School me on Amateur Racing

[The Bearded Duc]

Hey guys, I know there are a lot of you into the racing scene. I was wondering if some of you could school me on how to get into amateur racing?

Can anyone race?

What type of licensing do you have to have?

Age requirements?

Any classes that are usually required?

Bike requirements?

Are men and women usually kept separate?

Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance. If there is anything else that I forgot to ask please add it in.   

duc

[Triple J]

I just completed my 1st year racing with our local club up here, WMRRA (Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association).

Getting involved is pretty easy. Find out your local organization and see what they require. I'm guessing it is similar to mine, so here's what it involved:

1. Take a classroom class, and pay the race license fee. Our class is 1/2 day if I remember correctly.
2. Take an approved track class (basically a trackday instruction, some of it geared towards racing...like practice starts)

After that you're allowed to race in the Novice races...there are 2 every race weekend, one on Saturday and on on Sunday. You pay for your race entries...so the 2 races cost me about $200...and I also get 3 practice sessions (1 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday). A race weekend costs about the same as a trackday essentially.

Novices in WMRRA all race in the same class, regardless of bike type (except Ninja 250s, who race in their own class regardless of skill level).

To graduate from Novice you must complete 10 races, work one day as a corner worked, help once with air fence set-up or removal, and work as a race volunteer one day. After your 10 races you are shadowed by an expert racer (your assigned mentor usually) during a race and if you show you aren't a danger then you move to Graduated Novice.  Graduated Novices are allowed to race in whatever class their bike allows, but wear an X on the back of their helmet to let the other racers know you’re a noob. I think you have to complete 2 races as a Graduated Novice before you’re given your expert plate.

Minimum age in WMRRA is 16 I believe.
No license requirement that I know of, other than described above.
Bike must be completely safety wired, and have a lower fairing capable of holding your full oil capacity (basically you need race fairings). The bike prep. is thoroughly covered in the classroom session.
Men and women race together in WMRRA.
No prior track experience is required, although most everyone has at least done a couple track days.
No specific tire requirements, but pretty much everyone uses race rubber and warmers.
You’ll need a transponder…we use AMD ones which I think is the norm.

Bikes range anything from old beaters to brand new 1198s. I race an ’02 748, which is underpowered, but still a blast.
If you’re considering it, just do it…it is WAY more fun than a trackday!! 

[The Bearded Duc]

Awesome info Triple, thanks!!   

It might be something I would get into, although right now I'm doing a bit of research for an idea I have.

Seeing as you said 'our local club' I would assume that there are many clubs across the nation?

And if you don't mind me asking, what is the end result for you? Do you plan on racing at any professional level? For that matter, is this type of amateur racing a prerequisite/recommendation for entry into professional racing?

Do you know if the other riders in the club are looking to get into professional racing?

[Spidey]

You're in SoCal, so you'll want to look into WERA, Willow Springs (WSMC), and others.  Plenty of SoCal folks race AFM (NorCal) as well.  Some organizations only race at one track.  Others race at a few (or many) tracks.  The first thing to do is to figure out what is closest to you or which organization you want ot start with.  WSMC might be what you're looking for, but I don't know that much about it.  I think gm2 races/raced with them.  

Anyone can race.  You need a license from the organization.  Age requirements depend on the local club or the racetracks you attend.  In the AFM, for example, no-under 16 racers when AFM races at Infineon, but it's ok for Buttonwillow or Thunderhill.  Classes are generally part of getting your race license.  Often, you'll go to a race school to qualify.  Again, it depends on the local club's rules.  Bike requirements are pretty specific, and vary between clubs.  Best to buy a used race bike rather than try to put one together on your own.  Men and women race together, though some clubs also have a separate women's class as well so the chicas have a race where they can just duke it out against each other.  And we can watch.    

