The Nats

[albrid-3]

walter, the holy grail has become. cheers

[GD66]

What a bunch of sooks.  Waaah, it's too hot, too far, too dear, too early in the year, too close to HBBB  World Economic Crisis  :'(, jeez lads, HTFU !!
 Phillip Island Classic this year had 360 entries, biggest ever roadrace in Australia, and 19,200 spectators over 3 days. Last year's historic Island Classic car race meeting had over 500 entries. The last two Southern Classic roadraces at Broadford have had 140 and 160 entries. The Barry Sheene Classic at Eastern Creek this Easter (yes, that's right, MA have run the HBBB in direct competition !) will have $20,000 in prize money.
Wake up ! Here in Australia, classic motorsport is on the rise bigtime, regardless of the alleged WEC. So stop inventing shabby, can't-be-arsed excuses, get off your clackers, and get stuck in, you'll never get a better opportunity, and as we've been reminded starkly several times in the last year, LIFE'S TOO SHORT !
Get your finger out, and go racing ! 

[BultacoMacca]

Some of you guys seem to think that all of Australia's serious VMX racers read this.
I'd say that they only sometimes check in here.
Like Trevor and Nathan have said, the main entries will come in the week prior to the event, it always happens like that.
Even I have decided to ride (with a little bit of sore shoulder) as the track looks like something I might handle. But my entry is still to go in this week, or next week, till when entries close.

[jerry]

Bravo GD66. Well said! Jerry

[Freakshow]

ebay 

Now thats got to be the funniest thing i have seen in a while.  your a cracker..

[2 shocks]

Bugger it, I'm gonna have a go. Mrs Maico will be sending the entry form & the cheque tomorrow. My son Shaun won 2 Titles in Tassie a couple of years ago, I'll be lucky to finish    But I'm a Victorian, so I'm going to support VMX, come on you blokes, get your finger out. Viper, Bike Bonanza & The Nats, dont go whinging about mot enough rides, have a go   

Mr Maico #54 Ken Baker

[fatboyracing]

Good on ya Ken thats the sprite lets get off our arses and send in our entrys

Cheers
Fatboy

[211kawasaki]

Soooo Fatman
havnt you entered yet......

[fatboyracing]

Ive entred Dav sent it yesterday not long to go counting down days now. Just waiting for some new parts for the might mt to turn up alls well.

Cheers
fatboy

[albrid-3]

211, WHAT BIKE ARE YOU PLANING TO RIDING.

[AjayVMX]

Wow!  I haven't been on here for a while, and this thread has gone all over the place.

Bottom line is that regardless of where it is - the NATs are a super important event in the VMX annual scene.

We could debate ('till the cow come home) the pros and cons of having the Nats at the same track and a week later than a social event, but frankly I think the RACERS will race regardless.   The only possible problem is that the number of Racers seems to be in decline, in spite of the fact that EVO and pre-85 are now in the picture.

I think that the 20 pages of this thread are an interesting snapshot of the various views of people towards the National titles and to be honest, I sometime wonder if people take their racing FAR too seriously. 

I have had the luxury of travelling to the USA a few times to witness their national Vintage MX series and the US rider's attitude to their AHRMA races is very different to that taken by Aussie riders with respect to the racing scene.  In a nutshell the US rider views his race meeting MORE as a social event than a "must win at all costs" race.  This may be because they don't have ANY events similar to CD7 or the HBBB, so they make most from what they have, but I think it's more because they just aren't as serious about racing as we tend to get here in OZ.

The bigger issue we (all) face here in OZ is that most of us are getting older and for many we just don't feel like racing.  I know that I had reached that stage myself 10 years before my injury made riding a memory. 

The only option therefore is to possibly promote racing more as FUN as opposed to competition (as it is in the USA).  A well known editor of a certain magazine has been "racing" for many years on this basis.  He is not ever a contender for even a placing, but still loves to race as an excuse to ride his bikes.  I know that for some it is hard to just "ride for fun"  (and I would have been as guilty as anyone in this respect) but if our National title meeting is to regain some of it's former glory in terms of participants, this is exactly what needs to happen.

So, hopefully everyone will forget the fact that the Nats are not really being held to win sheep stations and just turn up to BE THERE and be a part of one form of cellebrating the glory of Vintage and Classic MX racing. 

[albrid-3]

Here, here, Well said Ajay
I have decided to finish my Dot Scrambler, and l have re-entered, So l am going race at the national to support the event and make up the numbers. if we don`t, then we are fools.

[GD66]

Good point, Ajay : although I feel that much of the chest-beating and bluster to be found on this forum doesn't translate into shelves of dust-collecting hardware in the trophy room...and I can tell you for sure that the Aussie attitude to vmx has the kiwis scratching their heads, they can't believe the obsession with rules, eligibility, current fads at each year's tech inspection, or even MA participation. Livewire VMX has the advantage over there, as I've pointed out a number of times, of operating outside the MNZ sphere of control. Luckily for them, they still have a very good ACC (accident compensation)system, so riders in NZ vmx don't have to belong to a national body, or even a club. They just turn up, fork out $30 (which includes their insurance cover) and go racing, wherever and whenever they damn well please.
Don't wish to labour a point, but always worth keeping it under your cap, on the backburner...would the vmx nats be a bigger, or more fun event, if it were ...BLACK....?  

[odd1]

Thats fair enough comment however I go to Vinduro's CD and HBBB events to have fun and I go to the Nationals to race its our premier event. If riders want to play race they do club events at the end of the day it doesn't matter what type of riding you do if you are not smiling when you get off your bike its time to find something else to do remember there is not to many sports that you can still be doing 40 or 50 years after you start and still get the same rush. When that gate drops I for one will be racing. ( Just hope I make it past the first corner.) Good luck to all the competitors at the Nats

[AjayVMX]

Here, here, Well said Ajay
I have decided to finish my Dot Scrambler, and l have re-entered, So l am going race at the national to support the event and make up the numbers. if we don`t, then we are fools.

Great spirit!  

I just wish I could actually ride a bike now - I'd be there with bells on.