2015 Rulebook Suggestions

[JimWilson29]

I'm not opposed to eliminating some classes (there are many more than just HWSS and HWSB), but that's good contingency money that you're eliminating. Another reason I like the double header schedule though. Running 15 classes twice per weekend provides the same amount of racing time and contingency money as running 30 different classes once per weekend. Just sayin....

So which 15 classes would you propose we eliminate in order to run double header weekends for the other 15 classes?

[rybo]

As a general theme I would like to see us move Supersport further away from Superbike rather than closer to it. It's already a stretch to call many of the bikes on the supersport grids actual supersport bikes.

One suggestion: Expand the production cup classes to include Production 600 with rules that closely mimic the current production cup rules. Minimal changes would be permitted. Fork valving would be OK, but cartridges would not. Slip on exhausts would be OK (with the intention of eliminating the catalytic converters to reduce heat) but full systems would not. Maybe shocks, maybe not. The stock one on the GSXR is really pretty good and I think the ones on the Yamaha's are reasonably decent where the ones on the Hondas are typically not so good.

Run this class in parallel with supersport for a season, maybe two, and then make THIS be supersport.

For my next act I will contradict myself.

Eliminate Open Supersport and replace it with Open Superstock.

Open Superstock will mimic the current OSS rules, except that it will allow use of slick tires at all times. The other supersport classes will remain on DOT's as presently required.

Rationale: 1000cc bikes have limited places to race during a weekend. This would expand the number of offerings to riders by one race class without forcing them to buy a special set of tires for just one class.

[oldtimer]

Eliminate Heavyweight Supersport and Heavyweight Superbike from the schedule.

Personally I don't think we need to eliminate any SUNDAY classes, since Sunday does not run long. (HW Superbike = OK)

However Saturday often runs long, and I would support cutting HW Supersport from the Sat schedule in an effort to get Saturday back under control. Even though I run HWSS....

Worst case I would support cutting both classes because I agree the heavyweight class is mostly dead. But Shannon pointed out, we're getting bikes on these grids.

[rybo]

Existing rule:

2.7 Endurance

1. Endurance races consist of Amateur classes including Lightweight,Middleweight, Heavyweight, and Open categories. Unlimited frame and enginecombinations are allowed. (displacement specifications for Lightweight arelisted in section 2.4.1.1 and for other classes in 2.3.2)
   
2. Points will accumulate throughout the year toward class championships.
   
3. The format, length of race, and rider change requirements may change during
   the year. Typical endurance races are solo events lasting 30 minutes.
   
   
   PROPOSED RULE
   
   
   2.7 Endurance
   
   
   1. Endurance races consist of Amateur classes including Solo, Team and Relay. Unlimited frame and enginecombinations are allowed. (equipment and team rules to mimic those of the 4-hour endurance race)
      
   2. Points will accumulate throughout the year toward class championships.
      
   3. The format, length of race, and rider change requirements may change during
      the year. Typical endurance races are events lasting 60 minutes.
      
      
      Rationale: Make endurance racing actually be endurance racing, encourage team endurance racing (which can be highly cost effective), allow the 4 hour race to be included in the season points total, potentially reduce schedule load by eliminating at least one break in the race day.
      
   
   
   
   
   
   

[oldtimer]

Another procedural proposal:

Drop to only 2 rounds of practice Saturday morning to shorten the overall Saturday schedule. (*hides*)

[nobasin]

i'm hoping that we can come up with some procedural efficiencies to find/save time rather than talking about eliminating classes or practice sessions. i don't even agree anymore with my original rule proposal for only 2 red flags allowed because of all the good points brought up. however, that doesn't change the intent of proposing the rule change, which is about looking at ways to make saturdays flow more efficiently because that just makes for a better race day for everybody, regardless of what classes you are racing or if you are novice or expert.

keeping racers happy is and should be a primary goal of the club along with creating good racing, so to some degree no matter what we do, saturdays just have the risk of being a long ass day. if nothing changes on saturdays, i won't be sad.

[TRK]

Bravo.......we need to think BIG picture. We will discuss all these points at the rulebook meeting. We also need to remember we had some pretty crazy weather this year, and the club did an AWESOME job of making it happen. Some of our best racing comes from the classes we talk about.

[TRK]

Moham's input

Production cup

Allow a replacement shock and cartridge forks
Members have asked about slicks for contingency
Base on SS rules minus the motor

Pole sitter can pick any spot on the front row

Talk superchargers turbochargers (OEM forced induction bumps up a class)

Recommend a brake lever guard

Tony Bakers idea on production cup

cut production to 2 classes:

500 Prod
350 Prod

reasons: good 250 rider could beat any 300 out there, and maybe the 500's anyway. 250s no longer made. classes are entered now on the basis of "how can I finish last every weekend and still win a prize at the end of the year." Racers need to EARN a top 5 overall, production isn't currently addressing that.


