2022 Rule Discussion

[Logan]

100% would support this initiative. I know it can be "cost prohibitive" for some, but so is loosing your life. And I have seen folks buy $1k+++ upgrades for the bike but NOT buy an airbag?!!

Yea... Make i propose they are made mandatory like many other organizations have already done.

Well. In one hand those 1k upgrades were probably well needed over an additional piece of gear. You have to pick and choose your battles and enforcing air vests is just not one of them. We all know that racing is a super cheap hobby (please sense the fuck-ton of sarcasm there). But really throwing another 1000+ dollars (just for the suit alone) against someone who is budgeting might lead to dwindling grids or new riders getting involved. I bought my first suit for $600 to get me on track and my first track bike for $3200. Now personally I would have been more deterred if I had to spend $2500 on a vest and compatible suit to start coming out and racing.

I am though, fully onboard with having a incentive program like "Strawberry Creek" were a rider can see a discount for wearing one. It could be like getting your air fence deposit back but in the form of a credit that can be used with the club for a track day/race/swag.

Also, if we wanted to follow suit with many other organizations why do we not require a Rain Light? Im just saying that if we want to go down this rabbit hole we can.....

 

[Logan]

Something to chip in on my 2C. Not really a rule change but something that I am sure the club as a whole could appreciate.

Can we potentially look at having a proper parking structure for 2022? Seemed to be a free for all at Castrol a couple of times this year. I do realize that there is track days on the Friday nights, but is there a way to delineate areas specifically for Racers? Also Large trailers? Seems like parking etiquette went out the window a couple of times.

Not an end of the world, but I know personally there was some frustration on my end this year and with others I spoke with. Even if there was a Plot plan where a racer could register that pit number when he completes his MSR registration then this mass panic to race to get to the track and set up a country mile of pit space could be somewhat managed.

Anyways..... End Rant.

 

[DEFBOY35]

Parking is always an issue, and honestly one of the most frustrating parts of set up. It feels like a border collie with Adhd trying to herd kittens on speed most of the time.

 

[fast316]

Something to chip in on my 2C. Not really a rule change but something that I am sure the club as a whole could appreciate.

Can we potentially look at having a proper parking structure for 2022? Seemed to be a free for all at Castrol a couple of times this year. I do realize that there is track days on the Friday nights, but is there a way to delineate areas specifically for Racers? Also Large trailers? Seems like parking etiquette went out the window a couple of times.

Not an end of the world, but I know personally there was some frustration on my end this year and with others I spoke with. Even if there was a Plot plan where a racer could register that pit number when he completes his MSR registration then this mass panic to race to get to the track and set up a country mile of pit space could be somewhat managed.

Anyways..... End Rant.

Oh man, trust me, I feel your pain, the Executive feel your pain. It is a constant battle with a ton of variables. When we ask the Exec who wants to be in charge of parking we usually have to draw straws (which we did, then that guy stepped down, so we made Shane do it haha). No one, and I mean NO. ONE. Wants that job. Not helping the situation this year was paving construction at Castrol raceway our first weekend limiting space in spots. Then large event conflicts with our second weekend giving us less space. It wasn't until our final weekend of the year the EMRA got the parking space we were told they would get at the start of the year. Let me assure you when it comes to season scheduling parking is a major factor and a major talking point with track management. We did make some progress, notice how there was no drifting Thursday nights during air fence set up? That change only came to fruition after I promised the drifting club access to Stratotech any time the EMRA was at Castrol. This turned into another headache for me, but that's a whole other story.

Our parking map is designed to A) allow easy emergency access. B) allow racers with large trailers to arrive and park without too much hassle at any time. C) maintain some motorcycle traffic flow during race days. Any conflicts beyond that are individual conflicts, for example someones mom didn't know where to park so she picked the obviously open fire lane. Or someone's trailer is parked 90 degrees out from the flow of traffic. Someone parked where they shouldn't because they arrived late and didn't have/bother to take the time to look at the parking map, etc etc. Those individual issues are faced and sorted out by a brave few exec who I think did a pretty good job knowing battles they faced. Registering pit spaces seemed to work fairly well at Stratotech. But I still got earfuls of, lets just say nonconstructive criticism ahah. At Castrol as I mentioned earlier, the parking was a constant variable beyond our control. Imagine the EMRA registers you a pit space, then day of the event track management takes that spot away. Then everyone gets mad at everyone. So instead we do the best with what we have. We can always do better though. I have a few ideas that can be discussed at a later date since like you said this isn't really a rule change proposal.

 

[TenaciousD]

If I might add something to the air bag discussion. I crashed at round 2 and broke my collar bone, sans airbag vest. The vest likely would have prevented the injury had I been wearing one.

