VIPER. Ideas for 2012

[maico police]

I think Viper needs a bit of stream-lining and changing for next this year. Some of the ideas rattling around in my head are:

Combine classes. Nothing looks better than a full grid. It makes for better racing and is spectacular to watch as well. I'm thinking...

Combine EVO 250/300+
        PRE 85 250/300+
           EVO 125/PRE 85 125
Four strokes run in their respective era. If you have a HL 500 it runs in EVO 250/300+. If you have a single shock KTM 1984 4T or some such bike, you go in PRE 85 250/300+ etc, etc.
No seperate class for four strokes. Seperate points would be worked out for each era.

This change alone frees up 12 races on a three round day alone!! These vacant races could be used for a two-stroke only class (bring your Works Replica CR 480 twin shock or your sad old 1994 RM 125 along)

We could also have a non competitive ride session in place of some of those vacancies. You know. For the not too confident who wanna ride on a real life motocross track!

Think of some other classes you think would be good to run....

No trophies on the day
Thats right. No trophies. Lots of money is wasted on these things. A lot are never collected. Mine go in a box. It's a big waste! Plus trophy time is traditionally when we thank the presiding club and it's a little embarrasing when we're trying to present trophies, thank the club and people are driving out the gate.
Also if trophies dont have to be presented on the day, then there wont have to be a mad rush to work out the points from the combined races at the end of the day. It can be done anytime after the race day and then handed to the Web Master (myself) to be published on our site.

Of course there would be excellent end of year trophies.
We're grown-ups. We don't need a trinket at the end of the day to say we came second in a race with four people and a dog in it.

This would also save us a lot of money that could go toward promoting Viper in general.

Flag marshelling

One of our biggest obsticles. It's impossible to flag if you're racing in three different event which a lot of people do.
I simply propose that the more events you ride in, the more you pay for each class which can go toward paying people to wave a flag. If you only do the one class then there's little reason why you can't have a cheap day and do a little flagging. Simple I reckon'.

[maico police]

Try being a little more freindly
Especially to new people and the guys that turn up all the time and are happy to just ride around. Go over and talk to some people who are new or you don't know. Tell 'em you like their bike. Ask a bit about them.
At the end of the day we don't rank much in the world outside of ourselves. Walking around with "attitude" and hanging around your own little gang is a little bit of a wank. None of us are ever going to do this for a living so smile a bit and encourage the new people.
Also a "no bitchin'" policy. Don't whinge to the club that you're not happy about the track. Talk to one of the Viper comittee. In this day and age we're lucky to have clubs that'll make room in their callenders for us let alone supply people to help run it. Check there's no rubbish around you when you leave and try and thank anyone from the club you see.

Ride through the pits in first gear. It's all easy stuff.
We want them to want us back again.

I intend to make the Viper site a bit more "out there". Rider bios (The quick and the not-so-quick). For sale available to all viper members. Race results up as soon as possible.

Get some ideas on here that we can get to our first AGM.

[mainline]

some good common-sense ideas in there, especially the combined classes deal.

[bigk]

Some good ideas there Ross, BUT the flaggie thing is a bit off kilter IMO. I believe it's up to the hosting clubs to provide 1: a groomed track suitable for VMX bikes, (go around the f'ing stutters if they don't want to mow 'em down) and 2: provide the flag marshalls. It's not up to me or any rider to pay an entry fee then pay for flagging, or flag or have my wife, child or mother hold a flag! This is not modern MX and my kid ain't out there trying to be the next Chad Reed, if it was I'd be happy to get out and hold a flag, BUT IT AINT! I'm 100% sure the main reason for the fall in numbers to meetings is because of these two things. No-one want's a long drive (or a short one) to be spoken to like a naughty child at riders breifing then be threatened to have the meeting cancelled because there are no flaggies, as as happened too many times. It is the hosting clubs responsibility, plain & simple. After all it's the hosting club that gets ALL the money from the meeting and the canteen, except a small admin fee (which can be dumped if there are no trophies). On a good day that can be in excess of $5000 to them. Surely they can spend some of that towards grooming the track and ask THEIR members to do the flagging, as it's THEIR club which will ultimately reap the financial benefits. I believe VIPER (or any club for that matter) should have a forwarding letter to the clubs about hosting an event detailing the possible & probable benefits for them while at the same time listing a few simple yet relevant conditions, which MUST be met. The bottom line of said letter should read something like this: Should your club not be able to meet the pre-requisites required to run this event, please DECLINE the meeting. Fix those two things, and watch the riders come back in droves. Yep it's all about old blokes having a bit of fun & stress relief on old motorbikes, but that's not the way it's been in recent times.
Just my opinion and I'm sure some of you will disagree, but I've heard the phrase "I'd rather go trail riding, it's much less stress", way too many times. Shit, I just fell off the soap box!
K

[FDR]

Mont i hope to hell that you have no say in Vipers future.
Combining classes, no trophies, riders walking around pits with attitude & hanging out in there own groups, WTF ?

[motomaniac]

Mont i hope to hell that you have no say in Vipers future.
Combining classes, no trophies, riders walking around pits with attitude & hanging out in there own groups, WTF ?

I was gunna say come in FDR and come in he did !

