So, how popular is Vintage RACING in 2010?

[dirtrumpy]

I joined Heaven as a newbie just 2 years ago, and couldn't have been made to feel more welcome.  Firko, bury the hatchet and come to Canowindra, I'll even give you a lift and find a nice warm place for you to sleep the night

Mike #278

[vmx42]

Why can't it be " hey guy's use some common sense and let's have some fun"?

I think part of the problem here is that everybody knows who is being a 'knob' but they just leave it to the poor old officials to sort out.

If the riders took some of the responsibility to enforce [nicely but firmly] the 'fun' aspects and not just let some other poor mug take the heat then maybe the message would actually get through to the offenders.

Classic Dirt is a good example [and I am sure HBBB as well], but don't for a minute think that is immune from the 'Knob' factor. I know from personal experience how difficult some people can be to having their idea of fun frowned upon. Again, if the masses [riders] let them know that their actions weren't acceptable I think that would have vastly more impact than being threatened by an individual official.

Now I am not advocating some kind of vigilanty system, but if some of the more senior and experienced riders/racers took these people aside and told them that their behaviour was out of line it would have more impact - a sort of positive peer group pressure. Classic Dirt is supposed to be 'just for fun' but when some people get out on the track they can't help but carve up the slower riders - endless calls for calm at the riders briefing doesn't seem to work. I just wish that these people would chill out and let others enjoy themselves safely as well.

If we can't help ourselves how do we think that some poor, mug volunteer will succeed? We have to take a large amount of the responsibilty to make any real difference.
VMX42

[Graeme M]

Firko, I can vouch for HEAVEN, it's all good. My thread here is about the bigger picture for club level events and I didn't want to get into panning any particular club.

The last few HEAVEN events I've been to were great - friendly atmosphere, great officials, good organisation, good racing, good times. Can't fault it. Well... not enough riders is my only gripe! 

Here's hoping we get lots for Canowindra in three weeks time, nothing like a full grid of all makes and sizes in age classes on a fun little grasstrack!  Hey, did I say fun? Is that the magic ingredient that's getting a little elusive?

Maybe clubs could have a few 'novelty' days rather than just the usual stream of class racing? I remember that very cool 'teams' event at Kembla about 6 years ago. Whatever, the thing that I enjoy at racedays is all-in events. Larger fields and more variety. I'm slow as and not at all likely ever to place at the pointy end, so racing per se is not my reason for doing it. If all I wanted to do was race for sheep stations on a level playing field, I'd go modern (and learn to ride). I'd rather do stuff that's fun.

Age races on a grasstrack at a showground? Now that's fun. Bashing around a track with a million other riders and checking out the bikes in the pits in the Qld sun? That's fun. A low key enduro event with lots of riding and all sorts of cool old vintage enduro bikes? Fun too.

[firko]

I joined Heaven as a newbie just 2 years ago, and couldn't have been made to feel more welcome.  Firko, bury the hatchet and come to Canowindra, I'll even give you a lift and find a nice warm place for you to sleep the night

Thanks Mike, I was toying with the idea of going to Canowindra anyway mate. I was thinking of taking the Jagwah for a run to check it out. So thanks for the offer of a lift and a bed for the night but I'll be right (I think). Everyone has hammered me about how good Canowindra was last year so it might be worth a look.

I'm glad you've been accepted into the HEAVEN fold with open arms. Now the dickhead dictator factor has gone I suppose it's time to come back and check it out. It's a pity that my gang were so offended back then as they are nearly all pre '65 guys as you well know. That was one of the underlying ideas of the CRC...to create a once a year showcase for the pre 65 class with our donating the Roy East Trophy. Maybe we might to be able to revive the original intentions of the trophies and bring that once a year pre 65 showcase back to the fore...

Firko, I can vouch for HEAVEN, it's all good. My thread here is about the bigger picture for club level events and I didn't want to get into panning any particular club.

