West Coast Championship Series

[the artist formerly known as ish]

Due to the fact the US is such a large country, and the increase in cost, and time to travel to the national championship rounds, for those clubs on the west coast, would it not make sense to start a west coast series.

Currently the Pacific north west, has a series of two day championship rounds hosted by three US clubs and two Canadian clubs, could this series or one similar be extended to include a couple of Californian clubs to make it a true west coast championship?.

The PNTA rounds could still count as PNTA points rounds, but also count for a whole west coast championship.

All the events would be located along the I.5 corridor stretching from BC Canada to the Mexican border.

If our young riders need more time with other young riders, then a series like this must be more likely to achieve that than national rounds on one side of the country, and the next rounds 3,000 mile away on the other coast, that attending turns into an expensive three week road trip.

I'm not talking a multi class series like the US nationals, but rather a three or four class series based solely on ability.

More than I, have raised this question!! is it time to do something about it ?

[alan bechard]

I put forth something similar over on this side Ish a while back, a couple of us thought that you could take the premier events that were already being run, and make it into a series.

My example for the east coast was to do something like the Florida Fun in the Sun, the STRA 58K, The Dixie cup or Stoney from TI and maybe the CVOTC premier event and have a series. Hopefully could add some top events from say the PN crowd and the NE crowd as well, although I was primarily looking at the SE US.

It would give folks that wanted to step up a level and develop without jumping all the way to the cost and obligation of running the national series.

I was not able to make anything happen too much on this front, but I think it is a wonderful idea.

I do think to make it work well though, classes, relative skill levels and rules need to be the same, and that is a hurdle that seems tough to get across.

If we could agree on classes and rules, this type series would be fairly easy to organize and promote I would think. We are pretty close over here in the SE to being there with a couple of variations in things.

[mich lin]

That sounds like a good idea!

[dman]

Sounds like our local events but hyped up a bit more.

Difference?

Edited May 16, 2006 by Dman

[alan bechard]

You should have more riders coming in to try the "series" that would not normally make the trip.

[mich lin]

Whenever a championship is involved you have more riders. Of course it would be best to have it NATC approved like the youth nationals.

[alan bechard]

I am not fully knowledgable here obviously, and it would certainly be nice if one of the key players of NATC would step in here and speak definitively, but I believe as it would not be a National series, the NATC would not be involved, just as they are not involved per se in the STRA and the direct administration of that series.

I think their past actions, when coupled with their mission statement, pretty much say, that organizing and operating their National series is what they do.

[steve fracy]

Ishy/Al:

The only real issue in my mind for an otherwise great idea is the AMA/CMA issue. Either the AMA needs to sanction the entire series(including Canadian events) or the two governing bodies need to come to some sort of agreement that would allow rider's to complete the entire series with either one or the other memberships( AMA or CMA).

Cheers, Steve

[alan bechard]

I bet that would be a real challenge.

Does the CMA handle the insurance as the AMA does? I cannot imagine AMA buying into providing insurance to an event having Non-AMA members participating but maybe they do?

I could imagine that it would get sticky pretty quick.

[mich lin]

Steve, we couldn't add Canadian rounds to the series! FMN conflicts, you guys would be welcome however to come and ride the Western USA Championship.

Chances are with the expense and time involved with doing the NATC series, the West Coast Championship might be more important than the AMA/NATC series someday. Few can afford the NATC series!

Back in 1980, Montesa, Fantic and myself organized an offical AMA sanctioned 125cc/250cc national trials championship series. It used the foremat you suggested Alan, I simply picked key events like fun in the sun and made them championship rounds.

The foremat worked great! The trials were being organized anyway. Making them national championship rounds simply added more riders from around the country to these already great events.

Why the series stopped was simple! My son came along and I didn't have time for trials. I had to figure out a way to provide for my family.

[alan bechard]

You are a legend Mich...

[the artist formerly known as ish]

The five clubs that put on the PNTA 10 round series, source other insurance than the AMA, to ride any PNTA event does not require the rider to be an AMA member.

If a California club wanted to participate in a west coast series, I would think the ideal situation would be they also sourced outside insurance.

Enter on the day and the fact AMA membership is not required, makes it a easier series to attend.

Steve, what does CMA or AMA have to do with our current PNTA series ?

[alan bechard]

Ish, that would certainly simplify things greatly.

Could you offline let me know who you guys are using.

I know FTA hunted pretty hard a couple years back and decided to go AMA to get insurance.

I was not aware of anyone still writing coverage that was affordable other then AMA.

[the artist formerly known as ish]

One of our club members is an insurance agent Al, he spent a lot of time going through the hoops and laws of Oregon and Washington states, bottom line is we are underwritten by Loyds of London.

Californa could be a whole new kettle of fish, who knows what they require?

But if the AMA get insurance there, using the same companies but not going through the AMA, could be the answer.

The great thing about our insurance is, once a riding area is insured for an event, it is then insured for the whole year, with a small registration fee of less than $20 for additional events in the same year.

I will call our agent, and ask him what steps other clubs in other states should take, or if other agents could contact him for info.

[alan bechard]

Wow, that is different, and really cool.

As you said though, I think Insurance is a state to state thing, so it may not be available across the board.

The AMA insurance thing would be a huge hurdle to cross if it applied, but sounds like you have that one already whipped.

Are most of your clubs playing by the same rules and calling the 6 lines the same thing?

If that was the case all I would think you would need to do then is just talk to the selected promoters and get them to "buy in" to the idea, then find someone to sponsor the $ for trophies and awards and what not organizational costs there would be, and away you go, you could be up and running.