Look at the top 3 teams in the 1000cc group, there’s at least 1 to 3 current moto america riders and we are starting to see it in the 600 class too with Stefano running. With real purse money it will be magnified. I know several teams are lining up more MA riders for next year too. This isn’t my organization to run and I am not here to fight with you or anyone else, I would love to compete against other expert and amateur riders in an endurance race and maybe even get on a podium. I am confident my thinking is not too far off of other club racers. Additionally, I would like to see racing grow, affording us that opportunity above seems like it would make it grow. If it doesn’t happen I am cool with it, again not my call.
probably just making sure that this wasn't a pre-covid idea that's not going to happen. So glad to hear it was a typo and happening
I competed in my first endurance race in 2000 and the field was stacked with well funded teams with a lot pro riders. I thought it was a great experience and only made me want to get faster and makes for great stories when you can talk about the big names you raced with. I guess WERA needs give out participation ribbons
I'm sorry, I see Taylor and Stefano and the like as club racers who are doing occasional pro rounds - yes they are good but they're not unbeatable. Also - not fighting at all, purely curious. I have no problem looking at changes but so far what I see would lead to everyone gets a trophy. However keep coming with ideas. Just remember the ideas and input from the riders is what got us to the rules and setup we have now
To get more riders on the grid..I think the Pony Express group that Sam does with Lean is an awesome way to get people into endurance racing - everyone rides their own bike (just swap the transponder between stints) - I think its an easier transition for the pure sprint guys - much lower costs, don't have to worry about suspension issues for different size riders, wrecking someone else's bike etc...I've never done it, but seems like would get more people out - always the largest field at his endurance races
Yeah but it doesn't get people to do real endurance racing that I've ever seen (there may of course be exceptions I don't know about) - and seriously endurance racing is about the endurance of the bike and the riders and the pit stops and so on. Back to back sprints with different riders/bikes just isn't endurance racing, it's really more like tag team track day.
Yeah but it's not always about that - at least not for us. The racing itself is important too. It's why we don't let people run in and out practicing during an endurance, it's important to us to keep it racing for those out there actually doing it and doing it as a real endurance test of men (generic non sexual version) and machine.
It's funny, right now you could be running well on a lightweight bike and be ahead of the second place mediumweight machine...
Noticed that myself...the LWs run well there though...just wish I hadn't fubar'd my knee or I would be enjoying being beat by them too...
I'm just happy to hear the news. Cool to see some good support for some awesome racing! I really need to get a team together and *not* win that purse money
Ehhh... I get what you’re saying but it’s not about participation trophies. Three of us did our first 4hr this year at PittRace on an 8yr old Aprilia. All of us well over the age of 30 (47 for me). We knew we didn’t have a shot at beating the podium regulars but wanted to make a good showing. You throw in 15-20 teams hauling in ringers to a club race, makes me feel all that more intimidated to even consider doing it next year. It’s enough to have a couple of teams demoralize me going into T1 or through the carousel. It’s another thing to have 10-15 steamrolling my old ass around the track. Yeah I’m encouraged to go faster, but I don’t have that much expendable time and income to even try to compete with semi-pro and pro racers for a podium spot. And I’m 47. I’m decrepit. I applaud WERA, N2 and Dunlop for growing the endurance series. But for the casual racer/entrant like myself, it might push me away. Which sucks, because we had a blast at PittRace. Didn’t even come in last!
Three podium spots as per usual and a fourth spot for the leading "club" team. The same way they do it for privateers in some series. The difficult thing would be defining what a "club" team is.
There will never be a situation in racing - with money involved - that it won't bring out a higher level of competition. That's just how it goes. The $100k is fantastic. I'm not privy to any of the details, but if I were running something and I wanted to keep it "club", I'd spread the money further down the line, "incentivizing" more teams to join, and throwing less money at the top spots. If I wanted to hype it up more and bring in top teams, I'd do the opposite. We did the former years ago with a simple mini series/100 riders and it worked extremely well, as there will always be riders further down the chain who will stop racing if there aren't incentives (money, trophies, prizes, hookers, blow, etc.) further down the line. Either way, great job N2 and WERA!