Nats round 1

[slowpoke]

I've gotta agree with the above sentiments. Even for a nobody heading down for Clubman's the Ruapuna round rocks, not just 'cos it's a great track but because the crew do a great job of actually making it feel like something special, something more than just a club meeting.

[CHOPPA]

IM looking forward to see all you high flyers show us how its done

And your personal insults show that the leadership required is highly unlikely to come from you sunshine

Billy has a better way with words but frankly I dont think you deserve it. Your remarks are personal insults to all concerned and your obviously just trolling as the NZSBK championship is in the best state it has been in the last decade with the depth of talent in the field, the management and the show. In comparison to our population it is every bit as good as the ASBK championship and any other national championship from around the world.

You could bring any rider from around the world into our championship and they would have their work cut out for them

If someone could tell me how I could possibly do a better job than I am doing I would welcome their input (posting on KB hasnt done me any favours lately)

[scrivy]

If someone could tell me how I could possibly do a better job than I am doing I would welcome their input (posting on KB hasnt done me any favours lately)

Get a haircut.........

[scrivy]

If someone could tell me how I could possibly do a better job than I am doing I would welcome their input (posting on KB hasnt done me any favours lately)

More umbrella girls......

[gammaguy]

Billy has a better way with words but frankly I dont think you deserve it. Your remarks are personal insults to all concerned and your obviously just trolling as the NZSBK championship is in the best state it has been in the last decade with the depth of talent in the field, the management and the show. In comparison to our population it is every bit as good as the ASBK championship and any other national championship from around the world.

You could bring any rider from around the world into our championship and they would have their work cut out for them

If someone could tell me how I could possibly do a better job than I am doing I would welcome their input (posting on KB hasnt done me any favours lately)

The talent and hard work has never been in question

Now it needs a PROFESSIONAL promoter to convince the public,sponsors and even date I say TV that it is really worth investing time and money in.

I was involved in road racing from the early eighties and can remember when it really was something special.

If anyone who loves the sport as much as I do wants to see anything like that again,a lot of hard work is needed and it starts from the ground up.

If everyone is happy with a club day atmosphere,then as you were........I suspect not as that won't pay the bills for ever will it

[tail_end_charlie]

More umbrella girls......

Exactly!

Well, not in that I just want to go and oogle the brellie girls, but have them there sorta give the meet an air of seriousness, makes it more than just a club meet.

I'm very much new to the whole road racing scene, so keep that in mind with what I say. The last round of the Nationals this year was held at Taupo, and that was the first "big" bike race I had been to in NZ. I say that in quotes, because it didn't really look any different from a club meet to me as an outsider. Granted, I knew the big names of the road racing scene were there, and the weather was kinda shitty in the morning, but it never really struck me as anything more than a big club meeting. I'm not saying that the organization was lax or shoddy or anything like that, it just didn't seem to be really presented as a big deal. I was expecting to see vendors booths set up selling merchandise, umbrella girls, and maybe some sort of scene on the grid..........you know, like WSBK or MotoGP or BSB or AMA. But no, everyone just sorta went out onto the dummy gird at the last minute, did the warm-up lap, and lined up on the grid before being let loose.

I was there with two of my flatmates, one of which didn't really know much about racing other than what she had watched with me on WSBK. She enjoyed it, but commented on how it wasn't quite what she expected. I had made a big deal about how it would be the last meet of Nationals, and that there was still a fight to win the championship, and how this meet would crown the National champion, blah blah blah. And we did see some good racing, fun to watch, but you sorta looked around and said to yourself "Is this it?"

Now I know that to try and schedule all the racing that needs to happen is difficult, and adding a grid sit (or whatever you call it) would just make things more difficult, but I think it would add something to the 'spectical' of the racing. Make the Nationals meet different from the club meets. And maybe do more for those who can't tell the difference between superbikes and 250 proddies. You know that you will get the motorcycle enthusists there by just having a meet, but to make it into something more, your going to have to cater a bit more to those who arn't necessarily into bikes, but want to go out and see something cool. Setting up a vendor space, keeping the pits area tidy and professional looking, making sure there is plenty of food available (and bathrooms), an information booth for spectators, some sort of podium ceremony, games and bouncy castles for the kids to play in with mum while dad watches the racing, ect ect.

(Oh yeah, and somewhere out of the way, preferably locked up where you can corral the scruffy as, ass-grabing, foul-mouthed and slightly eccentric sidecar racers, don't want the spectators to see/hear them.)

