Some CCS experts maybe should not be experts

[RickyRacer]

CCS rules say that any Amateur rider that scores 500 points with in 12 months period will be issued an Expert license.

If it weren’t for a screw going threw my carb and killing my motor, I would have scored 500 points in my last race.  I did not even come close to racing a full season and I don’t feel I should be bumped up.  I only completed 5 race weekends and averaged 2 races per weekend.   I know it’s a mute point cus I did not get points needed but I came too close.

I guess what I’m getting at is that maybe CCS should up the points needed to become an expert racer, maybe 1000 points?

[JAHAWK]

Ricky, What were your results when you did race? If you were up front and the othere guys you were racing with got bumped what's the use of sticking around. The faster people you race with the faster you will get. :)

[CCS]

Yes, you are right, some of our "Experts" shouldn't be, and some of those have been racing for ten-twenty years! ;D

As far as the upgrade goes, legally we had to have a universally applicable standard that we could justify why a person was moved up. There are plenty of riders who win class championships with less than 500 points and the majority win championships with less than 1000 points. Our standard needed to include the average of a top 5 finish in a class or classes over the minimum 10 race season. Since 5th place is 50 points times ten races, there is your 500 points. Face it, if you finish in the top five in your Amateur races, you really should move up.

The only flaw in this procedure is a guy who runs 5-6 classes every weekend. While he has the equivilant racing track time of a rider who runs one race every weekend for ten weekends, he loses out on the equivilant practice time that could also help a riders development. That is why we allow you to petition to stay Amateur once you reach the 500 point level the first time. We then evaluate your races and finishes plus we check with the race director for some eyewitness input before acting upon your request.

Anyway, sometimes we miss, but we usually err on the side of caution. (Ted Cobb and Giavonni Rojas are prime examples.)

Good luck in 2002.

[RickyRacer]

While most of my finishes were in the top 5, I never placed better than 3rd.  I kept track of lap times in the expert lightweight classes and I’m off their pace by about 5 seconds.  That’s too a big margin. And where I did finish well, the first and second place riders were well out of sight.

While I feel I did pretty good for my half season, I don’t think I’m ready to move up yet. I went off the track a few too many times. ;)  I would like to at least win a few races :D and complete a full season with CCS. Which I plan on doing in 2002.  

Thank CCS for clearing this up for me. I now understand where your coming from.  

[Eric Kelcher]

The 5 secs is issued with the expert license.  :P 8) actually these guys have been doing it for quite a while and know for some reason the jump to expert seems to make almost all racers suddenly find 3-5 secs. Unsure how it works but I like to believe it is magic dust they spread on Rookie Expert licenses.

[Mahly]

While some CCS experts shouldn't be "experts", the same can be said for many of the Amatuers. There is no shortage of "sandbaggers" out there.
I ACTUALLY COULD have stayed amatuer, but decided to move up. My classes were mixed anyway (Lt Sportsman) so even if a stayed amateur I would have needed to beat experts to win a trophy...even though a class championship would have been easier (still to screwy for me).

[FullMoonRacing]

Depending on what you race and how much you race, it's a snap to hit 500 points in a season.  I typically run the Formula 40 race where there might only be a dozen Amateurs.  Without even trying I wind up inside the top 10, I've been top 5 in F-40 already...and I get a mess o' points for that!  I also know a LOT of dog-slow amateurs that run 3-4 races per weekend and run 7-8 weekends annually that simply accumulate hundreds and hundreds of points "a few at a time".  

Am I fast enough to run with the Experts?  Heck no, I'm not fast enough to run with the Amateurs.  Could I amass 500 points in a season?  Absolutely given enough vacation time to travel to all the events.  

[Rich Desmond]

While most of my finishes were in the top 5, I never placed better than 3rd.  I kept track of lap times in the expert lightweight classes and I’m off their pace by about 5 seconds.  That’s too a big margin. And where I did finish well, the first and second place riders were well out of sight.

While I feel I did pretty good for my half season, I don’t think I’m ready to move up yet. I went off the track a few too many times. ;)  I would like to at least win a few races :D and complete a full season with CCS. Which I plan on doing in 2002.  

Thank CCS for clearing this up for me. I now understand where your coming from.  

Winning an Amatuer race is meaningless. If you're within 5 seconds of the top experts, especially with your limited experience, is time to move up. I wasn't that close when I got bumped.

[RickyRacer]

Well I’ll tell you I wouldn’t mine having a few of those meaningless trophies. :D
If I did have enough points to move up, I would just end up running middle of the pack.  At least now I have a chance of winning something even if it is meaningless.  Specially now that all the really fast guys got bumped up.

Besides, what’s the worst that can happened? Win a few class championships? I’m okay with that. Hehe :D
There would be no doubt then weather I would need to be bumped up. ;)

While I do agree that running with the faster riders can make you faster, I have no choice but to stay where I’m at. I only managed 451 points.

Anyway, Happy New Year gang.

[Litespeed]

I just started racing this year and if I run the 3 classes every weekend I plan to race, I don't see how I can avoid getting 500 points overall.  I am assuming the rule as stated includes all points, maybe it should be rewritten to state 500 points in a class or an average of such and such finish over all classes.  It's good to allow a review but it seems much easier to make the rule more meaningful and therefore easier to enforce.  I would suggest that the sum of your finishing positions divided by the sum of the number of riders being under .2 should be a good place to start.  I'm an engineer, I always think like that :).

[r6_philly]

What happens when someone show up at daytona and win over 500 points in one weekend? Just wondering if they have been forced up or we will be catching them through out the year

And they are sure to win the Natl. championships in Oct. I was passed on the banking at over 15 mph... there is no way my bike will keep up. In theAM GTU race I believe most of the field got lapped. 3.5 miles and we get lapped. and I never was lapped before in my life...

I know some people get bumped up during the year if they finish VERY well. So is that still happening?

[bfkidd]

Just wait until you get a white plate.

Then you can watch Eric Wood and Lee Acree on the same bike making the same horsepower passing you at over 15mph and you know you will never have a chance!  :o