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The End of the World

Discussion in 'General' started by SpeedyE, Feb 7, 2019.

  1. G 97

    G 97 Garth

    Again, I know of several trackdays rider “dorks” that would stomp you into the asphalt. Why judge other riders and their abilities solely based on what they chose to do? Too each their own dude.
     
    SpeedyE likes this.
  2. G 97

    G 97 Garth

    Why do you care? Last time I checked trackdays riders need tires. No need to be a dick about it. But then again, no surprise.
     
  3. beac83

    beac83 "My safeword is bananna"

    And he is a heck of a coach as well. I greatly benefited from his coaching.
     
    G 97 likes this.
  4. tzrider

    tzrider CZrider

    I guess from the POV of the TD provider, it's pretty brilliant. It's a commercial boondoggle to get some riders hooked up.

    Like prizes in the boxes of your 2nd or 3rd favorite cereals....

    No biggy, who cares....
     
  5. Pneumatico Delle Vittorie

    Pneumatico Delle Vittorie Retired "Tire" Guy

    You missed the point. Racing is being negatively affected by this and I feel racing is the safer better way to have fun. So being a purist if there's a trophy around you get one at a race.
     
    G 97 likes this.
  6. rd400racer

    rd400racer Well-Known Member


    I'm curious why racing is going to be negatively affected? I've spent years trying to talk trackday riders into racing and they simply don't want to race. The excuses I've heard are comical but it's their choice. They were/are never going to race so they're not a customer to begin with.
     
    Kyle Brosius and Sabre699 like this.
  7. ChemGuy

    ChemGuy Harden The F%@# Up!

    I agree to some with the tire pump, and you as well.

    My thoughts are if 5 guys doing trackday would start racing. Now if some of these guys race at trackday how many will race with wera, CCS, cmra, afm etc...?
     
  8. rd49

    rd49 Well-Known Member

    I do not think what this TD .org is proposing is really racing, it is kind of surprising some of you think it is.
    “Best average top speed”? Is that the metric everyone here races to? It is harmless nonsense. Methinks everyone doth protest too much.

    Disclaimer: As I have stated in the past I was a TD guy only, who started too late in life to go race.
     
  9. Pneumatico Delle Vittorie

    Pneumatico Delle Vittorie Retired "Tire" Guy

    Are the WERA grids bigger or smaller than they were 5 years ago?
    The WSMC series closed up and then someone tried to bring it back and they too closed it down. But since I'm trying not to be negative the good news in SoCal was CVMA came to fruition and WERA West came along.
    And I know OMRRA was struggling to keep open and they are a non profit and volunteer org.!
    Even in the motorcycle mecca, high tech region of NorCal where the money/economy is good (but housing is expensive) the AFM are looking to find ways to reverse the trend of smaller grid sizes.

    I went to a lot of different club/pro races (and tracks) in the US and Canada over my years of doing race tires so I've seen a lot. Finally to be clear I don't hate track day riders or that whole concept, I'm a purist and old racer that prefers racing over track days, OK?
     
    JBall and SpeedyE like this.
  10. rd400racer

    rd400racer Well-Known Member

    I just don't think the trackday guys want to race period. They have their fun, push it to their own limit and call it a day. As an old timer myself, there were no trackdays when I started. I'm not sure that I would have done one if they did exist. Only time I participated in one was when my son got started with WERA. He had never even been on a street bike so we taped up a CBR900 and headed to Putnam for a day. The next week he did his first WERA race at Nashville.

    I talk to the squids on bike night about racing until I'm blue in the face and it goes nowhere. They just don't care.
     
    SpeedyE likes this.
  11. tzrider

    tzrider CZrider

    They just don't the right mix of ITJN (or whatever those letters are)....
     
    Metalhead likes this.
  12. racesbikes

    racesbikes WTB a Size 50/60 Race Suit

    I’ve ridden at countless trackdays all over the country (and Europe) with practically every Trackday organization that existed over the last 35+ years. I rate Trackday organizations mainly by safety and fun provided for the riders.

