MightyDuc Racing]

Oh.  I scored 314 the first weekend.  Uh-oh.  Expert next year I guess. :o  By the way... ;)...I even finished ahead of the Buell in my race after runnin through the gravel with a stuck throttle on lap 1 and babying it the rest of the race.   :)

[Dawn]

Once you have 500 points, they will automatically move you up to expert.  You can petition to stay amature one more year, but you may be denied.  I think they look at performance index and if you won any championships to make that determination.

Dawn   :)

[MightyDuc Racing]

I won't be moved up until next year though, right?  You mean 500 points overall, not in just one class, right?  Henry said I'd probably be an expert next year.  Actually, I can't wait to get that fast!  I seem to go faster with the faster guys cuz I can cheat and follow their speed and lines if I get a good start. ;)

[Dawn]

You will not be moved up until the following year.

500 points overall is needed.  Trust me.  It doesn't take long to accumulate those points.

Dawn   :)

[Decreasing_Dave]

I'm in the same perdica...pirdica...spot.  I scored 538 my first weekend at SoW.  By their standards I WOULD BE EXPERT RIGHT NOW!!!  I'm hoping that it doesn't happen until next year.

I'm scared though.  With the transponders being used this year, I think that if they see that you are as fast as some/most Experts, they may make you move mid-year.  Hope not.

Anyone have some inside info??

[Dawn]

I'm in the same perdica...pirdica...spot.  I scored 538 my first weekend at SoW.  By their standards I WOULD BE EXPERT RIGHT NOW!!!  I'm hoping that it doesn't happen until next year.

I'm scared though.  With the transponders being used this year, I think that if they see that you are as fast as some/most Experts, they may make you move mid-year.  Hope not.

Anyone have some inside info??

Predicament.

Don't worry - I usually spell amateur as amature   ::)

Dawn   :)

[tzracer]

People have been moved up during their first year. You would have to win overall in a combined event. If you are bumped you don't get to keep your amateur points.

[sdiver68]

The truth is, there is little ryhme or reason on getting bumped or not.  ::)

I think it's very rare to be moved in your first year unless they discover other racing experience.  Otherwise, probably Kane Lasky would have been bumped last year.

Yes, if you get 500 points they will auto bump you next year.  You then can appeal, and there is where there seems to be no provable standard.  ???

[Litespeed]

It would be very nice if they set a standard rule that took more things into account to determine who gets bumped.  I think 500 pts with a performance index over 600 being a mandatory move would be a good starting point.  Index under 500 then no move available and index between 500 and 600 with over 500 points should be allowed one more year as an amateur then be moved.  I think there should also be mid-season bumps to get rid of the cherry-pickers.  This would likely be a 500 pt break point with perf index over 850 or something.  This would keep the amateur racing fair and if you have over 500 pts at mid-season and an 850 plus perf index you are ready for white plates.  

Now I gotta wait and see what Dave uses to justify staying an amateur if these were the rules.   ;D

[MightyDuc Racing]

I was just hoping to have a shot at an AM Championship.  Being a first year racer that is kinda fast is rough.  The guy running ahead of me was light years ahead of me after racing last year, and the guys behind me were pretty far back (far enough that I still finished second with a badly sticking throttle).  No shot at a championship, probably, and will almost undoubtedly get moved up next year.  Might as well move up now and try to follow the fast guys and learn to be competitive with them next year.  I did actually run one lap that weekend that would've equalled their times, so I know I can do it eventually.  Probably getting the cart ahead of the horse...we'll see how I do at Moroso.

[harb990]

IMHO - the 500 points is to easy to achieve, especially with the double points weekends.  I raced a grand total of 10 races last year, never finished higher than 5th and ended with over 500 and had to petition for this year.  

Granted, mine was approved ;D , but Its too easy to get the 500.  Thats what I stressed in my pettion letter also.

[Decreasing_Dave]

Now I gotta wait and see what Dave uses to justify staying an amateur if these were the rules.   ;D

You saw/heard me hit those cones.  You know that that wasn't an Expert type move.  My lap times were inconsistant.  I went off of the track 3 other times too.  I'm OBVIOUSLY Amateur (sp-thanks Dawn) material.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  I'm sure I can add to it if need be. ;D

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

I was just hoping to have a shot at an AM Championship.  .

I ran a 560 cc FZR last year.  The SV's were better.  I won 6 of 9 regional championships.  How?  Persistance.  I finished 4th or fifth in every race foe the first third of the year.  Then I took Visionsports, and started finishing in the first 3 spots.
If you want a championship, show up to every race and finish.  Not everyone else will.  Also, take performance riding schools.  The gap between you and the competition will close.  Buy new tires regularly.  Sticky rubber will make you fast and keep you out of trouble.
Out-think, out-train, out-last.  Worked for me.  They were better at the start of the year, but I went home with a pile of championships.  Don't give up.  Decide now that you will be champion, and let nothing stop you.  Believe me, it's worth the effort when you look at the line of championship trophies on the bookcase...

[MightyDuc Racing]

Problem with that is, I've already missed a  round (Daytona).  It sucks that it pays points for our region in the spring, but not in the fall.  I finished 4th and 2nd in the 2 classes I am gunning for, but the guy ahead of me is running a full schedule, won one and got 2nd in the other class at Daytona, and unless he decides to quit or runs out of money, I don't see how makig up 5 points/race if I win and he's 2nd for 10 rounds can close that big of a gap.  Not giving up, just got a long way to go to catch up.  We'll see how it goes, but thanks for the words of encouragement.

[Baltobuell]

 Like Cris said, perservier. It's the rare occasion that anybody finishes every race, especially in their 1st season. There is a million things that can go wrong. Not to wish it on anybody, but fast guys fall down, break down, and have problems too. How bad do you want it, how much will you prepare, and how cool is your head, how will you continue to learn. It's just part of life. If you can envision it, you can make it happen. If it's your dream, persue it like you mean it.

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

Baltobuell is right.  Your competition runs out of money for one weekend, falls off one time, or blows a motor and can't compete for that weekend, and you're leading again.  You sure as hell can't throw in the towel now!  The season has barely started.
Third weekend of our season, I crashed while leading and was unable to continue. Less than a lap had been run, so I got no points.  The next weekend I had an insurmountable electrical problem, and missed all my races.  I hung in there for the rest of the year, creeping slowly back up the standings.  One by one, my competitors had bad luck or ran out of money, vacation time, or whatever.  At the second-to-last race of the season, I mathmatically sewed up one championship.  At the final race, a double points affair, it was all up for grabs.  I did what I had to do, and won five more.
You could say that without my bad luck, I would have won the other three that I was trying for.  Of course, without the bad luck of my competitors, I wouldn't have won any of them.  Don't give up after two measly weekends!  Anything could happen!  A hurricane could blow your buddy's bike out into the Gulf of Mexico!  Like I said before.  Consistancy, school, tires.  I bet you'll take a championship!

[MightyDuc Racing]

You guys are right....thanks for pulling my head out of my arse.  I'm just gonna go kick a** the rest of the year and hope that I'm not the one that runs out of money. ;D

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

You guys are right....thanks for pulling my head out of my arse.  I'm just gonna go kick a** the rest of the year and hope that I'm not the one that runs out of money. ;D

If nothing else, your nose will thank you... ;D