Hired guns at Aussie titles.

[Slakewell]

Maybe we can start a handicap system on Saturday night that involves cans of rum. Well there young lad you went a bit to quick in the first race so you must stay in the impound area until you drink all 18 cans. 

[Rossvickicampbell]

not voicing an opinion but a comment.  I like to see the old bikes ridden fast and as they should be - but don't like to race those guys myself  :'(.   I wouldn't like to see pre entry restrictions as for some of us we don't get to race much because of work committments and decide the Nats or similar is to be our major event for the year - similarly both clubs in WA do not race for points so points being earned as a criteria just aint going to happen there.  Thirdly - I am not going to the Nats to just race an age class when that is something I can do back home in WA - going to the Nats - competing as hard as I can (not open for comment there either  ) in the Championship class is the drawcard - I hope to finish top 10 one year but the more and mroe young guns come in the less likely - so maybe nexts years Nats is my last?

Not a whinge - but maybe for consideration.  I luv the Nats I have been to - want to go to more but the more and more it becomes for "sheep stations" the less it is for me - but then that might be where I have to look elsewhere.

I suppose in this incoherent ramble I am saying also - escalate the age racing to Championship status - I can have fun with the other old farts and not worry about the fast young guys eh (and that includes you Brad  ).

[Ted]

Dead right Brad

IMO it would be a very hollow victory to be a star rider and only ride one meet to get a trophy

Set a quota of meets and stick to it

VMX is primarily an older guys pursuit. If the reason for not having age racing prizes in all classes is cost, call me and I will gladly kick the tin. 1/2/3 outright and 1/2/3 ages. Fair for all

[jimg1au]

this is from my dirt track point of view but if you f  k with cmx you do the same to cdt
no 21 races 2 triumps pre60 and a pre75  races his triumphs long track
g robertrs velo metise pre65 and pre60 500 velo   roadracer classic bikes
130 new 500 pre 60 goldy and pre65 rgs bikes owner dosent ride them
m jones no 69 rider like my self over 60
j garvey no454 over 50
j imre over 70 australian champ over 70
p lee no 52 pre70 australian chap over 502
just to name a few would not have ridden 4 cdt events this year so are wee to be banned from the titles as well
jim

[JohnnyO]

this is from my dirt track point of view but if you f  k with cmx you do the same to cdt
no 21 races 2 triumps pre60 and a pre75  races his triumphs long track
g robertrs velo metise pre65 and pre60 500 velo   roadracer classic bikes
130 new 500 pre 60 goldy and pre65 rgs bikes owner dosent ride them
m jones no 69 rider like my self over 60
j garvey no454 over 50
j imre over 70 australian champ over 70
p lee no 52 pre70 australian chap over 502
just to name a few would not have ridden 4 cdt events this year so are wee to be banned from the titles as well
jim

Jim this is about young guns riding vmx once a year on a borrowed bike for a trophy, it's got nothing to do with old guys riding 1 or 2 dirt tracks a year..

[supersenior 50]

No ones banned from anything. Brad has put up a point of discussion that comes up after every Nats.
It is a no brainer that if an "anti jockey" (a sailing term) rule were to be considered all these issues would have to be addressed.

[vandy010]

Apart from an obvious "age" difference,
whats the difference between a "young" hired gun and an "age ok" hired gun?
I say,
Let em ride

[KTM47]

this is from my dirt track point of view but if you f  k with cmx you do the same to cdt
no 21 races 2 triumps pre60 and a pre75  races his triumphs long track
g robertrs velo metise pre65 and pre60 500 velo   roadracer classic bikes
130 new 500 pre 60 goldy and pre65 rgs bikes owner dosent ride them
m jones no 69 rider like my self over 60
j garvey no454 over 50
j imre over 70 australian champ over 70
p lee no 52 pre70 australian chap over 502
just to name a few would not have ridden 4 cdt events this year so are wee to be banned from the titles as well
jim

Jim this is about young guns riding vmx once a year on a borrowed bike for a trophy, it's got nothing to do with old guys riding 1 or 2 dirt tracks a year..

