Starting a new thread with a more positive vibe. We can put our ideas and brainstorming in here instead. So far we have the following ideas/points from various members: - dedicated guys that do set up and take down to earn themselves free race fees - 50/50 tickets for the club on race days - post pics or race write up on Facebook/instagram/twitter, letting others know all about the WMRC - mentoring + Welcoming = Retaining Novices - a mentoring or coaching program is needed: as a new person to Mission, I find the atmosphere not that welcoming, unless you know someone, place is like bunch of old guys hanging out on their porch, about to tell you to get off their lawn! - improve the profile of the club to get more interest from sponsors , new members and the general public - developing a positive environment for newbs to come in and get a taste of racing and enjoy the comradarie is what i feel will improve things for the club - promoting cheaper race bikes/classes that don't burn through tires (or race gas) are the way to keep racing cheap and attract (and retain) racers - we should be looking for another way to put money into the clubs bank account which will allow the club to spend extra money on advertising, volunteer 'salaries', etc. - do a BIG raffle where the club tries to raise $10K after all expenses - I like the direction the executive is going with committees for rules and competition, as long as it isn't the executive also in those positions - drop the fees for a space rental, let any vendors set up shop - comp some of our more dependable volunteers to become in essence paid volunteers - there still is no cheap one off fun class to offer. When we have top drawer 250's on the track it kind of defeats the purpose - unless the club exec change their policy, we will continue to have only two vendors at our races - we should have a price list for potential advertisers, outlining in basic terms what we can offer them - offering a full menu of options from season long class sponsorships to small one time program ads gives more options to potential sponsors/advertisers - when I have been to WMRC races and wcss trackdaze over the years there seems to be a separation between the hardcore racers who are in it to win it and the track junkies who are there for fun and friendships. The friendliness or should I say snob attitude is very apparent Let's carry on in point form so the exec can find the main points easily.
- Drop the first race fees to %75 or even %50 of what they are, and take up the slack with the second\additional race fee, so that the total fees for a day are increased to a level to cover costs and create revenue Do I have to do everything?
My suggestion for promoting the races, although this applys to lowermainland guys, is racers talk to the dealer your associated with and ask if you could, on say the weekend or two before the first race, set-up your pit tent and bike in front of the entrance to the store and meet people as they come in and talk to them about the race coming up at Mission. Could generate a lot of new interest in the club. You could think up some kind of promotion to give people a certain percentage off there next accessory purchace. I thought of getting people to guess who would beat who, between Tim and I in the first open race, for a small discount if they chose correct.
some good suggestions dean , i like the idea of setting up outside a motorcycle venue or other appropriate spot
A few comments: Re setting up outside a dealership. Great idea, we do this whenever Western Powersports (gratuitous plug) asks up to, and if we see they've got an event coming up we call and volunteer. Really, if you're sponsored or looking for a sponsor this should be a no brainer. You owe something to your sponsor (I think some people think sponsorship is a one way street) and it helps the club too. Re 50/50 etc. Last year we ran a BBQ, raffles, 50/50, sold merchandise etc. It was a pile of work for us and we raised a little $$ for the club. From my observations, I think the 50/50 raised about $100 on the day. The raffles weren't worth the time, (for one of the prizes I was the only one who bought a ticket.) We sold a bunch of burgers but I was pretty disappointed at the number of racers who DIDN'T buy a burger in support of the club. The merchandise - well in the end I sold most of it (thanks Patrick and James) , but honestly if everyone who said "I'll be around at lunch time, save me a hat" really came through I would have been sold out the first weekend. I made a big investment out of my pocket and I still have a pile of stickers and patches, come see me if you want some, I wouldn't mind getting my money back. We also go to every swap meet etc and fly the WMRC banner. No one asks us to do this, we just do. It doesn't take a pile of effort, we usually get the table cheap because we're with the club, and it's a great way to network and get the word out. You wouldn't believe the number of former racers etc who come by and introduce themselves and we've got a few new racers to come out this way too. Any member could do this, there are bike related events all over the place, some of them run by YOUR SPONSORS (see earlier comment). Re the feeling that it's not a friendly place, yup. I couldn't agree more. There's more than a few racers who need a course in PR. When I came out as a fan I couldn't tell you how many times I'd stop by someones pit and get no response at best, a cold or dirty look not uncommon. Jeez, people, how hard is it to say hi and answer a few questions, have a quick conversation with someone who shares your passion for motorcycle racing. It's something I make a point of in the pits every race day now. There are lots of good promotions ideas, stuff that could be done but I really don't know what's going on there now with the new exec. To be honest, I didn't get any feedback on the stuff I proposed last year. Not trying to sound negative, sorry if it comes off that way, just a few observations. My conclusion is that if the club is going to create more revenue, new revenue streams etc, it needs to come from outside the current group of racers. For whatever reason, whether their budget is shot or whatever, they don't seem to be opening their wallets any more than need be on race day. Not a shot at anyone again, just an observation. New racers and fans in the stands with money to spend and some way/place to spend it is part of it IMO, along with more vendors, sponsors etc to help bring new racers and fans in. Promote the hell out of your club any way you can. Don't let the petty bickering get in the way.
Just to emphasize the sponsor/potential sponsor relationship stuff - if you have a sponsor and you haven't contacted them yet to ask what you can do for them to help at the bike show and into next year, you're missing the boat. Again, it's a 2 way street.
