Kevin Elliott...since you're observing...

[Super Dave]

How about making Thunderbike and a Middleweight class a purse class? Don't add another class, make the class a purse event.

There was lots of money at the last BFR event, and we had 900 plus entries.

[Super Dave]

Thunderbike...I'm taking the H1 frame to my powder coat contact in the next few moments.

[CCS]

The H1 will be finished when pigs fly.......you've been threating us with that for four years now... ;D

Adding purse classes is tough right now, unless we can get some outside sponsors to step up, we are doing everything we can right now to not lose money. It has been a crazy season, some races up in entries, others way down for no apparent reason. We will have to play close to the vest for at least one more season to be sure the economy is rebounding and average entries rise above the break even point.

[Absolute]

what would be the cutoff date for an f3 or f3 this year....will a 1993 qualify???

Roy @ absolute

[CCS]

F2's will be in at the CCS level, rules committee asked about eliminating the fours at the FUSA level, Im not sure what their final recomendation will be.

[motomadness]

Can we also do some non-FUSA team challenge races?  That may generate a little money.  Maybe encourage the track promoters to hold them on Fridays for two day events and on Saturdays for one day events.

[George_Linhart]

I don't see how an F2 is at much of an advantage vs. the built buells that the FUSA guys take out there.  I am working to rebuild my F2 after several years of sitting neglected in my garage - I think it will be nicely competive in Thunderbike (and a lot less maintenance than a Harley).

Now, an F3 might be a different story - they had quite a bit of a power o the F2's.

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

what would be the cutoff date for an f3 or f3 this year....will a 1993 qualify???

Roy @ absolute

Kevin emailed me that it was OK when I asked him about that when they renamed heavyweight sportsman to thunderbike. I use a 93 F2 in t-bike. Seen a couple 95-97 F3's running in it. Would be nice to have a class for bikes older than 8 yrs old and not have to deal with the new high tech bikes running against older bikes. I remember seeing an 87 VFR700 racing in hw sportsman the year before they changed it to thunderbike. Some people just cant afford to get a brand new bike every year or two for racing.

[eh427]

I don't think they should eliminate the fours in Thunderbike. There were a couple guys on Buells at Daytona that passed me like I was standing still on my F2.

[Super Dave]

I
Now, an F3 might be a different story - they had quite a bit of a power o the F2's.

I will give my point of reference.

My Supersport F2 had 93HP in 1993.  Fastest lap times for 600's at Blackhawk Farms Raceway on 600's were in the high 14's to low 15's.

In 2001, my Supersport GSXR600 had 105HP and the fastest 600 lap times at Blackhawk for 600's, the track was virtually unchanged, were mid 13's to low 14's.

The F3 made a few more HP over the F2, and the F4 and F4i made a few more than the F3, etc.

Buells?  Well, there are some National caliber riders on some of them.  Even if they made less HP than your F2, they might be driving out of corners harder than you and, thus, blowing by.

Why should the F3's be allowed in?  Do we have a ten year window?  That would take us back to 1994 when the F2 still existed.

[Eric Kelcher]

Note Kevin mentioned in FUSA Thunderbike 4s are being considered to be eliminated. At that level with a Superbike platform the way the power is put to the ground and the type of bike desired at a Pro event is probably more the issue can a rider like Mike Barnes make a class legal bike and dominate? AH yes proved at Daytona fall 2003 and his met or was close to meeting the 2004 rules. FUSA races should be current bikes (no jokes about Harley tech they are some of the most computer savy bikes I have seen in the paddock) so a phase out of the older bikes I think should happen regardless of being competitive. Plus a F2 does not thunder a Buell, Ducati or SV THUNDERS

[George_Linhart]

Eric,

No offence, but we already have a super twins class, we don't need another.  One of the neat things about Thunderbike is that a variety of bikes are legal - it gives us a chance to ride our older bikes rather than feeding the manufacture pocketbook by buying the newest models.

There are enough classes that pander to the manufacturers and will get guys with the money buying new bikes every year.  Most of us can't afford it (some are even smart enough to know its us, not the bike).  How about a few more classes like Thunderbike that get an interesting mix if different bikes on the grid and can keep older models competitive?  Perhaps we could performance weight some of the classes (maybe F2s in with lightweight supersport or maybe lightweight superbike)?

I guess I could always go race with that other organization since they do have some classes for the older bikes.

BTW - If you want to hear my Honda make as much noise as a buell, I can run open headers.

George