An Ounce of Courage

[DKWRACER]

If there is one within our group, who has become a race promoter, I need to know as much as you know. Our region needs some help, so if you can, please email me.......Some of the greatest strengths, come from our membership.....
Once again..indebted...

[Bryson Williams]

Well , I'm a new race promotor, I did Johnston Ranch vintage MX and Trials this past june, In Klamath Falls Oregon. Planning on an Early June race this next AHRMA season.  This event will be a two day event with Evo class and Trials on Saturday, and a Vintage Mx on Sunday.

The process for me was fairly straight forward.  I had Dick Mann,Ed Parsons and Pete Fisher walk me thru it.  lessons learned are, no matter what needs to get done, you better plan on doing it yourself.

I don't mean to sound like that but, all my mentors were 100 to 400 miles away.  That left me to connect the dots.  Lesson #1 The permit process.  In my county the fee is 350.00 for the application fee.  

 The County, State and feds had to sign off on the permit.  Then it went to the immediate neighbors, who get to voice there oppinions.  This was the shocker for me.  Good people who spread half truths and innuendo.  Not in my back yard and the Hells Angels will be here and kill us all.  

 I had to go thru public hearings where a group of 50 to 100 local people got to voice their views regarding issues like wildfire to spotted owls loosing their homes, to deer population depleation to water quality issues. I learned that people will lie cheat and bad mouth you, if they don't agree. "Sadly these are really good people who were simply mislead by a small group, who after the event wore lots of egg on their faces".

EMS contracts were 1100.00, insurance thru AMA was 1200.00, water truck 500.00 for one day, Race track supplies cost around 4000.00 as I wanted 1000 yards of orange snow fence. I believe then and still do that the way the track looks is 1/2 of the memory for the riders.

The track was a natural terrain grass track designed by Dick Mann.  The farm we were racing at is a hay farm so we used hay from the stacks.  If I would have had to purchase the hay it would have been at least 5 to 10 tons at about 100.00 per ton.  

Trophies cost 1400.00, "I purchased lots of trophies cuz I wanted lots of folks to go home with a trophy". Sadly I was busy taking care of stuff when the trophy's were passed out and AHRMA only passed out the required percentage of trophies.  I have 30 trophies left from the event.  

Lessons learned, I could not have had a better group of teachers, Dick Mann "simply the best".  Gave me guidence and direction when I needed it.  The most important thing he taught me was that, as the promotor the buck stops here.  if it's a good event you get the credit. If it's a **** event, you still get the credit.  

The trials side was put together by Pete Fischer.  Again simply the best, he and his crew started in Septemeber of the previous year putting the trials sections together.  

Pete and the boys drove 150 miles 5 times during the winter to get the trials part just right.  That is 300 miles round trip for them x 5.  That is dedication.  

Ed and Marlene Parsons came down from Washington State Marlene taught us how to do sign up, and set up the scoring component of MX and trials.

Another key group of folks who helped were Don and Laura Miller they ran the front gate for us,  This job is Key in an orginized event.  

Police explorer post 1123 volunteered to do the trials sections scoring on Saturday and to Flag on Sunday.  We posted 30 signs on the major roads leading to the track. Set up and take down was alot of work.

Lots and lots of work gets done in a 48 hour period.  You as the orginizer will do the majority of the work. Your the trouble shooter/fixer and need to get stuff done right now to be sucessful.

Lesson learned.

Have a plan or a script.
Be flexable.
Plan ahead, anticipate, problems and solve them quickly and smoothly.
communicate, communicate, communicate with everybody involved.  
Expect adversity, it's inhearant of the human being.  
Be fair but firm.  
Trust you crew to do their assigned tasks.
Be prepared to do any and all jobs that need to be done, from sign up, to track prep, to race sign up to dealing with the local media to dealing with ass holes at the track.
Do what you say, your going to do and go the extra mile' "It's your reputation on the line"
Be prepared to handle first aid, lost kids, smooth transition of EMS and be prepared to manage any disaster that happens.
Most important of all is be timely.  Dick taught me that the first Practice session needs to be off the line at 8:30AM sharp. Have a trusted friend on his scooter , on the line and have your starter let him start ON TIME.  

 Once practice starts the rest of the event will flow smoothly.  
Your starter and finish flagger are the most important people you have on race day.  Trust them to the bone.  

