I have a question.. C class is a beginner class, as most of us know, a 450 is a lot of bike for some experienced riders. Why is there a 450 C class? What beginner should be out there twisting the throttle on a 450? My point is, those guys winning at Loretta Lynn's in the 450 C class, are not beginners. So, while I do see where you guys are coming from in the making memories with your parents, is it safe to throw a kid on a 450 and say "go get em"? I tried the Loretta thing and got spanked on a 250 2 stroke in the C class. After that, I gave it up. My dad and I made tons of memories, traveled all over the east coast riding and racing. We met tons of people, camped in our 6x12 trailer with the bikes chained to the tongue. It was a blast. I'm just making an observation and kind of questioning, why is there a beginner class for an experienced riders bike? Just my 2 cents.
I do think the C class has its place, have two 250 C classes and a 125 B/C. The national level shouldn't be based on beginners. Let's face it, most of the beginners that are going to be champions of our sport are racing 85s twice as fast as the true C class at 13 years old. If you're racing C it's for the fun of the sport and to compete with guys that are near your speed. I've seen the C class at Loretta Lynn's, the guys up front are as fast as the B riders. There is a huge gap from the top 5 to the rest of the pack.
Forever sandbag class. While it's awesome to say you've made it to a national level event, sponsors are not going to pay a C class kid. You might get an extra 10% off or a free box of t shirts. The meaning of a championship is what you make of it. If C class is where you can get it, go for it. Just don't expect a crazy reward for a championship in the beginner class. It's a trophy, same as you'd get from a local event.
Nothing against the C class guys. I was one for a long time and racing was everything to me. I trained, rode, and raced like I was going for an outdoor national title. It taught me a lot and it was a good experience. I just don't think sponsors recognize the C class the way individual riders do. Do it for fun and memories with your family and friends.
Merry Christmas and Bah humbug.