GP 2012-2013; bringing it back north

[Bert]

There has been a few off forum discussions regarding the next GP and the situation with the new MNZ licences; and its potential impact on clubs willing to run the event.

I thought it timely to at least start a thread to stimulate people views on the topic (and/or time to plan the event).
Personally I'd be guttered if it is not run this summer (north or south); I enjoyed attending the events and meeting new faces.


So here's some questions to get things started:

• I assume the old rules apply that the club that held the last event gets first rights to the next?
• If so is PMCC going to hold the event? (If not then we need to get something sorted before all the clubs get tied up with Nationals).
• Is the issue with requiring the full National licence going to put people off attending?
• Given the successful nature of the event over previous years (and class for that matter); what support would MNZ offer up?
• While it was fun being part of nationals last year (last round last year); is this the only option?

Lastly; Poor F5, flagged last year, travesty. Are there the numbers to sort this out???
if not (which would be a shocker) then maybe there is an opportunity for a b-grade (like pre 2000)...

I'm happy to try and find some time to help make it happen and I'm sure others are as well.

and the other point of the thread..... the trophy is in the south island; its just not right....


Proactive discussion not belligerent rubbish would be great.

[crazy man]

first thing ..paying $200 for a MNZ licence would put me off going if the licence hits that high

[Dutchee]

There has been a few off forum discussions regarding the next GP and the situation with the new MNZ licences; and its potential impact on clubs willing to run the event.

I thought it timely to at least start a thread to stimulate people views on the topic (and/or time to plan the event).
Personally I'd be guttered if it is not run this summer (north or south); I enjoyed attending the events and meeting new faces.


So here's some questions to get things started:

• I assume the old rules apply that the club that held the last event gets first rights to the next?
• If so is PMCC going to hold the event? (If not then we need to get something sorted before all the clubs get tied up with Nationals).
• Is the issue with requiring the full National licence going to put people off attending?
• Given the successful nature of the event over previous years (and class for that matter); what support would MNZ offer up?
• While it was fun being part of nationals last year (last round last year); is this the only option?

Lastly; Poor F5, flagged last year, travesty. Are there the numbers to sort this out???
if not (which would be a shocker) then maybe there is an opportunity for a b-grade (like pre 2000)...

I'm happy to try and find some time to help make it happen and I'm sure others are as well.

and the other point of the thread..... the trophy is in the south island; its just not right....


Proactive discussion not belligerent rubbish would be great.

I think we have more than six riders at our meets up here these days in F5. we're having lots of fun, and there's a couple down south, so we should be able to get enough riders, so long as the fees aren't too up there and we're guaranteed to start.

I have a club licence and if I need a national one, I'm out. I'd rather just go to the North Island rounds and have a damned good time with cheaper track fees, but higher booze fees.

we run F5 with C grade, as there's not really enough riders to run C grade, so that could be an option, put slower riders in with us and we have to keep in mind we're on less powerful bikes (most of us) and get them in the corners, as on the straights they're gone.

[richban]

I will go wherever the GP is. Its been bloody great the last 4 times I have been. The numbers are always high despite the cost of some of the events. It has got to be a winner for a club to have 50 bikes in one class. And it is in the hands of the Southerners, but word on the street is Nick has moved to Auckland. hehe.

Anyway my pick is always Taupo B but whatever. Its cool how its just one race and it has so much drama every year.

Is there a way of creating a single event with support classes so as the track time is maxed. Last time I looked at track costs buckets would pay for the track, support classes would need to cover the rest of the running cost. That's based on 50 buckets at Taupo. Ruapuna B could be heaps cheaper.

[Henk]

been invloved in some off forum discusions on the same topic.
Consensus seems to be

National licence for one event will kill it for a lot of people
F5 although we have the numbers up here (Thought about running it at Mt Welly for shits and giggles) licence would again kill it for most
F5 got canned through lack of available track time this year, hell of a risk to take mailing in a cheque if you aren't doing it as a cross entry

The guys in with a chance of winning it will probably go anyway, the also rans like me will probably stay home, if iy runs with another meeting I think you'll probably get about 20 entries, the maxed out grids of the last couple of years may be a thing of the past unless the licence structure changes.

[F5 Dave]

I. . ., but word on the street is Nick has moved to Auckland. hehe.

. . .

