Should we do away with pre-grid?

I've heard all the reasons why we used to have it but every weekend it seems like nobody wants it. It would be different if we had a huge fan base and the stands were packed, but currently it seems like more of an inconvenience rather than a benefit.

Personally I'd rather not do a pre-grid and just take off for the warmup lap from pit lane on hot tires. What do y'all think?

Mongo - if the masses agree and we ask the same question around the track for those who don't get on the BBS, can we look into doing away with the pre-grid since it really seems to serve no purpose?

 

I voted, Yes, to do away with pregrid. I only raced in sprint races, but I could understand tire warmers being wasted if you loose some of the heat through pregridding.

 

Tyre warmers??? wazt dat??? U needed to warm ur tyres at Texass tom???

 

Hey Cole, thanks again to you and your team for all the help this past weekend in the garage and in the hot pits, we really appreciate it.

Glad you made it home safe and we'll see you at the GNF!

 

No problemo Tom, glad to have been able to lend a hand. Thanks for that warm fuzzy drink after the race.....hehe....

 

I don't really see the point in the pre-grid either. However, I love the way they start the 24 Hour of Le Mans race. Any chance we could have that kind of start!?

Actually since this is coming up since the Texas round, it did seem to make sense there with the lack of row marker cones. I thought that'd be a complete cluster f__k but it turned out OK.

 

from our side of pit road

Pre-grid is a pain because:

1. The tires cool down from the warmers. We run Michelins ('nuff said right?)
2. Some tracks are not accessible to the pits (road A) and it is very difficult to get down there with stands and umbrellas and everything.
3. We fuel the bike at the last possible minute, the fuel expands in the tank sitting on the pre-grid and blows out the overflow tube.
4. Pit stops make for better TV than pre-grids.
5. Often things are hectic enough in the pits before the race without having to drag the bike off somewhere ten minutes before the start. More often than not we are using that ten minutes for final prep (replacing cam position sensors, throttle bodies, valve heads, usual suzuki maintenance)

But that is just us....

 

That's why I posed the question because everyone I have talked to finds it to be more of a pain than anything. I also second Sam's comments about having to drag all the stuff up to the grid 10 minutes before the race. Not every team has a huge crew to do that.

I also agree with Sam on the tire warmers too. I'd much rather go into turn 1 knowing my tires were up to temp and will stick, and we don't even run Michelins. But we have been running hard compound rear tires for the last couple races and the warmers do make a huge difference on the first couple laps.

If the TV guy needs footage, he can walk up and down hot pit lane 15 minutes before the race because most teams have their bikes out and on warmers anyway. He can get footage of everyone heading out for the warmup lap and lining up on the grid.

I say do away with it until we get huge crowds and can put on a show for them.

 

Fans ?!?!?!

 

Pre-grid SUCKS!

 

Re: from our side of pit road

You forgot replacing the transmission.

 

What's that you say?I can concentrate, I keep hearing this horn in my ear

 

Were trying to find one that plays Dixie for the GNF.

 

wera endurance starts are competitive. cold tires=slow bike=less safe. warm tires instill confidence. 86 pre-grid

 

Its an endurance race, not an eight lap sprint. If you are not confident with your warm instead of hot tires then just be cool for a couple of laps.

I think all race weekends should start with a field of bikes, sitting silent on the grid, play the National Anthem, and then "Ladies and Gentlemen, START YOUR ENGINES!!!". Let the race have a sighting lap, a warmup lap and then start the race.

People will just flame it, but go to a NASCAR race and hear 43 cars start all at once, talk about building excitement. We need to look at showmanship a little.

Think of the look on TV of 40 bikes starting all together...

 

Have you been to a National Endurance race this year? The first 8-10 laps are like a sprint race before things settle down.

All of your suggestions are very good in theory and would work great if we had huge crowds and TV coverage, but even above the sounds of the engines on the starting grid you could still hear the crickets chirping in the stands at TWS.

 

Judging by that picture on the TWS start it's more like a game of chase the Batey then everyone realizes that's futile and calms down.

 

ROTFLMAO! Chase the Batey, that's a good one!

My first thought at the start of every race is how much of a lead is Batey going to have when he comes around on the first lap, and I sit there and count one thousand one.......one thousand two..... after he goes by and eventually 2nd place comes into view.

I know the in-class races are generally more intense than the overall (at least from my perspective) and honestly most of the teams would prefer to start out on hot tires so they can go WFO and get a lead at the start before settling into a groove.

666 and Vesrah II had a great battle going on at the start of the race at TWS.

 

chase the Batey?

you mean all these endurance races are NOT Batey/Vesrah Benefit events?