Since we've been talking about points...

[OmniGLH]

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?

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

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.

[r6_philly]

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