Funny you should say that, I was talking to him this afternoon at Keith's send off & he said he didn't have a bike up here, but thought Mt wgtn would be good to try. Sounds like a good shoe in for a 2 hr partner if someone was enterprising they could ring him at Topmaq with enough time to get his leathers up from chch.

Ironic about the club license thing & how it affects the GP, btu I will always do them as long as they aren't too far away (Auckland would have to be a deal breaker these days despite I've done maybe 1/2 doz up there, maybe it was only 4 or 5).

Taupo is ideal, but back cct Manfield would be good.

Go the 50s, but I would say that wouldn't I?

[Grumph]

There are some answers....Down here in the South buckets have a very good working relationship with both CAMS and BEARS clubs and run as a support class at their meetings - on club licence. Where buckets are run on street circuits of course it's full licence...

I'd suggest first ask Billy if the GP title HAS to be run as part of a National round - personally, I'd doubt it.
Then establish a relationship with a club which runs club days on taupo or whichever track is deemed suitable for the GP...Most if not all clubs will welcome extra revenue to help pay for track hire etc...cynical but true.

Done right, you could have your existing series on Kart tracks and another on the big tracks - which would include the GP.

[Bert]

I'd suggest first ask Billy if the GP title HAS to be run as part of a National round - personally, I'd doubt it.

No it doesn't need to be run as part of Nationals; that's just how it turned out this year.

Which was great fun but a few commented at the time regarding the cost....


I'm not trying to start a shit storm; I'm just trying to flush out the issues and make sure this event happens somewhere over summer.


I agree that Taupo is the best facility that I'm been to for a GP (and when part of the TSS it was a hoot). however Ruapuna B must follow closely as a secondary option..

Licences; you must hold a national licence to hold a national title.
I might be wrong; but it doesn't stop you racing in the event (only holding a club licence)....??... ---> I'll Email Billy on that.
but if ya in to win then National licence is a must...

The different in cost (club-national) is a night on the town (or three; if ya live in the sticks like Palmy) or no Christmas prezs for the kids (they wont thank you anyway)....
Technically it is $50 more than last year for the national licence; if one buys their club licence now for the north island series and the like (put the $50 saving away for later) and saves $10 a pay; one can upgrade early next year to a national licence for the GP (if you chose to do it; else you have the $$ for next year's one).
Its a false economy if you are thinking its a $100 different....
yes its $50 more than last year (and previous years); but if MNZ provides better support all round then its got to be good for the sport....

[richban]

It would be a shame if the event faded out. Especially with the growing numbers of new rides.

If the license thing is a major drag then we could just have a great event and call it the F4 F5 challenge. Main even is GP format. The thing I like is racing on a big track for a change. And also the event brings lots of people out of the woodwork. We do operate in a little sub culture that is good sometimes but bad others. Maybe the GP will need to push further away from the norm. If you won the non official GP you would still be the man or woman to beat. Who else cares except the racers?

Saying all that it would still be nice to have it as public record. Something to show the grandchildren.

[sidwyz]

The different in cost (club-national) is a night on the town (or three; if ya live in the sticks like Palmy) or no Christmas prezs for the kids (they wont thank you anyway)....
Technically it is $50 more than last year for the national licence; if one buys their club licence now for the north island series and the like (put the $50 saving away for later) and saves $10 a pay; one can upgrade early next year to a national licence for the GP (if you chose to do it; else you have the $$ for next year's one).
Its a false economy if you are thinking its a $100 different....
yes its $50 more than last year (and previous years); but if MNZ provides better support all round then its got to be good for the sport....

I had not thought of it like this!!
It is only $50 more,

I haven't renewed my licence yet but will be next week for a club licence (haven't been able to make any races this season yet)

But I am pissed that we have to pay $100 on top of club licence to race 1 race!!
But I will just piss and moan then pay the upgrade if we get a GP up and running.
No choice unless we do Rich's Idea, but I do like my MNZ nationals certificate and trophy to show the kids.

Maybe we could run our own nationals series running alongside other club meets, avoiding NZSBK nationals to keep cost down?

My preference would have to be Taupo track 2 as the last few years except 1, by far my favorite race of the year

I would put my hand up as an entry for F4 / F5 if held in the north island.

Bettter support from MNZ?? not sure we would get ANY benefit from them, so I cant see where the extra $50 would go? any ideas?

