My family and I have worked races in many different forms of motorcycle racing for 43 years. From the local level to the national level, so I do know exactly what goes on to promote and run a race. I want to find one person though that thinks dropping a gate 27 times (times 2) is a good thing. I am not bashing CTMX, BC or the OMA. Just feel there are too many classes.
I could care less about the C class, just think it is one are where a sanctioning body like OMA could try something new, rather than doing the same thing the AMA is doing.
I don't know what anyone can really do to shorten a day with 27 gate drops. My son and I were in race 6, 8 and 12.......we left about 5:40. things seemed to be moving fairly well, then all the sudden it got real slow and never picked back up.
I liked how Chili Town Added the 250A class, Im not sure we would make the trip again just to run with 450's but would make the trip again for a 250 A drop. I say if you have 27 classes thats great more the better and leaving the track at 5-6 is not all that bed either, These tracks either need to bring more to the table or take away and I would rather see 27 good classes and leave at 5-6 than having 12 shitty classes and be gone by 3. The key for a long day is having entertainment when not racing like a GOOD anouncer that can be heard and will play some good tunes that can also be heard. Just look at how Baja runs, the anouncer is funny and plays alot of 80's rock along with some of the new hip hop I love just listening to him when sitting in the pits also rider interviews when the leader comes off the track stop him and chat some times, make racing a awsome event all around not just dropping gates. If kids or adults think if they win they will get a interview like the pro do on TV then that gives them a goal to get better, heck even pull a random rider and talk with him or her. So many things a track can do to make a long day feel shorter and fun. Best track we have ever been to puts on a hell of a show and thats Dade City in Fl I wasnt even a racer and I felt pumped up all night.
but no one came to Kurt Mosher with a protest. This would have settled the whole issue.
I have been trying to stay on the sidelines but I do have a little insight to the original question and a thought about how to speed up the days and get more track time.
My boy is not too far removed from the 50 class at 11 years old. I didn't allow him to race until he could control himself and machine without constant help from me or the spectators. So he didn't race until he could pick it up and start it by himself, he was 5. I know I'm in the minority when it comes to this but I do have a point.
JO, it may be that your 50 turn out is not what it is at some tracks do to the majority of BC's existence you have been practice only and the small wheel bikes really didn't get much designated time on your track. I believe it is just a stigma that will ware off as the racing continues and you may need to designate (as much as I don't want to suggest it) more time for small wheel bikes on your main track during non race weekends to help solidify your main track as small wheel friendly, as we all know it is. As there are many ways to skin a cat, this is just one I have not heard mentioned recently.
As far as speeding up the format goes... hear me out and give it some thought. Rule of thumb or even a hard rule could be, put a minimum of 20 bikes or 10 quads on each gate drop, not staggers, but each gate drop. It may be slightly complicated (what about running a track isn't) and some controversial decisions would need to be made in the beginning and from time to time but, in the long run people will thank you for it. There would need to be some exceptions possibly, beginner 50's, beginner quads, and pro bike and quad.
Take last week for example:
1.ATV Vet, Women, C, and schoolboy all on one gate.
2.Mini Sr open, prod. and Jr, one gate. Micro either separate or stagger with the previous class.
3. Money quad stagger with the B group.
4. Maybe one extra class that allows any and all to enter of the same wheel or frame size.
5. Vet 30, 40, and plus 25 one gate.
6. open c and vet sport, women
7. pro bike (some days stagger with open B)
8. 250 b and 2 stroke.
9. 250 c.
10.college boy and school boy.
11.girls, senior trail, 65/85 beginner.
12. Jr mini, Sr mini.
13. super mini.
14. 65 and 50 Sr.
15. 50 jr. and beginner
With this lay out you could add a couple extra classes just to get extra seat time. One big bike class, one mid size bike (supers and 80's) and one small wheel class 65's and below. That adds 3 more motos, now we are up to 18. That's an average savings of two hours on the day. With that type of savings you may not need to cut laps and may be able to add laps, more bang for your buck. With the short period of time I laid this out I may have missed something but you get the point.
I know there are pro's and con's any way you do it. It seems the majority wants to race as much as they can, get as much seat time as possible, and not feel like they were waiting too long. My first thought is load the gates up with as many classes as possible and race!
That's why we are all here right... to race. The same problems that exist with the smaller gates will still exist with multiple classes combined, just a few more of them. When I first started seeing the formation of the OMA this was the idea I thought was coming, I know... there is still time.
Just thinking out loud.
iMoto23don't like all the motos? quit going. like he said earlier said:Agree!!!
I like the idea of gravitating toward the "GP" like waves, if we could just get people to switch from 2-3 classes to one longer moto mentality. Thats why a schedule like that would not work in the world of today. Too many conflicts with people running multiple classes. It would be great to throw a list like that up and tell everyone pick one class per wave, and we will give 5-6 lap motos. Not enough open minds, I have seen this in the OMA's short existence.
yep, I agree with BC. what if I wanna run 250b and 2stroke. this wouldn't work. or if I raced women and schoolboy. or women and C. what if I had a kid that raced 50 and 65 beginner? GP format just doesn't work, thats what this is MX, not GP. don't like all the motos? quit going. like he said earlier, with all the bikes, skill levels, heights and weights, you can't just run 10 different classes. doesn't work like that, times change. deal with it or get out of the sport.
This is just a thought. Why not run the moto's timed motos. At Area 51 they run 12 minute motos for every group that leaves the gate. With it being a decent size track faster groups are getting 4 laps and the rest pretty much 3. Everyone gets the same amount of time whether it be A class or the 50 class. They run a bunch of classes as well and do combine classes on the gate but I do feel they run through their program a little faster. Either way we will still be there.