Racing at PI - THIS NEEDS YOUR UTMOST URGENT ATTENTION

[Metal-Man]

For those of you that HAVE NOT SENT ENTRIES IN ...

Got this email not long ago ...


Hi All,

If you have already entered the Phillip Island round of the 2016 Honda RJays NSW Clubman Championships - thank you.

If you have not, please get your entries in asap.

Prior to confirming the Phillip Island Circuit booking we sent out an interest email to see if there was enough interest in us running a meeting at The Island. The response to that email was an overwhelming yes.

It would seem however that we were given false hope, as the entries for the meeting have been slow to come in.

If this meeting is not well subscribed, we may not be offered a date at The Island in future years, so please support us to support your racing and get your entry in.
Please see all the relevant information in the attachments and email below and remember we will be running 5 rounds not 3 as this is a 2 day meeting.

Regards,

Zara Griffin
Membership Secretary
St George MCC


get ur fkn entries in cunts :p

[Mstevo]

While I'll give the club points for trying, they should have piggy backed Hartwell or Preston, the way BEARS do at SMSP for the first go at PI, until a much better date came along.
While the late inclusion of this event prevents me from going, (I have to plan these things a year in advance) I don't think I would have entered anyway, given the 2.5k+ costs and the very high chance of riding on a wet, cold and windy track.
I do understand the committee find it just as hard as the riders to get time off work to attend these away meets, let alone organise them, hence the attraction to a long weekend meet.

[Turbo]

Got to agree, Mark. It's a great idea but in the dead of winter it's a very hard sell.
Unfortunately this will further discourage them from organising anything interstate as Broadford last year was also poorly attended.
As you say tho, the problem isn't actually the interstate component, it's the value of what's on offer for the significant outlay.

[Marshy]

Eastern Creek in the middle of summer, twice, in 40+ degree temps. Then Broadford, Phillip Island and Goulburn in the dead of winter, in zero degree temps, and rain. What's wrong with this picture?

The long weekend thing is because the committee has confused correlation with causation. The first 'away' round, Broadford in, what, 2011 or 2012, was on the winter long weekend and was very well attended. The following year it was at a more weather-friendly time of year, but with a much poorer turnout. The conclusion (based on correlation, ie the two things happened at the same time, therefore they must be linked) is that non-long weekend = poor attendance. Moving the race meet back to the long weekend in subsequent years has not caused a rise in attendance (which, if it had, would indicate causation, ie one thing caused the other). But yet, the assumption persists that it must be on the winter long weekend to be successful.

I've been mulling over this issue in my head for a while now. I can't see much alternative (other than simply continue to bitch and moan on a forum) than to get involved with the committee. The massive negative is the horribly unfriendly meeting schedule (late evening, somewhere close to fricken Canberra I think, on a school night, a Wednesday, and every frincken FORTNIGHT, if you please. They are also interminably LONG! Faaaar out.).

Can anyone think of anything? Quarterly road-race meeting somewhere closer to the middle of Sydney? At the risk of pissing off the existing committee, who all live very nearby.

[Marshy]

I mean, I'm a die-hard, and I'm not going. I'm doing the Pirelli round at the end of August, as usual, (which is also a National BEARS round), when the weather has a long tradition of being very pleasant.

And I'll tell you something else for free, I'm never ever again riding at Wakefield in anything under 25 degree air temps, and frankly I hope to never ride there again. I loved the 4 hour, but not in the middle of fricken winter.

[Mstevo]

I'm sure the economy had a lot to do with the Broadford numbers being down in recent years, anecdotaly I felt people weren't game to take days off, or even ask for days off and the dollar has dived so that adds financial pressure for tinkering on a bike......all in all it's not as attractive to go racing anymore, it will change, it's just a quiet time for numbers atm.
The road racing weekends have to dovetail with the clubs dirt bike racing weekends as far as dates or new dates go so there is not much incentive to change.
That's why the now defunct FXRRC series was in my eyes a great calendar filler

[Carl-52]

Committee meeting for St George is at Gymea (Sutherland Shire) , goes for a long ass time yes. Racing in the rain is part of racing... Racing in the cold is part of racing. Add a few more nice weather meetings sure but id rather not have a 6 month off season (or longer) just because of the higher chance of shite weather. For the 1st PI meeting yep i would have probably tried to pick a better time of the year. But to whomever replied earlier this year to the "ST George - We might be going to PI, need numbers confirmation" communication that was sent around and are now NOT going purely for weather, i think that's a bit shit if im being honest.

[Turbo]

Racing in the rain is part of racing... Racing in the cold is part of racing. Add a few more nice weather meetings sure but id rather not have a 6 month off season (or longer) just because of the higher chance of shite weather.

Firstly rain can't be avoided, cold however can. I don't think anybody is suggesting that 6 months off is the way to go, more that if the dates and venues were swapped then we'd be more likely to have favourable (safe!) conditions at ALL meets.
Most of us have limited race dollars, day jobs to take time off from and to be able to get back to. So, whilst weather is part of racing, I'll not take risks I don't need to and I'll think carefully on how I spend my race dollars.
It's a pity STG got a false indication of figures, that's not in anybody's interest. I made my point at the outset but I can see why people find it less appealing now as they did 6 months ago tho.

[stevem]

But to whomever replied earlier this year to the "ST George - We might be going to PI, need numbers confirmation" communication that was sent around and are now NOT going purely for weather, i think that's a bit shit if im being honest.

Fair call mate.

[Mickwitchy]

A mate rang to confirm they'd received his entry. They said they only had 88 entries and need 120 to go ahead.........

[Metal-Man]

A mate rang to confirm they'd received his entry. They said they only had 88 entries and need 120 to go ahead.........

I guess we'll know for sure, if it's a go ahead or not, by the end of May

[chicken16]

Yes, it will be cold and wet but it's the only chance for me to race at PI this year so I'll buy a few extra sets of wets - if it goes ahead. I hope they let us know soon so I can at least cancel my accomodation before I lose my money.

[Binksy]

Yea would be quite a bitch. 1/2 down on accommodation....

[Turbo]

I'd guess that it'll have to go ahead as there will likely have been a deposit placed? Perhaps the 120 number makes it viable.
Just a guess tho...

[Lets Torque]

Thinking of taking the retro contingent down...

What class would the rgv250 fit in?

[Nelso]

Thinking of taking the retro contingent down...

What class would the rgv250 fit in?

Can you race it in production against the Ninja 300s?

[BR]

I got scared and wrote to Jan. Got this reply just then..

Hi Bernie,

WILL BE BE RUNNING THE MEETING.* We will run with what we get.

We have to go ahead as there is no refund of circuit hire fees and they are *$42000.00 which we had to pay 60 days prior to meeting.

Jan

[zoidberg]

ooooft, that's brutal. I wonder what numbers they've got?

I know it's gonna be cold, but hopefully still fun. I've packed a long extension lead, now all I need is a very tall tent pole and I can run my warmers when I'm out on track.