As a result I missed the remainder of the season and of course was not paying race fees or otherwise contributing financially to the club and its vendors. With this in mind there might be an argument that subsidizing vests would be a net benefit to the club especially considering a serious injury might cause a rider to quit racing indefinitely.

 

[Ducbert]

Would it be possible to have formula thunder always be the last race before lunch? I have seen it on the schedule before and after lunch depending on venues. So could we just have it always run before lunch? I don’t have a schedule in front of me, so forgive me if I’m mistaken. Running sport bike is not an option for formula thunder riders because they are a back to back race…..

 

[Ducbert]

If I might add something to the air bag discussion. I crashed at round 2 and broke my collar bone, sans airbag vest. The vest likely would have prevented the injury had I been wearing one.

As a result I missed the remainder of the season and of course was not paying race fees or otherwise contributing financially to the club and its vendors. With this in mind there might be an argument that subsidizing vests would be a net benefit to the club especially considering a serious injury might cause a rider to quit racing indefinitely.

The idea seems sound but I fear that would be a slippery slope on where or when do you draw the line for subsidy. I would rather see a “club/member group buy” order for air vests to save money….

 

[DEFBOY35]

I like the idea of a potential group buy as well. Not sure there is a ton of room on pricing on these. Something I could look into. Biggest issue right now with it would be supply issues. I believe it was 9 months for me to get mine. And I don’t believe it’s any better at this time.

 

[electrobiker86]

I just think putting this in the rule book might help ensure that the procedure continues to be reviewed and followed, even when there is turnover in the executive.

Having missed this season I am catching up on some news here.
Relieved you are on the mend Dave.

I have to agree with Dave on a rule book addition or change. Procedures are great but without a procedure in the rule book there is risk of repeating the incident in the future. Who is to do what would be a simple paragraph within the book.

I also think the riders part should be spelled out as well. Should filling out a data carrier be the end of the riders responsibility? When alone at the track my pit neighbor knows where my keys wallet and contact info is.

A new section, maybe called emergency response, containing a couple paragraphs on roles could save a issue later.

 

[macbayne]

I've have stopped posting on the internet, lately, but this thread hits pretty close to home in may ways.

Dave, I was unaware that you were injured, but I am glad that you are getting better. Keep it up! You are a good person. A GREAT instructor. I believe that your instruction in 2013 helped me make a name for me as fast AF in 2013...

Cameron, I empathize with your frustration. Significant others and families always worry for one another and even more when bad news hits. One always has potential danger in the back of their mind when their significant other races, but once danger hits... the mind wanders.

I've been ambulatory, twice, at Strato. Some of you may remember me from hitting the highway in a crash and my SO was there to see the RAH

IMO, this whole situation was caused by someone going on Facebook. Fuck Facebook. Fuck Facebook, so hard.

We wear medical data carriers for medical personnel's information. If an individual is loaded in an ambulance, that ambulance takes them to the hospital... but on the way, they are in radio contact with a central control for more direction. IF an individual from the track is loaded on the ambulance and on-site and the crew tells an exec that the injured person is going to Fort Sask hospital, BUT en-route are told to go to the RAH (like what happened to me), the crew unintentionally gave wrong info to the exec. The exec; therefore, relays wrong information to the emergency contact. Once the patient's status is known by AHS and stabilized/ (or worse), then AHS contacts the NOK.

Whoever sent that Facebook message to you, Cameron, was the one in the wrong. NOT the EMRA...

I spent 16 months in Afghanistan as an Infantryman. (not looking for adulation, please don't) As soon as someone got hurt or killed, all Canadian Military, there, got put on "Comms Lockdown." No one, through cellphone, landline, or internet or any form of communication were allowed to contact home. Any government-provided forms of communication were locked away.

That procedure was put in place so that Next-of Kin (NOK) would NEVER hear the wrong story about their loved one, or were mistakenly told about a loved one that wasn't actually hurt.

The data carrier is for triage/ notification once the patient is in a state that individual and his medical personnel can communicate with the NOK an provide factual info. I am truly sorry about your situations.

Edit- I have been informed that the information got relayed by accident, so I therefore withdraw blame of the third party on FB. It still got out there because people were chatting before NOK notification.

 

[Nevets]

A couple items that have been discussed amongst members of the exec over the course of the year that I have put together some proposed wording.

Knock out round rule

Current rule:
183. Any event that is added after the publication of the official season schedule will not award points for any
championships.

Proposed rule:
183. Each rider's lowest scoring race will be dropped from the overall points standings. Riders who do not participate in an event are considered to have scored 0 points for that event.

