2013 Rule Book Discussion

50+ riders per race Simon? really? I hope you aren't driving anywhere any time soon since you must be absolutely HAMMERED right now. No need to bullshit to try and get your point across.

 

Simon, There's discussing and there's bashing the people that spent much time on this rule book. I don't totally agree with all they have done, but let's discuss it. I have legitimate concerns for the people who think they will have less classes to ride in. I think the rules committee have an obligation to address these peoples concerns.

 

and none of them are "discussing" them....in this forum

 

The exhaust rule is completely irrelevant, no one is forcing a 600 rider to run aftermarket exhaust. Just like every other class, if you want to be certain you are under 88db, RUN STOCK. If someone wants to run aftermarket exhaust then they open themselves up to the possible chance of being over 88db. Tim tried to run a full system on his 1000 and it blew over, he got black flagged, so guess what..he put the f**** stock system on.
Offering a choice of aftermarket doesn't mean you have to take it, it also doesn't mean you will blow over if you do, it does mean there is a chance you may, and the punishment is "you get black flagged". take it like a man, fix it and move on. you took a risk for a couple horsepower and lost.
BTW Simon. I know of 2 R6's that effectively meet sound requirements last year at a WCSS trackday with only the supplied DB killer in a LeoVince full system. I was on one of them.

 

Al (Bigga Boy),

Marbod, Ryan Whittle, and Myself have been answering questions, as well as Ken and we were all on the rule book committee. I'm not sure what you mean by not discussing this.

I'll say this one thing...The season doesn't start for a few more months. If you feel strongly about some of these rules, please attend the monthly meetings and open up a discussion, not a fight, or shit slinging session and let's openly discuss it both here and in person. If you get enough people together who are opposed to certain rules, you *can* elicit change.

Try to remember the spirit in which the rule book is being made and not the letter of the rule book. I'm not saying that rules will change, but nothing is really set in stone. Your new elected executive can be flexible if you give them a chance. But first you have to give that chance, and express your voice too.

 

I was there, it is true. 600SS was jagged with over 50 riders. After 3 red flags in a row the starter decided a wave start would be the only way we could manage that many bikes in a race. 2002-2003? Can't remember exactly.

 

2003 and it only happened once. I was corner working that day. After that, most races were held to maximum 30 entries.

 

Dean, can you explain what will happen to current intermediate riders? Will they be "graduated" into expert status or will they have to prove their worth and re-do novice? This question has been asked a couple of times and I haven't seen an answer. I would like to return to racing, perhaps next year, and while I will likely have to return to novice since I haven't been on a bike since March 2010, the intermediate class was where I last raced so am interested to hear what will happen to them.

 

you call this discussing....lol.i could imagine what it would be like in a crowded room...bring it back to dicussion people like jac is doing.

 

The current crop of riders that have been intermediate for all of last season and before that, will be moved to Expert status, unless they choose to go back to Graduated Novice. The bumps from Novice to Intermediate at the end of this season, will in turn make those bumps to Graduated Novice instead of Expert.

There are a few grey areas with some intermediates that did not race with us last year like yourself. You will most likely be given an assessment and then based on that will either go to Expert status or Graduated Novice. You will not have to redo race school, unless it's deemed that you've totally lost all your skills (which I would find hard to believe). Also the classes you will be racing will also be taken into account for that decision as well. If you were going to run an open class bike (modern 600+ inline 4), then assessments will be a little more intense and scrutinizing for safety's sake.

 

Further to this just thinking of riders that will move to Expert status now if they choose:

Al Hay
Mark Raison
Andrew Marles
Joe Rupich
Blair Layton
Lance Risbey
Chad Gibson
Patrick Visser
Thad Klassen
Mike Thompson
Ryan Welton
Nigel Ward
Alf Ayling
Myles Koene
George Filis

All others have already reached expert status. The list is by no means complete, and I'm just going off memory. Of course final status on this will be made by the competition committee too. This I think was just current intermediate riders from 2012.

 

So anyone with any savy as to all the permutations care to suggest the best playbike for the rest of us, who are not intending to ride our turbo gixxers in the ultimate class? Will SV 650 have longevity? Other than the 250, of course.

I think these rules are great. I am sure there will be some wrinkles to iron out.

One thing, make it easy, and allow current racers with red numbers to run their old plates. Grandfather them in, save them some hassle. Unless I missed some new red number marked category. Shouldn't have any impact whatsoever for those dudes to be out there, flying the flag of the extinct intermediate class.

 

Thanks for the clarification Dean. I think it was worrisome for a few as to what happens to the intermediates since the rule change.

As for getting back out there, would love to, as long as the leathers fit. Any chance you guys can come up with a class for the *ahem* larger rider?

I know you suggested that the times for the classes were "common sense", but a scenario that comes to mind is this: Rider A gets a wave into Superbike class despite not achieving the 1:18 limit. They are close with say, a 1:19.5, but since they are not a "hazardous" rider they are given the green light. 4 laps to go, leaders are dicing it up for the championship. Rider A gets in the way of a pass and cause the leaders to protest Rider A being allowed in the class at all. What happens then? Will Rider A lose their points? Get black flagged for being too slow (when they shouldn't have been let in the class at all) and thus losing out on finishing the race? If I was Rider A I would be pissed that you took my money but took me out of the race.

Also, I can't see it being easy for the Referee/Race Director having to decide who to let in the class if it suggested that the rule is "grey". Can you see why it is hard to find classes for those intermediates (now experts) with lap times slower than 1:20.0 on the modern inline 4 600cc? How do you get faster if you only have one race per day?

 

Okay so i am an outsider looking in considering wmrc club racing, what does it cost for a novice race day, and how many laps will i get, trying to work the budget into wmrc. Rode 8-10 track days last year costing 3g with all costs. I do prefer the rdige and orp over missiin but may be interested should time and budget allow. Thanks

 

Moe, last year was 200$ membership, good in Edmonton, Wash. Oregon. Race day 130$ for two 10 lap races, more races if your on a smaller bike than 600ss, check wmrc home page on their web site, two morning practices. And what ever it takes to prep your bike and body as per rule book, just posted on this forum somewere by Dean. Hope to see you there next year.

 

That's how I interpreted the new exhaust rules as well, your choice of minimal gains vs being black flag.

On a 250 a aftermarket exhaust is huge, most of the guys I talked too who raced 250 in wmmra and felt sorry that 250's ran with a stock pipe up here and wouldn't bother coming up to race. I just told them thats the rules.

 

I'm bolting on a turbo to my 250, that might get it to the 32hp limit.

Im on Team 113% ers, with my high viz vest

 

Hein gets it! That's exactly the way we are hoping riders interpret the rule. You can try, but if you go over, it's game over for the day, unless you can change your system that fast.

Also like Adam was saying, certain systems *can* pass with a little modification. Leo Vince can do it. Akrapovic is not likely on a 600.

 

My two cents regarding noise after being on your start line for the past seven years.

It can be problematic to identify a loud bike on the track. When they go by in a pack you do not know which one is the offending bike.

So what are you going to do, meatball 5 bikes to get one, or suffer the wrath of the neighbors.

I suggest you develop a procedure to test for noise in the pits that correlates to the on track noise.

I don't know how you'd do that though, you'd need to run tests to determine the ratio of wide open on the front straight and 10,000 rpm at say 10 feet in the pits and work from there..

Hopefully some other group has got that figured out that you can copy.