Vintage Road Racing Association

This is an e-mail to Cindy Cowell the new Executive Director of AHRMA.
You may remember her as the RoadRace Director
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Dear Cindy,
Congratulations on your Executive Director position.
Could you send me Roger Preston's e-mail address, his interested in monkey at some events.
Also what is the status with sidecar can we participate at any track?
Can we come down to Barber for Friday practice even if we can't race Sat or Sun.
And since Beaverrun is no longer on the schedule is there a track to have a school at.
I'm hoping with your help we can expand the interest in sidecar.
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Cindy's answer follows:

Yes on Barber as long as we get more than one

Gingerman Raceway in Michigan would be perfect for the school and if we do it, we can start printing it early.

I would like to see some articles from the sidecar gang to start pushing the racing and school
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My answer is I'm in.

Ok now that everyone has had time to get prepared for the season and some have even raced this year already Make your plans now.

I do not know if anyone has been in contact with AHRMA since I posted last. Pre-entry for Gingerman ends at the close of business 5/11.
Race dates May 26 & 27 (practice 5/25)

I am sure all types of rigs are welcome, even street but not on track.
Even if I can't land a ride, it is still fun to watch sidecar racing.

I will be there waiting in the wings.

Hi Roger, e-mail Brian Brama to put you on his event list mailing. Brian is trying to co-ordinate who's going where for the season, "like herding cats".
There are currently 17 events where vintage sidecars are welcome, some clash, some will make back to back to back weekends, not doable for us.
I know of one other AHRMA team who bought a sidecar over a year ago, and has not been heard from since. As you know we will help where possible to build the AHRMA sidecar class which is why we ran the school last year, but there has to be more bodies show interest from the home club.
There is a very nice BMW available with the very sad passing of Willy Kenny over the winter. I can send the contact info to anyone seriously interested in the bike. There are also 2 other prospect bikes which will require work.
the long and short is still AHRMA has had sidecars at Mid Ohio for the last two years, a sidecar school and race at Beaver Run, and should be making real progress by now. Dale cannot be expected to go it alone for years to come.
This is a very nitch sport, the numbers ebb and flow over the years. Dale and Yourself have shown enthusiasm for it, the trick now is to transfer some of that to team prospects closer to home. all the best, Paul.

The e-mail on the original post was actually from Dale.

I have been talking to a prospective in Tenn. for two years now.
He would like to but now just has to commit.

As a result of the school you put on last year we may have another prospect if he can convince the women in his life, he crashed hard at Mid-O last year on the two wheeler. I keep working on him too.

I only know one other person that would love to go racing and we would make a great team but neither of us are a good wrench. We would actually make a great pocket bike team.

Just got back from Willow Springs in California.

SRA-West came out with 6-7 formulas and joined AHRMA at the event.
I don't know what impressed the membership more the formulas out west or the vintage at Mid-O the last couple of years.

I even managed to scrounge up some leathers to get a few laps in.
Only managed to get up to about 80% but that is still honkin.
This was my first ride on a formula and on a track I have never seen before.

I hope to see some of you in May and even more in June when I come up to Canada for Round 3

Sidecars were once again discussed this past weekend at an AHRMA race.

It was re-iterated that they will race sidecars at all venues except for Daytona even if only 1 shows up.
That is practice and a race of there own!

Prefered rigs would be P1 thru P3 but F1 & F2 will be accepted.
This fits the break down of AHRMA, 70 - 80% vintage & 20 - 30% modern.

Mid-Ohio is the next event July 27 - 29
If you have any questions call Cindy Cowell 910-352-8656

I will try to answer any questions when I can.
I will be at Shannonville the weekends of 6/23 & 7/21.

Just in from HQ

All riders must be AMA members ($39) and AHRMA members ($50).

New AHRMA roadracers are required to provide evidence that in the past two years they have either successfully completed an accredited roadrace school or competed with another roadrace organization acceptable to AHRMA, including but not limited to AMA, CCS, WERA, AFM, etc. The minimum age for riders is 18.

Racing at Mid-O is $85 per rig not per person for each day

Racing will be 2 practice rounds plus a race consisting of
a two wave start Moderns before vintage.

Same program on Sunday for just another $85

This is in addition to the last post.

This will soon be posted on the website and will also be in the VV's.
http://www.ahrma.org

All Racers get a pass to Mid-O with one extra for crew/spouse or whomever they name with thier registration.
This person needs to pick up their own credential.

ONE additional pass can be purchased by the racer for an additional crew/spouse for a cost of $10.00 at the gate.

Both the racer and the extra person need to be at the window at same time to pick up this credential.

gee what a deal,

The deal is AMA & AHRMA memberships are 12 month and are good for all events and can be purchased at the track.

Mid-O and Barber are a little more expensive than the other tracks we run thus the cost of $85. Other race weekends the racing is $70 per rig.

Also at the other tracks typical Saturday includes 3 rounds of practice and your race for your $70. Sunday is usually 2 rounds of practice & race for an additional $70.

gee what a deal,

At first glance I may have jumped to a counclusion that was incorrect.
I have since broken down the cost.

Mid-Ohio
Event for 2 days $170 per rig
4 practice rounds and 2 races.

Quinte TT
Event for 2 days $150 per rig
Practice, heat race & final.

They look pretty equal to me

Memberships are very similar
AHRMA & AMA $89
VRRA $60 plus RACE by event or season
VRRA & RACE also use transponders for an additional cost based on rental or purchase.

Now I am just trying to show that this is very do able.
I have made the investment to come to Canada.
I now have licenses for AHRMA, VRRA & RACE and will be purchasing a SRA license this weekend.

Here was a better deal for sidecars...

Last weekend at NHIS for the Loudon Classic...

Entry fee - 0 (free rider, passenger and crew)
TWO DAYS of racing
one race Saturday
one race Sunday
License needed - ANY of the following
VRRA,USCRA,AMA,RACE,AHRMA,CMA,SRA etc
Free camping, clean rest rooms, great modern racing, great super motard race, USGPRU 125 and 250 races

11 USCRA sidecars attended

Hello Bob, please don't rub it in. VRRA exec chose a date clash when they an optional date, and we had 4 rigs at the TT. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid !

Bob-

Thank you for pointing out the obvious, as much as it hurts to read.

Paul's comments are 100% on the money. The sidecar racers in attendance at last year's AGM lobbied hard for an event to NOT be on Father's Day weekend, because of the conflict.

When it became a points event for VRRA sidecars, we had no choice but to stay North.

Who wants to give up a FREE weekend?

Let's hope this does not repeat again!

As was pointed out at the VRRA AGM, it is/was the USCRA that traditionally raced that weekend with the AMA when it was an AMA National Weekend Event (Loudon Classic) and it has continued to this day.

In other words, it was the VRRA who caused the conflict, at least for sidecars.

Please repeat your post in the fall, and perhaps now is the time to start thinking about combined (points/trophies/medallions given at each other's event) races, and therefore increase ALL of our grids.

And not just in the sidecar area.

Thanks again!

Ian

ian bruce wrote:And not just in the sidecar area

I for one would like to see a VRRA Points Round at Loudon.........It's close enough and easy enough for all of us to get to...............and a nice track too...........