The last checkered flag has flown and the 2011 season banquet is now behind us. Before relegating your roadracing addiction to watching recorded races on the flat screen, join us to constructively discuss how to improve the CRA through revisions and improvements to our rulebook for the 2012 season. We have scheduled (2) Rules Committee meetings and confirmed the location as noted below. The meetings will start promptly at 7:00pm and will be facilitated by Jennelle Leblanc and Troy Pierson.
Dates: November 9th & 16th
Time: 7:00PM
Location: Davanni’s Pizza & Hot Hoagies – 3015 Harbor Lane North, Minneapolis, MN 55447
Be an active part of making the CRA the best we can be. We look forward to seeing you there!
Following the first of the two Rules Committee meetings, I sent the following to some Ninja 250 racers whose emails I had on hand. If you race a Ninja 250, you may be interested in this:
Hi Ninja 250 racers,
I selected you guys because you have taken the time in the past to ask questions or make suggestions about the Ninja 250 class.
The CRA rules committee met last night, and they meet (just) once more next Wednesday 11/16.
I attended last night and proposed two changes to the Supersport rules which potentially have an impact on the N250 class.
The first makes it explicit that intake snorkels are considered part of a stock airbox, and for Supersport legality they must remain in place.
The second change makes it clear that aftermarket rotors are allowed on bikes with a single front disk.
That is the way the club has historically interpreted those rules, but the ambiguity of the existing wording in both cases was very thoroughly pointed out to me this past year.
These changes were to Section 7, the Supersport rules. If the Board approves these changes, does that mean Ninja 250s have to run snorkels and can run Galfer rotors? As things stand today, then yes, it means that.
But my objective was to clarify the rules, not to mess up your class. That is why I am writing: You can change the N250 rules however you want, and now is the time to do it. If you think N250s should not have to run intake snorkels, then we can amend the rules. If you want to allow only OEM rotors, fine. Put it in the rules. But next Wednesday is your only chance.
Some perspective: The WSMC rulebook explicitly requires intake snorkels for Supersport. But they also have a N250 class, and allow the snorkels to be removed!
As for the brakes, that rule is there because it made sense for GS500s. Whether it makes sense for Ninja 250s is something the Ninja 250 racers should really decide.
Remember that these are not Chapter 6 (safety) rules, so whether you comply with them has no bearing on whether you get a practice sticker at the Tech barn. Their only relevance is in event of a protest.
I am completely neutral because these are not safety issues. Think about what you want, discuss it with whomever you want, and either attend the rules meeting next Wednesday or let me know what you think and I will relay that to the committee on 11/16.
-Clint