Why club racing was so big in the '80s.

I map out some of the reasons I think WERA and club racing in general was so big in the 1980s in this post.

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=14141

What was the biggest grid you guys remember from those days? I clearly remember over 100 bikes in 600cc and over practice session at IRP in '81. The disadvantages? You really couldn't go all that fast with all the traffic around. You were just hoping for some clear track.

 

No trackdays back in those days was a major reason.

 

Yep.

 

Agreed. But you could rent Little Talladega for $250 for the entire day in 1986. So you had to make your own trackday.

 

I heard you could pay 50 bucks during a week day and ride Oak Hill all day. Sort of like going to an open practice at a MX track.

 

Man, I remember 3-4 wave starts at Road America in the early to mid 2000's.... Crazy grid sizes....

 

Yep, same with VIR, Roebling, Road Atlanta or pretty much any WERA National round.

 

I was spectating at the GNF in '92, I think. The year Kurt Hall swept the Suzuki Cup races. There was only the "old pits" then. So many people racing that guys were pitting in the infield road next to the bridge. The whole road was lined with pits. Not just camping, actually pitting there because the ragular pits were flat out full. There were an ass ton of people on track at any one time. If you were watching in T5 at the start there would be a line of bikes all the way down the hill, just like in that picture.

When I first did New Racers School at Willow in '99 only 1 guy out of 10 or 12 had been on track before the school. When I got back racing in '04 everyone in the school had done trackdays prior to the school.

Trackdays are sucking up a lot of people. The current economy doesnt help either.

 

Yep....if they ever outlawed trackdays, the racing grids would definitely grow.

 

In 2006 there were 51 entries for the novice mw solo at VIR during the March regional round! The economy was doing well at the time, and gas was cheap. There were plenty of track days available that year, so I think the economy is the number one factor, not track days.

 

bike prices were a lot less, seems they go up a lot quicker than pay raises anymore

 

You've got to remember there were a lot more people in the 20-35 age bracket in the '80s. We're talking baby boomers. Huge numbers. Plus you could buy a race-worthy motorcycle for $3000 and if I recall entry fee was $25 first class, $15 for the second class and just 10 bucks for any additional classes you entered. Different time for sure.

 

How did tires figure in to the equation? I would think most racers got a lot more milage out of their tires in the 80s than they do now too. They were probably relatively cheaper too.

 

But also remember $100 in 1980 is ~$260 today

 

Vs. 2-3 sprints @ about 400 a set on a big bike today :wow:

Damn I need a time machine

 

Good race tires cost 4-500 now! So almost twice the rate of inflation. When you factor in how long they last, tires are at least 4 times the expense they were then, including the adjustment for inflation!

 

Oh I'm not saying it wasn't cheaper. Just reminding that there is a big dif in $100 now vs $100 then. Also, I bet tomahawk tires were 5x as good as those 1980 tires.

 

When I ran Willow in 90-91, I thought I paid $70 for practice and about $50 per race just like it is today at Willow. I know we ran Dunlop 591's and a set was only good for the 1 race and then practice the next race month, but I don't remember what I paid for them. I can remember sliding around in turn 2 on brand new tires during the one race I would get each weekend. I know Willow eats tires and it could have been setup, but it seems like today we are getting a pretty good value, if you look at inflation.

I'm pretty sure I was paying over $200 a set for those tires, am I remembering wrong. I remember switching to karts a few years later and thinking what a bargain a set of kart tires were for around $150.