A Question about classes......

[scotts250]

Say you were racing a local 7 race series in the +30 Nov. class. You have 4 races total lifetime and started MX riding at say 32 yrs. old. You know you would be sandbagging in the beginner class so you race the +30 Novice instead of the 250 Novice.
You work as hard as you can but with time off for injuries etc you just aren't as fast as you want to be but fast enough for consistent top 5 finishes.
Then some guy shows up a couple of races into the series on a mid eighties bike and starts cleaning up. You applaud the guy for being fast on that boat only to find out that he has raced profesionally. His argument is that since he's on an older bike and hasn't raced much in the past 5 plus years he feels justified for racing the novice class.
Would you bitch and protest the results or just set a goal to beat him in a least one race before the end of the series?
I mean the series points totals will win some prizes and such for the top 5 in each class but really it's not that big a deal.
I think I would prefer to beat the guy heads up over raising a stink and getting the points.
What do you think?

 

[wardy]

thats easy

that person you described is your basic SANDBAGGER, CHERRY PICKER or any other name of that nature you can think of.

What racer truely believes that racing pro at one time, then going back after a layoff gets to trounce B class. So typical is this that is why we are working on a National advance system to hopefully stop this stuff. COurse i bet that wasn't an ama track?

wardy

 

[Senior KX Rider]

You find sandbaggers most anywhere you go. It prolly won't do much good but I would bitch to the promoter.

 

[scotts250]

Actually, the promoters/organizers of the local racing organization do follow their own rules pretty well. If you have proof that someone raced a higher class then they will immediately make the rider move up to the proper class or prevent them from racing period.
I don't really care myself, just wondering what the general concensus says. I would say only about 5 or so people have complained about it, but no one has gone to the promoters with it. The promoter knows, but won't do anything unless someone complains.
Now if the guy starts riding a bike newer than the '85 CR500 he is riding now, I would bet he may have an even harder time trying to go slow enough and not appear to be doing it intentionally. Last weekend the guy was just toying with the leader the whole moto until 2 turns from the finish and he just effortlessly stepped it up made the pass and to win the moto.

Wardy, no it isn't an AMA sanctioned series. It is promoted and governed by a local racing organization.
You know the worst part, the +30 Intermediate and Expert classes need more riders, the +30 Novice has almost twice as many riders on average than the higher classes.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

Yeah, but since I didn't finish half of the laps of the leader and broke my visor, goggles, and rear fender, I don't think anyone will protest! :confused:

 

[scotts250]

Yeah Gomer but you probably did it in style....How do you break goggles? That must have been a big OUCH!

 

[High Lord Gomer]

That pair had the Smith's roll-off installed on them, so it was probably easier for the lens to get popped out of them. In my last crash, I broke the visor, cracked the helmet across the top, and broke the full-face chin guard in 3 places. Along with that, the lense popped out of the goggles and cut me...something like 20 stitches in my left eyelid (among other things).

A little background on the "Pro Ride" I made...

I went to an indoor race in Florence, SC. When we were signing up they had a sign that they were paying the top 7 pro riders. I asked how many they had so far and the lady told me two, si I said, "Sign me up!" By the time the race actually started there were 6 of us, so I was still guaranteed money. There's no way that I could be competitive, but I'm good enough to stay out of the way.

I had a brand new Arai helmet with me. As we were walking the track one of my friends said, "Are you going to do it or do you want me to?" He wanted to cratch my helmet for me! I told him NO WAY! He said that I was going to go out and end up on my head if I didn't. Obviously, since I'm telling you this, I didn't listen.

On the 2nd lap (of an 8 lap race) I came up short on the first of a set of two doubles. It slowed me down enough that I couldn't make the second set, but not enough to single them. I ended up letting off and endoed badly into the face of the 4th jump. I broke the visor off my brand new helmet, popped the lense out of the goggles, broke the rear fender, and tore my new jersey with the chain as the bike came over on me.

I was knocked a little silly and they said I was wandering around waving to the crowd. Once I figured out where my bike was, I realized that I needed to finish if I wanted to collect my $70, so I managed to finish my 2nd lap and almost a 3rd before the leaders made 8.

In the jump contest that night, Robbie Horton won (his brother Richie was racing, too). He laid it out sideways, put both hands up to his templs, then pointed at the crowd in a two-handed salute. Everyone went nuts! Half of the kids in the crowd were saying , "Did you see that?!? He was pointing at ME!!!"

 

[Coach in ND]

Locally ( NDMA and AMA District 23) we see alot of riders that were A riders in the past come back and ride the B class. Under no circumstances should a rider that was an A rider ever move back to the C class. This is mainly for riders who were advanced to the higher classes because oif there results.

It's totally differant in High Lord Gomer's case. He was never advanced to the the A class he just did it for the money. Sounds like you spent your $70.00 before you finished the moto;)

Coach