I'm sure they have, so have tires, track conditions, rider ability and so on. They are a factor that needs to be dealt with in racing just like any other factor.
RM-thanks for the info on pressures. On Sunday our bike messed up and Tyler dropped all the way to the back. On the restart he was on the 10th row and had to come through the guys that will be eventual lappers. He said it was pretty scarey coming through. Some people were riding erratically, which isn't much different than a crowed "A group" practice day. I think in every level of racing, people complain about lappers, and I don't know if there is a good answer. I agree with what some others have said, it would seem safer to me if they stayed on the race line and continued running, vs. slowing way down and crossing back and forth across the race line. The faster racers have passed slower people for years at track days and club races, and those people stayed on their "normal line". Regarding AMA allowing so many people to make revenue. They are only charging $150 for the race weekend, so if you knocked out 20 guys that is still only $3,000 plus some mechanic license revenue....maybe another $2,000. I don't really believe it is a money issue in this case. It would effect Dunlop much more. 20 racers x $13-1700 tire budget is 26-34K.
The erratic riders are why the rules used to be much more experience based. Yes, there are some long time experts in WERA that have no business being out there from a speed standpoint but they're also going to be riders who don't freak out when being lapped or take oddball lines. SS is a club race nothing more with the current rules. That doesn't mean the top riders are just club racers, I'm talking about the class as a whole. Considering Dunlop didn't have to pay for their sponsorship due to low sales for at least one if not two years I think Robs point about tire sales (the payment is based on selling a minimum amount of tires) is a good one but that goes back to money at it's root too.
What happens if an AMA rider acknowledges the Blue Flag, but maintains his racing line, and does not move to defend against a pass, or attempt to re-pass at the next corner? What happens if an WERA rider acknowledges the Blue Flag, but maintains his racing line, and does not move to defend against a pass, or attempt to re-pass at the next corner? What happens if an BSB rider acknowledges the Blue Flag, but maintains his racing line, and does not move to defend against a pass, or attempt to re-pass at the next corner? What happens if an WSB rider acknowledges the Blue Flag, but maintains his racing line, and does not move to defend against a pass, or attempt to re-pass at the next corner? What happens if an MotoGP rider acknowledges the Blue Flag, but maintains his racing line, and does not move to defend against a pass, or attempt to re-pass at the next corner?
In the AMA, if you do it, Luddington chews you out while a hidden camera records it. Edit: Beat me to it. Haha.
WERA doesn't use blue flags, we expect our riders to hold their line as they are being passed and expect our faster riders to do the passing safely.
To me this is the absolute safest route. Passing a lapped rider who holds to the racing line is no more dangerous than passing for position--safer, in fact, because the pass can be completed more quickly. The last thing I want to see is a lapper moving "out of the way" right into my or my son's line.
Maybe that is the route AMA should go...if the lapper does not know the faster guys are coming, they might be less apt to panic. I know with all the miles we had at STT TDs, there was never any problem getting around slower riders...and they had no warning!
If they want to use the blue though, it needs to be just "dont freak after the first one, because MORE are coming" basically. I can see where after 14 laps or so of riding around by yourself and not being passed a sudden pass might be a bit startling for some, so the warning is alright as long as it is stressed for them NOT to do anything different, just be aware. but AMA doesnt seem to agree
IMO, that is exactly how it should be, worldwide, regardless of org. Like I said before, that is what riders are taught when they first start in the Novice track day group "ride your ride, stay smooth and predictable, the faster guys will get by you"...it should stay consistent throughout the "ranks".
I actually don't have an issue with a blue if the corner workers know how to use it properly. However - it needs to only be a warning to the riders that they are going to be lapped, it should never be used to tell someone to move out of the way with vehicles this narrow and lacking mirrors.
I guess I never really thought about it till this thread but the AMA does seem to be the only ones telling guys to move and change their line. That is pretty dangerous when you think about it and as already mentioned it's against everything that preached in rider schools etc. RACE in Shannonville doesn't use the blue flag and there doesn't seem to be any issues.
That used to be the way it was written in the AMA. It just was a warning to hold your line, but they changed it a few years ago. Rider's holding their line and maybe leaving 3 feet between themselves and the edge of the track is definitely better than riders trying to move out of the way, IMO. Ive seen too many instances where riders tried to move out of the way, and actually made themselves more in the way.
No kidding. At the TD before the recent WERA race at Willow Springs the kids were slicing through lappers all day without breaking stride. Not a single incident or complaint. It was pretty cool to watch.
