What the heck is going on with AHRMA?

It really is great time just getting on track and doing the best that your bike can do keeps me going and looking forward to doing it again and again ect .

 

I'm an AHRMA Trustee.

I think "shit show" might be a little strong, but there certainly is a fair degree of recent discontent in the roadrace paddock. I won't editorialize - that would be inappropriate of a Trustee.

Every group has folks that are stirring the pot and seemingly dissatisfied regardless of which way an organization turns or what is done. We've certainly seen our fair share here on the BBS. But that is not unusual, nor is it dispositive of anything except the fact that folks have varying views and there are multiple ways of expressing one's self. It simply is what it is.

AHRMA started 2022 in dire financial condition due to significant mis-management (overspending) on expenses by the former team. In 2022 we created and instituted a meaningful financial system and created plans to better manage expenses. There was resistence to some of those efforts: change is not always welcomed by all. But, by the end of 2022, we had real financial numbers (for the first time), and we had a plan to get back to financial viability in 2023 and beyond.

We just finished Q1 2023, and I expect the financial report to be published any day - I expected it to be out this week. Q1 2023 was 368% better than Q1 2022. Two principal contributing factors: excellent rider turnout at both Roebling Road and CMP, and reduced expenses. The plan is working and we will continue to refine it, change it as necessary and appropriate, and adapt to the ever-changing challenges in putting on a race program. In this regard, it is important to give a tip of the hat to Evelyne and Sean - they have been putting on a wonderful race program for decades - through some really hard economic times and some tough challenges. Everyone on this BBS should be thankful they have stayed the course, and that they continue to give everyone another, consistent and well run program so that we can all come out and play. Thank you Evelyn and Sean.

AHRMA offers a different program from WERA. Yes, you can roadrace in both, and AHRMA always, periodically, expands its classes to include more modern bikes, albeit not the latest and greatest and most technologically advanced. There does, after all, need to be some "historical" aspect . . . . But, in addition to roadrace, for a single annual membership fee, one can also participate in motocross, cross country, dirt track and trials. One can pretty much just about find some sort of motorcycle competition event every weekend, somewhere around the country. That is no small feat, and it takes alot of people and alot of time and effort to keep that machine going.

The recent discontent is amplified by a relatively small (on the order of 100+/-) East Coast roadracers. Thank you to them for participating and voicing their concerns - done in the appropriate fashion, that is always an excellent and necessary way of giving feedback and assuring that necessary change takes place. Done in a less than optimal fashion, it tends to be less than productive. AHRMA has more than 3300 members, more than 2/3rds of which are dirt-oriented. The overwhelming positive and constructive feedback and comments have come from the dirt side. Of course, there has always been a schism between the dirt and roadrace sides - something we continue to try to eliminate. But, like many things, it continues to ebb and flow.

One of the major challenges AHRMA faces on the roadrace side is the number of classes. THERE ARE TOO MANY. Should I say it again? Maybe bold font and italicized? That is a result of several factors: as time passes, more bikes qualify as "historic", and they need a place to compete; folks enjoy and continue to prepare hand shift Harley's and Indians, as well as Goldstars, Triumph and Yamaha twins, outdated two strokes, and even now early R1's qualify; and to a much lesser extent, periodically some Trustee would create a class for some obscure combination of rules, which coincidentally coincided with a particular bike that person had, and wonder of wonders, a "national championship" was "won." AHRMA has been successful in culling those cherry-picker classes. However, the central problem of more and more bikes qualifying and needing a place to compete remains. The challenge is how do you reduce classes while giving everyone a place to compete and not reducing but rather increasing rider participation, and still being able to fit only so many races into a race day, and while maintaing safety on the track? It is not an easy calculus to master, and one with which AHRMA struggles every race weekend and season. The rules proposal process opens May 1, 2023 and I encourage all AHRMA members to participate and submit their suggestions .as to how to meet those seemingly inopposite goals. I am fully commited to reducing the number of classes, while still giving everyone a place to race their old junk, err, historic masterpiece. I can say that given I prepare BSA's . . . my Sysiphean Task.

Anyway, I hope this is somewhat helpful. And, thanks again to Evelyn and Sean for the great program they struggle to keep alive, and the open forum they provide. By posting this, I do not mean to take anything away from WERA and its most excellent program - I've benefitted from it for 28 years. It is where I started racing and it is a shining example for roadrace programs everywhere. Hopefully, some WERA folks will look to the off-WERA weekends, dust off and prepare their not-so-modern-anymore race bikes, and come out and wobble around on an AHRMA weekend and see what it is all about. And, you can motocross, cross country, dirt track or, like me, fall down regularly at 1 - 2 mph trying to navigate a trials course.

Cheers,

Dave

 

Probably the best written post ever on a motorcycle forum

 

Post number 44 needs to be liked by everyone that reads this thread. And then some! That was a great summary and I wish you guys the best of luck.

 

Great post! One thing I'll suggest to you since you're a trustee to bring to the race director attention is the license process. I have gotten my license twice and not submitted anything to be approved but I had a friend who didn't become a member or take part in a race weekend because when they emailed they were told they would have to take the race school even though they have held a AMA pro license and 10years road racing experience but they haven't raced in 4 years ..
He probably would have been better off just buying the license and showing up no one probably would have checked.

 

Well said Dave

 

Perfect length/Read it twice

I'm curious, is the main "beef" from the dirt guys the cost disparity between securing a roadrace venue versus a dirt venue?

 

83BSA, it is inappropriate to invite others to come race ahrma on the WERA forum.

 

Well said Mr Rutherford.....I figured you'd show up here sooner or later. You were elected Trustee for obvious reasons sir.