Now in saying all that, keep in mind that I'm not trying to critisize the job that anyone has done with the organization of the meeting. It seemed to me as a spectator to run pretty good. I'm just saying that I think there can be a lot more done to make it more interesting and more fun to a wider range of poeple, and get more publicity, and get more sponsership, and get more international racers, and make it even more competative, which brings in a bigger audience....................

[SWERVE]

Some very valid points there mate. And you are not alone in having those views either. Many spectators / organisers & racers would like to see many of those improvements. As a committee member of MCC i can say we try each year to make the experience a little closer to what you would like to see. In defence of taupo last year it was the clubs first attempt (and from a team ownwers point of view - they did a good job with the actual running of the meeting)
One of the problems we all have with doing the Grid parade thing is the very strict time frames due to restrictions by the local council. If we only had Superbikes / 600s / superlite / 250 proddie classes then we could make a big song n dance about each one..... but with the support classes to consider time is an issue. personally would like to see each round a 3 day event. Fri Practice - Sat morn/early pm qualifying - sat pm support class races - Sunday the top classes only. Similar to some other countries.
There has been a lot of improvement in the last couple of years and it will only get better as we all start to pull in the same direction.
Once again i personally would like to see a promotor take charge.... but it isnt the most attractive package to present at the moment. For this to happen entries and gate fees would rise significantely and that would be an issue for many.
What we do here IS a very far cry from WSBK and probebly will remain..but hopefully it will become a spectacle for the paying public and a must do for more riders.
Hope you werent too put off by your visit last year......... please keep supporting those of us who are trying.

On that note i believe Dean @ Shoutout Promotions is organising a supermoto event for dec 2013 that will be more like what you are suggesting.

[RDjase]

information booth for spectators, some sort of podium ceremony, games and bouncy castles for the kids to play in with mum while dad watches the racing, ect ect.

racers, and make it even more competative, which brings in a bigger audience....................

There was bouncy castles and fair ground stuff there, The weather wasnt kind for the meeting as you know and kept the spectator numbers down

[CHOPPA]

The talent and hard work has never been in question

Now it needs a PROFESSIONAL promoter to convince the public,sponsors and even date I say TV that it is really worth investing time and money in.

I was involved in road racing from the early eighties and can remember when it really was something special.

If anyone who loves the sport as much as I do wants to see anything like that again,a lot of hard work is needed and it starts from the ground up.

If everyone is happy with a club day atmosphere,then as you were........I suspect not as that won't pay the bills for ever will it

Now that is a positive comment, thank you!

[tail_end_charlie]

If we only had Superbikes / 600s / superlite / 250 proddie classes then we could make a big song n dance about each one..... but with the support classes to consider time is an issue. personally would like to see each round a 3 day event. Fri Practice - Sat morn/early pm qualifying - sat pm support class races - Sunday the top classes only. Similar to some other countries.

Yeah, that makes sense. I know that it will make it more expensive for people to race at a meeting thats longer, but it would also give each more time on track and thus more exposure. Plus this is suppose to be Nationals, it's gotta be good.

Once again i personally would like to see a promotor take charge.... but it isnt the most attractive package to present at the moment. For this to happen entries and gate fees would rise significantely and that would be an issue for many.

Yeah, one of the things that is nice about seeing racing in NZ is the fact that you pay $20 for entry, and you can walk around any area of the track (within reason). No special pit passes or VIP areas or any of that jazz. You can walk right up to the current National champ and say hello, that kind of thing isn't so easy in other nations equivalent series.

What we do here IS a very far cry from WSBK and probebly will remain..but hopefully it will become a spectacle for the paying public and a must do for more riders.
Hope you werent too put off by your visit last year......... please keep supporting those of us who are trying.

Definitely wasn't put off. I would label myself as an enthusiast. So yes, I was standing out in the pouring rain on the Sunday of the BSTT and loving every minute of it.............................right up until they called off the rest of the races for the day.

On that note i believe Dean @ Shoutout Promotions is organising a supermoto event for dec 2013 that will be more like what you are suggesting.

Where?

[shoutout]

Yeah, that makes sense. I know that it will make it more expensive for people to race at a meeting thats longer, but it would also give each more time on track and thus more exposure. Plus this is suppose to be Nationals, it's gotta be good.