As the club expands to different tracks in the future (considering Area 27, and RMM) that the cost of racing at these tracks is prohibitive. To avoid penalizing racers who can't make it to these rounds every rider drops their lowest scoring race when tallying the championship standings. This would make calculating championships significantly more difficult, and adds additional work for our scoring and time keeping director.




Western Canadian Championship Rule

Proposed new rule:
187.1 The EMRA may award points for races completed at other clubs towards the EMRA championships under the following conditions:
- Race class rules between clubs are largely similar.
- A minimum of 5 members of the EMRA participate in the race.
- The race and event is announced as eligible for points in the EMRA championship before the first round of the EMRA season.

The goal of this rule is allow races from other clubs (WMRC, CMRA, perhaps others) to count towards the EMRA championship points totals.

 

[OwenB]

I have a few I’d like to also motion.


1. senior open.

I understand the the age of the senior open was moved from 35 to 40 and I would like to motion and change it back to 35. Based on the demographic of the riders a senior is about that 35 and older range. When riders are around 40 attendance or longevity in the sport will decline. I also believe the club makes and does every action to promote additional riders into each class. This is doing the negative effect by reducing grid sizes. As well as loss in revenue to the club. If you reduce the class by 5 riders over 7 rounds that is 35 registrations per year. even a conservative 50% resign up rate (registering for a different race) that is still a loss of $350. Not a big loss but still a loss of potential revenue.


“motion that the age limit be changed back to 35 for senior open”


2. Housekeeping item.

As a business owner I understand the fundamentals of working as a team and having a good team to complete tasks in an efficient and effective way. I also believe that some times there are some that just do not jive or mesh well in the group and causing more harm then good. I am not discrediting any persons capability, but a team is as strong as your weakest link. I’m not Sure if this is rule change, or bylaw change, or system change. But I would like to motion that it is not needing (I believe current way it is)“unanimous vote” to vote a executive directer off mid season. You require only 1/3 votes in favour with at least the president, vies president, and other appointed executive member all in favour.

just like any business there some times needs to be accountability and respect for all members. this is not obviously an instant dismissal item. for dismissal it would be no different then any other job. You get a verbal Warning recorded and then a written warning after all that, then dismissal can occur.

This was never an issue before but in the past few years I tend to see a pattern and this is Just an idea. Its based on observing an issue with our current format, once you get on as a director there is no recourse for people that do not do what is needed or people that are not working well with a team.



3. Being voted in as a director.

I belive in order to be on the executive you should have observed a season or two of how the club operates before you can be a member. For a couple reasons. Fresh ideas are great but I also believe the ideas may be different after a year of observation. So my motion is to be a director or executive member you need to meet one of the criteria’s.

A) Be an intermediate racer,

B) volunteered for 2 year (majority of the year) with the EMRA,

C) have completed 1 season with the emra(intermediate or expert riders from out of town that move to Alberta) .

1. Input on air bag idea.

I like the idea of incentivizing airbag suits by offering a discount. So I ran some numbers and this is what I came up with based on an estimated number of people due to injuries especially collar bone ones and not able to race after.


All these are estimated numbers and predicted numbers. And air bag availability.

7 people were not able to ride due to broken collar bones that were avoidable.


Based on the 7 riders Missing an average of 3 weekends with the average 3 races a day that equals to $1350 a rider. A revenue loss for the club of $9450.


Considering a current average rider turn out of 70 people per round. Estimated 20% already have rider air bags and trying to incentivize an additional 20% for a total 40%air bag suit rider coverage.


Over a 7 round season there would be a total of an average 490 registrants and discount going to 40% of them 196 registrant discount.


air bag registrant could be able to receive a $48 discount and the club would still be in the same position as it was with no air bag incentive. Now introducing a ratio that 30% do not race again or situationally don't race due to what ever reason and only 70% return. We now are able to offer $33.75 per round saving for all air bag registrants.


So let’s round to $35 All this is suggesting is that each rider would get an average of $245 per year in saving and not effecting the bottom dollar of the club what so ever.


Lastly lets look at it this way. if the rider uses their airbag suit for four years they’ve essentially paid off their airbag. Even if it’s one year. The savings will be better than doing a group buy for It will be a bigger discount at the end of the year as well as beneficial to the club as a whole. Two birds with one stone.

I thought our goal was to make racing cheaper and safer i would think this is a no brainer. That’s just my 2cents

 

[S-african]

I like Owen's idea on the Air vests, and incentive is a great way to do it. I think the cost of the site is the biggest barrier, and when we can show how it pays for itself, that will definitely sway people on the fence. When you factor in the safety, I think its definitely worth it (P.S I don't have an air bag ... yet)

As for the age limit...I'm past the 40 age group, but Senior open remains one of my favourite races, I'm all for opening the age limit to 35, and increase grid sizes again.
I would love to see some sort of Western Canadian championship again!