It seems the down turn in MX is nation wide.

Don't think of the riders numbers has LL's vs. Local racing. Think of it has there is 1300+ boys and girls with a dirtbike/ATV in their garage that have already raced atleast once THIS year that reside in Ohio... and all you need to do is get 1 out 4 that live in Ohio to have largest events in the state. Trust me... no easy task.

Keep in mind that doesn't include all the professional practicers that haven't raced in a year.

As for the Racer X article, I will say the article related the sport now to the 80s and 90s, which we all agree, the participation has changed. I don't see us getting back to that, I'm just trying to give some positive vibes that numbers are increasing for the first time in a decade. Glass half full...
 
Alex186 said:
Don't think of the riders numbers has LL's vs. Local racing. Think of it has there is 1300+ boys and girls with a dirtbike/ATV in their garage that have already raced atleast once THIS year that reside in Ohio... and all you need to do is get 1 out 4 that live in Ohio to have largest events in the state. Trust me... no easy task.

Keep in mind that doesn't include all the professional practicers that haven't raced in a year.

As for the Racer X article, I will say the article related the sport now to the 80s and 90s, which we all agree, the participation has changed. I don't see us getting back to that, I'm just trying to give some positive vibes that numbers are increasing for the first time in a decade. Glass half full...
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I get that Alex, I remember the 70s, 80s, and 90s. I just wish we could get back to those numbers, guess I'm just a passionate fan.
 
TwentyThreeMX said:
ha yeah.. i am definitely a pro practicer these days. once i get behind a gate i will return again... but im stuck in practice mode. idk what itll take me to want to show up and race. maybe free beer for like 8th place or something.. lol..
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If you earn 8th place at my Battle I will give you a beer.....But only if you get 8th place, not 1st-7th, or 9th-40th.....
 
So what is the AMA doing to help? Other than a guide in the back of the magazine how is the word getting out on your end? Does the AMA offer tracks a marketing strategy ? Any type of track owner handbook on helping run a track?

Im not trying to bag on the AMA or be negative, Im wondering why in the MX world there isnt a group of track owners out there working as a team to help each other out. You see it more in the off road racing and trails world.

https://www.sharetrails.org/

And I know the AMA fights for public land use. But why not get MX track owners together to help themselves with the business end of running a successful operation? It seems to me this would be a great help for everyone. Such a group could help bring individual strengths to it spreading those out to make the group stronger.
 
Now Hershey you ask a great question... what are we doing to help this? Find me at one of the AMA Battle of Ohio events and I'll tell you. To be continued at a AMA event...

Now that marketing...
 
I'm on vacation this week so I was trying to stay out of it. BUT. The question you just asked is the one I want answered. The AMA needs to understand that the tracks running races are their business partners. Basically a franchise. Without the tracks the consumers (racers) don't need the AMA. Alex you pointed out that a lot of tracks suck at customer service and marketing. If you want to protect the right to ride then you should putting all the efforts towards the few people that went out on a limb and started a racetrack. Those guys pay your salary. Every day you and all the people in that office should be calling promoters and asking what the AMA can do to help them succeed. Some of them will push back and say they don't need help but you and them have lost half your customer base and all you have to say is "it's getting better". I don't think so
Does anyone contact the members that have left and asked them why? Every successful business in the free world asks for feedback from their customers. Find out why and make changes based off facts and take feeling and pride out of it. If you get a bunch of people that say they quit because too many classes equal no seat time. Then reduce the number of classes. If they say it costs to much then ask the promoters what can be done to reduce cost so they don't gouge the racers. The number of racers has been cut in half. Has the cost of the manditory insurance been cut in half? Of course not. It went up. So weather you or anyone else in that office want to admit it. The AMA is killing motocross and I have YEARS of facts to prove it.
 
Is it the AMA killing motocross or is the fact that there are too many tracks???? DUN DUN DUN

I already know the answer....must be nice to have your cake and eating it......
 
ck1racerx said:
there were more tracks back in the 80's and 90's then now.. and more racers.
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Calling BS. How many tracks held races in those mysterious times of days gone by? I seriously doubt there were more than when CRA-D12-D11 was still kicking in the early 2000s.
 
And as a track owner J.O. you do not want other tracks closing. If the closest track for us was 2.5 hours away. We would never have started racing. Even the crappy tracks bring riders to racing. Some of those get addicted and then make the drive to other tracks further away.
Treaty City is a hole and run by a bunch of people that know nothing about running a business or know anything about moto but they still bring people to racing and for that reason alone (because there really is no other reason) I want them to survive and thrive. But the group they have apparently does not know better. But everyone can learn. Just need someone to tell them how.
 
Reno, Holeshot hills, honda hills, happy hollow, kenworthy, AMS, Glenestee, Frankfort, Wild Wilderness, Action Sports (2 tracks), muskingium valley, hocking valley. All gone from just the D-11 area and I know i am missing many many more.
 
First, there is a big difference between a business partner and a franchise. Totally different... Our organizers are Business Partners, we can't tell them what to do, they can't tell us what to do, the goal is to be successful together.

Basically what your saying is, how I feel about the NFL... why don't they help the Browns win some games? Do something, give them some locks in the draft, easy schedule, maybe a flag here or there to help them out, sprinklers pop out when the Steeler's offense is on field, or even maybe the flat tire on the visiting team's bus. I buy tickets and wear my Browns appeal, help the fans out. Or maybe it's the fact the best franchises, draft well, scout well, give their players the best opportunity to win (basically trading them out of Cleveland).