I realise that Graeme but I raised both the Penrith and HEAVEN situations to offer up one reason why there are less than
satisfactory rider numbers. It shits me every time someone talks about how well things are going at club level in NSW when in truth over the last 10 years, entries have halved from during the heyday. That's despite all of the newer divisions offering so much variety for the potential racer. The reasons those entry numbers are so abysmal need to be urgently addressed. Things like age groups and strong media promotion were not taken seriously by clubs and the current flat situation is the end result of that lack of foresight.
 

[dirtrumpy]

Mark,
        Will be good to see you there. If you'd like to throw a leg over the Triumph or Can Am you're more than welcome.

Mike #278

[crash n bern]

You have to look where the numbers are.  I'm 50 and ride moderns, I turn up at a trail ride event that is specifically aimed at family's and you get 5-600 riders signing up.  Most of the blokes are in the 30-55 age group and most of them have kids riding bikes with them. It's well catered for with peewee and novice tracks.   No shortage of money either.  When you count how many specially built caravans that turn up being towed by brand new four wheel drives and have three or four brand new bikes in the back.  Much easier to spend money on riding if the whole family get's to go.  A few old MX legends turn up as well.

I have a keen interest in old bikes, but I never raced when I was young and don't care to race now. The CD series I like and would ride at.  Non competative Vinduro has my interest as well.  I like the idea of getting my old bikes out for a bit of a thrash and talk to other people with the same interest.  I like the concept of QVMX were they have casual race days and would give that a go.  But as far as serious racing goes, I have no interest at all.
The reason I say this is that most of the feedback is coming from racers.  But I'm sure there is a large silent minority like myself who sit on the fringes of VMX but most of their time is taken up raising a family and riding moderns.

Which brings me to the point, if there was someplace for the kids to ride while dad raced a few laps and mum came along to cheer, would that help raise the numbers?  As the general consensus seems to be focused on making it fun, perhaps making it fun for the whole family would bring a larger participation.

[Mick22]

Which brings me to the point, if there was someplace for the kids to ride while dad raced a few laps and mum came along to cheer, would that help raise the numbers?  As the general consensus seems to be focused on making it fun, perhaps making it fun for the whole family would bring a larger participation.

I think that would make a big difference. I don't have kids but I can see the flow on benefit of involving families, but I have brought this up before at club meetings and it has fallen on deaf ears.
One of the great joys when I was a kid was being able to go to race meetings with my dad and hoon around the pits on a minibike, understandably those days are over due to modern liability issues. Its always hard to find volunteers on race day but how hard would it be to set up an area in the pits, it only has to be a small oval marked off by some bunting, where kids could Hoon around and have an adult stationed there to supervise?

Another problem causing lack of entries is sceduling. I been racing for years and was keen as to get into vintage a few years back along with 6 of my mates. We rode all the rounds of CSC for a few years and had a ball but my back just wasn't up to riding short travel bikes....So I got into Viper and loved it and planned on riding all the rounds this year. Problem is that my mates and I are all shift workers or self employed, even if we rule out family commitments getting a weekend off has to organised well in advance. When a race calender doesn't come out till a couple of weeks before the first round there is no way we can get the time off, same problem when races keep getting resceduled. So before the first round was run there were 6 guys already counted out for the season. Things have changed a lot in the workplace over the last 10 years, more people are working weekends and shift than ever before. I think there needs to be a lot more promoting / organisation to get the numbers back up again.

I know the sport is run by volunteers and in the passed I have done more than my fair share of running meetings and flag waving. But a lot of the other sports I have been involved in are also run by volunteers and seem to pull it off a lot better...and the main thing they seem to do different is to encourage the involment of families and local communities, this gets more people involved and interested so that there are more people to help out so that it isn't up to a hand full of volunteers to do everything from track bookings down to catering and flag waving

[Nathan S]

Things like age groups ... were not taken seriously by clubs and the current flat situation is the end result of that lack of foresight.
 

