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View Full Version : NOW is the time to step up, and SHOW up!



UglyDogRacing
Tue Jul 7th, 2009, 10:54 AM
Reposting from MRA Forum- http://forums.mra-racing.org/viewtopic.php?t=8971&highlight=


As many of you have surmised by now, the club is in serious financial trouble. In spite of the Board's best efforts to put on a fun, challenging, steady, and varied race season in 2009 - nobody has been showing up. We have over 250 licensed racers for 2009 - but only about 150 of the 250 have even attended a race this season. We can only assume the economy has had a bigger impact on our members than we could have anticipated...

At any rate, it's come down to this:

It will be UP TO THE MEMBERS to decide whether or not we finish out the 2009 race season. Simply put, YOUR vote will be based on YOUR attendance (or lack thereof) at the remaining three rounds at High Plains.

Based on our current financials, we MUST have at least 140 racers at each of the remaining three rounds at High Plains for there to be any reasonable chance of us completing the season.

If we have 120 racers at the next HPR round, we'll have less than a 50/50 chance of doing the two remaining rounds.

If we have fewer than 100 racers sign up for the July 25/26 round at HPR - we will cancel that event, and the rest of the season.

It is absolutely imperative that people come out of the woodwork and support our club - NOW! If you can't afford to run the sprints, at least show up and do some endurance racing on Saturday. If you can't afford to race at all, then grab up all your friends and family and bring them to watch the races. Even a $10 gate fee will help at this point.

If you're wondering "where did all the money go" I can summarize it pretty easily below:

We've never had very much to start with

We lost money at the school - this is normal

We made a modest profit at Round #1 Pueblo

We made a small profit at Round #2 High Plains

We lost over $23,000 on Rounds #3 & 4 at Hastings

We lost a small amount at Round #5 High Plains

We lost over $10,000 at Round #6 Pueblo

If you want greater detail, please come to the General Meeting tomorrow night - but overwhelmingly where we've lost money it's because the turnout was low. Hastings averaged 75 riders between the two events, and the recent Pueblo had only 90 riders. Our NORMAL turnout for a race weekend is between 120 and 150 riders. At $200 per rider (average entry fee) that's a difference of as much as $45,000 in lost revenue for just Hastings and the recent Pueblo round. Given our fixed costs to operate an event, there is no way we can recover from those types of losses without a stellar turnout at the remaining rounds.

We have discussed as a Board where we can cut operating costs WITHOUT reducing the quality of the events and WITHOUT comprimising rider safety. Unfortunately, our options are limited - but here's what we've come up with which will take effect immediately and will remain in place for the remainder of the season:

1) The Board of Directors will take a 50% reduction in compensation

2) The Race of the Rockies payouts will be reduced by 50%

3) We will utilize an "appropriate" number of corner workers, instead of being overstaffed as we have been this year

4) All spending that doesn't directly relate to running/promoting the remaining events will be suspended

That's it in a nutshell.

Here's what you guys, as members can do:

1) SHOW UP, SHOW UP, SHOW UP

2) Promote, promote, promote

3) Bring a friend - get your buddy off his butt and on the track

4) Run an extra class (what the hell, it's only $20...)

5) Forfeit your ROR checks

6) Donate to the cause, if you can

This is an absolutely desperate time for the club. We WILL NOT run another event in 2009 if it will cause us to go further into debt. It would be better to shelve the season and start fresh in 2010 than continue to run at a loss. Please, please - show your support for YOUR club and do whatever YOU can to ensure a good turnout at the final three rounds...
_________________
Tony Baker #21
aka "The 'effin Vice President!"http://forums.mra-racing.org/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif

http://i321.photobucket.com/albums/nn373/UglyDogRacing/MRA/MRAFlyer_2009-1.jpg

Matrix
Tue Jul 7th, 2009, 11:35 AM
Sounds like a sad state of affairs for the club. Sucks to hear for sure. I will make sure I come out the next round to watch the action.

lovinCO
Tue Jul 7th, 2009, 11:39 AM
Anyone who's been thinking about trying racing--now is the time to do it!

Cheapest option: you can race one of 4 Solo Endurance Classes for just $50, that includes all of morning practice, afternoon practice, and your 1/2 hour race. Best bang for the buck for racing seat time.


Or join us in the Novice sprint races and show Cromer how it's done! 8)

Wintermute
Tue Jul 7th, 2009, 01:05 PM
Yep, I'll make the trip to check it out. Maybe we could organize a group ride to it...

Sean
Tue Jul 7th, 2009, 01:09 PM
Wish I was MRA race certified. :(
I'll try and come out to spectate.

Snowman
Tue Jul 7th, 2009, 01:32 PM
Wish I was MRA race certified. :(
I'll try and come out to spectate.You could be racing at the next HPR event.

