Supersport 300 World Championship

The ultra lightweights at Chuckwalla is nuts. Easily up to 30 on the grid, fast racers too. Genuine qualifying for grid spots are a big plus. Great racing. Havent been to a western WERA round in two years so cant speak for them.

 

How do you figure? If I'm doing WERA nats, there is only 1 close round, Miller as I recall, and I don't think you even went there last year, so all of them will cost and arm and a leg. Travel is more expensive than tires. With MA there is Laguna Seca and Miller that are "close".

A race weekend of entry fees was always cheaper for AMA vs. WERA and we got much more track time at AMA.

Tires would probably be more at AMA. However, if I want a decent amount of track time at WERA, I'm going to burn up 3-4 sets doing the B and C classes on a 600, since the races are only 4-6 laps at most tracks. This is assuming a pace that can win the races. When we were running, after one 6 lap sprint race, the next sprint on the same tires you were definitely slower. If you have the field really covered, you can go more than one sprint. This is on the old Dunlops, it could be different now.

I know people say the Pirellis are supposed to be better when cycling for extra races. I can only say when I saw Joey Pascarella on Pirelli's going for wins the weekend we were there, with Solis, Dominquez, JD Beach, Dehaven, Gange, Aguilar, Prince, Linders, Anderson, Truslow, Aussie Dave, Ochs, etc.

Joey was winning, and running the latest spec Pirellis. However, he mounted a new rear for each of the 6 or 7 races I saw him in that weekend.

When the competition is tough, you can't dick around and give up 1/2 second per lap, running a 6 lap old heat cycled, possibly cold torn tire.

 

Whatever.

• Where was the closest national to S. Cal this past year?
• Do the math on pulling a big trailer across the country for 9 east coast wera rounds, including hotels, lost time from work on all those 4 day drives, food, etc.
• Going off memory ama was 200 or 250 for friday practice, sat practice, two rounds of qualifying, saturday race, sunday practice and sunday race.
• Wera Friday trackday at AAA 200-250, Saturday trackday 200-250, sunday races for b and c classes over 300 as I recall.

If I'm wrong i will happily concede. Now if you are an east coast based team, I beleive you are correct.

 

I have to say I love this place and running with WERA. It's very cool that I feel comfortable enough here, to speak my truth, which may differ from Seans truth, and i dont worry about retaliation or seeing Sean and Evelyn at a round and ducking them.

This place is my favorite place on the internet and WERA has been my favorite series. Without WERA many young kids would not have a place to grow their racecraft.

 

Did I get lost in this conversation?

Was the discussion not about kids on small cc bikes racing at local clubs versus travelling all over the US for a National event such as MA?

And now the discussion that running a 600 at a WERA National event is the same or higher cost than a 600 at a MA National event?

Of course running a kid at at a local club race on whatever you have is cheaper than running all over the country for a small cc displacement class.

Whether it's a West or East Coast scenario.

 

There are a few different conversations going on.

1. Traveling all over vs racing "locally" in WERA.

2. Racing a 600 in MA vs a 600 in WERA.

3. Going from racing minis directly to racing a KTM 390 in MA.

4. Competition when racing a 390 in MA vs the competition when racing a 390 in WERA.

...and maybe one or two alternate conversations I missed.

As far as costs, racing a MA event is cheaper than racing a WERA event when comparing equal number of laps. And of course the competition runs deeper into the field at an MA event.

But that is only comparing a single event. Say if somebody wanted to race the MA event at Barber or the WERA round at Barber.

But when it comes to racing a full series, obviously the MA is much more expensive because you have to travel coast-to-coast.

If somebody just wanted to race the Eastern or Western MA events and doesn't want to travel to do the whole series, that is a different scenario.

As far as minis or 390s or any of that, I haven't worried about or researched any of that because it doesn't interest me or have anything to do with me.

 

Seems pretty accurate.

People seek out value or perceived value no matter which line of conversation you follow. The experience of racing in each of these lines has a different value to each participant.

I'm here still pulling for flat fee club races.

 

So....are we going to see homoligation specials?
More contingency for club racing?
A little respect for the Mouseketeer's?

