AMCC Round One - Pictures

[cowpoos]

The revenue off the gate helps pay the bills so your entries fees are lower at one of the most expensive tracks in the country to rent.

People bitch about how much it costs already. You sure you want to push it up even further? Riders don't pay to get in and the gate staff are not on from dawn either.

Funnily enough, there are other clubs THAT DO CHARGE for both road racing and motorcross. You wanna go to the feb Classic festival to see some old chaff cutters - $25.

$10 for a days entertainment is pretty cheap - people spend more than that in parking a day, or fags, or getting to work. You even pay for for 110 minutes of bullshit at a movie theatre.

Re the toilet cleaning: Maybe if riders had better aim it wouldn't be a problem!

Food: yep and it's better than it used to be. BUT the fact of the matter is, that a) you don't have to buy it b) the turn over is not there, nor is the return there to provide high quality short shelf life food for the few hundred people on the day at a club meeting, plus it is a closed environment with a contracted exclusive term (the club cannnot run a sausage sizzle and sell sausages without getting in trouble, they can only give food away). c) BYO! d) go flag marshalling or help out elsewhere - the lunches are great!

what is the track hirage??? tell us the costs???


and if people don't whinge!!! and complain about meetings...they will never ever improve!! as with getting all defensive...it may feel like we are attacking you directly...sure...take people coments as a optimist and improve you clubs race series and you may start gettting better turn outs of riders and more entry's...more spectators!!

I asked a good handful of people to ride to pukie on sunday...and they all pretty much said fuck that...not paying $10 to what club racing at that track...[well not all of them...one of them had a hangover...and he's a soft prick..especially his belly's paticularly soft]...

and don't spin it around and say maybe I should join the club...be proactive,etc etc...it don't work like that...most of the motorcycle clubs in NZ have old existing members that are afront to change and progress in our sport...otherwise we would have or club rouns on teli..sponsers getting air time...hundreds and hundreds of spectators...fricken handfull of hillbilly's in 4X4's are getting teli air time playing in mud!! I'm sure we can get some if our desicion makers and leaders in our sport tried to step out of there comfort circle!!

[Riff Raff]

The revenue off the gate helps pay the bills so your entries fees are lower at one of the most expensive tracks in the country to rent. :

It's not just the track hire. AMCC also go the extra mile to ensure the safety of competitors and spectators by having higher qualified ambulance crews there who's skill level will ensure the best outcome should the worst happen (unlike some other club rounds). That doesn't come cheap.

I really don't know why people have such a problem paying out a paltry $10 for a whole day's worth of entertainment.

[Burrt Badger]

Guys and Gals.
Catering. Counties Racing Club (Horses that is) have a contract with the caterers. The Caterers are not answerable to any one but the Counties Racing Club, and provide the food they want to. They are not generally receptive to food suggestions. Take your own food if you want good quality food and coffee.
Charging at the gate. At Pukekohe, you are allowed to charge spectators, to allow entry fees to be reduced. At Manfeild, they charge a MUCH increased track hire fee if you charge spectators.
If you think that Pukekohe is expernsive now, wait until you find out what the charges will be for Hampton Downs. I can see an entry fee of around $200 for a club round.

Ambulance: The Auckland Club provide a full Paramedic St John Unit. This means that the Ambo's are the best you can get and are able to give the BEST possible ambulance care, and these guys are generally better than most Doctors because they are trained for Trauma treatment.
The Organizing Committee for the Auckland Club work pretty bloody hard and provide good race meetings at the best price they can for competitors.

Some of us can remember the days when Auckland was known as the Auckland Money Collecting Club. Those days are long gone.

One other thing. The Auckland Club has made all of those Crash Bags. They made them and they own them. They also pay for them to be put out and collected for you guys to race.

[Teambwr47]

$10 to get in for the days racing is the cheapest i've ever seen but then i've only just got here.......... and as for spectators getting in for free, WOW is that for real?

Spectators in the UK would expect to pay £8-10 ($21-27) to get into a club meeting for the day if you were going to the likes of Brands Indy. While the wages are higher there, i can tell you for certain in real terms its massively cheaper to race and watch racing here.

As far as entry fees go you all have it very cheap for a full day racing.....and so will i once i get sorted.

