RRW - The Rookie papers...what a disaster!

[Holeshot]

Well we could use Bobby as an example...it's not how you go, it's who you know. Bobby goes REALLY well, but he really never had a chance to showcase that before getting the Safety first ride.

It would be nice to have one full page ad for the club at the end of the season in recognition of our class champs, or even top 3 in each class and for our turn workers. Just Something...shit, anything to show pride in the club. The workers and top riders are derserving of reconition, from Barbara to Kurt Spencer...

 

[NSR250SP]

hmm, so now your saying it pays for individual riders to travel the country and race a national race series so your more recognized in he large picture?

Im confused Alex, first you say the best way for a parent to spend their money for their kids racing is to run locally in a club that has no outside representation.

Now your saying it's best to get out there and be seen by more people.

I think your being a little short sighted in terms of what is being looked at by eyes that can make a difference. It can happen at a national club race series, and can also happen as a privateer at AMA races. But it's good to get as much practice outside your little world if your every going to try to compete at that level.

 

[afmotorsports]

hmm, so now your saying it pays for individual riders to travel the country and race a national race series so your more recognized in he large picture?

Pay attention, Ice-Ice-Baby! :laughing The AMA Pro races are a REAL national series, USGPRU is a wannabe "national series" (really, they're just another club). The difference is that AMA has KNOWN fast riders (factory riders), while the USGPRU (and all the local clubs) are an UNKNOWN quantity. Can you comprehend the difference??

The reason Bobby didn't get much recognition from his AFM results is that the public at large doesn't know how competitive the 600 class was in 2006. Did Siglin and Tigert and Hill challenge him all year or was it a walk in the park? Did those other guys have a good year or a bad year? How is anybody outside our little universe supposed to know exactly how competitive the class was last year?? But when Bobby did the AMA Pro races and showed where he ranks compared to those guys, that made all the difference in the world. I seriously doubt he would've been signed by Safety First if he didn't do the AMA races last year. A full page ad in RRW would've made ZERO difference.

You don't get a pro ride because you kick ass in club racing, beating a bunch of weekend warriors like me! :teeth

 

[JakesKTM]

Pay attention, Ice-Ice-Baby! :laughing
You don't get a pro ride because you kick ass in club racing, beating a bunch of weekend warriors like me! :teeth

:laughing :laughing

Hey I bought a two stroke track bike today :teeth Now I need to learn how to ride it..... :shhh

TWF - I've been all through Europe including Italy and I totally agree. Our cultures couldn't be farther apart in terms of motorsports and the value we place on motorcycles.

Alex, I too am a bit confused, but I agree the USGPRU is not the end all feeder to the top. We are fortunate to live in Nor Cal where there is a rich pool of talent to draw from. I think AFM would benefit from helping young road racers at the financial level if for no other reason than the good feeling you get when a kid gets to race who otherwise wouldn't have.

Are there things we as a community can do?

 

[Holeshot]

Alex, which Races did Bobby finish with the AMA last season?

 

[jrace]

Alex, which Races did Bobby finish with the AMA last season?

d'oh.

-jim

 

[NSR250SP]

Hmm, seems some club racing is a little more something then others...

http://www.amasuperbike.com

Hey what's that Halfway down the page? Something about an amature series? On the top tier be all you can be AMA website? Guess since WERA is a national amature race series, it seems to get a little more recognition then local clubs? Not saying one is worse then the other (or better then the other), just saying something that is a national series does get a little more attention then those that are local.

So where was the AFM grid a couple weekends ago when AMA was running at sears? Was the Forumula Pacific or 600 SB out there? No? Damn, guess the USGPRU who is running with the AMA twice this year is seen by the AMA as a viable amature series to support.

Of sourse both of these series could also be getting the recognition they are getting because the people who run the clubs actually get out there and get as much press for the club, the riders, etc.. as they can. If you think that team managers don't read the magazines out there, or check out the internet for information on who's up and coming then your really short sighted in your understanding of how things work.

Elena didn't get picked up by Kawasaki at her age cause she went and raced with the AMA in 600 SB. It's cause she was getting more press then the entire AFM paddock gets. Her father (who runs Stockton Mini bike race) was putting out press releases every time she accomplished something. Both from the race club, and as a personal release from her. If she simple had no press no one would have known about her to the point of getting the support she is getting.

Now just think what more the top AFM riders could get with a little support from the Club. Mike does a good job, but the AFM could step up and honor it's top riders once a year show a little appreciation, get the riders a little press, and hell, even the club a little press.

That press could go a long way for the riders, as well s the club. To see the names out there in industry mags, and the clubs name out there would probably lift a couple eye browse for potential class sponsors, contingency sponsors as well as allow riders to get their foot in the door to personal sponsors outside the bay area.

 

[afmotorsports]

Alex, which Races did Bobby finish with the AMA last season?

Who cares about finishing? He showed great speed at Infineon, qualifying 16th for Supersport:

AMA Pro Infineon Linky

Then at Laguna he qualified 12th in Xtreme, turning a low 1:32, which also would've put him in 15th for the Supersport race:

AMA Pro Laguna linky

You can teach riders to stop crashing (and kick their mechanic's ass if the bike blows up for stupid reasons...), but you can't really teach them speed after a certain point. Either they have it or they don't. If you look at those time sheets, you can see where he ranks compared to AMA regulars. THAT has value. I guarantee you that played a HUGE part in his Safety First ride and I would bet it was even more important than a couple of AFM championships.

