Cancellation

What a big disapointment. While it might not be a big deal for some, for others it was. After making several calls on Saturday to check on status and being told the race was still on, we drove over 6 hrs only to have the race cancelled the next morning. We decided to check out the track to see how bad it was and I could not belive it. The track was in great condition with very little water on it. Here is one pic of over 2 dozen I took while walking the track...
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...That was about 8:am this morning

As you can see my shoes did not even get muddy. We have raced some really muddy races and this cancellation is something we are not used to. We brought people in from California and Utah so this was a BIG expense only to head home with NOTHING. Just to rub salt in our wounds, on the 6+hr trip home to NY we passed by little girls (maybe 7-8 yrs old) playing soccer in the pouring rain and then as we got closer we passed Tioga Downs Horse track and they were racing in the pouring rain/mud.

I apologize if I have offended anyone but after spending almost 2 grand for this race I am a little frustrated.
 
Not sticking up for the promotor in any way here, but just trying to shed some light on why events are cancelled in this day and age. Not to mention that I'm a rider too, so I see both sides of the coin. 1. Cost. Just as you mentioned, you had allot of money invested in the event. The promotor will have at least double that, not too mention 10 times the stress level of the racers. So you factor in the promotors cost, plus the estimated turnout definitely under 100, probably more like 50 when it rains this much. Bottom line nobody has the money to run in the mud like we did back in the day. Thats why you have the cancellations. Plus its more about perception of the weather rather than is it really unrideable. If joe rider sees the forecast, and joe dick weather goon says "its gonna rain", WELL THEN, We cant ride if there is a potential for mud, we as riders will lose! We as riders will ride next weekend, with our choice of 5-6 different tracks around the State for the weekend (we are spoiled). So, you get light turnouts, which feeds into the promotors cancellation policy for future events. Its almost become a game of I'm not getting burned. Promotors get burned, so they're more likely to cancel. Likewise, are U going to chance a trip like this again? Back when running races was cheap (before my time), everyone was more likely to chance it. Same thing, when bikes were cheap and cheap to maintain, mud riding was fun. In todays economy, and cost of living, things have changed, and it sucks.

And for those thinking I cancel my place when i dont need too, ha! It was a mudhole yesterday, go lay down.
 
2K to ride a lil ole CRA race ??? Even if you did ride you get a plastic trophy and some free ( or cheap) race fuel ? You should have stopped and rode somewhere else who cares about the little prize stuff. Seems like you have deep pockets !
 
hershey said:
2K to ride a lil ole CRA race ???
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I will repeat my second sentence..."While it might not be a big deal for some, for others it was."...

While for you it was a "lil ole CRA race" for others is was a bigger deal.

This was round 3 of a 3 wheeler series...the ONLY 3 wheeler series in the world and first one in over 20 years. People come from all over for these races. NY, PA, MI, RI, IN, OR, CA, UT, Canada, are examples.


BriarcliffMX.

I can understand the promoters point of view and I am not trying to beat them up over the weather that they cannot control. However, several of us called many times on Saturday to check on the status of the race. The last call around 8:30pm. We were all told the race was still on. Many of us woke up the next day in our hotel rooms to no rain and a cancellation. Nothing in the forecast had changed from Saturday night to Sunday morning. That is why we went to the track...I was expecting to see a mudhole and did not. So what changed from Saturday night to Sunday morning that changed there mind? I guess what I am saying is this, If the race was cancelled for the "potential" of bad weather then why wasn't it cancelled when the forecast came out the day before?
 
Well, I dont what to say to that. I personally dont cancel due to potential weather, unless the track is already hit, and it needs dry time to salvage it. I know that sometimes its tough to make the right call. Its not easy. To error is human.

I know I would be upset if I drove to out to an ATVA National and they cancelled, especially if the track wasn't too bad. I can see your frustration.
 
TPC said:
I will repeat my second sentence..."While it might not be a big deal for some, for others it was."...

While for you it was a "lil ole CRA race" for others is was a bigger deal.

This was round 3 of a 3 wheeler series...the ONLY 3 wheeler series in the world and first one in over 20 years. People come from all over for these races. NY, PA, MI, RI, IN, OR, CA, UT, Canada, are examples.
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Makes much more sense now.
 
I agree, I was wondering the same thing as Hershey first posted. But now it makes much more sense, major bummer, I feel super bad for you guys!
 
agree with briarcliff mx

everyone can be upset with CRA but we had to do the same thing at TCMC. All day sat. the weather was great, got it ready sat night and only got some sprinkles but at 9am sunday we only had 56 entrys, it takes around 125 riders to break even on an event so we had no option but to cancel. I just hope the turnouts get better this summer
 
kharter said:
got it ready sat night and only got some sprinkles but at 9am sunday we only had 56 entrys, it takes around 125 riders to break even on an event so we had no option but to cancel.
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This is a tough situation. By cancelling, you are setting yourself up to get less riders next time because now they know you will cancel if not enough racers show up. Kind of a self-fullfilling prophecy. As a racer I would never come back again because I would be worried about wasting my own time to show up and just have you cancel.