Allow rear shocks in production.

Reasons: costs 3 times as much to "fix" a stock shock, so only the guys with money will do it. Several "bolt on" replacements available, including "better" stock shocks from other modern bikes. (r6 for example, gsxr for example). Allows traveling racers to race without us "allowing them to cheat" or making them take their bikes apart.


A member asked to combine NOVO/NOVU AMO/AMU

[rybo]

Current Rule:

12.3
AA.Within two weeks of the appeal, the MRA Board of Directors shall appoint a three-member appeal board. The appellant will be given written notice of the location and time of the board hearing, and may appear on their own behalf. MRA officials will determine the time and place of the hearing.

1. The decision of the appeal board will be rendered within seven days of the hearing, and is considered the final word on the matter. The decision is binding to all parties.
   
2. If the appeal is turned down, the $300 fee will be forfeited. If the appeal is upheld, the fee will be returned.
   
   
   Rule Suggestion: Delete all references to an independent appeals board
   
   
   
   
   1. Within two weeks of the appeal, the MRA Board of Directors shall review the case and make a final decision based on the published rulebook. The appellant will be given written notice of the location and time of the board hearing, and may appear on their own behalf. MRA officials will determine the time and place of the hearing.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   1. The decision of the board of directors will be rendered within seven days of the hearing, and is considered the final word on the matter. The decision is binding to all parties.
      
   2. If the appeal is turned down, the $300 fee will be forfeited. If the appeal is upheld, the fee will be returned.
      
      
      Rationale: The MRA is an extremely small community and there is no way to assemble an objective panel of non-involved parties. Furthermore, club officers are the only individuals who should be able to make binding decisions based on the rules that affect club members either in penalization, points, finishing position or sanction. Finally getting non-obligated parties to volunteer what could be a considerable amount of time and expense (driving) may be difficult given busy schedules and the time constraints in current appeal rule.
      
      
   
   
   
   
   

[WolFeYeZ]

I want to get one more in before midnight :

A change to the red flag rule for finishing position to the last time each rider crossed the start Finish line rather than the whole grid. Should be feasible.

[TRK]

Closed for suggestions......

[rybo]

Free the spiny echidna!

[TRK]

That was funny........but no

[GiXXXer Junkie]

Freeze Modern Vintage at the 2015 (2005) model year -

Justification - Motorcycles in the last 10 years have made only incremental improvements versus the exponential improvements made in previous generations. As an example a 2006 R6 is virtually the same as a 2014 model. Freezing the motorcycle year at 2005 for five years will mean that a significant performance difference between a MV and a current motorcycle exists.

Current Rule:

2.5 Modern Vintage classes2.5.1 Requirements
Modern Vintage motorcycles must use a frame and engine case 10 years old or older, asdetermined by manufacturer’s model year. For 2014, the model year must be 2004 or prior.Exceptions to the year requirements are listed below. These exceptions are based on thefirst production cycle for a specific motorcycle.
The following exempted bikes are permitted to compete in modern vintage, but must meetthe requirements listed below in 2.5.2.
MVGTU exemptions:
2005-2006 Ducati 749, 749S and 749R,2005- 2008 Suzuki SV650, SV650S2005 Yamaha YZF R6
MVGTO exemptions:
2005 Aprilia RSV Tuono
2005-2006 Ducati 999, 999S, 999R2005-2006 Honda RC51
2005 Suzuki GSXR 1000
If a competitor feels a motorcycle not listed above could be eligible for a modern vintageexception, they can present their case to the MRA Board of Directors. The MRA Boardwill make a determination of eligibility. The MRA Board’s determination will remain finalfor the remainder of the race season.
2.5.2 Class Limits
Class displacement limits are the same as Novice and Amateur GTO and GTU, as specifiedin 2.6.1 and 2.6.2. Ducati models eligible for MVGTU with SPS, R, and RS designations areineligible if they displace greater then 749cc. All exempted models are eligible for MVGTO.

