Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > DESMODUE - Ideas/suggestions for 2007?

[skidlids]

Originally Posted by twpd

You don't get it do you Kev?

Don't play semantics with me over words. I don't have the statistics to hand but riders doing one or two races hardly constitutes doing a championship, does it? Therefore you do not have 30+ riders. The numbers on the grid say it all! You don't have enough riders competing otherwise you would have two races. End of!

The only thing that matters is riders on the grid.

But I do get it

Combined grids with riders as reserves is not going to attract more entrants to the series, if we continually get restricted to single grids of 40 or less then the number of DD entrants are likely to drop.

I just can't see this as being in the best interest of the series no matter what class you are in and for some reason we are not attracting everyone that has a bike and has raced in the series back on a regular basis.

Reasons could be
People don't like being reserves
People don't like getting lapped
People don't think it good value
People are just fed up with it.

[twpd]

Originally Posted by skidlids

But I do get it

Combined grids with riders as reserves is not going to attract more entrants to the series, if we continually get restricted to single grids of 40 or less then the number of DD entrants are likely to drop.

I just can't see this as being in the best interest of the series no matter what class you are in and for some reason we are not attracting everyone that has a bike and has raced in the series back on a regular basis.

Reasons could be
People don't like being reserves
People don't like getting lapped
People don't think it good value
People are just fed up with it.

You need to get things in perspective. This is the 2nd season only. The series is actually doing pretty well imo. It took 2 yrs before minitwins really got going and that is with the biggest club in the country.

Reserves are a fact of life in most classes in most clubs
If people don't like getting lapped then they need to up their game.
No racing is good value if you look at it in the cold light of day but, that's not why we do it, is it?

I've pointed out where I as an outsider think the series could be improved. I'd like to do the series but, I'm a national licence holder so that is me out of the frame...and one lost rider.

[domski]

Originally Posted by twpd

I'd like to do the series but, I'm a national licence holder so that is me out of the frame...and one lost rider.

Yeah, bloody national licence holders! Tsk!

Your bike is too slow for DD anyway

You'll need a 975 next season, plus you can only enter Class B, and you're not allowed to beat anyone - got that!!

[twpd]

Originally Posted by domski

Yeah, bloody national licence holders! Tsk!

Your bike is too slow for DD anyway

You'll need a 975 next season, plus you can only enter Class B, and you're not allowed to beat anyone - got that!!

You mean you have a 999 under the hood then?????

Sounds like a winning (sic) plan to attract us outsiders there Dom!

[Zimbo16]

My opinion:

I believe it quite likely at this stage that we will still be on a combined grid for at least some of the meetings next year. In that event I see no reason to change the current formula - send us all out together based on overall qualifying times, no delayed start for one group or the other. I see the logic in a 20 second delayed start for the class B bikes, i wouldn't have an objection to it. Obviously it would be preferable to have two grids, so we need to continue to attract new riders to the series.
The main reason the 583s are so popular is simply because they're cheap - you can race a £1000 bike and be reasonably competitive. 620s require a larger investment, and 695s would be much larger again - plus, if you want to race a 695 Minitwins would suit it perfectly!
695s should not be considered for 2007 or 2008 at least, to give second hand prices time to fall. Most of us racing have very limited budgets and have made an investment in our current bikes, forcing us to start again at a loss would not be in the spirit of the series.

As for track selection, I'm happy with the current lineup in general, wouldn't mind Mallory or Pembury to be included, perhaps at the expense of one of the Cadwell rounds. I enjoyed going to Assen and wouldn't hesitate to go again, it may cost a little more than UK rounds but it's worth it and the cost isn't that hude, £65 ferry crossing plus an extra 500 odd miles driving, lower entries offset the cost a little, and as a Ducati enthusiast it was worth the trip for the bikes and paddock experience alone!

Lastly, Skidlids seems to be getting a pasting here, he has my full support and I for one am very appreciative of the work he puts in to help make the series what it is. It does appear to me that some of the arguments in this thread are simply attempts at points scoring, and don't contribute anything positive at all.

[domski]

Good points Graeme


...although I thought your post tailed off towards the end

[AK]

Lads, just go back and read the very first post on this thread PLEASE

its going way off topic and getting very personal to some of you