NHMS 2012 Suggestions?

[Boosh]

Cheaper racing is important. I know the Proddy Twins class is cheap but it isn't "cool". Make a cheap "cool" class and I think there will be more riders. Also ADVERTISING. There are ALOT of sportbike riders in the area that have NO CLUE there is a road racing course or a Racing Series in New England

True statement. I had a stand at the market days event they had down on main st in concord nh for my business. I had my bike out front of the stand to draw people in and it worked very well. I also had flyers so I could promote the races and it worked very well.

You have no idea how many people that live in the area and have not a clue that we race there. I have another event next week and I will be doing the same.

So everyone if you see a group of rides parked somewhere and you are walking by them stop and say something to them you never know.

[Woodcraft]

...not sure how to make a "cheap" class "cool".

As for advertising...the grass roots stuff is the key. If we can simply get those guys to jump on this forum they would be able to get all kind of information about what is happening up at the track.

We get this every time we do a trade show. People have come to the Penguin Booth and argued with us that there is no motorcycle racing at Loudon anymore. It's crazy.

[Kurlon]

...not sure how to make a "cheap" class "cool".

Ban BJ Worsham?

Sorry, someone had to make the joke. I see he's been tracking down bodywork for an SV, has he finally joined the MWPT fun?

[b0xmonkey]

Ban BJ Worsham?

Sorry, someone had to make the joke. I see he's been tracking down bodywork for an SV, has he finally joined the MWPT fun?

He has, and he's hauling ass!

[Boosh]

Ooops quoted too much of the post was just talking about the advertising part.

[doug1611]

The Novice thing really had nothing to do with NHMS...the speed disparities are everywhere. Faster tracks are actually worse....imagine a 140mph sweeper and having two experts close on a guy doing 100 at the apex (been there and it is downright frightening).

If we eliminated Novice, they would only get buzzed by the top guys who do 1:17's. Is that better? A top expert doing 11's or an Amatuer (with less experience) doing 17's. It's a toss up.

Plus right now there are something like 30 classes for expert and amatuer.....call it 60 total. Right now Ex/Am are combined and you have 600's lapping 600's, twins lapping twins - for the most part (class combinations notwithstanding). Now, if you combine Expert classes with other Expert Classes, Am with Am, you'll have two scenarios: either mismatched bikes racing with eachother or class combinations that make riders choose betweeen two classes that they would run if they were separated.

It's a lot to put together. I'm good with the system that we have because the danger is not in lapping guys that are doing 22's and 23's (back of the AM 600 grid), it's in coming upon guys doing 1:30s and 1:40's on 600's (there are more than a few that start at that pace). This system of having the Novice class fixes that and makes for much better racing..... that's my experience anyway.

As a Novice with no track experience (I know some will say I shouldn't be out there) I appreciate the position Eric is taking. I think with the new rules this year which seems to be bumping people up quickly it moves those that should be and leaves me and others back in Novice to continue working our skills. Along with the safety aspects Eric mentions he also is looking at getting more to come out and join the fun. Having watched last year I don't think I would have come out this year IF I knew I would be right in with the Am/EX. I would not be good for me or them. I know of a couple other new Novice racers this year and a couple other contiplating giving it a try. Having the Novice class helps along with the promotional efforts like 3 weekends at 1/2 price. Get them in (pricing), comfortable (novice) they get the "bug" and stick around (move up to Am). Thanks for a fun year thus far, not quite ready for AM but did break the 1:35 with a 1:32 PB and will be back Aug.
The transition from my couch (Goldwing) to the SV650 is taking a little longer then I thought but I'll get there.

[Awesome]

Lots of talk about bringing in new racers. I've never heard any mention on efforts to retain existing.

[Woodcraft]

Lots of talk about bringing in new racers. I've never heard any mention on efforts to retain existing.

For existing guys, I do what I can from a safety director's standpoint. Regarding the Novices, if we dissolved the class and meshed them in with the experts, that's not going to make existing racers happy. We've also got more airfence coming (over 250 feet of it). I'm working on getting some of the bumps smoothed out. We continue to make efforts every weekend to make LRRS as safe as possible.