Proposed Rule:


2.5 Modern Vintage classes2.5.1 Requirements
Modern Vintage motorcycles must use a frame and engine case 10 years old or older, asdetermined by manufacturer’s model year. For 2015, the model year must be 2005 or prior. At the end of the 2015 season the age limit will be frozen until the current list of approved motorcycles is 15 years old or older. From that point forward Modern Vintage will be designated as a class for models that are 15 years old or older and models will be added on a year by year basis thereafter. Exceptions to the year requirements are listed below. These exceptions are based on thefirst production cycle for a specific motorcycle.
The following exempted bikes are permitted to compete in modern vintage, but must meetthe requirements listed below in 2.5.2.
MVGTU exemptions:
2006 Ducati 749, 749S and 749R,
2006- 2008 Suzuki SV650, SV650S
MVGTO exemptions:
2006 Ducati 999, 999S, 999R
2006 Honda RC51
2006 Suzuki GSXR 1000
If a competitor feels a motorcycle not listed above could be eligible for a modern vintageexception, they can present their case to the MRA Board of Directors. The MRA Boardwill make a determination of eligibility. The MRA Board’s determination will remain finalfor the remainder of the race season.
2.5.2 Class Limits
Class displacement limits are the same as Novice and Amateur GTO and GTU, as specifiedin 2.6.1 and 2.6.2. Ducati models eligible for MVGTU with SPS, R, and RS designations areineligible if they displace greater then 749cc. All exempted models are eligible for MVGTO.

The 2005 and 2006 GSX-R 1000 are the exact same bike with the exception of a silver vinyl stripe on the stock plastics. The '06 should also be allowed in MVGTO. Wait, nevermind, there it is.

[oldtimer]

Bravo.......we need to think BIG picture. We will discuss all these points at the rulebook meeting. We also need to remember we had some pretty crazy weather this year, and the club did an AWESOME job of making it happen. Some of our best racing comes from the classes we talk about.

I happen to like our current schedule and don't want to cut classes/practice either. Saturday has been running long and that sometimes sucks...but our grids are really strong, most clubs aren't seeing this many bikes/class. Yay MRA!!

Pete mentioned the CVMA schedule, which stayed impressively on time when we joined them. Kudos to that club they are a nice group. Aaron and I noted a couple of things they do differently than us: 1) they run 6 lap sprints, so the entire day is quicker/shorter. 2) they don't break for lunch, and instead rotate cornerworker shifts on track.

There's no way we can skip lunch break, it's for the benefit of race staff and we don't have enough ppl for shifts. And while it was fun to try shorter races, I like our program here. A lot of our racers complain they're not getting their $'s worth with current race distance, so shorter is probably a no-go.

I'm in favor of continuing the current schedule for 2015!

[JimWilson29]

Thank you, Wyeth. It's encouraging to hear positive feedback from a member, especially after experiencing how another club runs things.

[TRK]

Thank you Wyeth!!!

[oldtimer]

Having seen what other clubs are dealing with around the country, I think the MRA is ahead of the game. It's important to remember the various regional roadracing clubs are just groups of amateur racers, and they all have the same issues.

When we were at CVMA they talked about club problems in the riders meeting, and asked their members to help. Same as here. Keep up the good work guys!

[rybo]

Having seen what other clubs are dealing with around the country, I think the MRA is ahead of the game. It's important to remember the various regional roadracing clubs are just groups of amateur racers, and they all have the same issues.

When we were at CVMA they talked about club problems in the riders meeting, and asked their members to help. Same as here. Keep up the good work guys!

This post needs a "like" button so that I may click it.

[JimWilson29]

7.1 General Procedures

Current:
B. Riders pre-grid at the track entrance. Riders who fail to take their assigned position at pre-grid may be required to start the race from behind the last row of gridded riders, or from pit road once the remaining motorcyclists have passed, at the discretion of officials. The Pre-grid Marshal will signal the riders onto the track to proceed to the starting grid, or take additional hot laps as the Pre-grid Marshal may direct.

Proposed:
B. Riders pre-grid at the track entrance. Riders who fail to take their assigned position at pre-grid, or are not listed on the grid, may be required to start the race from behind the last row of gridded riders, or from pit road once the remaining motorcyclists have passed, at the discretion of officials. The Pre-grid Marshal will signal the riders onto the track to proceed to the starting grid, or take additional hot laps as the Pre-grid Marshal may direct.

Current:
E. The start shall be a full-stop start. Riders are not properly staged at the green flag/start light will be assessed a stop and go penalty on pit road. A rider is considered staged if the front axle is behind but no more than "18" behind the designated row line and the front wheel is at a complete stop.

Proposed:
E. The start shall be a full-stop start. Riders are not properly staged at the green flag/start light, or staged in the wrong position, will be assessed a stop and go penalty on pit road. A rider is considered staged if the front axle is behind but no more than "18" behind the designated row line and the front wheel is at a complete stop.

7.2 Points Procedures

Current:
F. The pole position rider can choose to swap with the outside position of the front row.

Proposed:
F. The pole position rider can choose to swap with the outside position of the front row. This includes the restart of a red-flagged race.

