Amateur Racing at Loretta Lynn's

I can’t imagine another name other than “I went to Loretta’s!” sounding better...because of what it means to be able to say that. It’s one of the last historical and nostalgic parts of motocross left other than stats and legendary riders.

The only thing close I can come up with is “I made it to Castillo!” At least you can still use the phrase...”Headed to the Ranch!”
 
Romanyak256 said:
You might want think how many A riders also race a vet class...that’s probably why
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Lol....not very many at all. Maybe 5% at the absolute most at any normal local race. Chillitown there were maybe 10 to 15 out of all the vet classes. Vet practice was basically scary and I'm no slouch. Vet practice should be limited to 40 plus and up always. But instead it turns into an over flow for young kids, A riders and anyone else who wants to sneak in without the proper sticker.
 
hershey said:
Lol....not very many at all. Maybe 5% at the absolute most at any normal local race. Chillitown there were maybe 10 to 15 out of all the vet classes. Vet practice was basically scary and I'm no slouch. Vet practice should be limited to 40 plus and up always. But instead it turns into an over flow for young kids, A riders and anyone else who wants to sneak in without the proper sticker.
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Im sorry, but if i sign up for 30+, which is a vet class, i will be going out with vet riders. And i always make sure I’m one of the first riders out for vet practice so i can get away from the mass riders, then if they have an A/B only practice i go with them as well. Don’t worry about the A riders, we’ll get around you, worry about the C riders and schoolboy kids who sneak in.
 
hershey said:
Lol....not very many at all. Maybe 5% at the absolute most at any normal local race. Chillitown there were maybe 10 to 15 out of all the vet classes. Vet practice was basically scary and I'm no slouch. Vet practice should be limited to 40 plus and up always. But instead it turns into an over flow for young kids, A riders and anyone else who wants to sneak in without the proper sticker.
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There were definitely some 14 year old vet riders at Chillitown
Vet practice should be limited to 32 plus, maybe 33 next year.
 
John250 said:
There is a whole lot of work going in to fill in and make the parking lot go on around the back side of Ironman. They are not doing that for the pro national. I think they are getting that place ready to be the new site for the Amateur national.
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Just thinking here. Maybe they’re expanding that for the Ironman GNCC? So they don’t have to park across the road. Also which requires more parking a pro national or the LL amateur national? I’d say Ironman had enough as it is.
 
DelBalso123 said:
There were definitely some 14 year old vet riders at Chillitown
Vet practice should be limited to 32 plus, maybe 33 next year.
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Says the guy complaining there is no competition for vet riders since they removed A riders ??? Lmao.

The vast majority of Vet riders are not fast, there is a reason that vet and women are grouped in practice. On average they are not very fast. Putting 25+ aged A riders in that group is dangerous for everyone.


Romanyak256 said:
Im sorry, but if i sign up for 30+, which is a vet class, i will be going out with vet riders. And i always make sure I’m one of the first riders out for vet practice so i can get away from the mass riders, then if they have an A/B only practice i go with them as well. Don’t worry about the A riders, we’ll get around you, worry about the C riders and schoolboy kids who sneak in.
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C class riders don't generally come blasting by at mach 2 compared to the average vet rider. You can't hear someone that fast coming up on you. Noren came up on me and by so fast I didn't know it until he went by. A good chance for someone to change lines and get people hurt.
 
hershey said:
Says the guy complaining there is no competition for vet riders since they removed A riders ??? Lmao.

The vast majority of Vet riders are not fast, there is a reason that vet and women are grouped in practice. On average they are not very fast. Putting 25+ aged A riders in that group is dangerous for everyone.




C class riders don't generally come blasting by at mach 2 compared to the average vet rider. You can't hear someone that fast coming up on you. Noren came up on me and by so fast I didn't know it until he went by. A good chance for someone to change lines and get people hurt.
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An age is an age. I was complaining that the Loretta’s amateur day classes are B/C only(this thread was about LL). I think Vet classes should be open skilled. So yeah removing “a” riders in Vet is removing competition, especially when they aren’t having Vet A classes. Just because I sign up in Open A every now and then to get waxed, doesn’t make me any different than another 30+ year old that signs up for B.

Chillitown legit had 14 year olds in vet practice, that’s wrong.
I raced 30+ and A, I’m running my 2 practices, Vet being my 2nd practice.
 
The Vet class is evolving. The days of a few guys in their 40’s and 50’s getting a few laps in are long gone. We are all getting older and since the sport has grown exponentially (or as the majority think it’s dying) there are going to be a lot more vet riders with different skill levels.
Hell im going be 36 and I’m a mid pack C rider. But friends I have could be A level riders and the same age. So in the next few years the Vet class will have to evolve a little more. And if there is a kid who’s 14 in the vet class show him a wheel.
 
I had a long conversation with the ranch manager down here. Unless he's completely in the dark it doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. Between himself and lorrettas grand daughter, & mx sports, planning for improvements, property changes and shared expenses are done years in advance and they are currently working on 2022
 
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motomatt19 said:
I had a long conversation with the ranch manager down here. Unless he's completely in the dark it doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. Between himself and lorrettas grand daughter, & mx sports, planning for improvements, property changes and shared expenses are done years in advance and they are currently working on 2022
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That’s good to hear. Wouldn’t want to see it go anywhere else.
 
