I went up to Loudon in 1997. They had a Junior class. After the novice moved up he had to first ride junior before becoming expert. The idea seem to work good. Loudon has the largest club in the U.S. This class helps riders gain confidence before moving to expert.
I would like to propose a similar class for the CMRA. For example:
Novice riders scoring between .500 and .700 the year before can ride the junior class.
Experts that have never finished in the top 8 can ride the class. This would not be a championship class, only an experience enhancing class. A rider can only win the class 3 times before being bumped up to expert. Points would be counted but only to determine who can't ride the class anymore.
This class would be a 750 and under class. The A and B expert classes are pretty tough classes. This would give rookies a chance to shine and gain confidence without having to battle with the experienced experts. They would riding against similar ability riders.
This could be the needed class to help the CMRA continue to grow and encourage rookie experts to stick around for a few more seasons.
Ridesmart and Ty Howard Racing School were looking for a class to sponsor. This would be an ideal class for that. If that was the case these guys would be racing for purse money. I think Bill Syfan could probably pick up some contingency money also.