12.3 Procedures and Policies

Current:

U. The VP of Rules and Tech will make the decision regarding any protest.
V. The VP of Rules and Tech will make a decision regarding the penalty to be levied. In the event of an upheld protest, penalties will be assessed in accordance with Section 13.

Proposed:
U. The VP of Rules and Tech will make the decision regarding any protest. If the VP of Rules and Tech is unavailable to make the decision, the MRA Board will make the decision.
V. The VP of Rules and Tech will make a decision regarding the penalty to be levied. If the VP of Rules and Tech is unavailable to make the decision, the MRA Board will make the decision.
In the event of an upheld protest, penalties will be assessed in accordance with Section 13.

3.3 Refund Policies

Current:

A. If the racer applies for a refund prior to Midnight on Friday for a Saturday Race, or prior to the track "going cold" on Saturday for a Sunday race, a racer can receive 100% of class entry fee(s) paid in excess of $35, which is retained as an administrative fee. Each time a racer cancels races in any given weekend, they will be assessed a $35 administrative fee. If you come in once and cancel all your races-there is one administrative fee. If you come in twice to cancel-you will be charged two administrative fees. If yo come in three times, you will be charged three administrative fees.

Proposed:

A. If the racer applies for a refund prior to Midnight on Friday for a Saturday Race, or prior to the track "going cold" on Saturday for a Sunday race, a racer can receive 100% of class entry fee(s) paid in excess of $35, which is retained as an administrative fee. Applying for a refund must be done either in person or via email/written notification. Phone calls will not be accepted. Each time a racer cancels races in any given weekend, they will be assessed a $35 administrative fee. If you come in once and cancel all your races-there is one administrative fee. If you come in twice to cancel-you will be charged two administrative fees. If yo come in three times, you will be charged three administrative fees.

Current:
E. If the racer does not show for a race day, that racer may forfeit all entry fees for that race day if the rider does not cancel by Friday at midnight of the race event weekend by contacting a current MRA Board Member.

Proposed:
E. If the racer does not show for a race day, that racer may forfeit all entry fees for that race day if the rider does not cancel by Friday at midnight of the race event weekend by contacting a current MRA Board Member in person or via email/written notification. Phone calls will not be accepted.

[JimWilson29]

5.2.2 Technical Requirements for Novice, Amateur, and Expert Competition Motorcycles

Current:

R. Transponders must be securely mounted on the front fork between the upper
and lower triple clamps and must not interfere with lock to lock motion of
the steering nor bind on any controls or wiring. Approval of any variances of
mounting location lies with the VP of Rules and Tech.

Proposed:
R. An AMB Tran X 260, or current 260km/h equivelant, Transponder is required and must be securely mounted on the front fork between the upper and lower triple clamps and must not interfere with lock to lock motion of the steering nor bind on any controls or wiring. Approval of any variances of mounting location lies with the VP of Rules and Tech. Failure to have a transponder mounted to the motorcycle at the start of a race may result in
forfeiture of points scored for that race.

[JimWilson29]

Section 9 - RACER CONDUCT

Current:
B. The use of intoxicants or drugs of any nature (to include marijuana) that could
affect the mental or physical abilities of any participant from his/her normal
capabilities when in good mental and physical health are strictly prohibited.
Failure to comply will result in punitive action up to a $1000 fine and a
permanent suspension. All Federally illegal drugs (to include marijuana) are
prohibited from being used or possessed at an MRA event at any time.

Proposed:

B. The use of intoxicants or drugs of any nature (to include marijuana) that could

affect the mental or physical abilities of any participant from his/her normal

capabilities when in good mental and physical health are strictly prohibited. This
includes the admission of being impaired, while on the track, during or after the
race weekend. Failure to comply will result in punitive action up to a $1000 fine and
a permanent suspension. All Federally illegal drugs (to include marijuana) are prohibited
from being used or possessed at an MRA event at any time.

Current:
F. Physical violence or abuse of any other person to include MRA officials within
the boundaries of the racetrack facility will result in immediate suspension, a
fine, and possible prosecution through local law enforcement agencies.

Proposed:
F. Physical violence or abuse of any other person to include MRA officials and staff within
the boundaries of the racetrack facility will result in immediate suspension, a
fine, and possible prosecution through local law enforcement agencies.

[bjackson]

Allow rear shocks of unlimited origin on production cup bikes.

Rational: This would align us with other organizations running production cup.

This rule was already added in 2015. Aftermarket rear shocks are now allowed in Production classes...

[WolFeYeZ]

This rule was already added in 2015. Aftermarket rear shocks are now allowed in Production classes...

I think you discovered last year's rulebook suggestion post bjackson :P