ahrma in turmoil again

[chicagojerry]

the latest is that ahrma is coming down on any of the regional coordinators that have been running a youth race in conjunction with their regional races. at least one region has already jumped ship from ahrma to go it alone and i expect that more will join them. it does not bode well for the nat'l organization if there is significant discension in the ranks. this doesn't affect all of us on this website but it affects many of us that race these events.
lets race! and let the politics be da**ed! and let some of our kids race too!
chi jer

[Big Mac]

Jerry, good to hear your feelings on kids races, although I know that's a sticky point with liability and insurance with AHRMA. We have a 15+ year non-AHRMA VMX club following up here in PacNW with a 7-month series, that has included a <12yr old XR75 class all along. Often have 300+ entries, very popular and well attended. There used to be 4-5 AHRMA events a year in our area, some with both Vint and PV/Evo, but attendance dropped and a few promoters discontinued. I believe we're down to 1 national MX in WA and a couple of regional VMX's competing with a monthly non-AHRMA races. Very, very few from these states have time/money it takes to drive to NV or CA (where most of the "AHRMA NW Region" events are held--go figure)

Some of the guys active in the non-AHRMA racing here tried for the past two years to coordinate together with AHRMA in order to reinvigorate AHRMA events up this way, but all fell apart finally around the issues of having a kid's class and having same-day Vintage and Evo events. Some of these non-AHRMA events have had full-gates of XR75 entries, and bringing your son/daughter along on race day helps earn a hall pass from mom--it's also the family thing to do. Often Dads ride vintage and older sons ride PV/Evo, so same day events help the numbers too.

So now we basically have  a full-year calendar of non-AHRMA events to choose from, which are getting plenty of attendance, minimal rules and regs, and everyone gets along great. With a no-hassle, low cost and well-run event on the calendar every month of the year, many of the guys I talk to are wondering whether they should bother renewing their AHRMA license this year. It's a shame. Sometimes though the simplest formulas work the best.

Jon McLean
Lake Grove, OR

[Merlin]

.......www.flvmx.com...........fun!!!..............

[Mick Milakovic]

Jerry and Jon, well said.  The bottom line is AHRMA is sinking their own ship.  I understand some folks not wanting kids at the races for insurance, more classes and longer days, wanting to keep vintage racing "pure", etc, but the bottom line is that many of us have kids that would add extra revenue and, probably the most important reason, educate the younger generation about what really cool old bikes we have. Just like our "Penton Future Project", without seeding and fertilizing for the future the tree won't grow!

[DKWRACER]

What has ARHMA done for me lately?
Echo's, in the the post, is a call to them, to give a chance for our
"sons".
There is something, of a relationship between a father, and his son.....
Take them fishin...
The motorcycles, will come later..............
Best on a "Penton Campfire".......it burns deep


Thanks,  
Tom Brosius

[Mike Lenz]

Its a real shame.  But come on, every non vintage race in this country has kids classes.  Why is it that AHRMA has this "kids" insurance issue and not everyone else? Are they making it up? Do they have bad legal advise (well I guess we know that answer), or do they know something the AMA and everyone else doesn't?  After the bankruptcy thing and now this I think we need a new vintage org.

[Jeff D]

Curtis Harper's Missouri Vintage MX circuit (//www.movmx.com) is one of those that parted with AHRMA several years ago due to the "no kids rule."  Curtis has his hands full trying to accomodate the growing number of folks out there wanting to do some vintage racing AND have their kids race, too.  He runs several kids "support classes" and they don't need to be vintage, but it's getting the next crop of vintage nuts hooked.  This year a CRF70, next year a Super Rat or (better yet!) a Six Day.  It works!  AHRMA needs to take note.

Jeff DeBell

[SIEGE]

Hey Boys

CJ here- I tend to live in a cave with my 50 gallon drum of Tasters Choice- partly why I don't post often enough here-

so all of a sudden to be aware of coordinators/riders/Americans who are fed up as we were with the heavy hand is amazing. Our issue wasn't kids, it was V&PV, but it went down the same way- with some arguing, some maneuvering, and eventually a series of showdowns.

here is the now all to familiar story online:
http://www.siegecraftnw.com/whitepass.htm

Vintage is alive and well. And to my mind all of this is proof. We're still Americans, and when things get unreasonable I see that we're gonna have another Boston Tea Party.

