[bizutch]

Why waste your efforts on norba? What have they done to support the local race scene? At least Ryan has put on 5 races in the last three years. Take that norba.

I would beg to differ. I've dealt with NORBA on the local scene and did so for years on end until I had a family. They supported us 100%, gave event liability, provided members with protection through secondary health insurance and did their best to work with trail organizations to the point that those organizations are able to stand independent of us itty bitty racers.

Their reps, Sandy and David, were professional, approachable, organized, helpful and many times even inspirational. They made our events way more organized by providing simple things and a structure to follow that allows even the dumbest club to get sanctioning, protection and paperwork handled quickly and easily.

If you want to blame anything on an element regionally, blame it on all the half arse promotions that went down over the years with shady promoters, slack planning and crap paperwork filing on their parts.

The foundation of a racing scene is only as good as those promoting it. Our races at Wolf were smooth like butter and I've been to lots of other local NORBA events that were great. It comes down to the people working it.

 

[Metal Dude]

yeah, well if I run a company and I sub out work - Especially if I am putting my name
on it and calling it "Nationals" I'm not hiring some scrub who puts on half a show.
It may have ran well on a local level, but I wasn't too impressed with the effort
of it's promoters on a national level since about 2001. Just my .02 cents...
Although I did invest thousands on traveling to almost every "National" from 1998-2005
I certainly didn't mean to get this discussion going for the 99th time, but interesting
as always to hear different perspectives about good old USAcycling. Funny when
you compare them to ABA or AMA there are light years difference in the professionalism and organization.

I just figured that Beech would be better served to host a diff. date to attract the best guys from our region, who may attend the "National Champioinship" no big deal though, I am sure there are other races that same weekend throughout the country
and I know it's a long schedule this year, so trying to find open weekends is hard.
Look forward to racing at Beech for the other events if I don't make that one.
Hopefully there will be slalom! That would twist my arm since it has been so sparse.
MTX at the champs looked good but, just over it a while ago. Slalom rules.

 

[bizutch]

I took that list of events and put them into the Yahoo Calender for the South that I've tried to keep every year. You can go in and add the link to each events website, contact information and everything else.

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/dh-ds/cal///group/dh-ds/?v=42&POS=

I turned down the redundancy factor and set it to only email a single reminder 7 days before an event. It's the only place I've found that you can use a live calender. The tabs at the top let you look at the month, year or just a straight list of events with links.


If you have an event to add or update, just modify it yourself. I'm pretty sure I set it to let anyone add/modify/delete events.

 

[Trilliamiano]

Would just be racing 4X.

Do it dude I raced 4X for the first time at Collegiate Nats and it was some of the most intense racing I've ever done. Looking forward to racing it again next year at Collegiate Nats too!

 

[roperacer]

the ttc will not have a race on the 4th of july weekend. no dates set in stone yet but it looks like first race will be in middle or late april.. festival around middle of july, then another race in september,,,,, more to come.

 

[tbird0216]

The ETSU Weekend World Champs race date has changed. Sorry if this creates any inconveniences for you all. Here is the new flyer, everything is the same just moved the weekend to April 24-25.

Butch: Do you care to update this on the yahoo page?

 

[MetalMayhem]

^^^ It sucks that they moved that race. I guess that's one that I won't be going to

 

[sheamus]

the ttc will not have a race on the 4th of july weekend. no dates set in stone yet but it looks like first race will be in middle or late april.. festival around middle of july, then another race in september,,,,, more to come.

Will the festival have a dh race? I'm itching to come up there and ride real bad but it seems like I'll be waiting a long time for my new demo to arrive and I might not make it out to an April race if that's the case

 

[roperacer]

looks like we will be having our first race of the season, may 8th. if conditions are bad that saturday, the race will be pushed to the following saturday. if conditions are bad then, we have several more trail options since last year so we will make it happen!
nothing for sure yet on any other dates, should have everything posted in the next week.

T.T.C. gravity park

 

[sheamus]

May 8th sounds good...I'll be there if I have my new bike by then

 

[Peete]

Any chance of getting all of the races on the first page of this thread or just starting another one? Seems kind of ridiculous to have to wade through 6 pages to get all of the dates and venues.

 

[bizutch]

roperacer, you guys have a website or something for these races? What's the name of the event and a link to how to get there, the entry fee, etc?

