Starting from the back
 

Experienced the 'Fast Guys from the back of the Grid' thingy when I started racing at Aintree.
Championship leaders dont muck about when there are points at stake and a novice in the way!!! Regular upsets!!!
Someone suggested last year that 1st race grids could be decided by championship standings after the previous round.
I feel the least contentious way of doing it!!!!....and safer too!!

In my day grids were always drawn! they were scary & there were incidents:eek: it's a step backwards IMO.

I'd echo that........many a time I've been rammed up the rear :eek: whilst push starting on a drawn grid. IMO Better to settle in at your own pace than thrash around in a 'race', holding ya breath for the first 4 or 5 laps.

My first ever race I drew front row in a SOT race, luckily with the Derby Phoenix process if you were uncomfortable with it you could pick again and i ended up on last row which suited me fine.

My concern up above was around egos and some of the newer riders not maybe realising just how fast some folks are off the grid.

I would love to be front row (and I have been in a genuine race :D ) but with my starts these days I would not be that comfortable with it.

Having said that, if it is a qualifying race then there is no real need for silly starts as it's all about best lap time and that is never going to be first lap from a standing start. The fast boys will make it to the front anyway so it should not be an issue.

That's club racing, and you must learn to cope with other riders at some time or another, and during practice is better than during a race.

Personally, I think the banzai attitude to qualifying does not fit with club racing, and I will support any plan to get people to think about finishing a session without crashing, as it mucks up the session for not only everybody else on track at the time, but also the officials and the people queueing for the next session.
You all know who you are, and we all know who you are cos you smell of epoxy :lol:

If you fast blokes (I hate you all equally ;) ) dont know how to overtake slower riders safely, its about time you learned !

I think it works.

As Lily said, it isn't a race, it's practice, just adjust your mentality to suit. The formation lap prior gives everyone a chance to get warm tyres too. Lessens the chance of first lap offs due to cold tyres maybe.

IMHO it will help people really think about putting in a good lap, and a good time. I have backed off to find space in the past, and put in a lap that has moved me well up the grid, rather than battling in qualy, which slows you down.

Anything to make the days run smoother, well done to NE for thinking about it.

Potentially getting 4 DD sessions on track in one day is great value.

My postie now thinks I'm doolally 'cos he walked by the window whilst I was laughing at that!

i had the same thing when i entered the open race (for a fiver or soemthing daft like that!) at Donington in 2007 - it was drawn on race numbers so i was front row with my number 6, with a load of gixer thous etc behind me - no thanks.

i popped up to race control and it was all sorted out, i was able to start from the back. in the end i was too knackered to bother so it was all academic :lol:

How far back do we have to go for that then
 

You had a day......?

Carification please?
 

So the grid will be decided on fastest laps in the qualifying race not on the race result?

Thats what was planned, announced on the New Era website and printed in Bike Sport News, but following last Saturdays meeting, Des at New era is now considering two timed practice sessions, with the best lap of the two sessions to count towards the grid position. this Allows you to try a different setup be it gearing or suspension for the second session and if you have gone the wrong way and lap slower then the time from the first session will count.
as I say its still under discussion following last weekends meeting but needs to be sorted by the start of the New Era season which is the Mallory meeting in about 4 weeks time

That sounds like a more sensible option. It gives us complete novices the chance for a bit of a testing session without fear of destroying our chances.

The latest update from New Era on this subject is

RACE-DAY FORMAT and GENERAL FOR 2009

Following a very well attended riders meeting at Daventry on Saturday 14th February, the following was agreed as being the best format possible for our 2009 Race Days.

Fundamentally, it was agreed that the best method of establishing Grid Positions for our races would continue to be by Timed Practice.
It was also agreed that, wherever possible there should be an Untimed as well as a Timed session for everybody.

There would also be a serious attempt to do away with the traditional Assembly Area, and the hanging about that this involves. The idea being that every Rider must be aware that there will be one 3 minute call only for each race.
After 3 minutes the Paddock gate will close and late comers will miss out. Riders will have had Grid Sheets so will know their Grid Positions and will - in the 3 minutes available - go straight through the Assembly Area to the Grid without stopping.

This will be a "ONE CALL" System. Obviously this will be a pretty dramatic change and will place a lot of responsibility on to each rider. It will therefore be subject to review after a while - but we hope the riders will co-operate as it is in their interest to do so

LATE ENTRY FEES. It is agreed that there will generally be no late entry fees charged this year - although there will be a £20 late fee applied where any Entry is accepted on the day of an event
.
CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS Credit card payments will not be taken any earlier than the Monday in the week in which the race meeting is due to take place. But will not be taken on the day of the meeting.

PRESENTATION OF AWARDS to help build a Club identity and atmosphere, there will be a presentation of awards on the Saturday evening of all two-day events.

Will we be informed in advance Kev if there is to be an untimed practice? Or only on the day?

I should hope so, obviously Donington is a different format to the normal club series so what goes on at Mallory next weekend will be monitored to see what does or doesn't happen there, if they don't get it quite right they will no doubt make a few changes before arriving at Angelsey.


Des was on about buying a large Klaxon to be used for the 3 minute warning/call to the grid. Certainly a little less to worry about in that respect when your not worried about removing warmers or choosing between wet or dry tyres.

Would need something of that order as its possible to be in the wrong area of a loudspeaker also compounded by bloody noisy motorbikes revving.:D

So long as its not to close to the track as its likely to scare the cr4p out of you if you were racing past it at the time