The enthusiasm of our div 2 juniors.....

[Tony U]

Well last night was a fun filled evening with the first crash of the series that happened right in front of me, a few of our highly enthusiastic younger riders engaging in a bit of fun and frivolity, chopping wheels, second wheel swingups, argy bargy, yep all the fun of a nice Friday nights entertainment.

As a few of us older fellas arent as quick off the mark, a little reminder to our younger riders that with a full field in div 2 of 24 riders, when you sprint onto the track from the get go some of the poor suckers are actually still on the ramp up to the track and this isnt exactly good manners kids......

Perhaps our friendly commissaire might employ a neutral lap to get the field rolling in such situations in the future, as was the case for the re start after the crash.

Hope you kids that came down are okay, of course you missed out on an amazing prize last night, guess we will have to offer it another time...

http://www.tobruksheepstation.com.au/photo.html

[Artson]

Tony

Your points are all very valid and your joke regarding the prize both comical and meaningful.

Friday night racing (RAW) has been going for 9 years now and in that time I have employed many techniques in the manner in which we start the races. Throughout these years I have discovered that the roll out-race-on rule to be the best for the below reasons;

•   With a neutral roll out start, we were averaging easily two crashes a night in the neutral zone on bends 1 and 2.  Mostly due to people confusing neutral with the word slow, despite my multiple and repeated statements to the contrary.
•   Crashes in bend 1 and 2 usually results in a restart and repairs needed to the track.
•   At RAW we pump out a lot of races (for example week 1 had 50+ in 2 ½ hrs) so we really need to save time at any feasible opportunities.
•   By having the roll-out race rule it really does ensure riders are promptly in the starting area ready to race (the earlier you enter the ramp the higher you start)  You would be amazed at how much this speed things up and it also means that at RAW we do very little race marshalling as the riders marshall  themselves really.
•   As you are aware a fast race is a safer race. With a neutral start we often see a bunch 5 wide in the back-straight, which frankly scares the crap out of me.

So the key factors for the current start procedure are:
1.   Safety
2.   Time saving
3.   Simplicity

Having said all of this RAW has always encouraged a gentleman’s lap agreement (fast but no attacks) especially in the warm up scratch race. RAW track is competitive but fun racing and it is really owned by the people, hence it is reliant on the riders encouraging the unwritten rules and I congratulate you on your post, as it (your post) is doing exactly the right thing in pointing out the poor manners.

The reason for the neutral start on the re-start?; ...  I could actually see the intention of riders to rudely attack and at the last second I quickly blurted out neutral start to prevent some already existing tension turning into anger (I think it worked).


Just to let people know how the crash happened.

A rider was on the attack, coming round the leaders, Ryan Pawl had been on the front for a while and started to swing up bumping into the rider on the attack. Ryan lost balance and came down, Jack Edwards nearly got round but collect Ryan’s bike and consequently also fell.

The official document sent to CNSW (which has to be done on every fall) will conclude “a racing incident”

[Tony U]

...... I defer to your wisdom oh master Jedi...

Perhaps the polite tap on the shoulder technique is the more prudent tactic, I was the recipient of such advice when I started riding track at FNWTR in 2005 and it was appreciated. Andrew Burne rode over me and used me as a speedhump that year resulting in some reasonably significant surgery and new hardware in my shoulder so perhaps I am a bit paranoid.

[dernydude]

A quiet word was had to the few involved on the evening in the said events, regarding second wheel swing ups and ungentlemanly behaviour. It was said in an encourgaing way as like you guys I feel that these guys are only making these mistakes because no one has taught them the right way to go about racing. It is after all our job to pass down the knowledge not just so we have safe racing now but so that there continues to be safe racing long after our bikes are hung up for the last time.

[simoeightyseven]

It may also be worth bring up the point with riders that it is not always a good idea to attack a race in area's where riders would usually swing up ... Ie - going in to a bend ...