And if it's OK, I'd like to suggest that people not treat this thread like ABC News. If you tell this thread that a date has changed 1, 3, or 6 months in advance and expect that information to accurately reach everyone who's heard about it, you'll lose customers.

Please establish a web page or use some web hosting site to set up an event page of some sort where your event can update ALL racers of ongoing modifications to schedule, course, location, etc....

I'll update the Yahoo calender, but it still reaches a small sample. Active registration is a good way to promote an event and gauge interest too. It's easy to search for events on their site too for "inquisitive" minds.

 

[roperacer]

the website is on the way,,and it is really hard to get these races together,,we have to work around the already planed dh races,,,the ttc events,,and the ttc employees have to be at the ttc and not another event,,,im sorry about all this but we are working hard to try to get everything right,, on top off all of this,,i notice we planed the first race for mothers day weekend..is this gonna be a problem? we have the next weekend open. also... within the next couple weeks we will have the website up with all event info. our website is,,,, www.trialstrainingcenter.com/downhillmtb

 

[bizutch]

the website is on the way,,and it is really hard to get these races together,,we have to work around the already planed dh races,,,the ttc events,,and the ttc employees have to be at the ttc and not another event,,,im sorry about all this but we are working hard to try to get everything right,, on top off all of this,,i notice we planed the first race for mothers day weekend..is this gonna be a problem? we have the next weekend open. also... within the next couple weeks we will have the website up with all event info. our website is,,,, www.trialstrainingcenter.com/downhillmtb

Rule 1 to helping your event is always to just pick your date as early as you can nail one down and stick to it. You'll always read about this person or that who can't attend and wants you to move it here or there.

The people who come usually far outway those select few.

 

[tbird0216]

Some pictures to get you excited about the 4X race as part of the "Weekend World Championships" on April 24th and 25th:

 

[profro]

Hey tbird, I see you have CAT1, 2, etc listed. Is this race USAC sanctioned thus requiring a license?

Edt: Wait I see an open cat. for the gravity events. Yea!

 

[bizutch]

I peed....just a little....

 

[Mulestar]

4x looks sweet thomas!! Not sure if I can make it but I'll try.

 

[tbird0216]

Glad you guys like the looks of everything. This is probably the most exciting course we have ever built. And for the gravity side of things we will not be requiring a USA cycling license.

 

[danennis]

Man yall should make this race a Usa Cycling sanctioned gravity event. Then folks could use it to qualify for natl champs for 4x and DH. The next closest race to qualify for 4x is Seven Springs, and the closest DH qualifyer is Massanutten. It'd be nice to not have to drive that far and have more than one race to get it done.

I'd think if folks didn't want to buy a liscence they could do the one day thing, but I'm no sure how that works with the gravity side of things.

Doesn't Usa Cycling provide insurance as well?

thoughts?

 

[motomike]

Yeah that is definitely a great idea since they actually have 4x. It could possibly draw a nice big crowd if there was enough time to promote it.

 

[Metal Dude]

Funny thing is making it USAC would take away from the total attendance.
hardly anybody in the SE wants to get a license since we have other race
alternatives and USAC sucks.

 

[tbird0216]

We were thinking about making it completely USA cycling sanctioned, but I knew many gravity riders in the southeast dont buy licenses. But the xc side of things is through usa cycling I just threw in the open class thinking it would make people happier. next year though we can do some big promoting and actually do a sanctioned 4x and dh race.

 

[danennis]

yeah a bit short notice on the thought, just we were talking to the usa cycling lady about it today and it was thrown around. It would be great to have a sanctioned race in the southeast, i realise that people don't want to buy a liscence but its 10 bucks for a one day, not a big deal really. If we want to grow the scene for gravity in the southeast my opinion is we're gonna have to work with usa cycling at some point. I'd love to see a proGRT race in the south, think clemson with high dollar timing. (note: i love clemson, but prob another course would be appropriate. i can dream though haha!)

 

[Mulestar]

I'd love to see a proGRT race in the south, think clemson with high dollar timing. (note: i love clemson, but prob another course would be appropriate. i can dream though haha!)

Sugar....Mountain....


'nuff said.

 

[danennis]

totally. that would be perfect.

 

[LOOnatic]

Sugar....Mountain....


