Outside observer view of CCS

[Johnny B]

he stated that not only did I need to be on the last row, but on the row BEHIND the last guy.

So at Loudon, you'd be gridded next to Dave Roper!   8)

[Speedballer347]

Just need to organize the grid for a professional start. 

I am going to agree with Greg on this, everything he says makes the most sense to me....

Gridding by time would mean club racers spending MORE money and risking more to get in that "good lap" to grid toward the front. (need a good set of tires, race fuel perhaps, etc. to do your "qualifying lap"). .....For me anyway, I wan't those few morning warm up laps to shake down the bike and try a few suspension tweeks, as well as get the "rust" off of my riding..
Wera grids by points i think.. so.. you would have actually been gridded further back with them if you had no points in the class you chose to run.

[gonecrazy]

last year at the michelin races i enjoyed qualifying for my grid spot..hell i fely like i accomplished something just buy how good i did qualify.

[wadehead]

 

[MELK-MAN]

Just need to organize the grid for a professional start. 

You pretty much answer your own question here..this is NOT professional racing. If ya want that, go do the "big gun" class with AMA or step up to Sportbike AMA class. A point i would like to make about the "Gridding by time thing" is , it would add an element to the "club" race weekend MOST of the "weekend Warrior" racers simply would not be accustomed to, they would get excited and often crash trying for that 1 fast lap. MOst of us already have enough to worry about. Getting there, the bad night sleep ya got an a cheap motel, finding stuff wrong with the bike cause you had been working overtime every day since the LAST race and it hadn't even had  the oil changed.
Having to the be worried about your practice lap times to try and push that extra bit to get on the next row of the starting grid will have you on your head because NO WAY will many have money for a new set of tires.. Riders would be looking at the lap timer on the bars of the bike, making it MORE DANGEROUS for other riders that MAY NOT GIVE A CRAP about where on the grid they are..

by mid season you would have fewer and fewer as are already on the grids. I could be a bit off base, some of the riding I see in PRACTICE is enough to have me rethinking my initial sentence. When all the riders are of a caliber to be within 108% of the fast guy, THEN qualifying becomes a better way round. (in my humble opinion of course..)

[antirich]

Do you really think guys are going to push their practice sessions to the point of crashing? I mean, if girdding in the front was so important, why are most of the faster guys not pre-registering? My take is that grid position isn't all that important if your a really fast guy.

From the few races that I started at the front, the guys that stormed turn one where at least a few rows back, and VERY fast.

If you have to grid by time of registration, I just wish they'd give us am option of gridding further back when pre-registering, without having to resort to the very last row. i like saving a few bucks and not having to deal with a longer line the morning of (20 people long at 7am!!). Saving time and money is great, but starting from the very last row is not.

Again, just my take on this.

[Speedballer347]

I only see a few ways to do the grids and they have all been mentioned; first-come-first-served...points...qualifying.

First-come, seems the most logical to me.  If you want to be upfront, pay early.  If you want to be mid, pay a day or two before.  In the back, just go to the back of the grid.

Points system can be skewed.  There are plenty of super fast guys that don't follow the whole race schedule.  They would be penalized.  What about slower guys that do have the resources to attend every weekend....they will find themselves further forward than maybe they would want.  But, the fast guys who follow the series closely will be in the front where they belong.

Qualifying instead of practice, to me would be the worst.  Greg is right, the guys with the finacial resources would have fresh tires and VP just for this, while the shoestring budgeters would be SOL.
Also, I personally like practice to give me a chance to wake up, get reaquainted with the track/speed, and make adjustments.  I can't imagine showing up at the track and being expected to run my normal pace immediately.

If more time was available, maybe qualifiying after practice would be a good option.  But I don't know if that time would be availabe. I dunno

IMHO, CCS is doing a good job.

[MELK-MAN]

yup. Nothing is perfect, and any way it would be done someone would find fault with it.

[roadracer162]

Gotta agree with the last couple posts. All have good points but someone will always be left out. The Japanese does it one way and it works for them.

Being the fastest guy out there doesn't always make the winner. In one of the rare cases I was the fastest I didn't win the race. It is more prevalent that my competition is faster than me but yet I have won some races. It has been said it isn't as safe having the fast guy in the back and although many times true, shouldn't he have the best skill in getting past a slower rider. Not all fast riders get a good start no matter where they start. Then there is the slower rider than can have an excellent start. The result can be the same delema that we have now.

Qualifying will add more time to get to the races. I believe that the formula CCS uses gets more riders out there may not have had the chance to race. Without practice like how CCS Florida does it would probably mean less racers as the choice would be track days.
Mark

[Speedballer347]

It has been said it isn't as safe having the fast guy in the back and although many times true, shouldn't he have the best skill in getting past a slower rider. Not all fast riders get a good start no matter where they start. Then there is the slower rider than can have an excellent start. The result can be the same delema that we have now.

Good point!

[Solo]

Good reading.

Wish I could do a "mind-meld" with some of you and let you see the confidence that comes from being surrounded by experienced riders you can trust in an environment that expects professional behavior even if the speeds are not.

I'm convinced the financial benefit that comes with the current rules prevent change. 

Like I mentioned before, I'll make my decision after Summit.  In the meantime, I'm happy I'm back racing. 
Still have a grin on my face from NJMP.  Even started the training routine again.   Will see where it goes from here  8)

[Speedballer347]

Wish I could do a "mind-meld" with some of you and let you see the confidence that comes from being surrounded by experienced riders you can trust in an environment that expects professional behavior

IMHO the further up front you get, the safer & more predictable company you will keep.