Should we hit the emergency button??

honda907 said:
Breezwood Proving Grounds rents bikes. Google them and ask how much and how insurance works. Just small ones like XR100 and smaller. Foo foo bikes. That's a good idea. They have three tracks going on at once, and one is a dedicated beginner track


Back in the day, like mid 70's , a track called Moto Mecca , around Allentown , Pa rented bikes. Had a national there in 1976. They rented bikes ( Bultacos, Hondas and CZ's) and were sued there butts off. They went out of business real fast .

I think renting full size KTM's that are race ready would be suicide. Just my opinion. I don't think a rank beginner is ready for that.

Maybe call someone like MX Vacations in CA to see how you get around that. I know Dave. Used his services before. I'll ask what needs to be done to protect yourself.
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Higland Park resort in Georgia, Full KTM shop on premise. Rents bikes

http://www.highlandparkresort.com/rental-bikes
 
Ya know this is kinda where the sport is headed. When you wanna go race or ride it's gonna be like going to a ski resort. Rent. Want anything go to the overpriced pro shop. Turn it in after 8 hours. s**t you wonder why ski resorts don't do this in the summer to keep revenue.
 
The world is changing. Always does. The bikes and racing aren't cool to young people today. People have wised up and found that there is much less a future in this sport than pro football. And pro football is having trouble keeping eyeballs.

So what's a short term solution? More band aides. Make it a spectator sport and attract spectators like they do Saturday night at the car dirt track races. Most tracks forget to attract spectators. Back in the 70's, all the promoters in my area had food, programs of riders entered and a professional announcer that gave you the play by play of all the motos and would go around in the morning and interview various racers and record them for playback during breaks. Really personalized the racers. And spectators knew Tony D and Gary Semics before they were factory riders. Sometimes Central PA motocross park had 5000 spectators for a big local race like the Gold Cup.

Ma and Pa showing up with two kids to check it out would never know what's going on. It's a shame. Just put yourself in that position. Yeah, pretty grim huh? Think they would be attracted to what was going on? Na!! Me either.

Long term? I think the society has shifted it's goals and aspirations. I don't think it will ever be like the late 70's again.
 
GeorgiePorgie said:
Ya know this is kinda where the sport is headed. When you wanna go race or ride it's gonna be like going to a ski resort. Rent. Want anything go to the overpriced pro shop. Turn it in after 8 hours. s**t you wonder why ski resorts don't do this in the summer to keep revenue.
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You are smoked up son, and good haha
 
honda907 said:
The world is changing. Always does. The bikes and racing aren't cool to young people today. People have wised up and found that there is much less a future in this sport than pro football. And pro football is having trouble keeping eyeballs.

So what's a short term solution? More band aides. Make it a spectator sport and attract spectators like they do Saturday night at the car dirt track races. Most tracks forget to attract spectators. Back in the 70's, all the promoters in my area had food, programs of riders entered and a professional announcer that gave you the play by play of all the motos and would go around in the morning and interview various racers and record them for playback during breaks. Really personalized the racers. And spectators knew Tony D and Gary Semics before they were factory riders. Sometimes Central PA motocross park had 5000 spectators for a big local race like the Gold Cup.

Ma and Pa showing up with two kids to check it out would never know what's going on. It's a shame. Just put yourself in that position. Yeah, pretty grim huh? Think they would be attracted to what was going on? Na!! Me either.

Long term? I think the society has shifted it's goals and aspirations. I don't think it will ever be like the late 70's again.
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Good points here. Always puzzled me how the arenacross races that drew put on in Columbus and Huntington were PACKED on Friday and Saturday night every year with true life spectators. Then you never seen another "fan" again for a year. Those events where setup for spectators. Condensed program with pro qualifiers to start. Then some youth and B and a C class then pro main to end.
Yes there is nothing better to do on a Friday and Saturday night in Huntington but still. It worked. Now it is all about how much $ can be squeezed out of the racers and zero attention to fans. Not saying that is the way it is in arena's now, since I have not been to one in a number of years. Guess I will find out in a few weeks. Think we will have to hit Huntington again and see first hand we will see just how much the sport has changed
 
GeorgiePorgie said:
Ya know this is kinda where the sport is headed. When you wanna go race or ride it's gonna be like going to a ski resort. Rent. Want anything go to the overpriced pro shop. Turn it in after 8 hours. s**t you wonder why ski resorts don't do this in the summer to keep revenue.
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I think some do but with Mt. Biking.
 
