Ken, Nobody forced you to buy another bike ( your words) to get more race time
You're right Ted, I wasn't forced. A more accurate way of making the same point would have been to say, "I had no alternative but to" or "the only alternative I had was" but the point is the same. If I wanted more racing at a Heaven meet, I needed to get another bike. Maybe I'm missing your point but I am struggling to see how picking that up is relevant to the discussion here or changes anything
This discussion began as an idea to improve the experience of a Heaven race meeting for a portion of the members without negatively impacting on the experience for any others. This forum is an ideal place to 'put it out there' and hopefully through constructive and open debate, get honest feedback as to whether the idea has merits. If it doesn't and I am on my own on this, then I have no problem at all with that outcome. I still think the whole Heaven experience is sensational and it is adding a lot of enjoyment to my life.
Going to more race meetings is not an alternative for me. I have 2 young kids and one meeting a month is all I can fairly expect them and my wife to handle having me away. I am sure I am not on my own and other members have similar circumstances.
As Monty has reminded us and Sean has illustrated, the club needs to evolve as the member's needs evolve. If you don't evolve or you shut down those who are trying to help the club evolve, you stand to loose what you are trying to protect.
At the time I write this there are 5 of us who have voted. Given that not all Heaven members are on this forum and that not all that are would have read this, I think a conservative estimate would be that there would be at least 10 of us who would like to see something 'added' to the mix Saturday afternoon. I have flagged for current classes where I have watched much less than 10 riders race around, in fact I can remember 1 class where there were only 2 riders circulating. I don't begrudge that, the challenge is to find a format that as close as possible, caters for all members, I'm for a format that is constantly tweaked to do so.