Poll: What can we do to Improve turnout?

Re: Vintage bikes

Rusty makes a very good point: 2-stroke racing can be inexpensive. Something for newcomers to vintage to remember.
Plus, you can develop several motors, like Joe...

 

True, but V5 already has no bump class in Vintage on saturday, same is true for V7 no other Vintage class to bump into, its the top of the Food chain. For V5 bike to bump up in vintage 6 they have to stick around for sunday as it stands, few if any that I know of. The only other option would be to run V7 with race D. Now most all V6LW's F-2 stroke and V4 bike can lap at a pretty fair clip, the difference in speed may be to much for my little mid 50's hp GS.

Of course, If the VRC would come to its senses, that a GS450/499 with 18" wheels, 37 mm forks, mid50's horsepower would indeed fit the F500 era with RD's putting out HP figure's in the 60 to 65 hp range I convert it back to that spec and swear off V4 for good...

You guys knew, at some point that had to come up...

Bob

 

v7

what about running v7 hw with v6 lw an v7lw with v6 hw, this would allow the v7 lw to bump up an run with v7 hw an v6lw to bump up to v6 hw,

i would really like to run on sat with all the other vintage guys. i really think with some creative gridding it could work

aaron

 

that would be great... just think of all the extra beer we can drink on sat nite

 

Re: New blood

 

Nice one Bob!!! I think this is the earliest ever official mention of the gs going to f-500/v3. The early bird gets the worm!!!
Seriouslythough, I've always hated having v6/7 on sat. I think getting all of the vintage races on the same day is more important than making sure everyone has a bump up race, but it'd be great if we could work it out to keep everyone happy. So, you're telling me that not only mini's, but now also supermotards are running on sat?!? Wasn't there "no time to be found"?

 

Very good point. All vintage should run with vintage, because it may be in the long run, there will be more v6/v7/v8??? bikes
coming out. Regarding "time to be found," I saw more bikes and more classes at Donnington and Mallory, vintage and "post-classic" but there was enough time on Saturday to run all...

 

I would love to see V6 and V7 on Saturday! I have to use Sunday as a "travel" day because I have to travel so friggin' far to all the tracks...

 

Mark,
Did you mean Sat or Sun?

 

My offical f500 GS rule request via e-mail can be expected any day soon...

I never said anything about mini's or motards, like the rest of the new stuff, its barely a blip on my radar.

My thoughts on V6 & 7 wouldn't fall under the "no time to be found" deal.(their isn't any) V5 & V3 run in race A, I'm just thinking out loud about adding them (V6 & V7) to Race A, moving V3 to race B.

Just a thought... It could work, no?

Bob

 

Here are the "marketing ideas compiled from the foregoing:

- Television promotions, i.e., TWT and other motorcycle specific programs
- Develop a concise, powerful and attractive message for general use
- Create and develop personal interest stories and closeups
- Create and distribute flyers at local bike shops
Here are the proposed "marketing " ideas compiled from the foregoing:
- Place ads in motorcycling publications
- Sponsor "track days" to increase awareness
- Enhance/increase contingency $$'s and exposure
- Get WERA's assistance and participation in these efforts
- Write and promote articles on Vintage racing - what it is, how to do it, pro's and con's, etc
- Provide more info on the WERA Vintage web site such as some of the articles above (See Dave42FL's 6-3-04 post)
- "Bring a friend"
- Vintage bike shows - along the lines of swap meet/race weekend/museum experience
- Create a vintage specific handout which can be easily distributed in a number of different venues.
- Consolidate the Vintage pits in a conspicuous place at the races
- Vintage cookouts and hospitality events at the races - display the bikes, wear vintage shirts, etc
- Seek out and promote Vintage exhibits at national and local bike shows and motorcycling events.


They are in no particular order and the list should be considered a starting place, not an exclusionary listing. Ultimately, a few "most effective" items may be selected for optimal (and practical) implementation by the membership.

 

Definitely some good points here. I'll try to add another point of view.

I'm 43. I usually travel to the tracks with my wife and two small kids. I have a '95 MZ Skorpion, and I've been racing for about 6 years, mostly with AHRMA. I really like AHRMA and the atmosphere in the vintage pits, but I'm not sure I'll be able to travel 10,000 miles a season in the future.

I would like to race WERA Vintage, but unfortunately there's not place to enter my bike. Now, I realize that it's not your problem that my bike doesn't fit your rules, but it seems odd to me that all the bikes I race against everywhere else are elligible for V5 or V6LW, but I have no place to play.

The obvious answer for me is to enter Clubman and the D Classes, but that does nothing for WERA Vintage. I'd prefer to ride the Vintage classes, especially if they ran on Saturday, but I don't have that option under the current rules.

I guess I'm agreeing with the earlier posts that the best way to grow the Vintage ranks is to allow more "post-modern" bikes to migrate into the V Classes. I know there are lots of guys who will argue that "vintage = 1940-ish", and there is validity to that opinion, but that is a dwindling pool of bikes and riders - and there are ever-increasing numbers of ~10 year old "modern" bikes looking for a place to race.

Either way, whether I'm racing with you guys or just watching as I wait for Clubman, I will continue to do whatever I can to grow the Vintage ranks and enlighten folks to the obvious advantages of racing with "mature" riders.



Trent Thomas
AHRMA # 1 J

 

Bring back Formula RD for one thing and try to allow transponders to be optional.

WERA as a whole is expensive as it is now. The gate fees alone
deter spectators. Hell, I couldnt race at Cycle Jam due to work, but I didnt even drive down to watch because I hated paying a gate fee on top of the gas to watch a few races.

The transponder issue is a joke. Vintage bikes shouldnt be REQUIRED to have them.

So since you cant change gate fees, or the transponders, at least bring back F-RD so this bike I built this past winter can be used.
I would like to run this thing once this year.

 

You make several good points. We need you and your RD out there, it doesn't take too much to get your RD prepped to Formula 500 spec and there's Vint 3 (and Vint 4, maybe )...so a whole lot of good racing goin' on! C'mon out, join us, have fun!
Regards,
Charles

 

How about a Pre '74 125 class!

There are thousands of old 125's out there. AT1/2's, AS1/2, TA125, TS/TM 125's, CR125's, kawasaki's even. Bultaco's, CZ's the list is endless.

Spare parts are available. Low cost. The is no class like it anywhere. It would be a blast!

 

Well, AHRMA has that, sort of, in F125. But they also allow Honda MT125R's which go to 1977. It's not very well attended at the moment, unfortunately. That's a shame, because I do think it's a good class. I don''t think I'd recommend it as a WERA class, besed on the turnout I've seen in AHRMA. A stock CB160 class like they run out west would probably do better. Maybe allow the 2-smokes if they couldn't port them? A Yam CT-1 in stock trim makes about the same power.

 

V6, V7

It doesn't look like any of the other hooligans are posting in this thread. Stickboy, Outsider?
I kind of like having my races on Sunday... I get 2 more practice sessions! That's why I came out for V racing, so I can see other tracks. I'm trying to find an EX so I can race on Sat, too.
Bump-up IS important, I wouldn't put $$ into a 1-class wonder.
One year wonder is a different story, though.
I like the Vintage Pit area idea, but we would have to co-ordinate amongst ourselves & each track, no big deal, but it looks
like some of the V racers still rely on V forms of communication.
Anyone that went to Barber & saw the T-Bone racing pit area can
attest to the appeal; they were @ JGP, also.
Where can I get a V-Racer T-shirt? Not to mention the V-Series stickers...