If anyone wants to blame someone blame me. I made several unfortunate assumptions and recommended them to Lakes.
1) That this forum was a reasonable way to gauge attitudes and views (big mistake no massive mistake)
2) I assumed that riders wanted to race when they came to the Nationals (second big mistake). I naively thought that riders wanted the results to reflect the fittest, best prepared and most skilled riders to shine.
3) It was never envisaged that riders would enter and ride 5-6 bikes like they do in the Classic Nationals (this is not a negative thing toward the Classic Nationals)
4) I thought that riders wanted to race MX as we did in the day. Longer races but not a 30-40min + 2lap MX world Champ type meeting but a challenge that any finisher could be proud of.
5) I really didn’t want to go to 3 days but as the Lakes guys showed the format required it if all classes went ahead. This could have been trimmed but you cannot go to three days if you state 2 days in the regs. That is you can reduce the days and no one will squeal but you cannot increase the days after people have entered. CD & HBBB are effectively 3 day events for anyone travelling interstate yet are getting bigger and bigger.
6) Camping at the circuit really is a no issue situation as far as I am concerned. There are several very good camping grounds within 10-15min of the Lakes circuit for very small fees. Security would have been available at the track. The pit area is a locked area within a 2.5m fence and would have been had lighting and a few people there all night. Camping is generally not allowed at the Lakes circuit as it is situation on a High Voltage transmission line easement. People could stay and works on bikes with power available for their lighting etc it is just they are not allowed to camp.
Where it probably went wrong
1) It appears that a significant majority do not want true MX racing (this is not a judgement or confrontational just my take on this situation). Some of this is psychological as Heaven / Northern Districts ran 4 & 5 lap races at our inter-club meeting last August (each bike entered ran 2 races Saturday afternoon and 4 on Sunday plus practice Saturday morning). Most riders were very happy and everyone seemed to enjoy it. These races ment 6 x 10 – 12.5min races yet 3 x 15min + 1lap (expected to be 7-8 laps) is somehow too challenging.
2) The social aspect seems to have become just as important as the racing. (I wrongly assumed that CD & HBBB along with club days took care of this aspect).
3) We/I assumed that people wanted their racing for a National event to be a little more serious after all it is a National Championship. I originally was not going to ride as I wanted to help run the event from the flag marshal point of view but entered when numbers became critical. I would never image that I would be in the hunt for a podium, not in a long shot but let’s face it even at Modern meetings everyone knows there are only a few riders really in the hunt. Back in the day you went to meetings just for the chance to qualify for the main event never even calculating that you could win it. In every single sporting event there is only one winner and a lot of non-winners. Even the word loser is now politically incorrect
.
Competing is the thing always has been always should be.
I am completely gutted by the outcome. I am
disappointed stunned with the low entries. Who entered or who didn’t enter is really irrelevant as the overall numbers are the deciding factors not who. It is pretty obvious that it was not the correct ‘product’. I have no idea what the correct product is and will allow us to still call it MX because 3 x 3laps is not MX. The one thing I am bemused by are all the EXPERTS with the 20/20 hindsight with 'I tried to tell everyone' blar blar blar. The old saying ‘eX’ is an unknown quantity and sPERT is a drip under pressure. They need to get involved and put their time and effort where their mouth is.
As I said I am gutted by this situation and personally have had my fill of National events (one failure is one too many). I hope that the Post Classic Nationals really does take off next attempt and that the Classic Nationals go well later this year plus the re-surge of interest in Classic DT leads to a super Classic DT Nationals.
I personally would like to thank Darren and Rob (they are true enthusiasts of all things dirt bike) from the Lakes club along with the entire Lakes Club for supporting our sport. The fact they have indicated they are up for another try shows the calibre of the gentlemen.
This is my only response so pick away everyone
