Where are the Ohio riders at Loretta's?

ck1racerx

ck1racerx

PR Addict
OK so I just got back from the first couple of days at Loretta's and was shocked by the small number of riders from <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ohio</st1:place></st1:State>. I counted a total of 38 of the 1386 possible gate spots. That is just 2.741%.... Let's get in the way back machine and in 2000, <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ohio</st1:place></st1:State> was represented by 99 riders of the possible 1324. Which is 7.477%. If we travel back even further to 1990, <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Ohio</st1:place></st1:State> had 113 of the possible 1117 or 10.116%...
In 1990 there were only 27 classes, today there are 33, and so that’s an increase of 20% which if you adjust the number from 1990 to 2012 there should be 135 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Ohio</st1:State></st1:place> riders there today. (Sorry but numbers don’t lie)
So the drive back was filled with thoughts of WTF happened? Being an old fart that has not raced at the ranch since 1990, I am trying not to fall into the stereotypical old guy response of "Back in my day, we had better riders" so I would love to hear what you guys think is the reason for this crazy decline of the Ohio motocrosser.
I of course have my opinions but what do you think?
Remember, the economy sucks everywhere so don’t try that lame excuse.

BTW for all you old farts that has not been there in a long time, do yourself a favor and make the drive. I was overwhelmed by the amount of memories that come flooding back the second you arrive. The track has changed little since the first time I was there in 1984 and the sights and smells are from a time warp (Except the great smell of pre-mix)
 
I know you dont want the economy as a reason, but the rust belt has been hit hard. Just look at all the GM plants and all the companies that did business for GM that are no longer here. Good paying jobs, that people had disposable income to race with. People are still working, but the disposable income has decreased. They are racing local, and not spending the money it takes to go to LL, and then to even race at Lorettas. A week at the ranch probably ends up being a couple thousand $$ for a family, and that could be a week in Florida on the beach that some family members would enjoy more than being at a race track. Then the "pro" practicers are not racing. Look at BriarCliff. Drawing 300 riders for practice. Races draw 150 200 if your lucky. Be interesting to see if the BC practice guys show up to race the track they have mastered at this point. Cost of bikes, equipment, etc etc etc is getting very high. I think one look around Lorettas at the rigs, the golf carts, multiple bikes, etc will show you there are few guys racing Loretta lynns out of the back of a truck or van. It is become a very big bucks race, and there are few of the mega buck racers in Ohio.
 
Anticipating the use of the Economy card I did a little comparison.
The state of <st1:State w:st="on">Michigan</st1:State> has been hit harder then any other with the reduction in "good paying jobs" and yes there has been a reduction in <st1:State w:st="on">Michigan</st1:State> motocross to the ranch but not to the degree of <st1:State w:st="on">Ohio</st1:State>. In 1990 which must have been the <st1:City w:st="on">high point</st1:City> for the mid-west, <st1:State w:st="on">Michigan</st1:State> sent 68 riders to the ranch. Last year the number was down to 48 riders. <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State> also saw a reduction from 54 to 31 but again that is -30% for <st1:State w:st="on">Michigan</st1:State> and - 43% for <st1:State w:st="on">Indiana</st1:State>, No where close to the 70% for <st1:State w:st="on">Ohio</st1:State>.
I have no dough that some of the riders that could have qualified form <st1:State w:st="on">Ohio</st1:State> were stopped by the money but as I said before, the numbers don’t lie.
My thoughts on the plight of <st1:State w:st="on">Ohio</st1:State> riders can be seen in the pictures other have posted. When was the last time you seen ruts and bumps like this in <st1:State w:st="on">Ohio</st1:State>? Now don’t say "That one weekend at so and so track there was one corner that looked like that". I mean the entire track? I went to a race at DMC a month or so back and saw ONE turn that had a rut and that was down in the woods. Besides that the track looked like a BMX track.
I am not trying to slam anyone here; I am looking for answers to the question....
My four year old just got his first 50 and you can bet that next year we will be trying to go to the ranch.
 

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You got to keep in mind how many riders are at this event riding the same track, At the ranch there are 42 riders on the track for 8 laps all day long. Like said above the local turnouts dont see but 150-200 riders and dont have the potential to dig up ruts like this. On top of that, the constant local track prep keeps the track in much better condition. I believe they only disc the start after every moto, and maybe a few corners throughout the day. At least in 08' when I was there thats how it went down.

If you figure a local event, 250 riders for 8 laps total (both motos). That leaves 2000 laps total.

At the ranch you have, 42 riders in 22 motos each day riding 8 laps each. That leaves 7,392 laps total. The track gets so much rougher because you are tripling the amount of laps ridden on a daily level.
 
Bah..... Big ruts at Beans, 100 riders maybe? Big ruts at the Cliff, 200- 250 riders ?Monster Mountain, not may riders the two times Ive been there in the winter. Mildly rough and lots of ruts! Perfect conditions IMO.....

Its in the prep, CRA tracks like to make life easy on riders to try and improve turnout. No offense to CRA , its a sound business plan! But ride a track in Michigan....rough as hell! Smooth tracks dont produce fast riders at LL level conditions.
 
Getting a little off topic but let me try this one.. Pro tracks get SUPER ruff. (which is a GREAT thing) and that is just 82 riders resulting in 1260 laps. Rough is what we need. Great riders practice, race and play on rough rutted tracks. Ohio riders start on a pool table and as soon as a berm develops they send the disk out to smooth it out. Then when Ohio riders go to good tracks they get smoked because there corner speed sucks.
I think John hit on the key point, We are a state full of practice riders. I know you get more ride time for the money by going to an open practice track but what are you practicing for if you never race?
Do we need a place like MTF in Georgia to help develop great Ohio riders?
 