    I’ve ridden at least 40 trackdays or more with Fastrackriders. They are the safest and most well organized trackdays I’ve ever been to. So if they want to let the Level III (Expert/Pro) group have some fun during one session on the Friday of a race weekend at one of the biggest/safest tracks around....who cares? The bikes have transponders on them and the riders are put into the proper groups by lap times anyway. If you’ve ever scanned the names of the guys riding in the Level III group on a WERA weekend, I’m guessing that none of them are short on racing trophies and accomplishments. I’m also fairly certain the FastrackRiders owners are doing this to help the riding/racing community, not to get anybody hurt or to line their pockets. You won’t find better people involved with the sport.

    The whining doesn’t surprise me though...this sport is full of self-important people that just can’t seem to get over themselves.
     
    Gino230, MachineR1 and scottn like this.
  13. Steeltoe

    Steeltoe What's my move?

    It's like the Sunday drag race crowd bitching about the Thursday night grudge match crowd. :confused:
     
    SpeedyE likes this.
  14. SpeedyE

    SpeedyE Experimental prototype, never meant for production

    The local comment I have heard for years/decade is "Waiting for my lap-times to be competitive/winning". To me, that is almost sandbagging.
    To me, a racer, in their heart, wants to compete, and doesnt mind talking his beatings while he learns. It's all part of it.

    Garth is right though, there are many slow racers, and many fast TD guys.

    I just find the whole thing disheartening. A-group is slowly being called/morphing into 'expert' (and now 'Pro'). Trophies. Etc. I dont find this good for the club-racing orgs/grids down the road.
    There are more riders in the US aspiring to bump from I to A, then there are licensed amatuers hoping to be bumped to expert. The numbers are skewed in the TD orgs favor.
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2019
    G 97, rd400racer and 5axis like this.
  15. pjzocc

    pjzocc Well-Known Member

    If it wasn’t for track days I would never have gridded up for a WERA event. I know of a few other guys who would say the same. Track days have their place and purpose, and some orgs do a good job with promoting racing, be it through race schools or partnerships with race orgs. And, not for nothing, but track day guy also buys race tires, and PitBull stands, and sprockets, and race fuel, and tire warmers... all the same products that “real racers” but and from vendors y’all use. Doesn’t this help support the sport?

    The whole trophy thing to me is just a gimmick. Track day guys are always comparing lap times and bragging rights for those times, so the trophy angle is just capitalizing on that to market. I couldn’t give half a fart about the trophy, but it wouldn’t cause me to shun this particular org.

    For me now, it’s about scheduling. Whoever has a schedule that jives with mine is where I’ll spend my time, be it racing or track days or both. Unfortunately WERA’s schedule for my “region” falls on every one of my weekends I’m working so I’ll have to get my track time wherever.

    The vitriol that these trophies have stirred up in some of you makes me scratch my head.
     
    MachineR1 likes this.
  16. SpeedyE

    SpeedyE Experimental prototype, never meant for production

    For me it's Boredom, living in the past, lack of accomplishments in life, etc, etc, etc......
     
  17. 05Yamabomber

    05Yamabomber Dammit Haga

    I saw this.. My home track. Im mixed. Yes its like a participation trophy (surprise! California). However I think this will get guys a feel for what its like to compete and will bring them to enter a race depending on how they do in this. Its always the day before a Wera Race and only level 3 riders (Fastest group, unless they have specific Race group that day also).

    Im for it, only for the fact it might help to fill grids.
     
    SpeedyE likes this.
  18. wsmc 589

    wsmc 589 Well-Known Member

    You’re passionate. Nothing wrong with that.
     
    SpeedyE likes this.
  19. 05Yamabomber

    05Yamabomber Dammit Haga

    From what I saw, Wera racers were getting the trophies... Haha. Yes this is fastest average speed of the session. Which at Fontana is pretty quick. I took years off of racing. Pretty much only did Trackdays with Fastrack Riders at Auto Club. Seeing my times were competitive enough to win some races (Wera Practice day 2018) I entered my first race the next round and well, ended up doing the whole Wera Season and won 3 championships. So I am a prime example of this pulling riders into racing. Of course they werent handing out participation trophies last year!
     
    SpeedyE likes this.
  20. Steeltoe

    Steeltoe What's my move?

    In other words you like to stir shit up when you're bored. I do it too

    My guess is the guys on here campaigning regional championships
    a. Don't post a whole lot.
    b. Don't care about this.
     
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