I doesn't help. Aside you and the boss both believing that it's a benefit for riders, why the change? It's one more thing people have to pay, maintain, and join just to race when the grids area already light. I'm stupid, so I'm hoping someone can explain how charging more money and adding more process for people to support an org aside from the one they are currently doing business with helps fill the grids.
No one is saying that, and I doubt $50 is breaking anyones race budget. The point is that it forces racers who do business with WERA to belong to something they wound't otherwise. It's also one more thing people have to maintain, and pay for when they join. The way the grids are going now, I don't understand how introducing another cost, and requirement will help. Hence, why I asked Sean.
This isn't about the WERA Sportsman series. This is about the Nationals. Our pro/am series designed to help riders work towards being professional racers. When they reach that level they will race with either MotoAmerica or the FIM. One of which is sanctioned by the AMA as we will be and the other of which sanctions the AMA. It helps create a more obvious line of ascension to the pro ranks and also helps us within the industry - which is a huge supporter of the American Motorcyclist Association.
People said the same things about transponders. Sometimes our job includes forcing racers to do things they wouldn't do otherwise because we see it as beneficial to them and the sport. One thing about WERA is you can trust that no matter what else, we always have and always will have the racers as our main focus be it safety or running events better or in this case the sport as a whole.
As I have said - there is no such thing. You will be able to buy an AMA membership at the track yes. We will also have links up on here and the main site soon that will take you to a WERA members signup which does benefit WERA directly.
I figured that was more along the lines, and while I see WERA wanting to align itself with the AMA/FIM crowd, why not let those racers who progress to that level decide for themselves? Reality is that the vast majority of your nationals are run by guys who will never see a pro grid. For those that do, they can pay should they choose to. I'm no trying to be a pain here, and if you told us all it's $50 more for a National license we'd pay it... although we'd whine for a minute. The money just seems to be thrown away on something most of us could care less about, and not directly bettering WERA other than your reputation/alignment. I'd rather put $100 towards the RRW Airfence fund, or give $50 towards a young racer incentive program. Just a thought as you guys seemed to make this decision in haste (post season start), and for no better of a reason than it aligns you and the very small percentage of your racers better. Just a thought.
I appreciate the input. We feel this is the best way for us to do things for our racers and for the sport. As for haste - we've been thinking about and discussing this for at least 15 years. I wasn't joking about my question to the AMA in all of our meetings. This, like the transponders and anything else major we do, was not decided in haste by a long shot.
Just a thought for NOLA and Cycle Jam (those of us that pre register) can you build a field into pre reg or our profile pages have a place to enter our AMA license numbers so you guys don't have to ask for it the day of the race?
ASRA which is part of AMA parts with CCS. They are failing miserably up north but do pretty well in southeast.
How are you handling mid-Ohio for the NC region. It's a combo Sportsman/national event correct? Will we have to get an AMA license for it or if we don't we'll only be eligible for regional points. Hopefully the latter
Racing up north has been failing for years. That's not for lack of trying on any org's part. Just way too many fair-weather racers who won't back the org's by showing up when it rains or it's cold. Definitely not like it was in the 90's. You can't blame the business for not putting resources in other areas.
Although it would have been nice to have it come as an announcement from WERA as opposed to a vague post from Robby Bobby (no offense Robby).