[motomaniac]

Combine classes. Nothing looks better than a full grid. It makes for better racing and is spectacular to watch as well. I'm thinking...

Combine EVO 250/300+
        PRE 85 250/300+
           EVO 125/PRE 85 125
Four strokes run in their respective era. If you have a HL 500 it runs in EVO 250/300+. If you have a single shock KTM 1984 4T or some such bike, you go in PRE 85 250/300+ etc, etc.
No seperate class for four strokes. Seperate points would be worked out for each era.

Actually Ross both Evo and pre 85 were originally introduced as a single class.The Evo class was divided up when it replaced the pre 80 class's.Before that the Evo class was like another experts class.Henshaw ,who was about the best rider at the time dropped the pre 80 class to go Evo which soon became the class to win.I think its fine if you want to fill a grid with Evo bikes but if you combined the 2 bigger class's then you will have a bunch of experts racing up front and a following bunch of non expers racing behind and then they will line up again the same in 2 seperate grades.Riders on 250's (except a few) are at a disadvantage of the start and in a 3 lap race thats tough .I've done that for several years in o'45's.I know the Evo class works in VCM but alot of those guys also have a pre 75 ride and thers afew that only want to ride one class. Im just saying that I dont think it will help the numbers.Same in pre 85 ,that class was divided up over the years because of rider requests going back because of one bad year isnt going to help.I do agree that it would be good to have at least one big race as a feature , just need to encourage more participation in the expert class.

[gdr]

BigK i know where your comming from with the clubs supplying corner stewarts,but you only have to go to a big modern meeting and they have the same problem .For a lot of years the cfa ect did the corners at meetings with the clubs giving them a donation , but i think mv put a stop to this.

[gdr]

If i am understanding this right all classes are going to be allpowers?
Why drop the four stroke class and bring in a moderm 2 stroke class in?

[maico police]

Settle down everybody. These are just ideas.
Class numbers have been way down over the past few years. Combining classes is a great way to bolster numbers on the starting gate. It's a little sad having the three same riders in the pre 85 125 race every meeting and the same in the EVO 125 and so on.
I don't think Viper has to tailor make classes for people to win who haven't got a hope anywhere else in the motocross world.

You can stand on your box and scream all you like that its up to the hosting club to supply flaggies but its becoming more and more up to us to have people to flag at meetings. At least one round we're running this year is likely to fall the same day as a title meeting in Vic. Do you think they're all going to stay home to make sure the Viper meeting is going to run ok?

As for the trophies. You can have mine if you're desperate to impress people. They are a HUGH waste.

As I said. We are after some ideas....

[BAHNZY]

Mont i hope to hell that you have no say in Vipers future.
Combining classes, no trophies, riders walking around pits with attitude & hanging out in there own groups, WTF ?

Is there something missed in the translation here?

[maico police]

Why drop the four stroke class? Because they didn't have a four stroke class in the day as I remember.
What about Viper expert class. It's basically the EVO 250 class. So the guys go out and do the EVO expert class and then three races later they do the same race again!?
I think each year a certain class could be picked as the premier class and it becomes the expert class for that year.

Sorry for even suggesting there's guys with attitude......

[SUZUKI311]

I for one agree with Mont on most all of his points. At the end of the day we have to be able to change with the times and riders expectations. I too couldnt really care less about getting a plastic trophy at the end of the day, just the fact of being able to go out and race my old RM'S with a bunch of like minded enthusiasts is what is all about. THe faster riders will generally always get through to the front, and the guys who are just happy to circulate are gunna be happy to ride no matter what! Flaggies has/will always be a problem in this sport in Australia. i personally dont think there are too many with attitude problems in VIPER, the majority are great guys who i look forward to seeing every meeting, regardless of whether they beat me or not!! ;

[motomaniac]

Why drop the four stroke class? Because they didn't have a four stroke class in the day as I remember.
What about Viper expert class. It's basically the EVO 250 class. So the guys go out and do the EVO expert class and then three races later they do the same race again!?
I think each year a certain class could be picked as the premier class and it becomes the expert class for that year.

Sorry for even suggesting there's guys with attitude......

The 4 stroke class is already dropped isnt it ? In 2011
As was the 2 lower age group class's, that certainly freed up the program abit , don't know if it helped with the numbers.
Don't know how dropping the trophies will help with the numbers either,dont know why VIPER needs to save the $ as I was told that there was plenty in the kitty.

[motomaniac]

Some good ideas there Ross, BUT the flaggie thing is a bit off kilter IMO. I believe it's up to the hosting clubs to provide 1: a groomed track suitable for VMX bikes, (go around the f'ing stutters if they don't want to mow 'em down) and 2: provide the flag marshalls. It's not up to me or any rider to pay an entry fee then pay for flagging, or flag or have my wife, child or mother hold a flag! This is not modern MX and my kid ain't out there trying to be the next Chad Reed, if it was I'd be happy to get out and hold a flag, BUT IT AINT! I'm 100% sure the main reason for the fall in numbers to meetings is because of these two things. No-one want's a long drive (or a short one) to be spoken to like a naughty child at riders breifing then be threatened to have the meeting cancelled because there are no flaggies, as as happened too many times.
K

Nailed it K