2012 4-hour endurance Discussion Thread

[rybo]

Continuing the tradition - the MRA will once again be hosting the 4-hour endurance race in 2012.

Taking lessons learned from the previous two years and looking at other schedules across the country we've made a couple of changes for 2012.

1) The endurance race will be held during the 3rd round of the season (June 9-10) at HPR because of a conflict with Laguna Seca MotoGP that may prevent some of our traveling racers from participating with us. This provides the additional benefit of more daylight hours during June than during the July round.

3) We've added a "true endurance" class for 2012, meaning that a multi-rider team on a single motorcycle will be scored separately from the existing pony express and solo (titanium butt) categories.

2) We've enhanced and tightened up the rules for 2012. Our Rulebook Rider Representative, Shannon Moham has both raced with clubs around the country and reviewed the many different rulesets that these clubs use for long endurance events and put together a rule set for the MRA that utilizes the best practices he could identify. You can find a copy of the rules for this year's event here:

http://filezilla.mra-racing.org/files/2012_EnduranceRulesFinal.pdf

We are now only about 30 days away from the race school - start assembling your team for the 4 hour endurance!

[gyrtr1]

Who's bright idea was it make the endurance more complicated? Not only are people going to have to negotiate slower riders we have added the unpredictability of those riding a bike they have no experience with. When are we going to stop appeasing "everyone" and put a stop to adding so many classes. wow I am wondering when the thought was conceived................ During 15 minutes of bathroom time? True endurance? Geez, We might as well follow the FIM or AMA specifically. Pay more attention to our current classes. We'll end up with 50 classes by 2015. LOL!!!

[JimWilson29]

Rick, it was your wife's idea. http://smiliesftw.com/x/rules.gif

[gyrtr1]

I RETRACT THAT LAST STATEMENT! :lol: (\00\)

[ZiaThunder]

Dang. Moving the date???? That's wrong, on many levels.

You are making hard for us to plan. Many schedules have been rearranged in order to make the July event. Esp. after the I was scolded by some of your officials for not assuming it would be in July.

[T Baggins]

Four months notice isn't enough? The race schedule didn't change -just the date of the four hour.

We moved it in an attempt to gain the greatest participation possible, and thusly ensure the success of the event. Competing with MotoGP at Laguna seemed like a losing proposition. Sometimes doing what's best for the club doesn't always work out for specific individuals - sorry if it created a hardship for you.

For what it's worth, we published our dates back in October - so SHAME ON DORNA and MOTOGP for ignoring our schedule and making one of their events conflict with ours.

:wink:

[polar x]

So I get that we need rules and what not, but what good is having MORE rules when the club does not enforce the CURRENT rules during the endurance? (this is not to start a shit storm, so don't even try)

If your going to make it more strict, then have some people on pit row the whole time to watch and ENFORCE the rules we already have.

Shannon thanks for trying to unify the endurance rules with the rest of the country. I hope it works.

[Ray-Ray]

So I get that we need rules and what not, but what good is having MORE rules when the club does not enforce the CURRENT rules during the endurance? (this is not to start a shit storm, so don't even try)

If your going to make it more strict, then have some people on pit row the whole time to watch and ENFORCE the rules we already have.

Shannon thanks for trying to unify the endurance rules with the rest of the country. I hope it works.

Chris. We will have 3 pit stuards in the pit lane this year. Their job will be watching for violations and monitoring the cross over areas. We will also have several board members on pit lane as well. We took what we learned from last year and will improve our processes going forward.

Rule violations were enforced last year to the best of our ability and with the changes we have made this year they will be easier for race control to monitor hot pit for issues going forward. If you have any questions about this please let me know.

Our hopes with a clear set of rules for this series will create a safe and fun event.

Thanks
Ray-Ray :x :x

[random hero]

Four months notice isn't enough? The race schedule didn't change -just the date of the four hour.

God dammit, why didn't you tell us at the last race of 2011.... our board is a bunch of slackers. :roll:

It's great to see some new sub-classes added, I'm looking forward to the 4-hour, thanks for all the hard work guys and gals.

[T Baggins]

So I get that we need rules and what not, but what good is having MORE rules when the club does not enforce the CURRENT rules during the endurance? (this is not to start a shit storm, so don't even try)

If your going to make it more strict, then have some people on pit row the whole time to watch and ENFORCE the rules we already have.