Yeah, one of the things that is nice about seeing racing in NZ is the fact that you pay $20 for entry, and you can walk around any area of the track (within reason). No special pit passes or VIP areas or any of that jazz. You can walk right up to the current National champ and say hello, that kind of thing isn't so easy in other nations equivalent series.




Definitely wasn't put off. I would label myself as an enthusiast. So yes, I was standing out in the pouring rain on the Sunday of the BSTT and loving every minute of it.............................right up until they called off the rest of the races for the day.



Where?

Hi I'm Dean James of Shoutout events Ltd my business partner and i have invested in Powerbuilt Raceway to construct a dirt section for Supermoto Racing, we are well into planning to have ex champion and current champion supermoto riders from around the world attend, we will be bringing the whole circus to town, check out more on our face book site

http://www.facebook.com/ShoutoutEvents

[SWERVE]

There you have it.............. DEAN is a guy who truely understands what an EVENT is all about. These people/dates are COMFIRMED not "talked about or we might be doing" type promises.
CMON folks lets get behind a GUY who has put HIS money behind the sport. This will be an AWESOME event.

[gammaguy]

Now that is a positive comment, thank you!

i respect a person who can dish it out and also praise when appropriate

sometimes harsh words have to be exchanged to get traction.

+1

[Billy]

Some very valid points there mate. And you are not alone in having those views either. Many spectators / organisers & racers would like to see many of those improvements. As a committee member of MCC i can say we try each year to make the experience a little closer to what you would like to see. In defence of taupo last year it was the clubs first attempt (and from a team ownwers point of view - they did a good job with the actual running of the meeting)
One of the problems we all have with doing the Grid parade thing is the very strict time frames due to restrictions by the local council. If we only had Superbikes / 600s / superlite / 250 proddie classes then we could make a big song n dance about each one..... but with the support classes to consider time is an issue. personally would like to see each round a 3 day event. Fri Practice - Sat morn/early pm qualifying - sat pm support class races - Sunday the top classes only. Similar to some other countries.
There has been a lot of improvement in the last couple of years and it will only get better as we all start to pull in the same direction.
Once again i personally would like to see a promotor take charge.... but it isnt the most attractive package to present at the moment. For this to happen entries and gate fees would rise significantely and that would be an issue for many.
What we do here IS a very far cry from WSBK and probebly will remain..but hopefully it will become a spectacle for the paying public and a must do for more riders.
Hope you werent too put off by your visit last year......... please keep supporting those of us who are trying.

On that note i believe Dean @ Shoutout Promotions is organising a supermoto event for dec 2013 that will be more like what you are suggesting.

Actually Merv,

Paul Stewart had the guy who promotes the V8 tourers look at it and while he agreed the product was good,The problem is there was no way he could do the job properly with the money available and make a living,As an example,The teams running in that series are required to pay an upfront series fee(Around $20k I am lead to believe) around $1k per event as an entry fee and are required to run specific parts and tyres from designated suppliers,How many peeps are still keen to go down that track?????

We have a plan and have started on the first step this year and hope in the long run(Approx 5 years) We can raise the profile of the sport significantly both locally and on the international stage with the use and promotion of Grant Collingwoods Ctas system and Nzsbk Motorsport,Hopefully this,Linked with personnel who's sole job is to generate sponsorship solely for the NZSBK series will put us on the right path,

Its worth mentioning at this point,That the television everybody see's as the silver bullet,Has been dragging us down financially and simply isn't working,Add to that this year,TV1 didnt want to air it for free(And air it is all they do,Production costs are met by MNZ),After some very hard work from Paul Stewart,It will air on TV 3.

As an aside Gamma guy,Yip racing in the eightiies was good,Too bad you missed the 70s,Factory machinery,Factory riders,Huge feilds and excitement happening every where,Even when the Supers came here in the late 80s,The atmosphere just wasn't the same as the golden years of the Marlboro series,Sorry you missed,I didnt.

[suzuki21]

Well said Billy. Some people need to understand that believe it or not motorcycle road racing is a minority sport and there is only so much money to go around. The profile has slowly been raised and it wont happen overnight, Im all for grid girls etc but selling our soles to a promoter can be a dangerous move that could splinter a sport into a money making rich mans game. This happened to jetsprints when I raced jetboats in the early 90's - thankyou promo sport you are awesome.
I quite like how the sport is going. The nationals is about finding our champions and that should be the first priority, not prostituting ourselves just so people can flick from motorbikes to reality shows on Tv.
The world is ending today so why are people bothered anyway?