I ran at AHRMA RR and CMP this year, and had a blast at both.....I just show up, practice, race, eat, drink, sleep, and repeat. Its how it should be. I heard most of the BS floating around, but ignored it....again just practiced, raced, ate and drank, it was great!

I will say the recent "Ban Hammer" of the 309 has me going "Huh???", but I dont know all the details.......

I hope to make WERA Road Atl next month......WERA is and always has been a great program, that I have enjoyed in years past and probably will again.....I need to look at classes and my bike.

Dave, your loyalty should be commended sir. I was WERA way before I was AHRMA. Sean (and WERA) appear to be tolerant of AHRMA discussions on the BBS and have been for decades...there used to be CCS discussions too.....probably because WERA realizes that we are all of the same cloth. For the most part, its all the same people, just floating in-between racing orgs. To divide the group could have negative effects.....plus, this place being "open" does make it easier for WERA to understand the climate of the others without going anywhere.

I'm attempting to just race and not pay attention, until I need to......Which I'm not really worried about, because we (the AHRMA members) have elected Trustees that I trust, many are old WERA friends like David Rutherford (83bsa), Carl Anderson, and others like Jim Korn......those guys want the same things as I do.

I am looking more forward to Road Atlanta the more I think about it....what a great track and a racing organization that has that place down after racing it for decades, like clockwork.......Bring back the old Turn 12!!!!......too much?

 

Thanks Dave, you couldn’t have said it better.

I raced with AHRMA for 25 years, mostly road racing but also motocross and dirt track, always had a great time, and the races always went well. I especially appreciated being able to roadrace, dirt track and motocross in one weekend, sometimes 2 disciplines in one day, at Daytona say.

What I never understood was the periodic uproar you’d see on the internet, away from the racing, keyboard gangsters expressing freeform anger and resentment about some random political thing or another, that seemed to have nothing to do with the racing, and everything to do with personalities and politics, and personal grievances. And it seems like AHRMA is cycling through another one of those now, but the racing goes on just fine.

 

Dang, I just saw that my "Lockheed brother" Jim Korn resigned.....THATS not a good sign.

 

What's the ban hammer of 309 mean?

 

This is an issue. The basic rule for having to take a roadrace school after not racing for X years is a basic safety issue. Where it runs into application problems is the circumstance you mention: an ex-pro who has not raced for X or X++ years. Your friend is not the only racer who has experienced it. What to do in each circumstance is highly dependent upon the facts of each situation. That requires careful consideration, by folks who vary in the position(s) over time, based upon ever-changing facts (rider dependent). Hence, it is subjective and is subject to uneven application. It is recognized, and is being addressed, but I don't see a foolproof solution right now. Always open to suggestions . . . . Thank you.

Cheers,

Dave

 

Tim Joyce, lets call him a "Legacy WERA" guy, banned from racing, for non-racing actions.

 

Not directly, but that is a factor. The roadrace and dirt (motocross/cross country) programs are based on two entirely different models. Roadrace is entirely self-promoted: AHRMA secures the venue, arranges all support, runs the program and bears the cost/burden of all logistics and expenses, and also makes all the revenue (less in some circumstances gate fees or some portion which is a function of the track arrangement). All dirt events (with the exception of a MotoFest) are promotor events: AHRMA sanctions the event in exchange for a fee, and the promotor does everything associated with the event, including receipt of revenues. Hence, while there is less "risk", the revenue side is commensurately lower. Because there are so many more (2x) dirt members, the membership fee contribution is skewed that way. Hence, the monetary contributions from each have different effects on the bottom line.

The historical schism has had, and continues to have, many different aspects, approaches, arguments and faults. With the latest disruption by a vocal minority (after all, the vast majority of AHRMA roadracers simply want a place to race and have fun, devoid of drama), the roadrace/dirt schism is taking on new/resurrected vigor and it will be addressed in earnest, i.e., a meaningful analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, pro's/con's of each program and what they contribute/cost, etc. No clear solution right now. candidly, I like the unified AHRMA - it is unique in motorcycle racing and competition: one membership fee and you can compete in roadrace, MX, cross country, dirt track or trials anywhere, any time. No other organization in the world offers that.

Cheers,

Dave

 

Tim has a history of various warnings, penalties, and suspensions, all, I think, for non-racing violations of the Member Code of Conduct or other similar offenses. I've raced and socialized with Tim since the '90's when we first started with WERA Vintage. He is an excellent racer. I don't think it appropriate to discuss individual member sanctions on social media, so I'll simply leave it at that. I don't think Tim is "banned from racing." My recollection is that he is currently serving a suspension until late May 2023. Again, the details and accuracy matter: "banned from racing" is not an accurate description. He is suspended and cannot participate as a racer in events for a specific, limited period. He was at CMP assisting and participating as mechanic in both F750 and sidecar.

Cheers,

Dave

 

Charlie -

I like Jim Korn, and I respected the way he and I could agree to disagree on some topics - he was always very candid and forthright in our agreements and disagreements - no punches pulled - I like that. It was somewhat akin to Dan Aykoryd and Jane Curtain on SNL back in the day: Jane, you ignorant slut. I thanked Jim for his service to AHRMA and I'll do it again here: Thank you Jim for your contributions and efforts.

Jim resigned for his own reasons and he asks folks not speculate, interfere and respect his decision. Like all of us, and I'm certainly a poster-child in this regard, Jim did some things well and others not so well. So what? It is called being human. Why Jim did what he did and when is for Jim. I respect that and I respect his request. Others should as well. You've been around racing a long time and you've seen people come and go, things change and evolve and the world goes on. I don't think it appropriate to speculate with thoughts such as whether it is a "good thing" or a "bad thing." It is what it is and he will need to replaced. I don't know what the future holds - my crystal ball is a bit fuzzy . . . .

Cheers,

Dave