Junior Road Racing needs to be more attractive

[White trash]

13 years he can make the decision to road race on a Moto 3 style bike, MX race or join the royal NZ ballet

I had a mate that was a member of the Royal NZ Ballet. LIttle bastard had hot chicks waiting for him in every fricken international city they travelled to.

[oyster]

And coaching is not important just for the safety and welfare of new inductions. In recent years good coaching relationships have put many teenagers on the top spot, winning New Zealand championships
Sam Smith coached by Dave Cole, Hugh Anderson
Karl Morgan, by John Connor, Brian Bernard, Ray Clee
Alistair Hoogenboezem, by Steve Ward
Johnny Small, by Johnny Hepburn
Cam Jones, by Steve Ward, Dom Jones
Tim Mc Arthur and Jake lewis, by Kev Goddard

Not to mention a heap of other high acheivers and club riders helped out by the likes of Dennis Charlett, Merv Orford, Hamish Laing, Shaun Harris, Jamie and Wes Rajek, Steve Bagshaw, Grant Ramage, John Ross, Andy Evans, Graeme Billington. Too many to remember actually, especially here in Canterbury. Probably quite a few up north too.

A year or two back I was unpacking a trailer load of bikes at Levels when a van pulled up. Out popped Glen Sneesby, who I'd been coaching since he was 11.
He said straight away. "Hi Pete, what can I do to help with coaching today? I'm all set to go." And he did an outstanding job all day, and even tho he still at school, he didn't accept any payment from me for his expenses.
As they say "Feed a man a fish, he's fed for a day, teach him how to fish, he's fed for a lifetime..."

They are the heros of our sport! Please respect them!

[FROSTY:Me]

Consider this.

An average family has a couple of youngsters.

A boy aged 11 who has a little RG 50,
his dad has prepped it up to MNZ RR rules for Young Junior Road Race. They've bought his riding gear and MNZ licence. He has very little experience in riding all all,
but idolises Valentino Rossi

His big sister is 14 and same again, except she has an RG 150 and her hero is Avalon Biddle

So they contact their local club running road racing and get the entry form for their club event, looking forward to getting underway. Just where in new Zealand will they be welcolmed, safely cared for and appreciated? Will they get the requisite training stipulated in MNZ rules?
22-12-2 2
"Where the rider does not have a current driving licence, that rider shall receive motorcycle riding lessons and a minimum of one day's full coaching of road racing with an approved (MNZ qualified) coach prior to racing"

Avalon Biddle travelled to Christchurch to get this as did Dam Mettam and many other North Island youngsters

Would the hypethetical brother and sister I describe above get what they need anywhere else in NZ
And if the can't get it, why not?

Oyster In dauckland you have hit nail firmly on the head.
Lets talk "real" tracks for a moment. Pukiehole- an hour out of auckland. $3000 a day to hire. Hampton downs 1.5 hours out and $4500 plus to hire.
Ok then Wellington-- Nearest track -Minefeild -1.5/2 hours out
Tauranga -nearest track -1.5 hours away.
I know you feel this is "excuses excuses" but we just don't have the ready access to tracks like you do at ruapuna.
Which is why before I became involved in this 7 day a week buisiness I was talking to you so much about F5 and F4.
"Bucket" tracks ARE available -In dauckland theres mt wellington. In wellington theres from memory 2 tracks slipway and ????
In tauranga I thought there was a kart track that had been bought back to life.
So litle johhny has his RG/tzr/nzr 50 or maybee even his drz110/PW80/
His big sister has a cbr125/yzf125/suzuki 150.
Break the "bucket" mentality and you have a full on feeder race class -the kid goes from a 50 to an 80 maybee to a 125/150 then with some racecraft under their belt can move if they choose to a 250 prolite or if on a smaller budget a 150ss
Then its also feasable to organise training afternoons/days for these kids. Its then dooable like it is/was for you at ruapuna.

[FROSTY:Me]

entrants for the AMCC series and your starting to make progress,Sure its not even close to the accomplishments at MCC but its a fucking good start,Oh and which club instigated all this,Thats right NONE.

Again Billy I get you being pissed off with not being listened to.
I felt the exact same way regarding track days.
When I was floating the idea of trackdays being a great way to bridge the gap between racing and road riding the then management of AMCC were downright scathing. I went ahead anyway and others followed a year or so later using the same formula of trackdays run like race meetings.(and in fairness did a better job)
NOW 7 years later the very people who were at the very first KB trackdays are running full on AMCC trackdays/training days.
Your efforts with the 250 class might have been just the match needed to create the jugernaught we knew in the heyday of the 250 proddy days.