There is a class Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th put on by the STAR Motorcycle School (http://www.starmotorcycle.com) at High Plains Raceway. The cost is $325.00 and you will be qualified to get an MRA racing license.

You would be learning from the best…
“Chief instructor Jason Pridmore is the 1997 AMA 750 Supersport Champion, 2002 AMA Formula Extreme Champion, and the 2003 FIM World Endurance Champion. He is also the only American to ever stand on the podium of a World Supersport race. JP has 21 AMA National wins and countless podiums. In 2009 he will be contesting the FIM World Endurance Championship for Team BK Maco Racing”

lovinCO
Tue Jul 7th, 2009, 01:55 PM
You could be racing at the next HPR event.

There is a class Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th put on by the STAR Motorcycle School (http://www.starmotorcycle.com) at High Plains Raceway. The cost is $325.00 and you will be qualified to get an MRA racing license.



Hey Randall, altho I highly recommend the STAR school--I'm going myself!! I don't believe it qualifies a rider for an MRA race license. Most race clubs want specific rider training on race condition safety procedures, that's why the license is different from a track day certification.


I could be mistaken so..... Please defer to Mark Schellinger, MRA new rider director, for questions on how/where to get an MRA license. The number at Vanmar is 303-322-3221

ryan
Tue Jul 7th, 2009, 05:47 PM
Ill be racing at HPR through the end of this season if i go broke doing it.

And if anyone is looking at getting into racing, I have a complete setup for sale : http://www.cosportbikeclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=33119

COS Mille
Tue Jul 7th, 2009, 08:07 PM
I'm racing the endurance races for the remaining season. Would be cool to see more CSC people at the races. Perhaps a CSC support location for members would draw more to the races. Wouldn't have to be anything more than a canopy or two where people could gather in the shade, or secure stuff while they wander around.....Ideas?
Hell, I'm really low budget, use a Harbor Freight trailer, and my WRX to get back and forth. Most everything I've assembled to race is second hand. I'm really in it for fun, too old to be really competative, but running the endurance races is a really practical way to get track time once the inital class is done.
Stop by my pit and say Hi if you're out on Saturdays. White WRX, POS Harbor Freight trailer, blue canopy and a blue and white R6 is my weapon of choice.

cromer611
Wed Jul 8th, 2009, 12:45 AM
there is room on my trailer for 1 more : P I got yer bike, you bring your ass, and lez go racin!

racedk6
Wed Jul 8th, 2009, 01:07 AM
If anybody does wanna get a racer cert before the end of the year please PM me and I will give you the details.

If you do it this year it is still good for next year as well so its not like you have to take it all over again. I did that last year and did one race weekend. Now im in it for the long run and haven't had more fun doing any other sport or hobby!

dirkterrell
Wed Jul 8th, 2009, 07:47 AM
A highly credited school like that and its not considered qualification for a racing license?

Not necessarily. They probably don't spend time on flags, gridding, starts, etc that you do need to know about when racing. I'm taking the class on Monday and Tuesday, so I'll be able to say something concrete about it after that.

Dirk

lovinCO
Wed Jul 8th, 2009, 09:02 AM
I'm taking the class on Monday and Tuesday, so I'll be able to say something concrete about it after that.

Dirk


Cool, is Diego going too?


Randall are you doing STAR? It should be uber fun, I took a school with them at Pahrump and loved their teaching style. :)

Snowman
Wed Jul 8th, 2009, 09:07 AM
Yea, I'll be there monday...
Just SOL for getting into the MRA until next year, I guess...

dirkterrell
Wed Jul 8th, 2009, 09:19 AM
Cool, is Diego going too?


Sounds like he's going to make it.

Dirk

lovinCO
Wed Jul 8th, 2009, 09:36 AM
Yea, I'll be there monday...
Just SOL for getting into the MRA until next year, I guess...

The school will be great, I'm looking forward to learning secret lines so I can stomp Grubbs in AmO. 8)

Don't give up on this season yet, every option is going to be talked about tonight at the meeting. Someone suggested doing licensing on the Friday lapping day before the race weekend, I'm sure there will be brainstorming on how to accomodate new people wanting to race. The important thing is to maintain safety standards for everyone.

lovinCO
Wed Jul 8th, 2009, 09:38 AM
Sounds like he's going to make it.

Dirk

Great! There could be a lot of racers at this event since PPIR got cancelled. Dale and Dougie Bobby are going too now.

racedk6
Wed Jul 8th, 2009, 11:45 AM
The school will be great, I'm looking forward to learning secret lines so I can stomp Grubbs in AmO. 8)



:shocked: :scream1: Im gonna repsol bike you in turn one!!! See how good those secret line work for you then!!!!! LMAO

lovinCO
Wed Jul 8th, 2009, 12:38 PM
LOL!!

pg_rider
Wed Jul 8th, 2009, 02:19 PM
Someone loan me a bike and I'll race! I used to be good at it til I got skerred...