'nuff said.

I've always thought that a widmill race run at WR would be tits...

 

[profro]

Pros can't get one day liscene. I'm out.

 

[motomike]

yeah a bit short notice on the thought, just we were talking to the usa cycling lady about it today and it was thrown around. It would be great to have a sanctioned race in the southeast, i realise that people don't want to buy a liscence but its 10 bucks for a one day, not a big deal really. If we want to grow the scene for gravity in the southeast my opinion is we're gonna have to work with usa cycling at some point. I'd love to see a proGRT race in the south, think clemson with high dollar timing. (note: i love clemson, but prob another course would be appropriate. i can dream though haha!)

I agree Dan. Nearly all the races out west are USAC sanctioned, and when they all are, it really justifies the license fee. USAC really isn't that bad, as long as the races are put on by good people, the races will be good.

 

[bizutch]

Pros can't get one day liscene. I'm out.

If you don't have a license, how are you pro?

 

[profro]

Because...

1. It hasn't be enough years since I last had my pro license to downgrade

2. Even if I could downgrade, I'm not going to compete against others that typically would get a one day license (sport/Cat2). I wouldn't want to lose to any of them.

 

[bizutch]

FWIW: I wasn't intending it as a slap in your face, just didn't think you'd had any sort of NORBA license since I've known you. You're faster than me, but I'll always blame it on lack of effort on my part. Don't like giving credit for skill or putting in the time to anybody else.

2 reasons I'm not pro:

1. I'm allowed to bump down or up from my "stagnant" semi-pro cat to a Cat 1 or up to a Pro. The wadded up pile of riders in Cat 1 makes me cringe & the joke of me being a 37 yr old "pro" is absurd.
2. It's $150 for a pro card and I'm a tight wad.


Dad GUM IT!!! I wanna race!!!

 

[chicken taco]

Why does USAC suck again?

They do provide medical insurance, as well as discounts on auto insurance, they have deals on gas sometimes, discounts at hotels and restaurants....for race promoters it's easier to work with more people because the organization has clout. They can provide more coverage which attracts more people. Plus, if you want to move above dirt bag status, there's really only one way to do it. Buy a license.

I think racers in the south have more of an anti-establishment theme going. Face it boys, the south will not do it again.

 

[motomike]

I think there are just a few hard heads in the south that blame usac for the suckiness of races put on by some weak promotors a few years back. Face it, everybody else uses it, you can't really race much outside of the southeast without a license. And like I said, if everybody used Usac for races, then the price of the license would be very justified.

 

[profro]

Based on my own experience, I went to enough of Sugar's and NORBA national races to get turned off to USAC. Not to mention the interaction we had with NORBA putting on a few of the early Windrock/Bigfoot races. This was further solidified once I went to a few of Diablos and Snowshoes races that were not USAC sanctioned. No license was needed and there was money pay back. Plus there was a ton of practice/riding time. Which was my biggest complaint of Norba Nationals.

I did have my pro card, but spending $150 on a license when all of our local races were and still are non-USAC just never made sense after awhile. The way I travel to races, $150 was another race I could go do.

 

[bizutch]

Everyone's right in 1 way or another. We've had shoddy event managers in the South without doubt, which is not to bag on the good ones.

Sugar can't be compared to Diablo & Snowshoe, two resorts with budgets, resources & winter income that dwarf Sugar's. Both of those resorts have their own paid trail crews.

Sugar's course is a combination of Donovan Carroll & friends using a tiller and roughly a dozen random people with me who cut a tentative course that was shut down and never ridden, then suddenly opened up the week of the race.

And from what I gathered about the Nationals there, it was GaleForce, not USAC, that crapped on everybody.

Bottom line is that a great race takes great timing, dedicated volunteers and a staff willing to raise A LOT of money almost a year in advance to make it happen. I appreciate all the grass roots races we're having this year, but I think we all know, each venue could crush 1 good race each if they set their date in the fall, raised the funds to pay for it and brought in digital timing.

You would then have a Northeast race right here in the South.

 

[biggins]

Sugar's course is a combination of Donovan Carroll & friends using a tiller and roughly a dozen random people with me who cut a tentative course that was shut down and never ridden, then suddenly opened up the week of the race.

not too mention that upper section was cut in LOOOOONG before the race happened.