Entry for one class, one days racing typically costs between £75-110 for a practice session and two races. To get 4 races in a day by doing 600cc and Open class i would often pay in the region of £130-£170 per day ($350-460).

All that said its also cheaper for the hire of a circuit here in NZ so the clubs pay less meaning you pay less i guess. When a regularly used track like Brands Hatch can be £15000 (over $40K) a day to hire the costs of racing have to be higher.

I thought the AMCC meeting was superb and reminded me in ALL GOOD ways of how club racing used to be in the UK when i started. I can't wait to get out there and enjoy the racing as well as the fantastic paddock.

So far as the coffee went, i had one early in the day and i thought it was fine but i think the person making it changed later in the day......?

[Drew]

Good photos though

[Sanx]

Good photos though

We're ranting here, thank you. Don't change the subject...

[Drew]

We're ranting here, thank you. Don't change the subject...

Info symilated, attitude adjusted.


I hate the fact that the whole track is not under an enormous dome to and airconditioned to the perfect temperature. Why are there bumps too??? There should be 50 meters of run off right round the place!!!
Infact, why are our bikes not magnetised at the top half on opposite pole to the track so we cant fall over too???

[Sanx]

Info symilated, attitude adjusted.


I hate the fact that the whole track is not under an enormous dome to and airconditioned to the perfect temperature. Why are there bumps too??? There should be 50 meters of run off right round the place!!!
Infact, why are our bikes not magnetised at the top half on opposite pole to the track so we cant fall over too???

Hey - all I was after was someone who could make coffee.

[twinshock750]

what is the track hirage??? tell us the costs???

and if people don't whinge!!! and complain about meetings...they will never ever improve!! as with getting all defensive...it may feel like we are attacking you directly...sure...take people coments as a optimist and improve you clubs race series and you may start gettting better turn outs of riders and more entry's...more spectators!!

I asked a good handful of people to ride to pukie on sunday...and they all pretty much said fuck that...not paying $10 to what club racing at that track...[well not all of them...one of them had a hangover...and he's a soft prick..especially his belly's paticularly soft]...

and don't spin it around and say maybe I should join the club...be proactive,etc etc...it don't work like that...most of the motorcycle clubs in NZ have old existing members that are afront to change and progress in our sport...otherwise we would have or club rouns on teli..sponsers getting air time...hundreds and hundreds of spectators...fricken handfull of hillbilly's in 4X4's are getting teli air time playing in mud!! I'm sure we can get some if our desicion makers and leaders in our sport tried to step out of there comfort circle!!

"Defensive", gave me the best laugh in weeks (thanks I really did need the laugh). I'm usually called an offensive prick and the 2 threats of defamation in the last 5-6 years probably explains, it. Frankly I just tell the fact as as they are and if people don't like it, not my problem.

I will spin it around and point it back to you as a rider who is getting his jollies as a result of someone elses effort - all the people there on Sunday bar the lap scorers and Ambo's (who deserve 10 times what they get) do not get paid for ANY of the work they do. General bitching about them is just a general lack of respect as far as I'm concerned. They are volunteers working their tits off so you can get your jollies. This work is not just on the day but before, during and after the event in their own time, before and after the full time jobs they have, families, other interests etc. You obviously think they can give a bit more yet!

And yes, there are things that could be done better, longer, harder, faster everywhere. But the old wives tale you have bought about old club members shows how far removed you are. In the real world, the guys running the meetings in many clubs around the country are dead keen for new ideas and people to be brought in - if you bothered to attend an AGM at most clubs involved in road racing thye are scratching to find people to fill seats on committees. Just every rider or recently ex rider wants some other bastard to do the work - ie the proverbial "they" can do it (and not the "me" or "we" for a change).

Why are these organisers dead keen for new ideas and people? - It means they can escape and have a rest, see their children, wives, husbands etc after doing it for 10 years or more and some other bastard can get the abuse, the stress of running an event in a high risk sport, will it run okay type doubts each time. Are we going to lose squillions because we have screwed up somewhere or one of our supplies does not do something critical despite every assurance? What, you think some of these organisers actaully really enjoy it and don't want to let go! Yeah right.

Complain and whinge all you want if you glass is half empty. If your glass is half full you'd offer constructive criticism and useful solutions to problems you see. You like many others over the years use the word "they should" that people have the resources (human, financial or time) to do everything YOU want them to do. Remember these are volunteers. How many riders actually do anything to help their respective club (whichever it is) with ANY event they run.