I know it's no fun to lose money, but I think that's just bad business advertising a race event and then cancelling because of low turnout. By cancelling to not lose money that one time, you likely cost yourself many racers in the future. If you must operate in that fashion, I would suggest going the route of Pre-Entries. That way you can cancel ahead of time if not enough entries are received and nobody wasted their time driving out to the track.
 
kharter said:
everyone can be upset with CRA but we had to do the same thing at TCMC.
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Just to be clear, I did not say anything about the CRA. We are very fortunate that the CRA has welcomed us with open arms while the AMA has blacklisted us. I have no problem with the CRA and would like to say thank you to them for having us.
 
i agree that pre-entrys would be great, it would also save guys time in the sign up line

but i also hope that other riders that belong to clubs or riding orginizations understand why we had to cancel, if you run and take a $2000 loss then you get another poor turnoutdown the road do you run or not?

i believe that the main reason for the low numbers was that the weather had been so bad lately guys didnt want to chance spending their money and have to ride in a mud pit

hopefully thase that came at least enjoyed the day of open practice since we couldnt race
 
I guess everyone complaining about the cancelations work indoors, expect everything the way someone said it was suposed tobe when they get off work. This is the worst spring I have seen in my 20yrs of depending on the weather for work. When you tell somebody you can do something, and it rains for fourty days straight, you just can't get somethings done on a schedule.
 
PitRacer said:
This is a tough situation. By cancelling, you are setting yourself up to get less riders next time because now they know you will cancel if not enough racers show up. Kind of a self-fullfilling prophecy. As a racer I would never come back again because I would be worried about wasting my own time to show up and just have you cancel.

I know it's no fun to lose money, but I think that's just bad business advertising a race event and then cancelling because of low turnout. By cancelling to not lose money that one time, you likely cost yourself many racers in the future. If you must operate in that fashion, I would suggest going the route of Pre-Entries. That way you can cancel ahead of time if not enough entries are received and nobody wasted their time driving out to the track.
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You would think they would give the riders a break that drove out to the track for a RACE. Ohio Southwestern Mx Series
TCMC race cancelled for today....but having open practice $20.00
Sunday at 12:42pm via Mobile Web ·LikeUnlike ·
 
I think this has turned into a very good and productive discussion that track operators should take an interest in, as well as racers. For me, as a rider, and a former businessman, I think cancellations are very appropriate at times. The discussion point for me is when to pull the trigger, and at what point you are committed to see it through. Pitracer's post hit the nail on the head for me. Once the racers are on the road, its too late, and turning peopel around at the gate will cost you far more than the money you lose by holding a race with low turnout. Granted the OTC situation is unique in that we have racers that travel much greater distances and many have to hit the road the night before for a morning race. The world doesnt revolve around us, and most CRA racers are within an hour or two of the tracks they race. Still the effects of rain can vary greatly from home, and a track 50 miles away. Pit's point reminded me of a race at Sunset Ramblers where I traveled 1 1/2 hours and waited in a short line at the gate to be told the race was cancelled. I vowed never to make the trip again if there was the slightest hint of rain, or rain earlier in the week, adding to his point of low turnout being a self fulfilling prophesy. To their credit, I have noticed they pull the trigger usually a full day in advance now. Sometimes it isn't necessary, and probably has cost them at cancelled events, but it makes me more likely to plan for other events. Promoters need to realize that weather is like commodities speculating in that, its not bad weather that causes low turnout, but rather the EXPECTATION of bad weather. My opinion of Sunset ramblers has followed this cancellation policy change, and I now plan on races there with the confidence that I will be forewarned of a cancellation, before I hit the road, and usually before I pack the truck. I've been at many races with very poor turnout and awesome track conditions because the forecast was much more gloomy than reality. I went with confidence that even if the foreacast became reality, the show would go on, but it were questionable, I would not have gone. Its a trickey business, as nobody ever knows for sure what the weather will do, and any decision will be the wrong one with somebody, but maybe a concenus on when to cancel, or even individual track policies on cancellation procedures would be helpful for the sport. To Big Game's credit, they did post the cancellation by 5:00am, so I saw it before I left the house, but I feel that given the weather forecast, and the amount of water already on the ground, that the call for a cancellation could have been made Saturday, because if with a break in the weather on Sunday (which actually did occur) rider turnout was still likely to be poor, and that being the basis for the cancellation.

So my question to both riders and promoters is, at what point should the call for a cancellation be made, (though better weather might come) and at what point should the promoter obligate themselves to go through with a race, even if the weather turns to crap that will best benefit their business?
 
Tom said:
You would think they would give the riders a break that drove out to the track for a RACE. Ohio Southwestern Mx Series
TCMC race cancelled for today....but having open practice $20.00
Sunday at 12:42pm via Mobile Web ·LikeUnlike ·
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also note that the $20 included the gate fee, we tried to make it right for those who stayed, hopefully they all enjoyed their day
 
This is why Treaty city rider turn out is low. I called prior to driving a 1 hour and 10 miniutes to the race and they quoted we are racing no matter what. I was told also at the gate, we are racing! I would have went to chillitown if i knew this was going to happen. club members need to wake up and listen to the riders!!!!!!!!!!!!
Treaty do away with the underground utilty banners you use to line the track with as these do not brake away in the event a rider gets off the edge of the track. I seen a kid several years ago in Michigan almost die from a neck injury because of these.I have mentioned this several times over the last 2 years
just my 2 cents
 
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