And to expand on being a little friendlier in the pits or at an event, I heard that a local racer met some random guy at a bike event a few years ago and ended up getting a sponsored bike to ride for the next three years and counting so you never know who that goober is looking at your bike. Be nice, it can't hurt and may turn out better than you expect. nuff said by me, I'll shut up now.
Some thoughts on trying to improve engagement in the club: Try to introduce yourself to 2 new racers every round you attend Offer to grab the rearstand for your neighbour when he/she comes back in the pits Have new racers put their hand up at rider's meeting, make a point of introducing your self to them or offer to lead them around for a few laps If you see someone in a race or practice session struggling in a section of the track, introduce yourself and offer some help Bring extra water and a few extra snacks, offer some to your neighbour Maybe we can add to this list?
Another thought, how about on the WCC weekend we have a potluck dinner on the Saturday? Gives a chance for everyone to get together and then the executive/volunteers don't need to bring everything/organize everything. We could rent a big BBQ like we did a few years ago.
I like that idea, and I know that at least 90% of new novices eat food. The rear stand thing is always awesome!
I am a newbie and want to begin racing in 2013. Its great to see that you guys are trying to improve the racing scene. Some things I have noticed is lack of information on the wmrc, wcss, and mission raceway websites. I have found most of the information about racing on this forum. I was not expecting to have to go on a hunt to find out what I need to do to race. More informative and user friendly sites might be useful. I still dont know what I need to do to get a racing license. Do I have to take a course at the wcss to get a license? I live in Victoria and work weekdays, is there anything available on weekends to get me set up? Another thing I just learned was the 88 db cut off. I have no idea how loud my exhaust is. I have a akrapovic exhaust, do I risk showing up with a db silencer insert and be sent home after taking the ferry and all that or do I go buy a stock exhaust and hope that's good enough? Cheers
If you can find a stock exhaust for a decent price get one, it's always a good idea to have one in case the Akro can't meet the 88db limit with a plug. If you can find a few guys from the Island who want a race license, the WCSS has done special courses for Islanders by doing the Tradex portion at Saratoga Speedway (to save students the $$$ of multiple ferry trips). I've assisted Troy in the past so PM me and we can look into setting up an Islanders course if you think there's interest. Looking forward to seeing you out there next year.
Hey Highclimber, welcome. Its good to here from new racers joining in on the fun! Give us a little of your history and what bike you ride. You should try and make it to the Vancouver motorcycle show in the new year, wscc and wmrc will have a booth together and there will be many racers there through out the weekend who would love to answer all your questions. Dean T will be a qreat help for you, Hope you know what PM me means, cause i don't.
Hey Hillclimber, a stock exhaust is always preferable. What works really well is to have a muffler shop make a flange for a stock type muffler, then just slip it on to your race headers. I found that both the 2004-2005 ZX10R muffler and the 2001-2004 GSXR 1000 mufflers work really well. They are cheap to find on ebay and flow very well. Also, they are quiet and crash well. For sound control, I've used car stereo sound proofing for the last few years and it works very well at reducing noise levels. Feel free to PM me with any questions.
Ryan, great idea's. Untill reading some of the posts, i was unaware of the unwelcoming attitude at races some have felt. I know i can sometimes get self absorded in trying to knock off the next second or two in lap times , or making sure Tim's kid's haven't left a screw driver in my axle again, but i think we all should make a better effort next year to get to know some of the new guys. You being a rider rep and a good public speaker, could bring all the novices up to the front of the riders meeting and get them to introduce them selves, say what number and bike they ride. I'm sure with the opportunity out there, many will step up and befriend/mentor.
Hey thanks for the tips you guys. I found the rule book which answers some of my questions. This was my first year on a motorcycle. I own a 03 CBR 600, which I want to turn into a track only bike. So a stock CBR muffler will likely meet sound requirements? Or maybe repacking and plugging the akro muffler. I will definitely come out to the motorcycle show. I will be coming over anyways to see a cirque du soleil that weekend. That's a lucky coincidence.
Make sure you go to cirque first, otherwise you'll be scalping your tickets to buy more farkles for your race bike.
I would be willing to organize a "Big Brothers" type of a sign up sheet if racers would be interested in that? As the expert rider rep I could accumulate names of expert riders that would be willing to volunteer to take a novice or even less experienced expert rider under their wing. Maybe Bez could accumulate names of novices that wI'm ould be interested in having a mentor? I'm thinking nothing overly complex, just some experts stopping by once or twice a day to see if their rider has any questions. Something that Randy touched on a little bit is that you need to be aware that there are a few racers that like to mentally prepare up to 20-30 minutes or longer before their race and really do not want to chat. I think visitors and/or other racers need to be aware of that and respectful of their space.
First year on a motorcycle and you want to race? WOW, you must have big balls. Definatly WCSS will be a big help to you. Your in luck, my son and i started racing at mission on that exact bike you got! We can probably help you with some of the set-up. If you post when you think you will be at the show, i'll make sure i'm at the WMRC booth. The Arko may work, but i'd put the stock muffler on to be sure, it doesn't really lose power, and youv'e got no worry's. Got to be helping now for all our family dinners and signing off till the new year, You'all have a Merry Christmas and may the good Lord bless you! Randy
