When to start LRRS

[Petorius]

Assuming I get the bike ready in time, should I start racing at the last LRRS round this year or should I wait until the first round next year? Any compelling reasons to do it one way vs the other?

[tsorfas]

Octover can be cold and wet. Still would be worth it IMO.
Less shit to deal with in the beginning of the season.

Get the miserable experience of getting race numbers out of the way early.

In other words come play ASAP

[Rambunctous]

No compelling reason. Go, learn what went right or wrong. Then you got all winter to address it.

[rolker]

Get the bike ready and show up this weekend!

[MFChop]

I can say from my own experience starting this year at the beginning is that it's nice to start at the beginning of the season

1. You'll be starting and learning with a lots of other people
2. You will be able to see and prefect your skills better, as apposed to racing a round waiting 6 months to only relearn everything
3. You have more time to prepare yourself and the bike for the season. Worst thing you could do is rush yourself
4. As Savs said October can be very unpredictable

Im sure I could think up other reasons but IMO wait till next season and come out swinging!

[MHenry600]

April can be just as crappy weather wise (if not worse) than October, so don't let that be the reason. If you have everything ready this year, you can get a round in and be that much further ahead come next spring.

The only two things that might sway you (and I can't remember this stuff without looking it up, and I'm feeling lazy). If you start this year, does that may exclude you from Rookie of the Year eligibility for next year, even if you only do one round? The other would be whether they prorate the license fee, which I'm pretty sure they do. It would suck to pay the full or even half the license fee for only one round.

To contradict Matt, if you go out for one round, it gives you a chance to see what things you may want to do different on the bike and gives you the whole winter to change them. Use it as a shakedown.

Those things aside, get out there and do it.

[MFChop]

He is right, April was crazy this year

What about his license, I presume he would have to pay to renew that before the next season?

[dougie]

I'm in the same boat, I'm on the fence too

[Petorius]

Get the bike ready and show up this weekend!

I'm on the road this week, so no chance of it getting done. The big open item is a belly pan.

[MHenry600]

He is right, April was crazy this year

What about his license, I presume he would have to pay to renew that before the next season?

He'd have to buy next year's license either way. I think they prorate the license for this year, so he'd only have to pay for as many rounds are remaining this year. This is the part I'm unsure about though.

[Petorius]

Get the miserable experience of getting race numbers out of the way early.

Do I pick my own numbers? How does that work?

[butcher bergs]

Make sure your bike and gear are 100% mechanically and structurally straight first, then jump in at least for one weekend this season so you are that little bit more prepared for the upcoming full season.

[loudbeard]

Do it!

Doooooooeeeeeeeiiiiitttttttt!!!!!!

You give them your top 3 choices for numbers

[Ductard]

Do it!

Doooooooeeeeeeeiiiiitttttttt!!!!!!

You give them your top 3 choices for numbers

More accurately - you sit there and play a guessing game until you pick one that's not taken.

Afterwards, you find hot that you can view them on the lrrs system when you have a login, so I'd find a buddy and have him let you log in and view what's available.

[Petorius]

Afterwards, you find hot that you can view them on the lrrs system when you have a login, so I'd find a buddy and have him let you log in and view what's available.

Thank you, Sir!

[maxim_X]

Belly pan is easy. Come this weekend. I was all stressed about it before I raced too. Just get something easy for a belly pan like a cooking tin and some mounts.

[jasnmar]

Keep in mind I know shit about this.

(This isn't a concern for me, might be for you) For ROTY purposes, you only need to start the season as a novice. As far as I know you need to request a bump. No request, no bump.

I'd say get at least the basics class and Rookie Race out of the way. Something you don't have to worry about in the spring when you are really ready to go racing. Bike has at least been through tech and you know what to expect from a race weekend. Show up for practice on Friday with no worries about licensing, tech, numbers, etc.
YMMV.

[carsick]

You'll auto bump due to lap times going from NOV to AM. ROTY says you only have to start the year as a NOV. I wish I had done my basic course and rookie race the Oct before, I would have been much more prepared for next April and been a stronger contender for the AM points standings if not for round 1 and 2 where I only got NOV points (they do not carry over when you bump).
Get out there and do it, you'll never know what it's like unless you do!

[dougie]

I took the basic course last October, at this point do I just fill out the license application and send it in? My bike is all prepped, just need to get a license and numbers I believe (not to jack Pete's thread =) )

[jasnmar]

Thanks for clarifying about the novice to am bump Doug.

Again, only a concern if ROTY is in your sights, but still in your control.

Again, I'd get it out of the way.

October weather blah blah. April weather blah blah.

[Rada]

Screw the weather. Race
Show up with some white back grounds on and a fist full of dollars....

[jasnmar]

Dougie -
Quiet possible bad information to follow.
Based on overheard discussions, guesses, and some random bits of anecdotal information...

My understanding is that having taken the basics course, you have one year to acquire your license. Yes, you have to fill out the license application form, but "I think" you also have to participate in the Rookie Race to actually acquire the license.

Take this with a grain of salt. Hopefully someone who knows more will correct me.

[nhbubba]

How much is a LRRS/CCS license exactly? IE how much cash are you "throwing away" to only race one weekend in October vs waiting for round 1 the next year?

I know, I know. If you have to ask..

[jasnmar]

LRRS license fees are: $125 if purchased prior to 7/1, $90 if purchased between 7/1 and 8/31, $60 if purchased between 9/1 and 12/31...

[burnham]

Screw the weather. Race
Show up with some white back grounds on and a fist full of dollars....

There's your answer. My first race weekend was in October. Gave me something good to think about over the long winter.