How does anyone find out about races?

[scrivy]

All very good points. I wonder how many people know that Fred Merkel is racing at Taupo on 29 December?

A letter to MNZ could be in order. Then again, advertising costs money. Who's going to fund it?

As soon as I knew about Merkel appearing, a mention was made in a local bike mag.
As for advertising, I've got a 3/4 page colour ad in the Taupo times for it, also radio advertising locally.

Heres a thought.............what if every one that knows when races are happening can print off a few copies about when and where etc, then ask your local bike shop or store if you can put it up in the window?
Wouldn't cost buggar all, and if enough do it, it may get the word out to a few more people.

Also......anyone with a business wbesite could perhaps have a page with race details so if someone searches they have a better chance of tracking an event down.

All good ideas Tony.ok. Trouble is, even the bike shops dont always put the posters up!

Gee, ummm, Maybe MNZ?

Are you for real Bob or extracting the urine?

Go to www.mnz.co.nz
All meetings that have had a permit issued are on the calendar

Yes, on the calendar, but not a mention as to what classes are racing etc.

MNZ had our permit for the TRRS back in May at their conference - they only just gave us a permit last month!! By their rulings, permit holders cant put out entry forms until they get a permit returned back to them. How would my meeting ever have had entry forms go out in November for a December date? Just doesn't work. Also, the endurance race on December 29th still hasn't received a permit from MNZ yet -and they've had that 1 for over 5 months too!! So again, I still shouldn't have put out an entry for it yet. Er hang on... entries close in 1 week! Thanks again MNZ.
Does anyone think MNZ does us any favours?? Does anyone think MNZ doesn't want to foster other racing other than their Nationals??
I found out that Warren New told the MNZ office that the endurance race was cancelled - so they don't need a permit!! Gee, I wonder why the person applying for the permit wasn't asked if this was true??
MNZ is about as unprofessional as you can get!!

Scrivy

[Highlander]

A number of sites contain information and entry forms for competitirs but what about those of us that are more than happy watching?
No information about when we can get in (waht time do the gates open?) what will it cost to get in? etc etc.

There are number of threads buried in the competitive riding / racing section in here that don't find their way into the meetings and events or calendar.

It is almost as if they want to do it in private and keep spectators away.

[sidecar bob]

All good & factual points Scrivy.
I filled out a form & had my outfit inspected to get an ID tag & log book for my classic sidecar at the CMCRR festival in February. Over a month ago i was told it would be in my mail box in ten days.
A week out from the PMCC Taupo meeting i phoned MNZ every day for the entire week enquiring when i would be recieving it & at one point i was told "its out of our hands, we have done all we can now" WTF??? They want me to have a log book & tag, They are supplying said items & yet somehow ten months later its out of their hands.
I recieved a letter to give to the scrutineer from MNZ explaining the situation, but even as of today, still no log book.
As a customer focused business owner i find this situation fairly hard to deal with.
Am i being un reasonable?
Maybe i am being punished for making posts such as these on KB, i really dont know, & if indeed that is the case then that is not professional either.
Come on MNZ, give us something to sat WOW!! about!!

[Tony.OK]

A number of sites contain information and entry forms for competitirs but what about those of us that are more than happy watching?
No information about when we can get in (waht time do the gates open?) what will it cost to get in? etc etc.

There are number of threads buried in the competitive riding / racing section in here that don't find their way into the meetings and events or calendar.

It is almost as if they want to do it in private and keep spectators away.

Thats very true Highlander, maybe event organisers need to start thinking about both sides of the pit walls.
I had a look in the Events thread and I'd suggest it needs a specific sub category for Racing events so its easy to spot, wouldn't need much info either...................Event dates, race timetable, gate fees.

Go to www.mnz.co.nz
All meetings that have had a permit issued are on the calendar

But the information there doesn't give anything useful to the public, only the date and club names, maybe MNZ could spend an extra 5 minutes and put in some relevant details or perhaps a link to event websites.
I tried to look at the permit page to see what info they gather but couldn't even open it to find out.

[scrivy]

A number of sites contain information and entry forms for competitirs but what about those of us that are more than happy watching?
No information about when we can get in (waht time do the gates open?) what will it cost to get in? etc etc.

There are number of threads buried in the competitive riding / racing section in here that don't find their way into the meetings and events or calendar.

It is almost as if they want to do it in private and keep spectators away.

You are correct Highlander.
I've put some info in there now.

Scrivy

[Highlander]

I see that. Thanks.
Dead keen to go and watch these events and support them by paying entry fees (so long as it is a reasonable fee not hundreds per person = thousands per family ).

Have niether the kahunas or dollars to participate though.

[BM-GS]

Looks like it's not just me, which is good!

Go to www.mnz.co.nz
All meetings that have had a permit issued are on the calendar

Not the easiest calendar to drive, and you have to select every single date to see what's happening unless you dick about for ages finding that there's a filter to let you see different classes. Though they list both Auckland and Pukekohe under "city"... no classes running, times, info, just a note of the organiser.

It seems that there's a big hole (a black hole sucking the info in? - cos none gets out!) in the promotions area. I can see that MNZ want to get the racing side sorted rather than advertise stuff straight away, but if they only make money from competitors, they'll never make any money!

Spectators are to be encouraged as they turn up with cash and have no trade-off to make between "can I afford to enter a not-quite ready bike?" or "should I spend he cash on the bike and race the next round?" - they just appear, throw money at the gatekeeper and proceed to try to throw more at anyone flogging anything once they get inside. If done reasonably (it doesn't even have to be good, as anyone who visited any event at Donington, UK ~5-10 years ago can attest) people will keep turning up.

So long as there is a spectacle and some merchandise, money wil change hands. To be honest, I'd bet that any racer with a box of T's (with a pic, race number & venues for the year) by his pit could make a few bucks (if the "organisers" allow it). It's great that the public can wander round the pits & see/smell the bikes & outfits and get a feel of the occasion, rather than have the racing but no atmosphere. Don't turn it into a circus, but like all "sports" it's got an element of entertainment about it, and that's where the money comes from.

So far I have the w/es of the 7th of Feb & Mar in the calendar, though I have no idea which day is better and what classes are running at each event. Feb is "classics" and Mar is new stuff.

[vtec]

Wow a big rant ... At Vic Club they post on their website as soon as everything is confirmed. So normally by Jan there is a list of dates if not earlier.

I think he's right and what's needed is a website that shows ALL upcoming events for all sorts of motobike racing. I'll look into building one, it's got to be more user friendly than the MNZ website. I could do with the experience.

[Nasty]

I think he's right and what's needed is a website that shows ALL upcoming events for all sorts of motobike racing. I'll look into building one, it's got to be more user friendly than the MNZ website. I could do with the experience.

Ok to be more user friendly thank MNZ would be so hard!!