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Trackday riders, would you try racing AFM if we had Novice/Sportsman classes??

Would the introduction of Sportsman classes entice you to come race with the AFM?

  • yes

    Votes: 82 81.2%

  • maybe

    Votes: 14 13.9%

  • not likely

    Votes: 2 2.0%

  • no

    Votes: 3 3.0%
  • Total voters
    101
I agree to a point, but I had a 9 year collection of racing trophies. After a while they lust their luster, but I still have my memories. I have no problems with the trophies, I hope I can earn some type of award once I start racing afm. My suggestion only pertained to the sandbagging issue.
I wonder if you took a poll of all the afm members and asked if there were no trophies being handed out would they still race? I would think the vast majority would still race. that being said I don't think trophies as as important as the compitition. Just to be clear I'm not against trophies

myap said:
1) I'm sure racing is fun, either front of the pack or at the back.

2) Trophies (awards etc.) do as much to commemorate your participation in an event, in addition to identifying your achievements. When I look at my trophies and medals--it brings me back to that day in my life when I was recognized by my peers.

So IMHO, trophies and the like, serve an important purpose.
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'Kay man, you made your point. :rolleyes

afm_tee.gif


:twofinger
 
Thank you all for the great feedback. I can assure you this will be taken into consideration at the next AFM board meeting and the rules meetings that will hopefully create some sort of Novice/Sportsman classes so that you can all have a more "novice-friendly" introduction to the AFM.

Regards,
 
Alex. I'm going to try and make the next meeting, I have some ideas I want to pass along on the subject:thumbup
 
Racing is a lot of fun even in the back of the pack. ;)

Now being lapped by the leaders in their own tight battle on the last lap is not fun! :wow
 
So would the 115% cutoff apply to the Sportsman class as well? How do you handle the difference in bikes in this case? 250GP bikes would run way faster than EX250's, but they're running in the same Sportsman class (0-500).
 
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Hey Alex!

I've been saying that if there was a Novice class I'd race. Then again, I might still chicken out. :teeth

Plus, I don't wanna race Ozzie... he's too fast! :p
 
Hi Alex,
I got to speak to you breifly at B-willow about this.
I still like Go-Go's idea of a "junior" class that ran in a second wave behind the experts. I think it would work if the expert itme cut off was something like 110% and the junior wasnt to far behind, say 118%.

This would help to aleviate some of the congestion of overcrowding on the expert grids as people move up.

You could perhaps require novices to run say 5 races and then if their lap times are at par, they go to junior, where they'd have to run 3 more races and then if they are in the expert time range they can go up again.

I think all the classes should get trophies.
 
If you had a novice class I'd start racing immediately. Oh, wait, that was "one year ago me".

The only real suck I can see from this plan is being a novice on a bike at the smaller end of a particular novice class wouldn't be much fun. I've ridden plenty with "sub expert" level 600's on my SV and it ain't much fun, what with the ability of a 600 to squirt and park. Of course, if confronted with a squirt and park rider in a race environment, instead of the occaisional B group at a track day, I'd feel comfortable putting some serious late braking blocking pass nastiness on the fools! Maybe that would be amusing.

This faster/slower bike thing should be kept in mind for graduation requirements too. If placing well in the novice class is required before graduating, it'll make it significantly harder to graduate on a smaller bike. That would ultimately lead to the biggest bike in the novice class being overrepresented in the expert ranks, both because more will graduate and because more will choose to race that bigger bike in the first place.

Maybe the graduation requirements could be two tiered: if you run within 110% of the leaders in your expert class you automatically graduate, but if you run between 110% and 115% you've got to score X points in Y novice races before you can graduate. This way quick SV's could graduate from mediocre results in the 500-650 novice class since they've demonstrated they run a good quick, non lapper pace for an SV.

In writing this I calculated that I was running at 112% of Brian Long at Buttonwillow. As happy as I am with my riding, I'm learning that humility is a key asset in this very very difficult sport :)
 
if they start this class i will for sure participate. i am one of those guys who feels quick enough (2:02 at T-hill) but cannot get big enough cohuna's to go out there and duke it out on a 50 man grid (the woman and kid at home make me think too much).

Count me in as a "Racer" if you start this class.

Soup
 
Dude, whats the difference, you will eventually make your way in with the big boys, know what I mean? I think the biggest thing here is getting the experience before jumping in the deep side of the pool... at any rate I hope it happens too just so I can duke it out with other "green" racers. If not, see you with the Sharks!
 
your asking "whats the difference" and then answering your own question. You say you will "eventually" make it in with the big boys. this is exactly my what i like about the idea - starting out with the novices to gain "race" experience and then go duke it out with the big boys.
 
Gotcha, i just thought you didnt like the idea of a 70+ grid ever. period.

But I hear ya, were all on the same page here. Its a damn GOOD idea!
 
It will give the people that are doing 2:10-2:35 @ T-Hill somewhere to play without getting in the way of the big boys;) Although its kind of like being a senior in high school and not making the varsity team. You still get to play for the JV team. You're still playing football, right???

scalvert said:
I'd feel comfortable putting some serious late braking blocking pass nastiness on the fools!
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Would you be spinning the tires up while doing it :confused :rolleyes
 
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projek7R said:
Gotcha, i just thought you didnt like the idea of a 70+ grid ever. period.
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FYI, along with introducing Sportsman races, we are also looking into limiting all grids to 58 riders. The current maximum is 75 riders. I anticipate Sportsman grids to be in the 20-40 rider range since most new racers should only be in that class for 1-4 events before they move on.

I also don't anticipate too many "career" Sportsman riders, so the football analogy is relevant: start out on the JV team before you go to varsity. As many of you already know, the top AFM racers are VERY fast!
 
afmotorsports said:
As many of you already know, the top AFM racers are VERY fast!
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What about the old and slow?:teeth
 
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