School me on Amateur Racing

[The Bearded Duc]

Thanks for the responses guys!!

On a different note, do most amateur racers pay for things themselves or is it possible to get some sort of sponsorship even at that level?

Is racing like other sports where there are "scouts" looking for the next big thing?

I would assume that it's usually the same guys racing every weekend for the length of the season and that a camaraderie develops? What about a little rivalry?

[Speeddog]

There are modest sponsorships available, usually it's basically a discount on parts or supplies.
As one becomes more successful, the sponsorships can get better.

AFAIK, no 'scouts' like the ball sports.

Yes, pretty much the same guys, camaraderie and rivalry depending on the personalities present.

[gm2]

Thanks for the responses guys!!

On a different note, do most amateur racers pay for things themselves or is it possible to get some sort of sponsorship even at that level?

tire manus, OEMs, etc have contingency programs.  win or place, get some money.  but i wouldn't even pay attention to that.  make no mistake: racing is VERY expensive.  tires, especially, are the killer.  but so is everything else.

Is racing like other sports where there are "scouts" looking for the next big thing?

motorcycle racing?  in this country?  hell no. 

besides, how old are you?  if the answer to that is >13, unless you're josh hayes or jamie hacking, it's really not gonna happen.


maybe this comment is totally unfounded, in which case i apologize in advance.  but maybe it's not: if you so far haven't raced at all (?), you don't have any concept of how fast the 'fast' guys are.  go to a track day.  in general the fastest guys there are the slow racers.  even though fast club racers aren't fast compared to world-level, once you get to racing at all it's a whole different ball game.

i bring this up b/c if you're already wondering about money and scouts and Big Things, you're likely to quickly realize that the only people who get a whiff of that attention are those people winning superbike races.  which means maybe you'll go out and try to ride a 600 or 1000cc bike in anger.  which is going to quickly land you in the hospital.  guaranteed.  that's why i'm saying any of this.

if you've never raced, do track days.  for, like, at least 2 years.  get some professional training.  get the smallest displacement bike you can and learn how to carry corner speed.   


btw, i don't think it was mentioned earlier: Chuckwalla has it's own series now, too.  check that out as an alternative to WSMC.  Chuckwalla is a new facility, reportedly a great track that's kind of in-between Streets and the big track. 

Willow big track, IMO, is unique and therefore sort of cool in some ways.. but mostly it's just a no-fun death trap.  and the primary WSMC classes are usually populated by many gung-ho military guys.  the 600 class there tends to be a meat grinder.

[Triple J]

I don't think he's looking to race...he just has some idea, which must involve amateur racing, and is looking for insight into the scene.

+1 on not knowing what fast is though. The fast guys in WMRRA lap about 10 -13 seconds faster than me at Pacific (1:37s vs. 1:24s), and I'm not even close to being the slowest. I think I can get around 1:32 with some more practice...but WTF, 1:24!! I don't even want to go that fast!  

That's also why I race middleweight twins...those guys are on 600 and 1000 inline 4s.  

[gm2]

ok, fine: there's also no way to make a business out of amateur racing in this country  =)

[atomic410]

I firmly believe that it doesn't matter what bike you start with.  yes some bike will teach you better corner speed and braking skills but some bikes will teach you other bike handling skills that the smaller bikes wont.  if you have a bike currently set up for racing or trackdays that you are used to riding use it.  learning a new bike is just another thing to get in your way while developing.  I started on a R6 then went to smaller bikes now want to go bigger (R1).  racing will consume your life, be ready.  there is no off season.  in the on season you will be in the garage every night, gym, the shops, travaling to race, practicing, and then work, family, home.  the off season will have all of this too but with less bike time.  skills are obtained by ridding off road, supermoto, and dirt track.  the skills that i have carried over from my supermoto seasons have greatly helped me on the bike and boosted my confidance and skill tremendously.  get ready to spend money.  even when you are winning tire money you are still spending money like crazy.  the faster you get the more stuff you are gonna wear out, trust me.  the best way to win a million dollars racing is to start with 5 million.  your 1st year, chances are, you're gonna get your ass handed to you.  year 2-3 it will all start comming around then you will be bumped to race with the big guys and then you really gotta bring game.  I've been a single digit plate winner for the last 3 years with the CRA.  I've been 7 2x's and this year I'm #2.  I ran 7-16 races a weekend.  races are expensive, tires are expensive, gas is expensive, and gate fee's etc are really expensive.  bring your check book and get ready for the most fun on 2 wheels.