 

[afmotorsports]

All right stop collaborate and listen:

2-stroke lovers anthem

:rofl :rofl :rofl

So where was the AFM grid a couple weekends ago when AMA was running at sears? Was the Forumula Pacific or 600 SB out there? No? Damn, guess the USGPRU who is running with the AMA twice this year is seen by the AMA as a viable amature series to support.

Yeah... okay... whatever :hand It's the friggin equivalent of pee-wee hockey in between REAL NHL hockey periods. Most people will be getting hot dogs, beer, buying t-shirts or taking a piss! Here's what you may be hearing during the USGPRU races:

USGPRU soundtrack

:laughing :laughing

 

[TWF]

did you know Vanilla Ice raced?

 

[MackeyStingray]

yes i did :thumbup

 

[TWF]

A full page ad in RRW would've made ZERO difference.

bs.I got factory ride after this ad in RRW :laughing

 

[Holeshot]

Robert Winkle did race, sit down jet skiis in the early 90's (I think he raced on the kawi factory team and he SUCKED). He arranged to have his race rig "stolen" and claimed insurance on it. Pathetic.

Alex, the speed Bobby showed was good, but a finish is more important. You know that.

 

[jrace]

Alex,

Sometimes, talking to you on the 'Net is like speaking to a brick wall.

The AFM has what? Half a Million dollars in the bank? A two-page spread last I checked in 2002 or so in RRW was not very expensive. An even smaller one (1/8 page) was a couple hundred bucks. In fact, I think I did it for you and G-Force. Remember?

WERA. CCS. USGPRU clubs and even a billion trackday providers all have ads in the National magazines that promote not only the clubs, but the riders. Why is this a sticking point with the club?

-jim

 

[NSR250SP]

Robert Winkle (AKA Vanilla Ice) does still race Motocross at an amature level.

PeeWee hockey is better then no recognition at all.

And isn't PeeWee hockey the breading grounds for NHL stars

Thanks Alex for the entertainment links. Makes me realize that any one that has been successful at doing what they enjoy deserves (some level of) respect (even if you don't like what they do).

Just cause you feel the USGPRU is overselling there purpose, you should still respect the fact that they are supporting the sport which in the end helps all of us.

 

[afmotorsports]

Jim, please look up the term FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY. :hand The AFM bank account isn't anywhere close to half a million dollars, but even if it was that doesn't give the board the right or ability to piss money away. Spare me the "brick wall" bs and give me a good, reasonable excuse for spending thousands of dollars of the club's money advertising a LOCAL club in a NATIONAL publication and I will personally present the idea to the rest of the AFM board. Citing examples of other roadracing organizations isn't going to cut it. Give me a SOLID cost/benefit analysis so that when the membership asks the board why that money was spent on magazine advertising, there is a reasonable answer. The benefit can't be directed or limited to a small subset of the club, it must benefit the entire club.

Mr. Yo VIP, I'm sure you know I'm having a little fun ribbing some of you diehard 2-smokers and a lot of my posts are sort of tongue in cheek, but I really do feel that the USGPRU running around trying to tell everybody they're a "MotoGP feeder class" is at best pretentious if not downright laughable. If my daughters were interested in racing, I would honestly focus them on riding as much as possible with local clubs at local tracks until they were ready to get on 600s and run in a real national series, AMA Pro. You can maybe make a case for WERA nationals since they're by far the largest amateur organization, but I wouldn't pack up the family and travel very far even for their races. Traveling makes racing a lot more expensive and even these days I tell most young west coast racers to at least skip the first AMA race (Daytona) because it is such an expensive race (between travel and wear and tear on equipment). For the price of a Daytona race, you can almost do all four California AMA races! Unless you have unlimited resources, you gotta get the best bang for your buck.

What happens when some of these kids start to show some real speed at 15 or 16, but the families are tapped out and can't afford to write that big "buy-a-ride" check to Graves Yamaha or Erion Racing or some of the other non-factory rides?? It's generally a six-figure check and if the family can't do it, the career of their youngster often stalls out...

 

[Holeshot]

The AFM has what? Half a Million dollars in the bank?

First things first: The AFM should not be parking it's cash in a bank...

Second, Alex, I'll put together a plan as you suggested. Give me some feedback and we'll see if we can make it work. IT's always worth a shot!

 

[Sidewalk]

What happens when some of these kids start to show some real speed at 15 or 16, but the families are tapped out and can't afford to write that big "buy-a-ride" check to Graves Yamaha or Erion Racing or some of the other non-factory rides?? It's generally a six-figure check and if the family can't do it, the career of their youngster often stalls out...

May be silly coming from me, but what of the kids that just are not the elite? Not everyone makes it to the grid in professional racing. How much money should a family put into a kids racing to get him/her into professional racing before thinking about whether or not the kid actually can make it?

How much time away from school should there be? Traveling around the country isn't exactly the greatest way to suceed in school.



Maybe I am just jealous because my parents couldn't afford a BMX bike for me to ride to school, let alone put me on the track :laughing

 

[Wile E. Coyote]

See this

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=205978

 

[Seesm]

Sounds like a total toolshed... I Suspect this in print not on the site? Btw I do not get the magazine...