Your flagger captian will have his hands full, the flaggers will eventually start to watch the riders after they pass their location.  They will fixate on what is happening after their area of responsibility, not on their area of responsibility. A good corner captain works with his crew, and relieves them often to take care of their personal needs.

Water and food to your workers, make sure they are hydrated and well fed, provide shade if needed, or rain gear if needed.

Hire consesionaries you trust and who are timely,  They need to be there early and stay the entire time of the event.  I would suggest at leat an hour before the event and ask them to be prepared to serve at least coffee and pastries,

I asked a friend of mine named Christopher James to make event tee shirts, he is frankly amazing in his approach and design of the shirts.

I did not and will not ask those venders for a percentage of their take.  CJ and the food people took home what they made, which in my oppinion is fair.

We had 40 Trials riders on Saturday and 215 riders on Sunday. I paid the land owner 1400.00 for land use, he wanted more, but after paying all the bills there was nothing left.  

1 to 10 I would say we did a 6 or 7 in terms of sucess. We were started by 8:30 am  had one restart, took lunch, watered the track twice and were still finished by 3:30 pm.  No majore injuries" 1 broken collar bone, who took himself to the hospital".

I hope these thoughts are helpful, It was not my intent to go into such detail in this form.  It seemed to just all flow.  I must tell you that this next year we will do things alittel different.  

 all three tracks Vintage MX, Post Vintage MX and Trials, will be prepared and ready to race a week before the event.  I want to work smarth during the event, not work hard and long.

Regards,
Dirk Williams

[Big Mac]

Consider for a moment all the details, time and $ investment as Dirk points out above...it's a wonder events like this ever get off the ground, much less that anyone's willing to tackle bringing on a new one. THANK YOU Dirk, Dick Mann, Ed & Marlene Parsons, Pete Fischer, ____________(fill blank) and all the rest of the vintage race promoters around the country for YOUR COMMITMENT which lets the rest of us squids race and have fun year after year!! Hoo-Rah!

[DKWRACER]

Big Mac, Squid eh? Guess I just got promoted[8D]
Mr. Williams, thanks for the insight...
Tom........

[pketchum]

Christopher Williams also goes by the name "SEIGE" and does incredible work with his T-shirts.  I believe he's an art major/artist and it shows.  I've had people want to mug me at Mid-Ohio for a Hodaka T-shirt he'd never seen before.  It was one of Christopher Williams designs.


Excellent write-up of all the work that's involved in hosting a Vintage event.  I wakes one up to see the costs involved doesn't it?


Phil Ketchum

[Bryson Williams]

I read what I wrote, forgive my spelling and puntuation.  I just wanted to say that the reason I decided to do an AHRMA event was simple.

 I had found myself with a group of friends/riders who bitched about everything.  That off camber sucked, they were assholes.  I also noticed that at least in the northwest that a core group of 20 people were doing all the work, while the rest of us sat in the shade, and found stuff to beef about.

 I made a decision that I was no longer going to be part of the problem, that I was going to contribute to the sport I love and be part of the solution.  My family and I have since worked at every event we have been to.  

The core 20 people who I mentioned need our help.  Try pitching in, pick up a flag or help at the gate, learn about sign ups, and scoring.  Volunteer to do tech inspection, or assist at the starting gate.

Become a contributor, not a taker.  It's not cheap to do one of these events.  Even more alarmings is the fact that we are running out of people who are willing to simply do what's right.  That is pitch in to preserve this wonderful sport we call vintage motorcycle racing.

Regards,
Dirk Williams

[Big Mac]

Sentiment to live by! Well said Dirk.

Phil's right too about NW vintage legend Christopher James (not Williams, that's Dirk's name), also known as CJ, which later morphed somehow into Siege. He's our resident NW Vintage Dirt Racing webmaster, results poster, cheerleader, artist and shirt-maker. He even helps promote the summer event up here that he named "Hammer & Tongs"--something about racers forged from steel, or some such.

He's also a graphics artist, plays in a pretty freaky band, is a former AHRMA rep, a darn good bike builder and an expert class racer who has given me a run for the money more than I'd like to remember. Kind of a vintage mx renaissance man with a great "let's just race and have fun" attitude. Check out his (our) web page with one of the coolest action shots of a CZ sidepiper I've seen:

http://www.siegecraftnw.com/VDR.htm  

There's a click there for Motocross Shirts --No Penton shirts yet, but some pretty funky vintage MX items guaranteed not to be found anywhere else on this planet. Buy something...otherwise our buddy Siege may have to someday get a real job and won't have time for all this fiddling around.

