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no dan dosnt do the track series and i didnt know there was a meeting
DUHH to me! i guess if you wernt invited to the awards you didnt know about the meeting.
matt always makes it a point to take time to listen to the riders week after week. my son has nothing but the utmost respect for him as a rider and track director/operator. he asks for suggestions and actually listens to the kids. a few of the riders/ kids WHATEVER you call them (maybe we can find another word if kids is offensive..lol) drew up plans for their ultimate track change /what they would like/ what can be changed using the current layout etc..suprisingly enough many of the older riders and younger more serious riders( well MOST of them i wont say ALL) were on the same page and had the same wish list… and he took many of their ideas and used them. i think thats why my son respects him so much its because he listens to them and also works side by side with them on those changes… he backs them up too which to a teenager means alot.
yup
i guess i just assume that the people who are there are there to race. i dont know too many racers who are there to volunteer( besides you) and not race. riders racers its all the same to me when you look for a core of volunteers you need someone who will be there every week to do a job(dependable) i cant see howell swapping all their volunteers( i use this as an example as they seem to have the most volunteers) who are presently parents for racers or riders who are there for the daywho dont plan to race….
if you have a group of people in mind for every track then correct me if i am wrong i just dont see the numbers. the only people i see at the races who are riders/racers that would be avail are the people who come to practice and not race and they leave once practice is done ( but this yr that was not allowed in some tracks and is not allowed in most other states if you dont pay to race you dont practice)
i would love to think there is this group of people just there to volunteer but basically if your kid isnt racing/or you arent racing you arent there unless the track is in your local area. would be nice but i dont see it happen.
as far as the racers who chase nationals goes.. if you dont want racers to do that then you may as well stop the state series as well and get rid of the motivation or stop setting goals. thats all it is really when yo uthink about it.most riders have an idea of what they want to achieve weather its trying for the #1 nj plate or the top 10 national or going to make the main at the worlds..they still ride but in the process they improve and want to test their skills.. whatever drives you is your motivation to improve. im sure there is a % of riders who just go to “ride” and are not there for competition but i think that is a minority. i am not saying its right or wrong it seems to be the case. the younger kids race for a trophy, as they get better that “trophy” changes…. it may not be visable but it often turns into an individual acomplishment of some sort.
i say to each his own.
Peace
no one has to tell them to close. i am not for that at all. i think having riders run the races may be difficult. what rider do you know that will sit in registration instead of practice before a local race, or run the gate? they want to ride the track and practice. they cant score either. ask dave its even hard to announce when you race. the riders need to race/ ride that leaves parents to work the race.
if someone has a better idea im all ears.
dont get me wrong i am not for closing tracks for regionals/ nationals. i am just saying not to go against the close ones with state qualifiers if you have a choice. they never used to do it when mullica hill made 4 tracks that gave us 8 state qualifiers for the state series. they had the same amt of regional/ nationals too…the tracks should be open just run locals on those weekends if possible thats all.
torrington for example ( and i am sorry for beating a dead horse but its the best example i can use) never closes for nats / regionals they build up their locals as if they were an entity unto themselves, as if they were the only track on the planet. come hell or high water they have their locals. but they have riders who only go there, some of them dont even race other tracks in ct… because they have a local base of riders… local not an hr away… parents who live 10 mins away who run things. that is key i think. but they wouldnt run a warrior series race/ state race against just say the eht national. its just common sence.
i think nj can do both… build the rider base with the flyers and all the new promo stuff for 07 while keeping the tracks old timers happy plus build in the excitement with the new up and coming pro/am series. i think we can pull it off.
:wink:!
so what do yu suggest send the kid on a bus to the national so the parent stays home to work the local?
doubt that would fly with many parents even parents of the 16-19 crowd.
the reason many people enjoy the sport esp with a son/daughter is that it is a family sport. family being the operative word here. i for one would not choose running a local while my child is off racing in another state. one trip to the er will convince any parent of that….
i dont know what the answer is but trying to convince folks not to do nationals may be a waste of energy.
having a core group of volunteers who can fill in when others decide to travel is a more realistic idea…
i agree they shouldnt close the tracks but think about it this way…. did phil get as fast as he is today by only racing at howell?
when we started going to different tracks for bigger races the locals didnt ever close. then as the more experienced riders want to venture out their parents go with them and if that person happens to be running registration then you are stuck. by the time the new riders parent gets into the local volunteer scene enough to be left alone to run things/ such as regis/ gate starting etc their kid is ready to venture into the national scene… see what i mean? its bound to happen eventually.
i think that each track should have 3 people who can do and be in charge of the reg jobs such as registration/ gate start/ scoring/ in case the reg person is not there that weekend there is always someone else to fill in.
great idea!!
i know where you are comin from with” to hell with national/ regional schedule”.. but in reality if you want to keep the more competitive riders you have to keep the nat schedule in mind. not scheduling a state race on the weekend of a close national race is just good planning. unless you dont care about having a good turnout at the state races or having the faster riders participate on state teams ( which i hear is coming back with a vengence for 07 in nj…?) the local program is the most impt aspect in growing the sport i agree with you but you have to realise you will never get the riders to stop going to nationals. its a natural progression. rookies start out, get faster, turn expert then look for more comp, points…. national ranking… yada yada…just because you older riders have a decent class in just say 35x dosnt mean they do in 16x.
just my 2 cents.
dont let your anger at the nbl make it hard for the local riders or you will lose them once they dont have comp anymore locally.
you should keep the track going(locals) on a national weekend but like i said keeping the state races on other weekends just makes more sence.
exactly… i was hoping that they didnt sell the property with the business/shop… whew!!!
why do you say that? do they own the land back there or something?
sorry dave i didnt mean greed in ref to you i meant in the whole entry fee thing… i know you dont get anything in fact you are putting in to it..time is money and i am sure all the riders appreciate you putting this together..
i dont know what ct does for the end of yr championship we only pd $10 when we did the warrior races…but then again they ONLY pay out to top3.. which is another option but i think that would discourage riders and i saw them sit if they didnt make top 3 in the last straight no “fighting for spots till the end” which is more exciting i think… to each his own i guess..
maybe whoever sponsors it could put aside a certain amt for the end and maybe make the races $20 with $5 of that going toward the end? i dont know its a good place to ask right here for sure… i know the person who started it up there has a certain amt just say $2000, for example, put aside for it , it wasnt only based on the rider entry fees)
yea would be nice to have a high gear right there next to the track…
hint hint….. :wink:!
just a thought … i think ifyou make the fee too high you will scare these guys awy..remember many of them are working/ on their own its not like parents are footing the bill/paying for races… if they dont race locals because of the money factor( some of them i am told) then putting a fee over $20 is prob not going to attract them. remember these will prob be at state races its not a national. lke someone said keep it reasonable the first year, establish a rider base for the open then if you want to raise it next yr based on the responce this yr so be it. i dont think you will be getting a big draw if you charge over $20. it has to be accessable to the average rider too. there are some riders who are still” on the edge” of making the main at these events, you still want to encourage them to come and race.. i have heard comments when i try to get opens going at howell… “why should i pay $20 to give it to phil” this is coming from older experts who may or may not make the main. you want to keep them interested they are the up and coming riders… i would think getting them as well as the “harley kellys” of racing would make a successful season.they have to see making the main as attainable thats the bottom line. the more diversified the mix of riders the better.
dont overprice it or be greedy..i guess thats my point. my son races the open i will ask him to come on when he gets home to see this post. he races with some faster kids but they just dont have that kind of cash to hand over.