Why do so many new racers quit?

Started by MadXX, September 23, 2003, 11:10:13 AM

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MadXX

I have been keeping an eye on the classifieds for the last few months and have noticed a large number of people selling rarely used yellow plated race bikes, a lot of them with just a couple of track days and only 1-3 race weekends on them.  

As I look at these ads I often wonder why these new racers are quitting.  Since racing is such a large investment in time and money I would think it would be a major decision to start racing, making people extremely reluctant to throw it all away and quit shortly thereafter.  

This subject has been touched on recently in other threads regarding both beginner and experienced racers.  I just want to pose an open question to those of you who know firsthand and as a new racer figure out what I need to be watchful for to avoid potential problems next year.  So here it is:

Why do so many new racers quit and what could be done to increase rider retention?  

THE_D.O.C.

mostly?

feelings get hurt when they find out that going fast isn't easy.

they don't realize the true/hidden costs.

KBOlsen

#2
Racing is expensive.  Some folks get into it and don't realize HOW expensive it is until mid-year.  Situations change, too.  People lose jobs, get married, have kids, buy houses, get divorced.

Racing is also dangerous.  Some don't consider the physical risks until they witness an incident firsthand (or they become a "casualty").  Suddenly, the reward is no longer worth the risk.

Not all of those ads are from racers quitting.  Some might be upgrading to a newer/bigger/smaller bike, too.
CCS AM 815... or was that 158?

Mark Bernard

Seems to me the best way to answer this question is to call the ad's and ask them why first hand. I'd bet your gonna get alot of different answers.
Mark (Bernie) Bernard
Race Control CCS/ASRA - Mid-West Region

Litespeed

I haven't officially quit but I have cut back to the extent you can call it quitting.  When you have to drive an average of 8 hours each way to get to the tracks in your region and then get less than 2 hours of track time for your effort and hard earned money it just isn't worth it.  Running the 125 this year has cut my costs quite a bit because the most expensive item was tires but it's still hard to justify all the hours needed for the time you get.  It also doesn't help that the bike isn't competitive/legal in very many classes.  I have just recently started racing motocross again and have found that I can generally attend 5 motocross race weekends for the price of one road racing weekend.  Practices are also 10-20 bucks a day instead of 100-200.

MELK-MAN

#5
super Dave pointed out a stat awhile back.."2.5 years is the average duration of a racer"..
i believe it. As everyone noted above, this is a very very expensive hobby/sport and you have to have significant disposable/discresionary income to keep at it. WHen i started doing track days last march, i was going every other weekend. For some time i saw many of the same faces. Soon, one or more would drop out, often after a pretty good crash wadded the bike. Not many folks have 3-5k layin around to get it back together and often an injury tainted their love for the track.. :(
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MadXX

These are all very valid reasons and I want to ask a few questions about each one lain out so far.  

Money is always a motivator for action.  If there were more resources to help beginning racers understand the true costs of the sport I wonder if we could set proper expectations and keep the riders.  I know I have had a difficult time figuring out the costs for my plan next year and am probably still not very accurate in my estimations.

The danger aspect is one thing I did notice.  There were a lot of bikes with descriptions like "two races, minor crash damage". There probably is not much anyone can do to remedy the sudden feeling of mortality.  

The people upgrading to new bikes generally don't sell their whole setup.  A lot of the ads are from people selling the bike, spares, warmers, trailer, and anything else not nailed down.

Mark: I don't think asking the people quitting would give me an accurate description of the true problem.  People do not like admitting mistakes/failures/personal issues and usually will just blame it on the wife/job/dog/etc...  

One other question I would ask then is what is the difference between the guys/girls that continue in the sport and the ones that drop out?

One reason I bring this up is what Dave said about 2.5 years.  That's not a good customer lifespan for any high-cost organization.  If you ran a company which cost a lot to start up and your customers quit every 1-3 years you would be at serious risk if you had one or two bad years.


 

MadXX

Has anyone think of setting up a mentorship program for the new racers.  They could sign up, pay a fee, and be helped by an expeienced rider.   Nothing as formal as a school but just a person who has been there and done it.  

Someone they could bounce startup questions off of, set realistic goals with, and get general help from for a while.  It could also help weed out those who for whatever reason do not have the means to continue racing by giving them the info up front and not be suprised by the cost of racing (both $$$, time, and potential pain)

It would be good for the new racer as they would know what they are getting into and help them get the right equipment without spending too much.  It would also provide the experts with a way to make a few bucks for helping someone out.

Just a thought.

Mark Bernard

#8
Mad... your probably right about what I said. But it's a starting point. I have been at this for 4 years now myself. Alot of what keeps me here is my sponsership, my age, and my excitement factor. I have a great job that allowes me the $ and time to race. Not many poeple have this luxury. It is very expensive, and dangerous. I would probably be safe in saying that lack of money (or lack of knowlage of what the true cost of a racing season is) that and a combo of the prospect of getting hurt, or has been hurt is a major factor. Then there are the odd balls that get divorced, married, new job, lost job...ect. There are a lot of factors. In two instances that I personally know of. It was simply a matter of they wern't having any fun anymore and just called it quits. Thats just my opinion tho....
Mark (Bernie) Bernard
Race Control CCS/ASRA - Mid-West Region

Jeff

Just like every prisoner is innocent, every bike I sell is "gently used, only on weekends"  ;)

As everyone else mentions, it takes a lot of work to make racing FUN.

It's incredibly expensive
Takes a LOT of commitment on and off track
Requires family support (if you have a family or want to keep the one you have)
Takes a special type of individual to fall down and get back up...

If you crash and it ruins your weekend, you won't last long.  If you crash and think "if I get back to the bike quick enough I can stay in the race and finish well", you'll do okay...

"bones heal, chicks dig scars, pain is temporary but glory lasts forever"..  -phuzzygnu
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[  ] Walk the Great Wall of China
[X] Visit Mt. Everest

StumpysWife

One thing I've learned this year, our first year, was that if you didn't love racing/races to death, you weren't there.  It's very hard and very expensive.  There's absolutely no room for ego.  

The best return we got was all the wonderful people we met this year.  Racers are the best.    

Heather

Mark Bernard

QuoteTakes a special type of individual to fall down and get back up...

I must be "super special" then...!  ;D
Mark (Bernie) Bernard
Race Control CCS/ASRA - Mid-West Region