2020 bits and pieces

[Iamdanjohnson]

I have the numbers open now and will try to keep up. Expect several days at times before you get confirmation. The schedule inside Mototally automatically rolls into the new season and that is all incorrect for now. I will update it once I have it all figured out.

I have several new locations to go look at before I can finish the schedule so that may be late December. I do believe there will be at least two new locations. Melvern is taking a year off so there will be no race there in 2020. I expect they will be back though. Milford is unknown for now but hopefully with a couple of work days we can get that one back in for 2020. Collins will be in for at least one and maybe two races. I am planning to do 12 to 14 races.

Gate fee has been the same for about 30 years or so and will be going up to $10 for all over 12 years of age. This is not a money grab even if it seems like it. The additional money will actually get more in the hands of the landowners and hopefully make it feel to them like our visits are worth the trouble. I fully expect to do some rounding and grouping here and there for families entering the races.

I need a fully committed person to be in charge of workers on race day for all of the races I personally put on and maybe even for a few of the others. This person can handle this and still race their race no problem. I have many things I want explained to each course worker and I simply forget or run out of time. This "sweep wrangler" would just need to get all the information from me and then have a meeting with all sweep riders at some point. This will make race day much better and likely safer for everyone.

I also need someone to look over percentiles after every race so I can keep riders in the proper class. It is embarrassingly obvious that riders will not move themselves up. The quicker someone moves to the proper class the sooner they can race with similar people and truly earn their spot in that class. I need the option of carrying points up and feel it makes it easier to get people to move up mid year, BUT it is at least slightly unfair to the riders in the upper class when someone suddenly drops in ahead of them and they never had the chance to race that person.

Just a reminder that there is no "group" running the races. There is one guy in charge and everything else gets done by volunteers at every single race. The work averages are there to get more workers and the deal was sweetened with first place points for the second average and it still isn't enough to get people to help at the races. Feel free to work more than two races just to help. More sweep riders can keep the track marking up better and find broken bikes and riders more quickly. I don't expect much if you race second race but if you race first, it would be easy to just sweep some during that 2nd race. I almost always need extra help taking down after an event as well. There is plenty to do.

I would like to have at least two more people who can learn scoring and help when needed. We seem to always have two dedicated people and that is it. Having someone in reserve is helpful. This applies to the PW's as well. Theresa Stokes has been helping with PW's but she cannot make it to every race and I suspect she would like to watch her kids at a few events and not be working. Doing PW scoring is the best first step to doing the main race scoring.

I have this feeling that 2020 is going to be one of our best seasons ever so start getting ready now and talk your buddies into giving it a try as well.

[WireFryer]

I, for one, appreciate Dan donning a Capitan Obvious hat and putting the facts out.....

Gate fee up to $10. Hmmm... not a problem.

We've been getting land access on the cheap for a silly long time and if we all toss a little more in the kitty to sweeten the deal to the landowners, we will most likely get access to some new places. Yeah, it may be rough for the large Family groups, but those fees have been identified for negotiation, your results may vary.

Milford, love it or hate it... is a staple of the Series, can be a decent Plan B race on fairly short notice, and deserves our help to at least get it race-able. Our crew down here on the Flat is jonesing to help clean up, but will do so only on FMHSC or Corps sanctioned occasions, not the other one.

I worked Sweep 2nd race at Cdale a month ago and YES there needs to be a Sweep Wrangler!

Dan was busy, the Landowner was busy, the Lovely Ladies o' Scoring where sorting out the first races results. Finally chased down Paul, got my assignment, and spent too much time getting my ducks in a row in my section because everybody in the "making the race happen" chain is stretched a bit thin.

Whats needed every race for this job is a gentle whipcracker type that is also a witch with simple logistics and just as good with the GPS mapping stuff. Military or Emergency Services type A dominant individuals after anger management classes come to mind , or any other occupational field that has successfully herded cats.

As far as the move ups... I would love to see it go back to the way it was when I joined this Series in 06... talk about intense Rider meetings.... bout every other race Dan handed somebody or a half dozen somebody's temp #s of the Class they had JUST joined, loudly, for all to see... it really kept all this cherry-picker $hit to a minimum.

One thing I might toss out to Dan, for lack of a better phrase, is holding a 'How to work Scoring 'class for folks who want to learn how, but dont want to F'up somebodys race during actual racing if they make a mistake.

Does MotoTally offer a 'flight simulator' mode where nobody's #1 plate chances die if the control tower makes a mistake?

Other than that , pretty happy with the show!

Tim
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