Mind you, after looking at Qual and Race times for Pro-twins at Puke. If I was going race pace I would be in maybe the lower half of the field which isn't bad to start off in.
...I just want to get out there and race ffs!
Whore of the Forumz.
Mind you, after looking at Qual and Race times for Pro-twins at Puke. If I was going race pace I would be in maybe the lower half of the field which isn't bad to start off in.
...I just want to get out there and race ffs!
tripple dip
Mainly running costs, in clubmans of course you can have all the goodies on your bike and spend $30,000 + on the bike to start with if you want but you can also ride a much cheaper bike and forgo the race tyres and warmers and all that stuff. In clubmans you can ride to the track, remove the lights and go for it (as I did to start with) on any reasonable bike (I used a Honda Hornet 900 which is a commuter bike really) I was never in danger of being kicked out into F1 ( the only class the Hornet would be eligible for) Someone with a lot more talent than me could probably get a Hornet to run mid pack in club level F1 but if you are that good you would probably want to have a sports bike. (Any 600 or above would have more power, lighter weight better handling, better brakes etc.) Then you really need to have decent tyres that require warmers, paddock stands, a trailer or van to get it to the track. If you're doing the winter series you will need wets as well cause the race tyres wont work that well ( on you're clubmans bike with good road tyres you can do without wets - if you're carefulOriginally Posted by DidJit
) . I wasn't shy about spending money when racing the Hornet, I got the suspension done, got an Ohlins shock, tyre warmers, paddock stands (which I strapped to the bike to ride to the track
Some other classes will of course be a lot cheaper than F1/F2 but I have no experience with them. Many people recommended I get a pro twin when I said I wanted to preserve my road bike and get a race bike as that would be a good logical step up from clubmans, but of course there is nothing logical about racing a motorcycle anyway so you might as well get a bike that turns you on so you WANT to ride at every opportunity and the 675 was eligible for the most classes
Also there is the pressure of being out on the track with REALLY FAST guy's some people find the idea of Andrew Stroud, or Craig or Choppa or ... (think of almost anyone in F1/F2 in my case) zooming up the inside of you going into Dunlop at 40 or 50 k's faster a bit intimidating, I don't mind, I hold my line, and I know that they know what they are doing ( I does make you realize your place in the cosmos though
There are a number of racers who only want to race clubmans, they are not there to burgle the class and they really enjoy the racing and being part of the scene.
I guess the point of this whole rave is that I think clubmans is a valid class for a number of different types of racers, those on their way up, those on their way down, and anyone who wants to be part of the race scene and just have fun racing - even though it is not as intense as F1/F2 etc. it IS racing and way better than a track day !!!
"You never understood that it ain't no good, you shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you" - Bob Dylan
#3
*Cough* Peter Tanner and Andrew (Grizz) at Nats a few years back *Cough* LOL
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gee wizzz
Ya see for me I always saw clubmans as being the next step for someone who had done a few trackdays and wanted to give racing a try (at club level). Rock up with the bike in race legal nick and your gear all legal then get a day licence and go out and race.
Correct me if I'm wrong but clubmans at the nats was ONLY created as a class because someone felt sorry for all the guys who (for example) travelled all the way to invergiggle from dauckland and diddn't make the 115% in their class.
Darn long way to travel to not even get to turn a wheel in your respective class.
The question I would ask (at national level) is If there arent FULL grids in a class then why bother with the 115% rule?
If its a case of the grid is overloaded then why not split the class into a and B grade ?
To see a life newly created.To watch it grow and prosper. Isn't that the greatest gift a human being can be given?
Fair weather rider
Racing at Manfeild in Clubmans today, 13's and 14's, FUCK OFF
Forum whore
And the red head guy on the Ducati in the late 80's early 90's.
Used to win by a mile, what a champ...
Fully qualified Sifter.
Fixed it for ya.
