Sidecar racing in New Zealand

[rat]

It's been on the brink of disaster ever since I have been watching and involved, when I first did the Nationals they minimum requirement for a class was 6 on the grid and 1/2 the time there was a problem getting that

It doesn't need the "same small group" it needs the associations members as a whole to come to consensus regarding this with all the egos and jealousy left at the door before the discussion starts, unfortunately that isn't ever liable to happen



So you speak for the majority of the paid members? and what postal vote was this?

There is ten months from when the Nationals ends until the next Nationals start and that still isn't enough time to save the money and organise the time off? even with the fact you get no club racing up there?

Personally I don't give a fuck whether there are 4 or 5 rounds, even with being in the South where 3 out of the 5 rounds will be held 4 rounds is still obviously easier financially, especially as for the past few years we've had to make 2 trips north and will have to again this year

I reckon I have as much passion for sidecar racing as anyone, I race whenever possible and even when doing the Nationals has left me fairly stressed financially I have still done it just for the love of the sport even when it's meant that a lot of other stuff I would like to do has been put on the backburner

This years Nationals was only 4 rounds and how many were on the grid
(mylaps qualifying)
Ruapuna 13, 7 NI, 5 SI
Levels 10, 7 NI, 3 SI ( Bill crashed, Col sick)
Manfield 14 , 10 NI, 2 SI
Pukekohe 12, 10 NI, 2 SI

So is only doing 4 rounds going to give us better numbers this year? I doubt it when you look at the previous couple of years (08 wasn't any better)

You can also see a bit of difference in that every available SI sidecar turns up on the gird at their Island National events, pity the guys in the North don't show the same level of support for their local rounds

13, 10, 14, 12 on the grid is better than a few years before of 6, 8 9, ect if we were lucky, and yes there would be more next year as more bikes are being brought in to the country and being handed on.
I disagree that every SI bike turns up I know of more than three or four bikes that are down south, and when you talk to some of the older and slower guys, They are not interested in being moving Chicanes for the rest of us in the Nationals. They enjoy the Club racing that you have down there, more than running at the nationals.

[rat]

from mylaps as far back as I could look from Q1 (some years there were no results up for some rounds)

02-03 champs

Dec 02, Manfield, 8 sidecars
Feb 03, Levels, 7 sidecars
Feb 03, Ruapuna 9 sidecars

03-04 champs

Dec 03, Pukekohe, 11 sidecars
Dec 03, Manfield, 9 sidecars
Jan 04, Ruapuna, 10 sidecars

04-05 champs

Dec 04, Ruapuna, 10 sidecars
Dec 04, Teretonga, 8 sidecars
Feb 05, Manfield, 8 sidecars
Mar 05, Pukekohe, 8 sidecars

05-06 champs

Dec 05, Puke, 16 sidecars
Manfield, Dec, 15 sidecars
Levels, Jan 06, 10 sidecars
Ruapuna, Jan 06, 12 sidecars

07 champs

Levels, Jan 07, 18 sidecars
Ruapuna Jan 07, 19 sidecars
Manfield, Feb 07, 19 sidecars
Pukekohe Mar 07, 21 sidecars

08 champs

Ruapuna Jan 08, 12 sidecars
Levels Jan 08, 13 sidecars
Manfield, Feb 08 14 sidecars
Pukekohe Mar 08, 10 sidecars

09 Champs

Levels, Jan 09, 10 sidecars
Ruapuna, Jan 09, 13 sidecars
Manfield, Feb 09, 14 sidecars
Puke, Mar 09, 12 sidecars

Now 07 was a bumper year, but I think that was the year all the entries were subsidised by the sidecar Association through sponsorship?

Now I've been told more than once about how many Sidecars there are in the North Island so where are they all? and why don't they attend local National rounds when there is so little racing throughout the year?

As you have stated clearly here yourself the numbers are increasing.
Yes we should look at what happened in the years of 06, 07 with help with transport costs. That will get more bikes travelling South and North.

[burtsidecar16]

well kicka if you were a paid up member of our association ? you would have received a newsletter approx 4;5 months ago with this postal ballot in it ,Im amazed you didnt here about it as I did receive some from down south including colin and just recently I personally went trough and rung 1 of each team to see if they were going south and if they were how many rounds would you like to do I even rung the south island teams the results of this I sent to jim tuckerman for his reveiw but obviously I wasted my time and money on phone calls

[Kickaha]

I distinctly remember one "member" at the last AGM repeat at least five times during the AGM "ive spent a lot of money on this sport", or words to that effect, thinking it gave him more clout to his arguments.

The amount of money anyone spends on the sport is irrelavent and gives them no more "clout" than any other person involved

When all he's actually done is spent a lot of money on himself, not the sport.

Possibly, but he has been responsible for more sidecars entering New Zealand than anyone else I can think of in recent years , edit actually Pete the Pirate and the Lawrences have as well

that you guys have to fuck around endlessly with overpriced heaps of shit, id buy one no problem, but im not.

It's not neccesary to endlessly fuck with with them, over priced? maybe, pieces of shit, definitely not

P.S The majority voted for 2 rounds down south at the last AGM, so not sure how your argument stands up there.

Do you have the numbers for and against? and how many of those voting are people that would be actually attending "all the rounds"?

and yes there would be more next year as more bikes are being brought in to the country and being handed on.

And who has been primarily responsible for that happening I wonder?

I disagree that every SI bike turns up I know of more than three or four bikes that are down south, and when you talk to some of the older and slower guys, They are not interested in being moving Chicanes for the rest of us in the Nationals. They enjoy the Club racing that you have down there, more than running at the nationals.

3 or 4 more? whose are those then?, the only one I can think of that we know of that would be able to but isn't currently racing would be Kellys old bike and that should be out again next season as it needs a teardown and rebuild

As you have stated clearly here yourself the numbers are increasing.