I'm not familiar with what info is on the WSMC website (and couldn't find new racers info from skimming the site), but the AFM website has a new racers section.  Go here (http://www.afmracing.org/content/view/22/40/ and http://www.afmracing.org/content/view/49/77/) and look at the links on the left.  It's specific to the AFM, but most clubs are similar to one another in how the process works.  

There a really good program that races Ninja 250s called Feel Like A Pro.  They have a fleet of 250s to rent at club racing events throughout the WEst Coarst.  http://feellikeapro.com/

Hey guys, I know there are a lot of you into the racing scene. I was wondering if some of you could school me on how to get into amateur racing?

Can anyone race?

What type of licensing do you have to have?

Age requirements?

Any classes that are usually required?

Bike requirements?

Are men and women usually kept separate?

Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance. If there is anything else that I forgot to ask please add it in.  

duc

[Triple J]

And if you don't mind me asking, what is the end result for you? Do you plan on racing at any professional level? For that matter, is this type of amateur racing a prerequisite/recommendation for entry into professional racing?

Do you know if the other riders in the club are looking to get into professional racing?

My end result is just terrorizing my wife as she watches me scream past and hopes I come around for each lap (which I didn't once).  I'm too old and slow to try anything more!

There are a few guys that jumped to AMA. If you collect enough WMRRA points it qualifies you for an AMA license...or something like that. For example, Jake Holden is an ex-WMRRA guy.

[Spidey]

Do you know if the other riders in the club are looking to get into professional racing?

Some of the younger folks start with amateur racing and then get into AMA stuff.  Generally, it's kids who have being racing minibikes and supermoto and dirt since they were fetuses.  

Many of the fast guys at the local club level will do the occasional AMA round, particularly if it comes to (or near) their home track.  Some of hte really fast guys will give a go at doing a year or two of AMA full-time, but it often does't pan out.  If you look at the AMA guys, a lot of them were class champions at their local amateur club first.  Jeremy Toye in SoCal comes to mind, and Bobby Fong and Steve Rapp were AFM class/club champions. 

[derby]

If you look at the AMA guys, a lot of them were class champions at their local amateur club first.  Jeremy Toye in SoCal comes to mind, and Bobby Fong and Steve Rapp were AFM class/club champions.  

spies in the cmra... (and hayden, edwards, schwantz, spencer, polen and more before him)

[The Bearded Duc]

Thanks for the links Spidey!!  

This might be a silly question but how competitive is the amateur scene?

Is there any money in it?

Is there any public recognition or is it more just a niche thing?

More of a general question, what is the real gain of just racing amateur if not trying to advance in the sport to a more professional level?

Are there any amateur outlets that provide a more direct possibility or ambition for advancement?

Based on the previous few comments I would assume that a lot people get into it just to add a bit competitiveness to their regular track day experience?

Again, sorry for all the questions, I should have forewarned that I probably would be asking a lot of them. I plan on getting a lot of info from the web but any and all FHE is greatly appreciated!!

[Speeddog]

No FHE on roadracing locally, but from what i've seen and heard from my shop-mates, and my own forays into motocross and Bonneville speed record stuff....

Competitiveness depends to some extent on the class, 'vintage' will be more friendly than the 600 SuperSport or the like (where everyone thinks they're the next Rossi).

The money will flow one direction, *out* of your wallet, at whatever rate you can stand.

Public recognition will be 0.

Some folks just enjoy riding fast, others are more centered on the competition.
Some of those with fat wallets just want to be able to say they race, omitting the fact that they're soundly beaten by better riders with 1/10th the budget.
Some folks are convinced they're going to make a fantastic living through racing.

I'm pretty sure every successful racer started at the club level.

The best way to make a small fortune is to have a large fortune and go racing.

[Triple J]

+1 to Speeddog

The Supersport (600) and Superbike (1000) classes are the most competitive (at least in WMRRA)...we have a few really fast guys that just crush everyone. Everyone is there to have fun though, so it isn't cut throat or anything, just good racing with good people.