Fair weather rider
As a general rule of thumb, to be say mid pack, at your average clubmans race meeting, which "trackday" groups would the majority of people be in normally before taking the next step to be in a proper race meeting. I have seen more than a few guys in group 3/medium-fast cut some pretty quick laps on a wide variety of machinery. Could i be led to believe it doesnt really matter that you dont necessarily have to be in groups 1 or 2 to be there or there abouts mid pack at a clubamans race?
Forum whore
Yeah but that's older guys who have come up through trackdays and are dabbling with racing... they're quick and they've got quick bikes but they've got close to zero racing chops and no experience of what to do when it goes pear shaped... it's a puzzle.
Hardcore Biker
Thank you both for two very good replies.
Hardcore Biker
They should be moved into their respective class rather than Clubmans. You learn race craft, racing against similar paced competitors. Lapping half the field and finishing way out in front isn't going to teach you squat!
#24 1989 Honda NC30
Fair weather rider
Its a tough one for me always as I am in the middle of them. I knew I had the confidence to race in F2 on my road bike and would prefer to be out there with F2. And I know thats where I should be but I wasnt fast enough to tack on the back of the pack so...After a few races racing by myself at the back of F2 with no one around and not having anyone to try and follow that was just that crucial second or two faster than me it takes the fun out of racing. Even more so when you see the lap times of the clubbies and there are 10 guys have a ball battling each other all doing your pace mostly old thous and all manner of contraptions, less restrictions on bike specs equals more numbers.
So what Im saying frosty and anyone else is I used to watch the classes on the day.Know your lap times and what your capable of and jump in what ever class that has the most guys running your pace. Hell a couple of days I did both classes and got shit loads of track time on a RACE DAY!!! imagine that!
In writing this post thinking out loud
Why dont we flag all this F1 F2 F3 F4 crap and have a series where grids are made up by qualifing times not by what sort of bike you ride???
I know tards and 125s handle differently than 600s or thous but i think it would make for spectacle and a half!!
I would of loved to dice with the F3 guys on my F2 road bike as my times were about the same as the pointy end of F3 and race with 30 guys in F3 or race with 1 or 2 guys at the back of F2
Moped rider
What you just described is how the PMCC Class works...definatly the way to go I think.
Fair weather rider
Oh shit really!!? haha I didnt know that, thats awesome thats the so called summer series at Taupo right??
L-Plate Rider
Its been a long time since i posted on this site but here goes. i was the person who did a 1.13 yesterday in clubmans which was my personal best by quite a bit. Heres the story. My bike has just undergone extensive engine work and i didnt pick it up until Thursday night after a dyno tune. Bike was throwing out a lot of fault codes and was far from sorted. I took the sensible option and informed VMCC my intentions of running the bike in what i saw as a safer option than going into F1. My race experience is 2 other clubmans events last year, thats 3 races. VMCC had no problem but in saying that if they knew i was going to do a 1.13 things may have been different. I am pushing 50 and only intended doing the saturday which is what i did. I never lapped anyone yesterday in my 2 races so no problems with fly bys there. As it turned out the bike was pretty fucking good and after disconnecting the ignition module the fault codes cleared !!. I intended just circulating and giving the engine some running in time. My competitive nature got the better of me as a guy on a 600 was running pretty hot. Well the rest is history. I see he was back on Sunday and cleaned up. His times were slower than yesterday ( 1.14 yesterday ) as he was way out in front. Wonder what he will do next round.
I may do F1 in the future if i can gather the balls. Then again im not getting any younger and think im stuck in no mans land. Not a big fan of F1 ,F2 etc and reckon it should be grouped on times wether your on a thousand or 600. At the end of the day most racers want to mix it up with people doing similar times. Thats how you improve. Maybe there should be 2 clubmans classes depending on times, i dont know.
I still think i made the safest decision yesterday by running in the clubmans. It is not a competition class so its not like i was trying to burgle anything.
Hope this clears a few things up.
My thoughts are with the Brehaut family. Was unfortunate to witness the whole thing. Bloody tragic and all our thoughts should be with them. cheers
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