[Muzzab]

I took the $50 increase approach to the full licence, rather than seeing it as being $100 dearer than a club licence.
At that stage the only event I needed a full licence for was the Greymouth Street Races.
In fairness I must say that Greymouth is also the only event I don't need to travel to, so in fact even with the $50/$100 extra licence cost is the cheapest weekend for me all year.

Bucket numbers were down at the Greymouth Street Races, I don't really know how much of an impact the licence fee had. I only know of a couple of guys who said they only had a club licence so wouldn't be coming. I could easily name another 10 that usually go that were either at other events, moved away, recently had kids, overseas, retired from racing, or just not been seen racing at all in recent times.
So really hard to tell, general economic factors all part of it as well, the cost of a weekend away racing adds up.

Cheers
Muzza

[richban]

Bettter support from MNZ?? not sure we would get ANY benefit from them, so I cant see where the extra $50 would go? any ideas?

Maybe we could ask for a cash back deal for competitors that compete in the GP only. Or a special one even upgrade cost of 20 to 30 bucks to cover MNZ admin etc. There must be away to get it sorted. The same could be done for other classes that want to give a national event a go. National day license sort of thing only you need to have it in advance. So not a day license really but you know what I mean. The one nat event license could work. You would need to have competed in whatever amount of club events etc.

Any coms to MNZ have to come through a club as I understand.

[jasonu]

yes its $50 more than last year (and previous years); but if MNZ provides better support all round then its got to be good for the sport....

What could the 'better support' from MNZ entail?

[Billy]

No it doesn't need to be run as part of Nationals; that's just how it turned out this year.

Which was great fun but a few commented at the time regarding the cost....


I'm not trying to start a shit storm; I'm just trying to flush out the issues and make sure this event happens somewhere over summer.


I agree that Taupo is the best facility that I'm been to for a GP (and when part of the TSS it was a hoot). however Ruapuna B must follow closely as a secondary option..

Licences; you must hold a national licence to hold a national title.
I might be wrong; but it doesn't stop you racing in the event (only holding a club licence)....??... ---> I'll Email Billy on that.
but if ya in to win then National licence is a must...

The different in cost (club-national) is a night on the town (or three; if ya live in the sticks like Palmy) or no Christmas prezs for the kids (they wont thank you anyway)....
Technically it is $50 more than last year for the national licence; if one buys their club licence now for the north island series and the like (put the $50 saving away for later) and saves $10 a pay; one can upgrade early next year to a national licence for the GP (if you chose to do it; else you have the $$ for next year's one).
Its a false economy if you are thinking its a $100 different....
yes its $50 more than last year (and previous years); but if MNZ provides better support all round then its got to be good for the sport....

The whole licensing thing is really out of my domain and should be taken up with the board or office,

That said,If its a National championship at stake,Then of course you will need a National level licence.$50.00 extra in the grand scheme of things is nothing,It is after all a New Zealand title,Ask Dennis Charlett or Glen Williams or any of the others what theirs cost.

[Dutchee]

The whole licensing thing is really out of my domain and should be taken up with the board or office,

That said,If its a National championship at stake,Then of course you will need a National level licence.$50.00 extra in the grand scheme of things is nothing,It is after all a New Zealand title,Ask Dennis Charlett or Glen Williams or any of the others what theirs cost.

where does $50 come into it? a club licence is $100, a national one is $200. I know I suck at maths, but to me, that's a $100 difference.

Generally these races are about $150 to enter with transponder hire, I think.

for both Henk and myself to race, will cost $500, plus cross entries. That is upgrading the licences and entry fees for one class. spread over a year that's $10 a week, on top of our usual expenses.

that would be our race budget for the year, tyres, track fees etc.
accommodation and fuel doesn't come into it, as that's similar for any away meet. It's being able to justify an extra $440 for a weekend Ai find damned impossible to do.


The first GP I entered, my bike wasn't running right and I barely rode.

My 2nd I did a cross entry and hated F4, so ran one class.
Basically wasted the cross entry fee. F5 had a shorter race than f4 and I left there thinking I had not ridden enough.

I guess I won't be coming, so my argument is invalid. But if Henk talks the bank manager into letting him race, I'll have a book along with me and not feel I've been ripped off.

Dennis Charlett pays the same track fees as anyone else, and licence, unless he gets an Aussie one too. Difference is he races more than one race a year.

I happily buy my club licence, but for one race, an extra $100 is bullshit. I won't race anywhere else, I hate big tracks on buckets and won't race big bikes.