5
After talking to several riders about it last season, we are going to put together a mentor program for LRRS. We thought that it would be good to have a system in place that would guide a new rider through the entire weekend the first time through - particularly those riders who do not already know someone who has been around the block.
I approached NHMS about helping us with this program, and Tommy and Wanda agreed to supply us with a free garage for this project. I thank them for the support. We will have one of the center garages (I believe that it will be the one next to the GMD Computrack garage...but that is yet to be finalized), where up to 8 rookies will be able to pit for free on their first weekend. The basic qualification for to be eligible is simple; you need to be signed up for the Rookie Race on Saturday. This will be a first come-first served thing until it is full (Steve Nogueira will help fill it up when he does the class on Friday), but we did not have too many weekends with more than 8 new guys last season....and there are always a few of those guys who have friends that they want to pit with already. The new "Rookie Garage" will be a gathering place for new riders.
We are looking for a few experienced experts that want to help guide these guys through the weekend, reminding them about where to be and when, helping with common problems on the track, showing them where to get suspension help, where to get tires, when to put on warmers...all the stuff that you've learned that a new guy doesn't know.
In addition, since we all will now know where these guys are, racers can stop in and introduce themselves...ask how it's going....give encouragement...and make them feel like part of the LRRS family.
This program is one of the ways that we rebuild the series....by welcoming and retaining the guys who have already gone through the trouble to find us. I welcome feedback, ideas, and volunteers.