FWIW, HEAVEN made a solid, honest effort with the age groups and they were flatly ignored by the people that made a lot of noise about age races. Nobody was expecting miracles overnight, but there was absolutely no sign of movement from the people that had insisted the age races were all they needed to get involved again.

Really, this is one of the reasons why I think that NSW needs a fresh pre-75 (or pre-78) club - for whatever reason(s), the pre-75 good old boys are going to need more, fresher bait to entice them out of the wookwork than a multi-era club like HEAVEN can possibly provide.
As Firko said, there is a deeply ingrained anti-HEAVEN sentiment that even wholesale changes in committee and membership cannot erase. That being the case, it is completely impossible for the club to make the problems go away, so the push has to come from the old hands.

Until then, we're pissing in the wind.

[bazza]

crash and burn over here in unzud we have a kids track or they get to ride at lunch time some of those kids now ride vintage bikes and are in there late teens

[VMX247]

crash and burn over here in unzud we have a kids track or they get to ride at lunch time some of those kids now ride vintage bikes and are in there late teens

ditto 

[VMX247]

This is OS,but I dont think its on a downward spiral as fast as some think it is.
There are a few other old title holders starting out or collecting too,as has been mentioed on this forum before. 

Quote:This is extremely cool , Gary Jones , 4 time AMA MX champion , racing my BSA B50MX . Even better is that he had more fun riding the BSA , than his 74' Yamaha YZ 250 . Gary kept talking about getting one of his BSA's race ready.

[VMX247]

Re: So, how popular is Vintage RACING in 2010?

Very popular ,,every magazine on the newsagancy shelf today,seems to have some old gear in it..
Dirt Action issue 138- The Generation Gap Three National Titles in a row ..(Name em JohnnyO    )
Company of Gall,Dack and now Jay Marmont.
Favorite bike.... 84 Yamaha 500 in 250 frame
Hardest year to win and why !! and much more to feast your eyes upon....
Yep its out there for all to see now days 
cheers

[Marc.com]

I heard numbers were down but not sure there is a good reason except economic. Blame the increase in GST.

[VMX247]

I heard numbers were down but not sure there is a good reason except economic. Blame the increase in GST.

VMX is probably riding higher, with the cost of modern mx..vmx costs are still reasonable. 
Eg: Reeds exit from Suzuki.
cheers

[Graham]

You have to look where the numbers are.  I'm 50 and ride moderns, I turn up at a trail ride event that is specifically aimed at family's and you get 5-600 riders signing up.  Most of the blokes are in the 30-55 age group and most of them have kids riding bikes with them. It's well catered for with peewee and novice tracks.   No shortage of money either.  When you count how many specially built caravans that turn up being towed by brand new four wheel drives and have three or four brand new bikes in the back.  Much easier to spend money on riding if the whole family get's to go.  A few old MX legends turn up as well.

I have a keen interest in old bikes, but I never raced when I was young and don't care to race now. The CD series I like and would ride at.  Non competative Vinduro has my interest as well.  I like the idea of getting my old bikes out for a bit of a thrash and talk to other people with the same interest.  I like the concept of QVMX were they have casual race days and would give that a go.  But as far as serious racing goes, I have no interest at all.
The reason I say this is that most of the feedback is coming from racers.  But I'm sure there is a large silent minority like myself who sit on the fringes of VMX but most of their time is taken up raising a family and riding moderns.

Which brings me to the point, if there was someplace for the kids to ride while dad raced a few laps and mum came along to cheer, would that help raise the numbers?  As the general consensus seems to be focused on making it fun, perhaps making it fun for the whole family would bring a larger participation.

Youre talking about the ADBA rides they are a good thing we take the family to them very ride they have.
If you want and good family day the Brisbane club runs a family day for the mums and juniors, riding vintage or modern. The bonus is the dads can ride there vintages as well.A great day out for the family