[Kickaha]

Break the "bucket" mentality .

The only Bucket mentality is held by those who don't race them and can't get over what they were 15-20+ years ago

However it is a proper Formula class with it's own club championships and even NZ titles and even when I raced my first meetings 15 years or so ago it was a very competitive class

[gixerracer]

The only Bucket mentality is held by those who don't race them and can't get over what they were 15-20+ years ago

However it is a proper Formula class with it's own club championships and even NZ titles and even when I raced my first meetings 15 years or so ago it was a very competitive class

If I never went bucket racing I can guarantee I would not have gone road racing. I taught me the basics of racing on tarmac and how to be aggressive, I may have had that from the start from my MX days but you would have to ask my fellow competitors

[Shaun]

If I never went bucket racing I can guarantee I would not have gone road racing. I taught me the basics of racing on tarmac and how to be aggressive, I may have had that from the start from my MX days but you would have to ask my fellow competitors

I did, and they all say you were and are a Prick

[cowpoos]

I did, and they all say you were and are a Prick

and he ate their lunch!

[FROSTY:Me]

The only Bucket mentality is held by those who don't race them and can't get over what they were 15-20+ years ago

However it is a proper Formula class with it's own club championships and even NZ titles and even when I raced my first meetings 15 years or so ago it was a very competitive class

There is a general association with the word bucket in the racing fraternity.
They are as you say a formula class so should be refered to as such. F4 and F5
thus disconnecting the association with 15 years ago.

[Kickaha]

There is a general association with the word bucket in the racing fraternity.
They are as you say a formula class so should be refered to as such. F4 and F5
thus disconnecting the association with 15 years ago.

There is only a general association in the racing fraternity with the word bucket being used as a negative by the truly ignorant

I don't ever believe they should be referred to as F4/F5 alone as they have a class history as Buckets which is probably longer than any other class currently racing except for maybe the Sidecars

[Shaun]

There is only a general association in the racing fraternity with the word bucket being used as a negative by the truly ignorant

I don't ever believe they should be referred to as F4/F5 alone as they have a class history as Buckets which is probably longer than any other class currently racing except for maybe the Sidecars

Trendy snob

[slowpoke]

Again Billy I get you being pissed off with not being listened to.

Not at you Billy, but the following is more for those passionate people (me included) who get dispirited and shat off when the ducks refuse to refuse to line up, the cats refuse to be herded, and the jelly won't stay nailed to the ceiling:

1. Everyone has their different opinions and everyone thinks they're right. Stay open minded, things aren't always as they seem.
2. Everyone's priorities are different, and saying someone elses priorities are wrong doesn't necessarily make it so.
3. Everyone has their own ideas of how to improve the sport and quite often they are all absolutely right, (see 1 and 2 above)
4. Trying to get someone who is already overwhelmed/pissed off/broke to listen, let alone act is a big ask, but is ultimately better achieved with the aid of sugar rather than salt.
5. People try to win too many arguments instead of agreeing to disagree.
6. This isn't life and death, it's sport. It's supposed to be fun, both on and off the track. Enjoy yourselves, goddamnit!

Not meaning to be patronisng with the above, I'm as guilty as anybody with not following my own advice. Thank fuck for an understanding doctor and a medicinal alcohol prescription.

[slowpoke]

bloody sausage fingers = double post

[Shaun]

This thread was started by a genuine man wanting to help or sport and it;s future, and there has been some healthy things said so far, DO NOT STOP posting folks, it is all being watched from above and WILL help the future given time

[oyster]

I hear what you're saying Frosty about track access and cost. But I'm sorry to say this is one of one of the common northern myths about why we can do it here and you guys can't up there. Apart from a few twilight training sessions in summer (and yep, you guys don't get twilight) 90% of junior development is done thru bone fide classes within regular race meetings. Same opportunity as any big or small circuit meeting around NZ. Better still we have (for many years) used the inevitable time gaps during meetings that are paid for, are covered by first aid, stewardship and a permit. These are the little "gaps" ideal for training of the brand new and very young riders. The beauty of this too is the ready availability bikes and coaches to go out with them. This is how it's been done down here for many many years. And it works.
More crucially, having these newcomers and very young riders at a regular meeting
gives them a sense of inclusion, and ambition to press on to the top. Ditto for having Streetstock at the Nationals. The excitement and motivation these young ones derived from being involved in the championship meetings is one of the big drivers of their own future championship ambitions. Look at the stats, it's a well
proven connection. Then look at the clubs whose support classes at nats are a parade of old guys riding old bikes. These clubs produce very little, if any youth at national level.