 

I'm one of the dumbasses that runs midpack in a WERA race and ran MA. But I did because I wanted to and I could so I did. I made the commitment the year prior to and after blown after blown motor, I could have just thrown in the towel. Hell I never even rode a 600 in a race before I started 2016. But I committed, so I did it. I had fun, and learned some.
This was after racing WERA for 8 years in every different classes, but just wanted to try something different, the plan was either MA or to do Pikes Peak, but they fucked all the rules up on that one. The only price difference in MA and WERA credentials and the initial license difference $125 to $200. But the one thing that WERA does give you is more track time IF you want it you can't do that with MA, sure it costs more, but if you are already there, why not. Broome would go nuts at MA event and leave feeling very unfulfilled.

As far as the original post, I think the different makes are a great idea and I hope, if the big 4 make it affordable to the racers (like KTM has), MA does the same thing. Although I do have to admit I like spec racing very much. Its just crazy that out in Cali, none of the orgs can really make an impact with the exception of Chuckwalla. WSMC is gone. Whos left? AFM and WERA west for 3-4 rounds. What is crazy is that there are 5 times more motorcyclists out in Cali than anywhere else.

 

I'm glad to hear WERA is still doing well out here. That was our main series when Tyler graduated from Mini's. We also ran a bunch of CVMA, and occasional Willow.

Interestingly enough we went to AFM 2 times, and both times they were rained out. They have a, "stupid if you ask me" rule of 3-5 rain drops on a space the size of a brick and they don't race. So......no much needed rain experience for the crew and rider, on top of spending the cash to haul 8-10 hours with a truck and trailer. That didn't blow my dress up. If I'm making the commitment to be there, take off time form work, be away from my family, spend money on gas, hotel, food, , etc., I want to throw the rains on and get after it.

 

Well, Sears Point (Sonoma) is simply not a safe track to race in the rain. Thunderhill, sure. Buttonwillow, marginal. But yeah. No wet weather racing in AFM. I *have* done track days at Sears in the wet (on DOT's), and it was scary. Funny story: I was at a trackday once at Sears, in February. Rained all night, and T10 was a small lake. Provider (Keigwins) asked if we would take our vehicles out to help dry the track. So (in my moms borrowed Tacoma) I head out with the three rail trailer still attached. Every time I went through the carousel at a good clip, the trailer would get way sideways.

FWIW, AMA wouldn't race in the rain at Sears either.

-jim

 

Best suggestion in this whole thread.

 

I agree regarding Sears. However the rainouts were At Thunderhill and Buttonwillow.

 

Suzuki cheats with water cooling and two extra valves per head? Doublecheating!!!! lol

 

I think this class will be a great class for World Supersport. In my opinion, which means nothing, MA has done a great thing to make the KTM RC 390 Cup affordable, and a way to identify the RIDERS. The World Supersport class will be just, that a World Class Event, reading the rules, it will take a lot more money that MotoAmerica for the bikes. The Supersport bikes will all have a lot of more modifications to them than a MA bike.

When it comes to the cost of MA vs. Club racing, it is apples and oranges. Only time will tell on the "True" costs for a Club Racing bike. With a MA bike, it is $11K new, buy tires and RMR fuel. Run all year on one KTM bike/motor, keep your throttle stop in ALL the TIME and only run RMR fuel for Club racing, and MA racing, and you will be fine for the season. Take a KTM, Yamaha, Kawasaki, etc. add quick shifters, fuel controllers, soft tires, U4.4 fuel etc, we will see the longevity of the motors. Look at how many KTM's had motor problems, head gaskets, etc. when club racers changed fuel, throttle stops etc. Add in suspension, front and rear, a pipe etc. and you are close to the cost of a MA bike.

 

William,
Have you found published rules specifically for this new class? Just curious to read up on it. We are hanging where we are until we can finish at the pointy end consistantly. By the way Nolan really found his stride this year. Good job and good luck in 2017

 

No. You are wrong. We had problems with both KTMs engines, numerous times, numerous races. Our engines NEVER had any VP in them. We had to change engines/clutches/etc. and we were not the only ones. Ask Mazz, Standish, etc... Maybe you got the 1 KTM that shifted great, no head gasket leaks, valve issues, revved past 8500 rpms, etc..... Your comments are not supported by the World KTM Finals either. Look how many engine problems those bikes had. Mazz got a bike that was a roller more than a runner....