They have decreased over the last 2 seasons

Yes we should look at what happened in the years of 06, 07 with help with transport costs. That will get more bikes travelling South and North.

That we should

The other views do not. Seeing he is not a paid up member of NZSCRA and was not at the AGM and did not vote on the postal vote.

Despite that I am still entitled to an opinion on this if you want to post it up on a public forum

I thought the rest was dribble.
That is the point of this post to view everyones side (that wants to put their 2 cents worth in) of things and have a debate.

What particular part did you think was dribble, put up a counter argument and lets debate it

well kickaha if you were a paid up member of our association ? you would have received a newsletter approx 4;5 months ago with this postal ballot in it ,Im amazed you didnt here about it as I did receive some from down south including colin

And I'd be prepared to admit it plain slipped my mind to join, how many current SI members are there, I'll do a recruitment drive if you email me the subscription form

just recently I personally went through and rung 1 of each team to see if they were going south and if they were how many rounds would you like to do I even rung the south island teams the results of this I sent to Jim Tuckerman for his review but obviously I wasted my time and money on phone calls

Even within the teams there can be disagreement, any one here thought to ask what my view on doing 4 rounds actually is?

Re South island members attending the AGM, some of cant afford the time or money to attend (hmmmmmm that sounds familiar )

[sidecar bob]

So reading this thread without prejudice, i believe the 3 rounds issue needs re addressing post haste.

[scrivy]

Ahh, but theres two sidecars two hot chicks, a fat bastard & me. So that doubles everything.

Who you calling fat????

[scrivy]

So reading this thread without prejudice, i believe the 3 rounds issue needs re addressing post haste.

When was the last time sidecars did more than 2 rounds down south??
Times have changed, people/teams have come and gone, but we still only always do less than 3 rounds for the Nats down south.
Whats changed??

[Kickaha]

So reading this thread without prejudice, i believe the 3 rounds issue needs re addressing post haste.

That it does, I would think someone other than Rat would be the person to contact them though, there are several MNZ officials who use this site imagine one of them reading a thread calling them dipshits and arseholes

Who you calling fat????

Calling you fat tubby

When was the last time sidecars did more than 2 rounds down south??

Must have been 5-6 years ago?

Times have changed, people/teams have come and gone, but we still only always do less than 3 rounds for the Nats down south.
Whats changed??

Obviously Some people that are no longer content with the status quo

[sidecar bob]

That it does, I would think someone other than Rat would be the person to contact them though, there are several MNZ officials who use this site imagine one of them reading a thread calling them dipshits and arseholes

An MNZ official has already been in contact with our president regarding this thread.
While post number one & several subsequent ones were emotionally charged, i feel the poster should be cut a little slack seeing as he's actually the nicest & most helpful guy you could hope to run into, especially if your house happend to be on fire.
I would encourage MNZ officials to join in discussion on this board instead of scuttling in & out hopefully un detected.
If MNZ officials are attacked as a result of joining in discussions, Kb has ways of dealing with such behaviour, & i would make it my business to draw abusive posts to the attention of the moderators.

[Kickaha]

An MNZ official has already been in contact with our president regarding this thread.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of that

While post number one & several subsequent ones were emotionally charged, i feel the poster should be cut a little slack seeing as he's actually the nicest & most helpful guy you could hope to run into, especially if your house happened to be on fire.

By the time he got here there'd be nothing left unless it happened while he was down at one of the three rounds but you're right about the rest

I would encourage MNZ officials to join in discussion on this board instead of scuttling in & out hopefully un detected.

Top idea, it would be good to see some involvement form them on here and not just in this thread

If MNZ officials are attacked as a result of joining in discussions, Kb has ways of dealing with such behaviour, & i would make it my business to draw abusive posts to the attention of the moderators.

As would I

thanks for your support you must be one of the very few that get sponsored and can afford to take all that time off work

Didn't you take a full month off not long ago?

[rat]

An MNZ official has already been in contact with our president regarding this thread.
While post number one & several subsequent ones were emotionally charged, i feel the poster should be cut a little slack seeing as he's actually the nicest & most helpful guy you could hope to run into, especially if your house happend to be on fire.
I would encourage MNZ officials to join in discussion on this board instead of scuttling in & out hopefully un detected.
If MNZ officials are attacked as a result of joining in discussions, Kb has ways of dealing with such behaviour, & i would make it my business to draw abusive posts to the attention of the moderators.

Thanks Bob,

Yes I do admitt My post could have been done better, And quite right Kick reducing to name calling will only bring me down to your level ( reading the stuff between you Dave, Bob, Scrivy).
I do apologise for any offense caused to Members of MNZ in my moment of ranting.
I still stand by my point on the issue, Which is Three rounds of the Nationals for Sidecars down South, and how this could affect race numbers in the future.
This is being addressed, and I wait with for the news of a outcome.

[White trash]

Maybe if you bunch of goobers all got "off line" and went did some paying work on a Monday, you'd have heaps of cash for three SI National rounds :stir:

[sidecar bob]

Maybe if you bunch of goobers all got "off line" and went did some paying work on a Monday, you'd have heaps of cash for three SI National rounds :stir:

Ive got a damp draughty workshop full of people doing that for me. Oh, i just checked the heatpump settings, the office is a barmy 20 degrees.

[White trash]

Lol. Same here mate

[scrivy]

Maybe if you bunch of goobers all got "off line" and went did some paying work on a Monday, you'd have heaps of cash for three SI National rounds :stir:

I'm at home with two heaters on, staff at work doing my job.....

Who's complaining again......??

Sorry, aint got time to chat, gotta go watch MotoGP highlights on SKY again.....

Ciao....