Re: "and don't spin it around and say maybe I should join the club...be proactive,etc etc...it don't work like that" What a cop out. Well, actually it does happen like that. Where do you think the guys that are organisig meetings now came from? The fact is that this year that the AMCC have got some good new guys on the r/race comm and they have done a great job, finding sponsors, introducing new ideas.

And again, pointing it back to you - All the stuff you have mentioned above "possible", so when are you going to help make it happen if it is so easy? Why should you expect someone else to do a job you wouldn't - if it's that easy join in at the pointy end and show how good it can be done, I wouldn't mind being on the tellie. It's been two years.

I'm all for the making things bigger and better, but this is club racing by volunteers who have real jobs, lives and limited resources More resources is more volunteers. Over to you.

Kindest Regards

TS750

Ps - do your own home work! I did mine. Here's some of the bigger cost lines you might want to investigate:

• Track Hire
• Ambo (which is hired from Base to return to base)
• Lunches for 40 + officials (ie sign on, grid marshalls, CoC, flaggies) - you need a lot of people to run Puke.
• radios
• P/a
• lap timing team
• petrol vouchers for the flaggies
• truck for the bales and the team putting them out and in again

I've seen the budgets over the years and it has got worse since I last saw one a few years ago. No clubs make much money from racing.

PPs, who thanked any of the team running the meeting?

[twinshock750]

Sorry, forgot to say I didn't try the coffee,

and good on the guys taking photos and maing them available for people to see.!

[Sanx]

and good on the guys taking photos and making them available for people to see.!

You're welcome. I enjoy taking them and making them available is not only easy, but it's a good promo too for BikeStore too. And I have to justify my expensive camera to the other half somehow.

[PeteJ]

And for the naive folk who think is a new idea to get on TV and generate publicity: two words - try it.

1. Mudplug 4x4 stuff is easy and cheap for a small camera crew to cover - a road race meeting at a full circuit ain't.

2. TV and other media coverage costs heaps and heaps - if you have a spare $60K this year, spend it to promote an event and see how little coverage it gets you. Sure, you can get some paid time on a low-reach channel, but that will not get you spectator feet through the gates.

3. The AMCC and other club officials some on this thread have denigrated for being tired old people with tired old ideas are constantly grappling with all the issues around the things you seem to think are new and bright ideas.

4. The clubs are desperately keen for some genuine new ideas and genuine new promotion. Come up with some, instead of this tired old lazy bullshit "They don't organise", "They don't provide", "I think $10 is expensive" stuff.

Those who can, do; those who can't, whinge.

NB the one avowed English person on this thread did not whinge. Well done, that man.

[Sanx]

NB the one avowed English person on this thread did not whinge. Well done, that man.

Who's that then? I'm English and I happily whinged...

[Teambwr47]

I think he meant me and for you future information I'm WELSH not English.

I'm amazed that people here seem so pissed off with having to pay what's basically sod all to watch a days racing as a spectator. Obviously the guys who didn't go to watch, as they had to pay a whole $10 to get in, must be true bike racing fans eh........?

What did they then go and do for the day for less than $10.........

Club racing is mainly organised and staffed by volunteers in the UK although there are full time staff with some clubs and here like there none of us would be able to race if it were not for people giving up their own time. There will always be things an individual wants changed and the best way to change it, if that change is justified, is to get involved. Shouting from the sidelines will change sod all...........

I've not been here long enough to comment yet on how its all run but having got involved with organisation in the UK race scene while i was prevented from riding by injury......i realised just how much goes on behind the scenes of a race day and even more in the build up to a race weekend.

Congratulations to the AMCC i thought it was a great day even if the coffee was not so good.....apparently?

[Sanx]

I think he meant me and for you future information I'm WELSH not English.

Nevermind. We won't hold that against you. Much.

I personally didn't mind paying ten bucks to get in. I had a great day watching some fantastic racing, and gas-bagging with some very cool people. I was just bitching about the coffee, which is almost as important to me as oxygen and nicotine.

Paying to get into places usually is justified. However, that rule doesn't apply to all places. Wales, for instance ... I'd have happily paid to get out, but to get in was taking the piss, I thought.