And finally, we open this question up so that the existing racers can let us know their thoughts. At very least, at the end of this, I can sit down with other people that have been around (Steve Aspland, Cathy Curtin, and my friends who have been racing for a long time) and we can discuss all topics that get brought up here. We then present the best ideas to NHMS.....some will be put into place and others not. We then start the cycle again.

[Chippertheripper]

Bring back podium credits!!!
I can't believe I forgot that...I'd rather have a few bucks off my next race/round than a trinket.

[OreoGaborio]

wera does it best imho. you have provisional novices that have to wear a neon shirt. after you make it 2 weekends, off comes the shirt. right now in the current economy, the grids just dont justify having a 3 tier structure. if you were having 40-60 bikes per race, then yes. but when grids are small enough that race winners cannot collect contingency its unjustifiable. and as someone who is slow as shit, if someone is uncomfortable by being on a race track with faster riders, they should probably reevaluate their newly found hobby.

As someone who used to be slow as shit but isn't any more, I very much appreciate and support all angles of Eric's point of view. Rookie racers and Top Experts have no business being on track together and I couldn't care less if it impacts continency. Everything Eric has said on this topic makes perfect sense if you actually take a second to stop, step back and look at the big picture.

[The Snowman]

As someone who used to be slow as shit but isn't any more, I very much appreciate and support all angles of Eric's point of view. Rookie racers and Top Experts have no business being on track together and I couldn't care less if it impacts continency. Everything Eric has said on this topic makes perfect sense if you actually take a second to stop, step back and look at the big picture.

Experts lap and close on amateurs fast enough as it is. ( ask me how I know) Most novices run at least 2 seconds slower than amateurs (there are exceptions) and it just makes the closing speeds that much more dangerous.

[OreoGaborio]

It's not just the closing speeds I'm worried about.

[Woodcraft]

Experts lap and close on amateurs fast enough as it is. ( ask me how I know) Most novices run at least 2 seconds slower than amateurs (there are exceptions) and it just makes the closing speeds that much more dangerous.

It's not the guys that are 2 seconds off Amatuers that I'm worried about - it's the guys that are 5 or 10 or 15. If we give these guys time to figure it out, everyone is better off.

[Paul_E_D]

Eric, I didn't read all of this, but I don't think anyone suggested changing the tall curbing in T1 for something you can actually lean the bike over. I have almost been knocked right off the highside trying to get my leg over the curbing like I would in a "normal" corner.

[The Snowman]

Eric, I didn't read all of this, but I don't think anyone suggested changing the tall curbing in T1 for something you can actually lean the bike over. I have almost been knocked right off the highside trying to get my leg over the curbing like I would in a "normal" corner.

Similar to the new T2 curbing?

[Paul_E_D]

NOOOO, not like that thing in T2. More like a proper curb like 11 with a slight camber to it, just not 12 inches high like what is there now.

[Woodcraft]

That would be nice for sure..... for now, I'm going to focus on bigger issues. If they ever repave those curbs, we'll see what we can do about making them flatter and wider. I'd just try to keep your pegs off of it.....

[Paul_E_D]

OK, I'll try.

[Kurlon]

If the bumps in T1 get smoothed out so going wider is safe, would temporary, lower rubber curbing to encourage people to push out a touch work to keep pegs off that higher curbing?

[OreoGaborio]

The only time I have an issue with T1 is when I'm passing someone on the outside. My normal line takes me to the inside of the bumps. I cross onto the new pavement within about a foot of "the point" where it's nice and smooth.

It'd be nice to have it smoothed out a little so that pass is made a little easier, though as that's one of my favorite passing areas

[csmutty]

I didn't even know there were bumps in 1.

[CBR929RE]

I didn't even know there were bumps in 1.

I must always be on the correct line cause I never feel any there either.

[Rada]

I must always be on the correct line cause I never feel any there either.

That or it's because he rides a frigging moto cross bike.

[union]

I didn't even know there were bumps in 1.

I must always be on the correct line cause I never feel any there either.

Its there. Try passing someone on the outside without leaning on them and youll feel it. Its been there since the repave. If you know to expect it then its not a huge deal.

[brady]

is it at the seam?