Romanyak256 said:
I gave up racing because I joined the laborers union. You get busted up racing and you can't work, you lose everything... sorry but having a roof over my head and keeping my family clothed and fed are far more important than racing MX.
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Your kid will be racing though.


Ck summit is the same. Packed house spectating. Standing room only. All bleachers packed.
 
Just signed Matthew up for the Cincinnati Arenacross. Usually the only one we do because it is close and he wants to ride it. $10 discount. $135 for two classes and my $30 pit pass. At least they were not like MX Sports and charged us his entry also this year.

Not one of my favorite venues. Sucks with Tents outside. Parking is horrible. The Nutter Center in Dayton work so much better with indoor pits, larger floor space and tons of parking.
 
John....do summit. 25 a class. $15 gate fee. It's actually pretty decent. Great mini turnouts. Qualifiers and mains.
 
Is the breakeven point for races somewhere around 200 entries? If so is there a way to schedule people better? I'm never ever going to ride a 50, 65, 80, 110, quad, razor, 250, 125, anything less than 450 really. Minis in the morning, big bikes in the afternoon? Still 200 entries. The track workers and those vets with kids will still have a full day but the rest of us would be thrilled to have their race day cut in half.

Is there a hybrid format that could be executed between practice and racing? Practice in the morning, race in the afternoon? Or.....open practice on the C track during race day on the AB track. That would do the trick too. If race day has to be 13 hours any of these ideas would help the day seem shorter.
 
day181 said:
Is the breakeven point for races somewhere around 200 entries? If so is there a way to schedule people better? I'm never ever going to ride a 50, 65, 80, 110, quad, razor, 250, 125, anything less than 450 really. Minis in the morning, big bikes in the afternoon? Still 200 entries. The track workers and those vets with kids will still have a full day but the rest of us would be thrilled to have their race day cut in half.

Is there a hybrid format that could be executed between practice and racing? Practice in the morning, race in the afternoon? Or.....open practice on the C track during race day on the AB track. That would do the trick too. If race day has to be 13 hours any of these ideas would help the day seem shorter.
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Lap times, seed people into heats based on bike size and previous classes, let them run two practice heats that way for lap times, then rearrange it by time results into ABC by time, 1 moto done.
 
day181 said:
Or.....open practice on the C track during race day on the AB track. That would do the trick too. If race day has to be 13 hours any of these ideas would help the day seem shorter.
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A place to ride in between motos would be awesome. The long wait in between motos pretty much sucks. Not so much an issue at a small race but when there's 22 classes it gets old waiting 3 or more hours between motos. Just a place to ride a little to get the blood moving and the old muscles loose.
 
BriarcliffMx said:
Lap times, seed people into heats based on bike size and previous classes, let them run two practice heats that way for lap times, then rearrange it by time results into ABC by time, 1 moto done.
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That+s+totally+my+company+policy+_1d812cfebab414e53e8b0bd8735e3c5a.jpg
 
MXracn746 said:
Motocross racing itself, is not beginner friendly. Not like it used to be.
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No gaps=more beginers and vets.
No one has ever complained there are to many table tops.
This makes it safe for jumpers and non jumpers. To co exist.

Need more spectators as well for word of mouth that it looks fun. Not lets go see and hope someone cartwheels.
 
I feel like there is a big difference between say the old Columbus indoor race/supercross and local/national outdoors in comparison. You see a lot more casual spectators at a supercross than the hard core fans at say a Red Bud national. I know a lot of people who go to Indy SX that barely know motocross and there is a 0.1% you would ever see them at an outdoor national.

So what's the cause? The show? The controlled environment? The length of the event? All of the above?

I have family and friends that want to come and watch a local race and the first question is always "what time do you race" it's never "how much does it cost to get in". We always have to answer that we have no idea, sometime between 9:00 am and dark.

That just doesn't fly for the casual viewer. Most people's attention spans can only be held for a few hours nowadays.

I really feel like we need to do away with the conventional 2 moto format. A hybrid of open practice and a main event. Where you can advertise timed practice for gate picks from a certain time then roll into advertised race times. Run a late practice right before racing for those riders who don't want to show up at 6 am?
 
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