2007 Races and Race Schedules

[XB9Racer]

If you haven't already seen the schedule for 2007 it's as follows:

3/31-4/1 Pacific Raceway Sprints

5/5-6 Pacific Raceway Sprints/Sidecars/Young Guns*

5/26-27 Spokane Raceway Sprints/Young Guns*

6/9-10 Pacific Raceway 6 Hr. Endurance**/Sprints

7/7-8 Spokane Raceway Sprints/Sidecars/Young Guns*

8/11-12 Pacific Raceway Sprints/SOTP (tentative)/Young Guns*

9/1-2 Spokane Raceway Sprints/Sidecars

10/6-7 Pacific Raceway Sprints/Sidecars

*Young Guns is an EXHIBITION of 5 laps held during lunch-break.
** 6 Hr. Endurance race to be run on Saturday 6/9.

I will be scheduling each individual event in the next few weeks and will post the schedule ASAP. :D

Updates to follow....

[Mr Sunshine]

No endurance at Spokane? Nice.

[Hypnotiq]

Big props to Jeff for allowing the Young Guns an opportunity to get on the track. :D

[Mr Sunshine]

Big props to Jeff for allowing the Young Guns an opportunity to get on the track. :D

Bigger props to the corner workers who won't get a lunch break.

[XB9Racer]

They WILL get a lunch break...it is only a 5 lap exhibition...should take 15 mins. or so....do you think I could honestly get away with no lunch break for the cornerworkers? They'd have my a**. ( and there's plenty of that to go around) Maybe I just came up with a new diet?

[Darkside]

So are we no longer doing Taste of Racing?

[gazman]

what is young guns??

[Mr Sunshine]

So are we no longer doing Taste of Racing?

We didn't all last year. Insurance reasons is my understanding.

[Mr Sunshine]

what is young guns??


http://www.wmrra.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2166

[gazman]

interesting

[jpaulsen]

Personally, I don't get the Taste of Racing at PR. PIR has done such a better job of it and I can't imagine it's just because they have better insurance in Oregon. I first got the bug at the PR TOR the year before last. That let to 10 or 11 track days (I think, between PR, PIR and T-Hill) last year and deciding to Novice this year. What allows PIR to do a much more professional job than PR? It's even promoted on their website?!

[Mr Sunshine]

What allows PIR to do a much more professional job than PR?

Are you speaking about in general or just the taste of racing?

If someone wants to get out there on the track there are so many track day companies out there there is no reason why someone couldn't sign up with them.

[Steve]

If someone wants to get out there on the track there are so many track day companies out there there is no reason why someone couldn't sign up with them.

True, but at much more of a cost unless you do the Nesba trial thing. I think the crowd that comes down to watch the races is not necessarily the crowd that does a lot of track days. Giving them the chance to do a few laps around the track gives them a taste of what track riding is all about and hence, promotes our sport.

I remember riding down by myself on my brand new R1 to watch the races 3 years ago. I ran in to a racer I knew from another forum and he said I should try TOR. I was stoked about the fact I could actually get on the track with the gear I had on and do a few laps for $20.00 bucks. So I did a few laps at what I'm sure now was a snails pace but seemed like my race pace at the time, got some decent pictures of me and the rest is history. Yes, I did have some track experience 10 years prior to that but TOR was the conduit for me getting back in to track riding and racing.

[jpaulsen]

True, but at much more of a cost unless you do the Nesba trial thing. I think the crowd that comes down to watch the races is not necessarily the crowd that does a lot of track days. Giving them the chance to do a few laps around the track gives them a taste of what track riding is all about and hence, promotes our sport.

I remember riding down by myself on my brand new R1 to watch the races 3 years ago. I ran in to a racer I knew from another forum and he said I should try TOR. I was stoked about the fact I could actually get on the track with the gear I had on and do a few laps for $20.00 bucks. So I did a few laps at what I'm sure now was a snails pace but seemed like my race pace at the time, got some decent pictures of me and the rest is history. Yes, I did have some track experience 10 years prior to that but TOR was the conduit for me getting back in to track riding and racing.

Ditto! For many people, the committment of a full track day/school is a bit intimidating. I think the TOR is a great avenue for someone to get to "taste" the track. Personally, I love to see some of the guys at PIR when they come in after the first time out. The excitement is pretty amazing. I just wish that PR would continue to promote something similar. PIR does require "leather pants", but does give you a pretty full 20 min. for the money. Even when it was available at PR, there was never even a mention of it on the WMRRA website.

[Hypnotiq]

I don't know what is going on for TOR this year. I'll bring it up on Wednesday at the meeting.

Keep in mind. Young guns is not during every PR events. Just two of them. While I see the benefit of TOR I also firmly believe in giving our young up and coming racers a place to get experience on a real race track on real bikes.

[timk]

Even when it was available at PR, there was never even a mention of it on the WMRRA website.That is not true, at least in 2005 after I took over the website. I put a big yellow box right on the top of the menu on the front page which said:

Fans - Get a "Taste of Racing"
How to get on the track with your street bike!
(No, I didn't type that from memory -- the code is still in the web page source but just switched out.)

Clicking on the box brought you to a page with all the details.

Taste of Racing at PR was summarily dropped when one guy rear-ended another guy at the end of the front straight, bringing up the very scary question of "How protected is the club if one of those guys (or a dead guy's heirs, in the worst possible case) decides to sue?" So the event was tabled while the legal disclaimers and insurance liability situations were investigated. Nobody has done the required work to reinstate the program with suitable assurances. (And no, I don't know how Portland addresses the situation -- just filling in a little history.)

[jpaulsen]

Sorry Tim, I never saw anything on the website and I even remember a couple of years ago a post about this. Something about it being an a "volunteer only" club and that the responder suggesting the poster take it upon him/herself to address.

As for the last TOR, I was the guy immediately behind the 2 that came together at turn 1! I had been following 3 guys (new 750 GSXR, V-Max, Kawi 1200 if I remember right). After following for about 2 laps and watching some pretty questionable riding (IMO), I decided to drop back and give them plenty of room. Saw the collision right in front of me and I avoided by riding down the exit of the drag strip while watching bikes/riders doing cartwheels to my right! I had a couple of buddies there for the first time in an attempt to get them on the track, trying to cut back on their squid riding on the street. We were all a bit freaked, but at least decided to get to doing some track days instead.

That being said, my comments were just that maybe WMRRA could take a look at how it is done at PIR. It just seems to be a very well run event and I can't say I've ever seen an incident like that there. If Nico could bring it up at the meeting, that would be great! Being new to WMRRA myself, I would like to be there, but will be in Ohio for work. Maybe next month? I just think it could be a great avenue to bring more people to the club.

Jim