The pratice riders are just recreational riders. Guess there is nothing wrong with that. But not my choice. I like racing, so I go race. I am having the debate to race at Marysville (not a great track at all) or drive another hour more to practice at BC on Sunday. Normally I would probably go race, but Saturday is my wifes birthday, so I will be out late probably, and if I go to BC I dont have to wake up as early, plus I need to ride the track before the 26th. But I agree, why practice all the time if you never race......I know why, it is just not my choice. I wish we had some of the great tracks around here, but unfortunately we dont, so to keep cost down, we have to race what we have. I just heard last week that Dirt Country is seriously thinking of closing down next year. I hope not, but there would be another track lost.
 
ck1racerx said:
Pro tracks get SUPER ruff. (which is a GREAT thing) and that is just 82 riders resulting in 1260 laps.
Click to expand...
Yeah at the speeds they hit slamming those 180lb machines into professionally prepped corners that's what you get.
ck1racerx said:
Then when Ohio riders go to good tracks they get smoked because there corner speed sucks.
Click to expand...
Maybe that's another reason, Ohio is just getting slower? It happens. And yet, 1/5 of everyone I watched went around the rutted turns at Smith Road last night.
ck1racerx said:
I know you get more ride time for the money by going to an open practice track but what are you practicing for if you never race?
Click to expand...
Ever heard of fun? Get more fun with more 'practice' time. Practicing is also known as open riding, so if that helps explain then people should start refering it to that.

If you are looking for someone to sponsor, to rise up the numbers for Ohio, I'm available (as are about 11.5 million others in this lovely state of Ohio you can throw on a bike). And probably a few more people on this board.
 
ck1racerx said:
So the drive back was filled with thoughts of WTF happened? I would love to hear what you guys think is the reason for this crazy decline of the Ohio motocrosser.
Click to expand...

There are a bunch of reasons so let’s try and hit one at a time.

First one = the sport has changed. Factory backing of amateurs now is at an all time high.
Without it, you are at a huge deficit. So the need to put everything else in your life (and the entire family’s) into the sport for the remote possibility of being only a hand full that make any money at it seems to ring louder than before.

Ohio’s got smart folks….Maybe..
 
I find humor in the distain the so called “racers” have for those that spend any time other than racing.
Hey Big Shot Racers……the Big Show is happing right now in Tennessee….It’s got the best of the best! Doing what you all claim is most important….
Are you there??? Did you even try? ……..Ha!
 
ck1racerx said:
So the drive back was filled with thoughts of WTF happened? I would love to hear what you guys think is the reason for this crazy decline of the Ohio motocrosser.
Click to expand...

<dir><dir>They’ve also shifted around the number of entries taken from Regional’s, The western and southern riders are much more inclined to race LL now that it has taken center stage in Amateur racing. Back then there were several Big Races around the country that could / would get a fast guy notoriety.

　
I had a guy from Nevada that raced out west, was in my Redbud Regional and was in Illinois two weeks later for the MC race! He made it down to the ranch…..
</dir></dir>
 
MarctheSharc said:
I find humor in the distain the so called “racers” have for those that spend any time other than racing.
Hey Big Shot Racers……the Big Show is happing right now in Tennessee….It’s got the best of the best! Doing what you all claim is most important….
Are you there??? Did you even try? ……..Ha!
Click to expand...

The big show his for the ones who decided to dump all their money into the Combs` pockets. I`d rather spend mine on the local racing scene where it`s actually needed. Big props to those who went though.
 
Yeah, I dont get the "big shot racer" comment. Some of us, like me, know that we make through the qualifier, then get smoked at the regional.....so money wasted. So why bother trying, when you know you dont have the speed for LL. But yet, I love to race, always have. I tend to get bored practicing for 3 hours....but love to go hard in a moto racing others. It is different. Just my opinion. Would love to race lorettas if I had the speed. Perhaps they go to a 40+B/C next year I might try. But looking at the top 20, they all look to be A riders with a that dont belong racing B/C riders.
 
ck1racerx said:
When was the last time you seen ruts and bumps like this in <st1:State w:st="on">Ohio</st1:State>? Now don’t say "That one weekend at so and so track there was one corner that looked like that". I mean the entire track? I went to a race at DMC a month or so back and saw ONE turn that had a rut and that was down in the woods. Besides that the track looked like a BMX track.
I am not trying to slam anyone here; I am looking for answers to the question....
My four year old just got his first 50 and you can bet that next year we will be trying to go to the ranch.
Click to expand...


LOL, you have never been to Briarcliff I take it........We have several corners with "lines" on a bad day, with quads on the tracks to boot! I wish i had the pictures from April 6th 2007, when we not only had 13 lines in every damn corner, but at least 9 lines in every jump face. now it doesnt get that bad anymore, but that was the craziest i have ever seen it locally.

I just read your whole quote, do not plan on coming to BC to get your kid ready to win Lorettas on a 50, we do not allow 50/65cc machines on the big track, thats the way it is.
 
Racing is one facet of the experience and I race too.
But everyone knows that the major majority of the industry is not made up of people that go to racing events.
I don’t understand bagging on that……the majority of people, riders or other, seem very happy enjoying their experience during open riding.
I can give a laundry list of why its fun to open ride with friends.
….so why bag. That’s all I meant.
 
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