Same goes for tracks, we sanction races. We make sure rules are consistent, we make sure the racing has some level of professionalism, we strive for fair, fun, safe racing. But the marketing, event management, facility... falls under organizer duties. We can help on some oversight level but we can do their jobs, that's not productive. I spend a large amount of time talking to organizers to help their businesses and give our members more value. I've traveled to existing districts and talked to D22 in Iowa and D18 in Missouri and D43 in Alabama about the OMA model (which I think is a successful model, the battle events concept). They have choose against it, so far. That's ok, it's their business.

Competition breeds success... all the negatives of past failed racing organizers (districts, tracks, etc.) are the reason why organizations like the OMA are so great.

Go Browns!!!
 
ck1racerx said:
And as a track owner J.O. you do not want other tracks closing. If the closest track for us was 2.5 hours away. We would never have started racing. Even the crappy tracks bring riders to racing. Some of those get addicted and then make the drive to other tracks further away.
Treaty City is a hole and run by a bunch of people that know nothing about running a business or know anything about moto but they still bring people to racing and for that reason alone (because there really is no other reason) I want them to survive and thrive. But the group they have apparently does not know better. But everyone can learn. Just need someone to tell them how.
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I'm not saying eliminate all the tracks, because I am coming around to the idea that having lots of tracks promotes the sport and does get new people into the sport. i think Lonnie and I are proof of that, i get new riders when he is rained out, and Im sure its the same when i get rained out (meaning the other is open still). Two tracks, 15 minutes apart are growing new riders in the sport at the same time. I think for practice, which is a good way to introduce new riders to the sport, yep, 20 tracks in ohio. However, for holding races, up to 4-5 races in the state at once is an issue. To run a successful profitable practice event, its not terribly hard to do that. To run racing events that are rewarding for the effort and work are a different story. For me to want to run races for the sake of running races, I dont see it for a few hundred riders. It doesnt make sense. Now if everyone could get a 500-600 rider race 2-3 times per year, thats awesome.

In other words, I think we need a way to control the races that are run in Ohio.
 
so you can make rules that the riders must follow but you cant make rules the tracks must follow? Yet those some tracks have ZERO option when it comes to the expensive insurance that the AMA makes them buy?
The Browns suck because one or two people will not admit they are dont know what they are doing, but have all the money and power so they feel like they don't have to ask for help. And the customer base suffers. Now, where have i seen that before......
 
Alex186 said:
First, there is a big difference between a business partner and a franchise. Totally different... Our organizers are Business Partners, we can't tell them what to do, they can't tell us what to do, the goal is to be successful together.

Basically what your saying is, how I feel about the NFL... why don't they help the Browns win some games? Do something, give them some locks in the draft, easy schedule, maybe a flag here or there to help them out, sprinklers pop out when the Steeler's offense is on field, or even maybe the flat tire on the visiting team's bus. I buy tickets and wear my Browns appeal, help the fans out. Or maybe it's the fact the best franchises, draft well, scout well, give their players the best opportunity to win (basically trading them out of Cleveland).

Same goes for tracks, we sanction races. We make sure rules are consistent, we make sure the racing has some level of professionalism, we strive for fair, fun, safe racing. But the marketing, event management, facility... falls under organizer duties. We can help on some oversight level but we can do their jobs, that's not productive. I spend a large amount of time talking to organizers to help their businesses and give our members more value. I've traveled to existing districts and talked to D22 in Iowa and D18 in Missouri and D43 in Alabama about the OMA model (which I think is a successful model, the battle events concept). They have choose against it, so far. That's ok, it's their business.

Competition breeds success... all the negatives of past failed racing organizers (districts, tracks, etc.) are the reason why organizations like the OMA are so great.

Go Browns!!!
Click to expand...

But why???? Why not help to a greater extent? " Competition breeds success... " is the biggest reason MX is failing locally. Sure the OMA is doing great....at the Battle races, look at the regular OMA race results. Im hearing turnouts sub 150. That isnt making anyone any money to run a track. So Im thinking you are getting one time racers at big events and other than that they pro practice.

So why not start a dept in the AMA to actually help local tracks succeed? Do district marketing, send out mass emails about upcoming races to members. There is NO competition inside the AMA, we are all members with the same love. That is where the short fall is IMO. the OMA already has "Same goes for tracks, we sanction races. We make sure rules are consistent, we make sure the racing has some level of professionalism, we strive for fair, fun, safe racing. " that under control. Chillitown especially has the marketing aspect down, if you arent helping with the marketing, event management and facility in a way to not step on their toes too much but make them better also, then why be a member?

Again Im not bashing the AMA Im trying to understand what you offer a track owner for his money, the value.

I really believe the market could be increased by simply getting rid of the mind set " Its a competition " for the tracks. The riders lose with that mentality. We need unity.


BriarcliffMx said:
For me to want to run races for the sake of running races, I dont see it for a few hundred riders. It doesnt make sense. Now if everyone could get a 500-600 rider race 2-3 times per year, thats awesome.
Click to expand...

Funny, that sounds familiar. I think I got kicked for saying the OMA should try that.
 
ck1racerx said:
so you can make rules that the riders must follow but you cant make rules the tracks must follow? Yet those some tracks have ZERO option when it comes to the expensive insurance that the AMA makes them buy?
The Browns suck because one or two people will not admit they are dont know what they are doing, but have all the money and power so they feel like they don't have to ask for help. And the customer base suffers. Now, where have i seen that before......
Click to expand...

You dont have to buy the insurance, you just have to show that you have equivalent coverage.
 
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