DelBalso123 said:
That’s good to hear. Wouldn’t want to see it go anywhere else.
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The facility (minus Stage Coach) is a s**t hole. I’ve been there 5-6 times over the last 10 years and there’s been very little improvements. The track is what it is , but it’s sad that most of the qualifiers have nicer facilities than LL. Zero cell service & shitty WiFi in limited areas. Oh yea they have WiFi for free 355 other days at the camp ground. For the amount of money they will spend this year fixing the parking areas they could easily pave or gravel camping areas. Honestly at this point the track isn’t really fair for all. You don’t think Earl May has a leg up on Matt Powers. I bet Earl has race there no less than 20 times. Is it fair that Joe Dickhead has to drive from California to race the best riders ?
It’s times to move it in my opinion. Move it to Ponca or a different national track every year. Do something.
 
weasel49 said:
The facility (minus Stage Coach) is a s**t hole. I’ve been there 5-6 times over the last 10 years and there’s been very little improvements. The track is what it is , but it’s sad that most of the qualifiers have nicer facilities than LL. Zero cell service & shitty WiFi in limited areas. Oh yea they have WiFi for free 355 other days at the camp ground. For the amount of money they will spend this year fixing the parking areas they could easily pave or gravel camping areas. Honestly at this point the track isn’t really fair for all. You don’t think Earl May has a leg up on Matt Powers. I bet Earl has race there no less than 20 times. Is it fair that Joe Dickhead has to drive from California to race the best riders ?
It’s times to move it in my opinion. Move it to Ponca or a different national track every year. Do something.
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Honestly, moving it to a different national track around the country is a great idea. Perhaps when the race is in the NW some new riders would perhaps try to qualify, and you might see some new faces. Move the race around would level the playing field a little bit and would and excitement to the racing for sure.
 
weasel49 said:
The facility (minus Stage Coach) is a s**t hole. I’ve been there 5-6 times over the last 10 years and there’s been very little improvements. The track is what it is , but it’s sad that most of the qualifiers have nicer facilities than LL. Zero cell service & shitty WiFi in limited areas. Oh yea they have WiFi for free 355 other days at the camp ground. For the amount of money they will spend this year fixing the parking areas they could easily pave or gravel camping areas. Honestly at this point the track isn’t really fair for all. You don’t think Earl May has a leg up on Matt Powers. I bet Earl has race there no less than 20 times. Is it fair that Joe Dickhead has to drive from California to race the best riders ?
It’s times to move it in my opinion. Move it to Ponca or a different national track every year. Do something.
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If it gets moved, it turns into a different amateur national. Sure that’s new and exciting, but it would no longer be Loretta’s.
 
DelBalso123 said:
If it gets moved, it turns into a different amateur national. Sure that’s new and exciting, but it would no longer be Loretta’s.
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True. But hell they have trucked in so much sand that it is now a sand track. So its not the same track in Tennessee clay that it used to be any way.
 
I don’t know I mean stage coach hill Is nice. The showers are awesome. The staff that works there are just amazing, The dudes picking up trash etc. The fields are cut and there’s a creek, it’s all level. What’s the complaint? You don’t need a whole lot to make it a nice facility.
 
I stayed here in the RV from Sunday - Wednesday and just drove the 1.5 hr to the ranch a couple times early in the week.

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Stay at a campground like that for a bit and then go to the ranch and you feel like you went to another planet. A shitty, smelly, dusty, muddy, noisy, crabby planet!
 
My 2 cents... overall it was an awesome experience! Yes you have a huge advantage if you've been there before! I made up my mind I was gonna do everything on the first lap after the sight lap, well it doesn't work that way, things start happening fast, ruts on faces, people getting squirrelly, riders down and just like that your 6 laps is up! So I was entering my 1st moto wanting a holeshot and I hadn't even jumped everything, May and Carsten had probably jumped everything 300 times prior to me. When you look at it the track its not hard but it's so difficult to race! Sitting on the seat to clear a jump is not possible, every face has a kicker so you stand...everywhere! Sand whoops are not that difficult but standing while turning while in a sand rut with whoops is! If you don't get a start you've gotta go balls out until you reach the 10 commandments otherwise your done unless you're 30 secs a lap faster than 15th and beyond. Think about it 4,5,6 at the regional is pretty much 20th to 42nd you're all about the same speed its just skill and experience, it's crazy but with 42 riders the leader will be headed to story land when 40th isn't even entering the 10. Granted I had full hookups on the hill so I've got nothing to bitch about camping wise. I went in 1989 then spent the next 30yrs racing locally. That's my only regret! I loved this trip,I like the training, the competition, the facilities that are a part of the journey, hanging with my peeps at camp, meeting several guys from pitracer and good people from all over! I'm 51 so what few yrs I have left as a racer in gonna spend going or trying to go this event!
 
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