Shannon thanks for trying to unify the endurance rules with the rest of the country. I hope it works.

In addition to trying to solve some of the problems we had last year, the new ruleset also addresses issues and circmustances which (thankfully) did not come up last year - but most certainly will if we keep holding this event.

The first year was just all about fun, and nobody got very excitable. Last year we (perhaps mistakenly) added a cash purse - and everybody got all serious and cranky. Our ruleset and staffing last year was NOT prepared for that change in mindset / perspective from our racers. Lesson learned.

This year, expecting that the participation will be strong, and the competition fierce - it only made sense to step up our rules (and enforcement) and get the word out as early as humanly possible.

We're already promoting the event (in February as opposed to May last year...) and hope that by having a firm and published structure and ruleset - competitiors will be confident in making the committment to participate in 2012.

[rforsythe]

I, for one, welcome our new serious and cranky 4-hour endurance overlords. (And Tony.)

Look on the bright side - it won't be a freakin blast furnace when the green flag drops this year since it's not at the end of July. That alone should make the race more interesting, as people might last longer.

[gsnyder828]

Look on the bright side - it won't be a freakin blast furnace when the green flag drops this year since it's not at the end of July.

Indeed... the past few years it's rained pretty good that weekend!

g

[ZiaThunder]

Four months notice isn't enough? The race schedule didn't change -just the date of the four hour.
:wink:

Not when you have to request your vacation time 6 months in advance!! :roll:

Just sayin' I don't do all the rounds, and wanted to do the endurance race.. planned on it being in July. I'm sure that moving may get you more people, but it's also going to lose you some..

[scooter]

I'm looking forward to the 4 hour endurance IMO its the best race
weekend of the season. Thanks for getting the new rules out so early.
And thanks to all that make that event happen.

[random hero]

I'm looking forward to the 4 hour endurance IMO its the best race
weekend of the season. Thanks for getting the new rules out so early.
And thanks to all that make that event happen.

x100.... I wish we had a 4 hour every race weekend, really looking forward to this race!

[The GECCO]

I'm looking forward to the 4 hour endurance IMO its the best race
weekend of the season. Thanks for getting the new rules out so early.
And thanks to all that make that event happen.

x100.... I wish we had a 4 hour every race weekend, really looking forward to this race!

Me too. Tony probably knows for sure, but I'm betting that the entry fees would need to go up quite a bit to make that feasible.

I never thought I would like endurance racing, but doing it last year was the most fun I've had on a bike in a long time.

[The GECCO]

Might I suggest the riders start thinking now about what little extras or goodies they can bring for the staff and corner workers that weekend? We need to make it like a second "corner worker appreciation" weekend to help insure we have enough people out there to make it happen.

[sheispoison]

Might I suggest the riders start thinking now about what little extras or goodies they can bring for the staff and corner workers that weekend? We need to make it like a second "corner worker appreciation" weekend to help insure we have enough people out there to make it happen.
+1!!!

[rybo]

Might I suggest the riders start thinking now about what little extras or goodies they can bring for the staff and corner workers that weekend? We need to make it like a second "corner worker appreciation" weekend to help insure we have enough people out there to make it happen.

=D>


paraphrasing - about entry fees and doing a 4 hour race every weekend

The net dollars on the 4 hour weekend are only slightly higher than a typical race weekend. We do collect more in entry fees, but we also have greater expenses, such as keeping the ambulance on duty for several hours longer.

Our "per - rider" fees drop significantly during the 4-hour weekend, but we attract many more racers that weekend than we do on the typical race weekend - some of them either coming out of retirement, or traveling from a long distance. It's unlikely that we would attract those racers week-in week-out throughout the season. Tony may have, but I haven't mathed-out (yes, I just made up a new verb) what the entry fee for a long endurance every weekend would need to be. I haven't done it because our current endurance structure accounts for nearly 20% of the total weekend revenue. It's something that is obviously working, so you would have a very hard time convincing me that we should scrap it for something different.

I really enjoy long endurance racing, and I'm looking forward to the 4-Hour this year!

[rforsythe]

Excellent idea!