2016 New Expert List

[Brandon Orr]

I would like to start a petition to keep Felio off of a liter bike for 2016.
How many signatures would I need to make that happen?

There is a decent amount of contingency in Novice, it doesn't pay as much as Expert but we don't spend as much either.
Tires are just the main one, then your class sponsors. No one is going to get rich doing this ****.

[Allen Dye]

I fail to see how that might be seen as something underhanded. Would you bump someone elses 13ish y/o kid if they said they needed another novice season to ride a 600?

Dennis, in post #137, Walter quotes you and bold's for effect your assertion that something underhanded went on. You posted it. It's right there.

Are you saying now that your post was not as was typed? A retraction and clarification would in order. This is precisely what I was talking about in the other thread about keeping things stirred up with jabs at the board and/or staff. It's in black and white. It's not helpful to the discussion.

[Cody Stewart]

I have an issue with 'not being comfortable' not being a valid reason. Everyone is different. I'm fast at a couple tracks (but not fast enough to podium in novice this year so far) because I've only been to TWS and MSRH. I've never sprinted at any other track. I've been to ECR once (3 years ago) and Hallet once on my big bike at track days, I haven't been to any of the other tracks on anything bigger than a 250 and in some cases, never been at all. It takes me a while to get to know tracks and I don't want to get to know tracks riding in Expert because I know the pace would be too fast for me at the majority of tracks I go to. Other people are different and can pick up tracks really quickly, but that's not me. I'm pretty competitive and I know I would push myself beyond my limits trying to keep up on tracks I don't know. So when I was bumped, I protested. I had been saving up money for the last few years to be able to complete a full season this year. I knew I'd make it to expert next year, but I wanted to make sure I knew the tracks and wouldn't be a hazard to myself or others. I had some strong finishes last year at the first two rounds which is what bumped me up. My protest was denied so I made a decision, based on this and other factors, to stop racing. I've been racing for 3 years doing 1 or 2 rounds a year as I could afford them while saving up money to finally be able to do a full season, so I was pretty bummed about it, but I'm not going to complain about it. But it was a choice I made because I don't feel I'm ready and I feel that I would've been a danger to not only myself, but to other riders. Maybe in a few years after I do some track days at some other tracks and get used it, I might try it again.

I just wanted to point out that everyone is different and not being comfortable can be completely legitimate, at least to me. Legitimate enough for me to stop doing it because I felt it exceeded my tolerance of risk.
-Cody

[Allen Dye]

I have an issue with 'not being comfortable' not being a valid reason.

I have problem with that Cody, and again, this isn't specific to anyone; A racer can't simultaneously go out and rip up the novice class, run in the middle of the expert class, and claim they weren't comfortable doing it. If we went with this as reason for protest, then we may as well be an all self promotion club.

[Yorke Oldfather]

Cody, so you are saying that at a new track, you would be more comfortable starting in a field of novices that also might not know the track and know where they are going? Than say starting at the back of the field of Experts, with riders you've been racing against for 2 years and probably know the track and know where they are going? Know how to make clean passes?

[robert duncan]

Cody you should do yourself a favor give it 1race. I was nervous also but the guys and girls in expert are as it is experts .
they make clean lines passes and it is a great learning experience that you can't and will not get in novis.come pit with me and I'll help out with your transition as best I can and I put that out there for any new expert

[Cody Stewart]

I have the same problem Cody, and again, this isn't specific to anyone; A racer can't simultaneously go out and rip up the novice class, run in the middle of the expert class, and claim they weren't comfortable doing it.

I agree completely.

Cody, so you are saying that at a new track, you would be more comfortable starting in a field of novices that also might not know the track and know where they are going? Than say starting at the back of the field of Experts, with riders you've been racing against for 2 years and probably know the track and know where they are going? Know how to make clean passes?

Yes. Because I know I have a better chance of not wrecking if I screw up following, lets say you, than following, lets say - Jay Bullard.

I don't know why this is such a difficult concept for people to understand. Not everyone is the same. I'm a very competitive person. Extremely competitive. I will literally break the frame by wrecking at 130mph on my bike trying to pass people who are already faster than me and on a bigger bike...at a track day. Colin Edwards, Dustin Dominguez, some other famous mx dude that I cant remember his name - more examples of people I've tried to block and/or pass and wrecking in the process (luckily, those were on dirt). I wrecked doing the same thing last year trying to pass someone at TWS. I know me better than anyone else here. It's not about sand bagging, it's not about contingency, and its not about winning trophies for me. It based on my personal experience and my personality. Luckily, I've only taken myself out. I'm not going to take the chance of doing it at a level where I'm not comfortable with because where I can make a mistake trying to follow someone in novice and have the bike and tires save me from my own mess up, that margin of error isn't there in expert.

Exhibit A:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zvN1sHgrwk
-Cody

[Brandon Orr]

So it's like you can't be around hookers cause you can't control yourself enough not to bang them?

We are all competitive and just cause you push yourself to hard and wreck doesn't mean you are not fast enough to be expert.
In most cases when you move up I would think you would be riding with the same people as the previous season.

If you are fast enough for expert at one track you should be fast enough for all of them. You won't have a perfect line, but people just have to jump in the water at some point. Riding an SV with all these fast expert teams really puts it in perspective. I am less worried about being hit by one of the Idiots or Army than any novice class I've been in.

[Cody Stewart]

So it's like you can't be around hookers cause you can't control yourself enough not to bang them?

FINALLY. Someone that gets me.

[Michael De Simone]

I have an issue with 'not being comfortable' not being a valid reason. Everyone is different. I'm fast at a couple tracks (but not fast enough to podium in novice this year so far) because I've only been to TWS and MSRH. I've never sprinted at any other track. I've been to ECR once (3 years ago) and Hallet once on my big bike at track days, I haven't been to any of the other tracks on anything bigger than a 250 and in some cases, never been at all. It takes me a while to get to know tracks and I don't want to get to know tracks riding in Expert because I know the pace would be too fast for me at the majority of tracks I go to. Other people are different and can pick up tracks really quickly, but that's not me. I'm pretty competitive and I know I would push myself beyond my limits trying to keep up on tracks I don't know. So when I was bumped, I protested. I had been saving up money for the last few years to be able to complete a full season this year. I knew I'd make it to expert next year, but I wanted to make sure I knew the tracks and wouldn't be a hazard to myself or others. I had some strong finishes last year at the first two rounds which is what bumped me up. My protest was denied so I made a decision, based on this and other factors, to stop racing. I've been racing for 3 years doing 1 or 2 rounds a year as I could afford them while saving up money to finally be able to do a full season, so I was pretty bummed about it, but I'm not going to complain about it. But it was a choice I made because I don't feel I'm ready and I feel that I would've been a danger to not only myself, but to other riders. Maybe in a few years after I do some track days at some other tracks and get used it, I might try it again.

I just wanted to point out that everyone is different and not being comfortable can be completely legitimate, at least to me. Legitimate enough for me to stop doing it because I felt it exceeded my tolerance of risk.
-Cody

You'd be fine Cody. You went to Hallett and ran '21s your first time there. That was faster than any lap in BSS/CSS Novice at the first Hallett round last year and not DFL in the expert classes.