[tomale]

Mac is right. CJ is a great guy and does alot to promote vintage motocross in this area. The Term Hammer and Tong is part of an old saying, It is a blacksmith thing. The saying goes something like this "Go to the hammer and Tong" It is sort of the same thing as Stike while the iron is hot. What it means it that once once the piece of iron is ready to be worked there is no time to decide or think about anything... that should have already been done. It is time to get it done. No whining, no excuses, just get it done. When applied to motocross... it means forget the nosense and lets get it done, It is time to race. all excuses left behind. let your skills say the rest. If you have ever worked with hot steel then you know how this works. There is a heat range that is perfect to work the steel and when it gets too cold and you can no longer see and "color" It is time to put it back in the fire. If it gets too hot then hitting the steel only destroys it.
I can not help but like it. It is time to go to the hammer and tong.
Dirk how can I help?

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
78' 400 MC5

[Bryson Williams]

I am amused by my friend CJ's new status as a Legend. My whole life I thought you had to be dead, or about dead to achieve that status.  It's comforting to know that he is alive and well and will be racing with us regular folks very very soon. You guys simply make me smile.  

 Dirk

[Big Mac]

Siege is legendary in the eyes of us who can only dream of not having a real job--just webhosting and vintage-MX-shirt-making the days away, rock band gigs and groupies a few nights a week, and sleeping in a funky old 60s van alongside our bikes at some track every other weekend. I'd like to say if I was young and had it to do all over....but I think the dude is older than me!

[Bryson Williams]

Big Mac I think your right about him being older.  I spoke with CJ and congradulated him on his new status.  He was humble and amused at the same time.

Fella's if you haven't seen CJ's work you should take the time to review this guys art work and his one of a kind Vintage tee shirts.  check it out.

 Dirk

[SIEGE]

sheesh! I should have joined this group earlier!


hey everyone

this is siege- I'm touched that my colleagues would write kind things about me & my work - thanks so much to all for the words of encouragement-

you know, I used to Road Race, and all the honor & glory & press (in Cycle News, for example) always went to the top dogs, who were always Microsoft Guys - and in Road Racing, money = speed far more than in Motocross. I was struggling around at the back with my antequated RD400-  and there was a day when I won the heat & the main, race, for the first time in my life- mostly due to the fact that it was POURING RAIN, and my principle adversaries had stayed home that day. Nevertheless I had won- and ready to finally take home the winning trophy...

but I was told that in order to award the trophy- already engraved on the table there in the rain, there had to have been 5 bikes in the class.

I kind of stood there for a minute as the person in charge was walking away, and I remember clearly thinking if I'm ever in charge of anything, everyone will be equal- after all this is club racing- it takes everyone to pay the bills in this sport- we are all equal- and as such it doeasn't really matter who is fast or tough or cool- or famous- so when I do the VDR Web Page, or the Poster, or a TShirt Design, ANYONE may be the featured rider.

Dirk Williams has done a tremendous job with the Klamath Falls race- working on it for the entire year before making it happen- and our hats should be off to him- dealing with the politics in and out of the Vintage Racing Community to give us  a decent race day. Putting on a race is a VERY difficult job, and thankless in many too many ways.

Lets get a Penton on a Shirt here- y'all can bug me about it- and I'll make it happen! Maybe for the Klamath Falls Race...

rock is roll.
SIEGE

[DKWRACER]

Sir, what a gem of a website you have[8D]
Tom...

[pketchum]

Yeah Siege/CJ/or should I call you "Legend", or Sir?.

Where are you getting these cool photographs that grace your website?

Also, thank you for your help in promoting my other love, Hodaka's, on your website, and the upcoming Hodaka Days 2005 in Athena, OR in June 2005.

Yes, I know you will do the Penton marque justice if you do a T-shirt.




Phast Phil
Moderator, Hodaka Owners Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hodaka

[tomale]

Hey CJ, wow nice to have you here. Welcome and do come back and put your input. hmm I wonder were we could find a Penton to put on a T-shirt. There must be one out there... somewhere.
Thanks for all you do my friend and I do mean friend.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
78' 400 MC5