John the Commission making the recommendations for possible rule changes is the Classic MX and Classic DT Commission, so they would also have to consider Dirt Track. However they would be better to put it in their minutes separately so it doesn't get accepted by MX but rejected by DT etc.

I remember one time the MX Commission wanted to change the plate colour for 250 MX class from green plate to white plates. It kept getting rejected by the other disciplines, until it was made clear it was for MX/SX only. That took at least two years.

[firko]

I feel for the riders who've trained all year to get as fit as they can, spent a shitload on getting the bike just right and raced all season to get that 'racers edge' who get beaten out of the placings by a hired gun riding their Uncle Bobs bike for a one off bit of a giggle. I agree that there's little we can do to stop them but it doesn't seem very fair to me. 

[JohnnyO]

I feel for the riders who've trained all year to get as fit as they can, spent a shitload on getting the bike just right and raced all season to get that 'racers edge' who get beaten out of the placings by a hired gun riding their Uncle Bobs bike for a one off bit of a giggle. I agree that there's little we can do to stop them but it doesn't seem very fair to me. 

And that's my point..

[Nathan S]

I feel for the riders who've trained all year to get as fit as they can, spent a shitload on getting the bike just right and raced all season to get that 'racers edge' who get beaten out of the placings by a hired gun riding their Uncle Bobs bike for a one off bit of a giggle. I agree that there's little we can do to stop them but it doesn't seem very fair to me. 

Why not? You don't deserve the silverware if you're not the fastest.

I ride as hard as I can, and I usually come nowhere (esp at the National level). Do I deserve some sort of prize for not being fast enough?

[vandy010]

A hired gun still isnt garunteed a win.
They still ride the same track on the same day as everyone else in thier race.
They still have to get theold bike to hold together for the duration of the meeting...
Has anyone done the "stats" for this years tittles? To see how many young guns took home the bacon?
Or are we talking about 2% of entrants?

[Simo63]

I feel for the riders who've trained all year to get as fit as they can, spent a shitload on getting the bike just right and raced all season to get that 'racers edge' who get beaten out of the placings by a hired gun riding their Uncle Bobs bike for a one off bit of a giggle. I agree that there's little we can do to stop them but it doesn't seem very fair to me. 

Whilst I completely understand what you are saying Firko, I don't see the difference between the "hired gun riding uncle Bob's bike" and the retired A Grader or international hired gun such as Belly or Deakin or one of the King boys from NZ showing up on someones bike and smoking you as well.

I guess the only way out of that sort of issue is to have class racing like they do in modern racing .. you know ... A Grade through to whatever grade it goes to now (C or D?) so that you are competing against others that are close to your level.    Of course I am not suggesting we do that at all but that would resolve the problem you mention above.

Me?  I just want to ride and do the best I can on the day riding bikes that mean something to me.  I don't expect, nor do I receive, any trophies and if I was in the sport for that then I'd be very disappointed .. as would most of us I think.

[JohnnyO]

A hired gun still isnt garunteed a win.
They still ride the same track on the same day as everyone else in thier race.
They still have to get theold bike to hold together for the duration of the meeting...
Has anyone done the "stats" for this years tittles? To see how many young guns took home the bacon?
Or are we talking about 2% of entrants?

You need to look at the percent of place getters not overall entrants because basically only young guys with a chance of placing entered the titles, that's why this whole debate started.

[Simo63]

A hired gun still isnt garunteed a win.
They still ride the same track on the same day as everyone else in thier race.
They still have to get theold bike to hold together for the duration of the meeting...
Has anyone done the "stats" for this years tittles? To see how many young guns took home the bacon?
Or are we talking about 2% of entrants?

No stats here Vandy but whilst at the presentation, I must admit I did get the feeling that (aside from BVB and the real old guys), most of the top tinware was taken home by young guys riding someone elses bikes.  I don't care but it just seemed that way a bit.