The reason to do it is the fun. You're going to spend a fair amount of money, and no one except other racers will know who you are...but man is it fun!!   If a track day is a 7 on a scale of 1-10 a race is a 12.

There probably isn't a logical reason to race. 

[Speeddog]

Unless you *really* want the competition aspect, I'd say just go the trackday route.

You get more track time for less money.

If you're considering a trackday-conversion on your M750, puhleeze let me know.....

[The Bearded Duc]

If you're considering a trackday-conversion on your M750, puhleeze let me know.....

Ha, that thought has been on my mind since I got the s2r!! May still be in the cards?!

That's not the 'idea' Im' having right now though. I don't mean to be so secretive about it, I just don't wanna blurt it out till I have more of my ideas hashed out.




So would you say that the guys racing in the Supersport and Superbike classes are the ones more likely to try and make the jump to a more professional level?

On a more personal note, for any of you that have answered and for those that may, why did you decide to try racing rather than just track days? I would like to know if any of you have 'deeper' reasons other than I wanna go fast and beat someone while doing it. Not to sound cliche but was there a calling to racing for you? Maybe it was something you just  always wanted to do?

And Triple made a good point, what do your families think about you racing? I asked my GF what she thought about me trying it out and the answer was "NO!!". However, she did say that trackdays were ok  , still trying to figure that one out. 
There is always the chance that something bad may happen, even though the chance may be slim. How do they deal with that thought?


As this goes along I may end up PM'ing some of you for a more personal perspective, if none of you mind?

[derby]

So would you say that the guys racing in the Supersport and Superbike classes are the ones more likely to try and make the jump to a more professional level?

yes, but that's not necessarily where they start. spies started racing in the cmra on minis, then on 125s and 250s (gp). iirc, his first 600 (supersport) was a gsxr provided to him by valvolene suzuki (ulrich) the year of his 16th birthday so he could get familiar with it before he was old enough to ride in the AMA.

(he tried to stuff that bike under my mechanic in turn 5 at oak hill raceway and they both ended up on the ground. ben also broke his arm)

And Triple made a good point, what do your families think about you racing? I asked my GF what she thought about me trying it out and the answer was "NO!!". However, she did say that trackdays were ok  , still trying to figure that one out. 
There is always the chance that something bad may happen, even though the chance may be slim. How do they deal with that thought?

my dad has raced cars is whole life and never had an issue with it.

my mom, on the other hand, was never a fan of the idea and it took a lot of convincing to get her to finally come out to the track and watch me race. unfortunately, that was the day ryan smith (ben spies' world superbike #19 tribute) hit the tire barrier at texas world speedway and died. we had just sent her and my dad out to the tire barrier section because "that's where all the action happens" and they saw the crash firsthand. 

she eventually came back out to the track once or twice to watch, but she was never really "comfortable" with the idea.

[Triple J]

On a more personal note, for any of you that have answered and for those that may, why did you decide to try racing rather than just track days?
And Triple made a good point, what do your families think about you racing?

I have a good friend that I do a lot of trackdays with that races, and he's been trying to get me to race. I've always been interested, but last year there were zero weekend trackdays at our local track...all weekdays, and I only have so many vacation days. Races are on the weekend, so that pushed me over the edge. Beyone that it's just competitiveness. When I first started trackdays I figured I'd be happy if I made it to the Intermediate group...but since I'm always trying to improve that didn't last long. Racing is a much more effective way to challenge yourself IMO, and after I tried it I'm pretty much hooked.

My wife doesn't mind, although she worries. Racing is safer that street riding. You may be more likely to crash, but the severity of the crash is generally much less. Most walk away from them. Even my doctor prefers I race over ride street.

[gm2]

i can't tell if you've already done/do track days?  if not, definitely start there.  i mean, definitely.

lots of good advice here so the only other thing i'll say is start small.  a 600 is NOT small.  the kawi 250 thing is an excellent suggestion.