-SIEGE

[Big Mac]

Jerry, good to hear your feelings on kids races, although I know that's a sticky point with liability and insurance with AHRMA. We have a 15+ year non-AHRMA VMX club following up here in PacNW with a 7-month series, that has included a <12yr old XR75 class all along. Often have 300+ entries, very popular and well attended. There used to be 4-5 AHRMA events a year in our area, some with both Vint and PV/Evo, but attendance dropped and a few promoters discontinued. I believe we're down to 1 national MX in WA and a couple of regional VMX's competing with a monthly non-AHRMA races. Very, very few from these states have time/money it takes to drive to NV or CA (where most of the "AHRMA NW Region" events are held--go figure)

Some of the guys active in the non-AHRMA racing here tried for the past two years to coordinate together with AHRMA in order to reinvigorate AHRMA events up this way, but all fell apart finally around the issues of having a kid's class and having same-day Vintage and Evo events. Some of these non-AHRMA events have had full-gates of XR75 entries, and bringing your son/daughter along on race day helps earn a hall pass from mom--it's also the family thing to do. Often Dads ride vintage and older sons ride PV/Evo, so same day events help the numbers too.

So now we basically have  a full-year calendar of non-AHRMA events to choose from, which are getting plenty of attendance, minimal rules and regs, and everyone gets along great. With a no-hassle, low cost and well-run event on the calendar every month of the year, many of the guys I talk to are wondering whether they should bother renewing their AHRMA license this year. It's a shame. Sometimes though the simplest formulas work the best.

Jon McLean
Lake Grove, OR

[Merlin]

.......www.flvmx.com...........fun!!!..............

[Mick Milakovic]

Jerry and Jon, well said.  The bottom line is AHRMA is sinking their own ship.  I understand some folks not wanting kids at the races for insurance, more classes and longer days, wanting to keep vintage racing "pure", etc, but the bottom line is that many of us have kids that would add extra revenue and, probably the most important reason, educate the younger generation about what really cool old bikes we have. Just like our "Penton Future Project", without seeding and fertilizing for the future the tree won't grow!

[DKWRACER]

What has ARHMA done for me lately?
Echo's, in the the post, is a call to them, to give a chance for our
"sons".
There is something, of a relationship between a father, and his son.....
Take them fishin...
The motorcycles, will come later..............
Best on a "Penton Campfire".......it burns deep


Thanks,  
Tom Brosius

[Mike Lenz]

Its a real shame.  But come on, every non vintage race in this country has kids classes.  Why is it that AHRMA has this "kids" insurance issue and not everyone else? Are they making it up? Do they have bad legal advise (well I guess we know that answer), or do they know something the AMA and everyone else doesn't?  After the bankruptcy thing and now this I think we need a new vintage org.

[Jeff D]

Curtis Harper's Missouri Vintage MX circuit (//www.movmx.com) is one of those that parted with AHRMA several years ago due to the "no kids rule."  Curtis has his hands full trying to accomodate the growing number of folks out there wanting to do some vintage racing AND have their kids race, too.  He runs several kids "support classes" and they don't need to be vintage, but it's getting the next crop of vintage nuts hooked.  This year a CRF70, next year a Super Rat or (better yet!) a Six Day.  It works!  AHRMA needs to take note.

Jeff DeBell

[SIEGE]

Hey Boys

CJ here- I tend to live in a cave with my 50 gallon drum of Tasters Choice- partly why I don't post often enough here-

so all of a sudden to be aware of coordinators/riders/Americans who are fed up as we were with the heavy hand is amazing. Our issue wasn't kids, it was V&PV, but it went down the same way- with some arguing, some maneuvering, and eventually a series of showdowns.

here is the now all to familiar story online:
http://www.siegecraftnw.com/whitepass.htm

Vintage is alive and well. And to my mind all of this is proof. We're still Americans, and when things get unreasonable I see that we're gonna have another Boston Tea Party.

-SIEGE