What is "endurance racing"?

Endurance racing is the thrill of racing against the clock for the most laps. Here in the northwest the endurance series is called the Northwest Endurance Cup. There are 3 races a year which comprise of the NW Endurance Cup. Currently one of these races is run with OMRRA and the other two races with us, WMRRA. OMRRA hosts the 1, 4 hour race at Portland International Raceway and WMRRA hosts their 2 rounds as 4 hour, and 6 hour races at The Ridge Motorsports Park.

There are three different classes, all of them using GP rules (see below). The classes are:

  • Lightweight (generally MW Twins, LW Superbikes…)
  • Middleweight (generally 600 SuperSport/Superbikes…)
  • Heavyweight (generally Open Twins, 750 or larger SuperSport/Superbikes…)
There is a separate race for Kawasaki 250 Ninjas, typically held on the same day. Tom Marx is the organizer for the NW Endurance Cup. If you have any questions you can email him at endurance@wmrra.com

What are the rules?

The rules for endurance racing here in the NW depend on which club the race is being held with, although generally the rules are the same. Please check the Rulebook for WMRRA and OMRRA for specifics for endurance racing.

How do I get involved?

You need to first have a racing license from a racing organization recognized by the club you are racing at. After that there are special rules for Novice license holders, so be sure to read the rule book carefully – but yes – Novices have the chance to race experts prior to their graduation!

Why should I endurance race?

Endurance racing is the ultimate motorcycle road racing team sport. You all have to work together to accomplish your goals for the race. You also get the opportunity for a large quantity of seat time at full race pace. During that time you will learn how to be a better racer as each lap you get a chance to work on something specific. Also because of the class-mix of bikes, you'll likely be racing against others you normally don't race with. This will pit slower smaller bikes with faster riders against faster larger bikes, but whose riders haven't completely mastered their potential. And the final ingredient will be honing your ability to maximize on-track time through more efficient fuel consumption, tire wear management, and avoiding crashes or mechanical failures.

2012 Schedule:

May 28th: TRMP (WMRRA)
2 hour 250 Ninja / 6 hour Light, Middle, and Heavy Weight

TBD: PIR (OMRRA)
4 hour

September 3rd: TRMP (WMRRA)
4 hour 250 Ninja / 4 hour Light, Middle, and Heavy Weight