Organising an Endurance event - fuck off if you're going throw stones...

[lostinflyz]

hehe sounds fun.

Bikes would be a trouble though as all race bikes have no lights, pretty much. Plus closing distances with speed differential would be almost impossible to judge at night if you had much difference.

In some euro endurance car races they have a group qaulification rules. Basically all pilots have to set a qaulifying time and the best combination is your qaulification time, but also no driver can be outside something like 20-25% of the fastest time, and less than 10-15% off class leading times.

Anyway would be a mint day/weekend. if i could find a bike id be in

[sidecar bob]

Id be a starter.
I would do it on an aincent BMW R100rs if it would fit the classes avaliable.

[Biggles08]

Finally, the most logical suggestion about skill levels and bikes is to provide a 150% ruling – that is, to qualify for the event, you can be no more than 150% of the fastest bike’s time. Clearly, that is still a massive speed differential, so common sense will need to prevail. All people running will need to have attended a track day at the course, and a day licence type system is envisioned. This is possibly the most complex part of the proposal, so any suggestions on how to make this work will be appreciated.

Hey Madbikeboy, I like your enthusiasm and your general idea but realistically if it were to run as you are proposing it is a big accident waiting to happen (and I doubt MNZ would have a bar of it).

A few ideas to make it safer:
1) don't run it into the night or low light as doing big speeds at night with only headlights and massive speed variances between bikes is super dangerous. If there was a track with flood lighting then it may be viable but imagine if there was an accident way out the back of the track and the bikes headlight was take out...no one could see them, no one could see the flags (i guess different colored lights could be used instead) and if the rider was injured ow could you tell?
2) reduce the margin of speed difference to within 115% of the fastest qualifier (as it is with normal racing) to minimize a fatal collision...it happens in the day time so I for one would not like to be on a racetrack where the speed difference is 150%...and at night!
3) even though you intention is for a 'carnival' feel you need to realize it still is a race and people will want to win no matter how much you tell them to be careful...racing is a dangerous sport and I think there needs to be a minimum requirement for contestants to have a MNZ race license with three recent stamps in their logbooks to ensure other riders safety is not compromised.

Like I said, its a great idea and if it was put together with safety as your prime concern, I would be interested to enter.

Biggles

[schrodingers cat]

Supply each bike (or make them buy) with 2 LED bicycle lights to fit fnt and rear. Have different flashing patterns per class. That way at night you know how fast/slow the other bike you're looking at is.

Some solid thinking so far - good luck!

[scracha]

1) don't run it into the night or low light as doing big speeds at night with only headlights and massive speed variances between bikes is super dangerous. If there was a track with flood lighting then it may be viable but imagine if there was an accident way out the back of the track and the bikes headlight was take out...no one could see them, no one could see the flags (i guess different colored lights could be used instead) and if the rider was injured ow could you tell?

Sorry Biggles, but if it's gonna be done, it should be done properly. You wanna attract top riders? 24 hours I say. We race in $hit light at the VMCC so what's the difference. Your eyes do adapt. Perhaps 2 x 20 minute rider change/tyre/safety check when the sunstrike is at its worst?
http://www.race24.com/

2) reduce the margin of speed difference to within 115% of the fastest qualifier (as it is with normal racing) to minimize a fatal collision...it happens in the day time so I for one would not like to be on a racetrack where the speed difference is 150%...and at night!

115% of guys like Stroudy, Chopper and Shirrifs will mean there'll be a handful of bikes out there.

> 600cc limit and 3 recent stamps on the MNZ license would be sensible.
[/QUOTE]

Additional LED lights (working "normal" front and rear lights would be obligitory) are a great idea. Might suggest simply a different colour LED instead of flashing as it'll be too distracting otherwise. Reflective stickers on helmets and boots compulsory. Aside from reflective vests, how about night sticks for flaggies?

A pace car would also be essential.

[sidecar bob]

Supply each bike (or make them buy) with 2 LED bicycle lights to fit fnt and rear. Have different flashing patterns per class. That way at night you know how fast/slow the other bike you're looking at is.

Some solid thinking so far - good luck!

Great idea, maybe different colours for different classes & reflector tape on front, rear, left right & top & bottom of bike.

[steveyb]

Get on board with the Taupo Road Race Spectacular guys and gals to give them another body helping with the workload.
You will learn heaps about a really good event and maybe you can then become part of that team and slowly expand the Endurance race there without reinventing the wheel or even expand it to a small endurance series?
Have a good look around and at the history.
In recent history Endurance racing in NZ has been very poorly supported, no matter what the armchair champions on here say.
Does not mean it can't be done, but starting off with something that is already working would be smarter than trying to start off something new.

[cowpoos]

The sunset issue is still a problem – sunstrike may call for a 30 / 45 minute break in the middle of the event (Frosty, minds thinking alike).

Your taking the piss right??? seriously...if someone is objecting because of sunstrike...they will have excuses for not entering aswell...sunstrike is not...and is not...and is not an issuse!!

Riding in the dark at high speeds would be much much more of an issuse....but still no excuse for not entering.

[t3mp0r4ry nzr]

keen. the longer the better. let natural selection sort out the race result. but where would the marshalls shit?

[paulmac:Me]

I can get a team. Mainly harleys tho. Most have race experience but no mnz licences. And we like to party !!

[Grumph]

I'm not familiar with the resource consent regs for most of the NI circuits but I'd love to know which has consent for racing after dusk...

Teretonga could be a real possibility - run it on the longest day & you probably wouldn't need lights

[vtec]

Just got a message from The Guzzi Widow, and sounds like they aren't holding their endurance race this year. This would be a great replacement.

6 hours is pretty nuts, but would be awesome would need 2 sets of tyres. I'd settle for the usual 3 hour endurance with 2 man teams. but 6 hours would be kick ass. Also, as others have mentioned, running motorbikes on the circuits into the night I don't believe will work. As others have said, depth perception and speed judgement turn to custard with fading light, and as others have mentioned it will be difficult to get lights onto all the race bikes.

I'm pumped for it though. Endurance racing is my specialty.

[Kickaha]

6 hours is pretty nuts, but would be awesome would need 2 sets of tyres. I'd settle for the usual 3 hour endurance with 2 man teams. but 6 hours would be kick ass.

6 hours used to be the standard, they were run at Manfield until the late eighties

[satchriossi]

I think a daytime event would be better and i like the idea of a 6 hour race. I would've thought the night racing idea would exclude alot of established club racers who wouldn't be able to enter their racebikes without trying to suss out a totally reliable lighting system to wire up and mount in their race fairings. My machine only has wiring for the charging and ignition systems for example. Though of course if someone really wanted to compete in a night race they'd do what needed to be done to make their bike fit for event and i'm sure many riders would be keen.

More endurance racing in NZ would be great - i hope this plan takes off, i spectated at the last BADD 3 hour and thought the whole day was mightily cool. I also thought it was mint how many top riders entered. Having a double World Superbike champion in the race was a bonus too!

[steveyb]

I'm pumped for it though. Endurance racing is my specialty.

No, Jason, you are just 'special'.
And anyway, Endurance? That's not what your missus told me....... (an oldie I know...)