[atomic410]

ok, fine: there's also no way to make a business out of amateur racing in this country  =)

its hard now adays.  manufacture contigencies are way down as is everything else.  2 years ago guys like Rob Jensen and other bounty hunters were making huge cheese, think enough to turndown being on AMA teams, to run their own efforts racing every weekend with a trailer full of different brand bikes since different co's pay different amonts at each club or race weekend.   

[The Bearded Duc]

Again, thank you to all of you for the info. I really appreciate it!!   


First of all, I'm not looking to race. Like Triple said I just have an idea.

I appreciate your concern, gm2, but I am older than 13 and therefor have enough common sense to know not to just jump into something that I have no idea about or experience at. That being said, it does sound like you have quite a bit of experience yourself and would love to pick you brain at a later date!!

And thanks for the info on Chuckwalla  , I was just looking at their website and hadn't noticed anything about their own series.

Is there usually a competition for sponsorship or contingency or do the manufactures hand those out freely? I worked with bands for quite a while and you usually had to "prove" yourself before a manufacture like Vic Firth or Paiste would just offer a sponsorship, any similarities?

It's really interesting to think that the guys amateur racing aren't even close to being as fast as the pro's though! Its seems like the first time I sat courtside at a basketball game, I couldn't believe how much better the pro's were in person compared to watching on t.v.

ok, fine: there's also no way to make a business out of amateur racing in this country  =)

There are plenty of ways to make a business out of amateur racing my friend, you just have to think outside the box!! As I say that I'm thinking "man, I hope my idea works out!!"   

[The Bearded Duc]

your 1st year, chances are, you're gonna get your ass handed to you.  year 2-3 it will all start comming around then you will be bumped to race with the big guys and then you really gotta bring game.  

Do you see or hear about a lot of guys that stop racing because of this. I would imagine it takes a lot of determination to make it to year 2 or 3 if year one can be so bad. 

[Triple J]

Do you see or hear about a lot of guys that stop racing because of this. I would imagine it takes a lot of determination to make it to year 2 or 3 if year one can be so bad. 

I think generally people at the amateur/club level just accept it (most anyway). Whether you're racing for 1st, 5th, or 10th, as long as you're racing with someone it's a blast.

[derby]

Do you see or hear about a lot of guys that stop racing because of this. I would imagine it takes a lot of determination to make it to year 2 or 3 if year one can be so bad. 

it really depends on why somebody is racing... if they're doing it for the fun or camaraderie, then they'll keep racing no matter what.

there's a lot of "just for fun" racers in various classes. i know club racers that have been at it for ~20 years.

[The Bearded Duc]

Can anyone go to a race as a spectator? I think there's a race in mid-March, that AFM is putting on, at Buttonwillow that I would love to see!

[derby]

Can anyone go to a race as a spectator? I think there's a race in mid-March, that AFM is putting on, at Buttonwillow that I would love to see!

yup, just pay the entry fee at the gate.

[atomic410]

the best thing you can do is sit down and figure out goals, budget, and what you really want to gain out of this (then rip the budget page up or eat it).  if you don't have a plan you will get swept away. go on wera's forum.  its 13x forums or something like that.  there is a ton of info on there and its a really active forum for racers and wanna be's all over the world.  theres no other forum where you can talk to wsb racers, isle of man racers, ben spies has been on, ama pro's, all the way down to leg humpers like me about who'd you rather see molded in jello; Ke$ha or Lindsy Lohan.  sometimes we talk bike too.  also get an issue of roadracer world and read some of the racers stories in there.  there also is a web site called new racers that i've written a few articles for.  the site is ran by Gareth Jones who's raced pretty much everything you could on a motorcycle in europe in the 70's[bacon]

[zooom]

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2011/May/110505ben-younger.htm

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2011/Jun/110615y-y-y-y.htm

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2011/Aug/11081138special1.htm

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2011/Sep/11092838spec2.htm

this should be some good reading for OP-duc750 on this very subject in terms of some of the very things you are asking about....