So to ponder on Ben's post, because it IS goddamn expensive...

More than a couple times on this forum and CSC, the topic of a low-money spec-type class has come up. Instead of having to drop crazy money just to be competitive cause the guy next to you did it, you run essentially stock bikes and see who's the better rider, and not who can ring up the best AMEX bill. I'd still be in the back of that pack, but there might be more folks in front of me too.

Before someone comes on here telling me "well fast guys need all that shit to go fast", I watch Jason DiSalvo get on an old R6 at R2SL VIR last summer that he had never ridden before (and on the south course, which he had never even seen until then), with minimal cool bits even by club standards, and the suspension bottoming out to the stops every time he got on the brakes. Within 3 laps he was turning the fastest times of anyone in the paddock, even up against guys on fire breathing liter bikes. We tweaked the suspension for him just so he'd have some play and not blow the seals out, and his times got faster. The bike wasn't stock, but wasn't too far from it either.

So what if we could entice folks egos a bit to come out and see how they do when the equipment is all the same, and the racing is comparatively a whole lot cheaper than it was before? This would also entice NEW RACERS (something this club needs badly) since they wouldn't feel the need to go drop $5K in crap just to go fast in a real race.

The exponential cost increases of this sport are, at least in some way, our own fault. We've all allowed this "spend it before we race it" mentality to grow to the point that the racing almost starts at your wallet now. Yes stuff also just costs more, but is all that really necessary to go fast and have fun (kinda the point to all this)? I don't think so. I also think if we could bring the whole cost of the experience back down to mortal levels, some of the riders who just can't pull that kind of debt load might come back to play. If nothing else it might bring in some new riders.

It could also still be something nobody gives a crap about, which is fine too. I still think it's worth putting out there for discussion though.