RMSHA Racers Needed!
- Thread starter 109RMSHA
- Start date
The 2 biggest reasons I have seen with races going away was snow conditions and promoter issues. Promoters put a lot of time and money into events and expect to recoup a lot of it based off spectators and other things. Snow conditions can have a huge impact on that based off of whether a race is cancelled or the conditions scare a lot of people off.
Location would probably be in the top 3 reasons too. Demographically the majority of RMSHA members are not more than 2-3 hrs away from most the races. That has been a good reason why we have grown, but a bad reason based off of how many other people want to race that just can't travel 4+ hrs every other week. Look at the northern MT, WA, and CO racers right now. 6-8 hrs or way more of travel each way 6-8 times in 3 months is a monumental feat to overcome. IMHO RMSHA is at a standstill as far as creating more membership. We have the racers we have because it's conveniently close for most and they have been doing it for long enough that to face start up costs is a thing of the past. I have had a pretty good PM discussion with Syko and I have thoughts........
RMSHA is currently saturated as far as a racer market goes. It's evident by the few numbers of new racers joining the circuit in the last few years. There might be quite a few new names on the roster, but 50% of them are only attending 1-2 races for the year. I don't see racing getting any 'cheaper' especially the way it is set up now. I do however, see possible ways to sprout growth with a ton of effort in addition to what RMSHA has going now. Anyone remember MSSHA??? Years ago it was the only other hillclimb circuit that had as much potential as RMSHA. There are plenty of race sites to go around. Problem is a circuit can only have up to 10 sanctioned races a year. Add in Jackson Hole, the ever present unknown of snow conditions from year to year, and location of all these venues, and you will have to settle for a happy medium.
I would like to see another formation of a circuit catering to completely different venues that what we currently have. The most unique thing would be for it to still fall under the same organization and processes as RMSHA would have. Something like Eastern Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Assoc. (currently RMSHA), and Western Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Assoc. (cater to OR, WA, MT, CA race venues) or something of the sort. Start representing the size and status of the biggest snowmobile hillclimb circuit in the U.S. to potential corporate sponsors like other race circuits do. ISOC, NASCAR, TORC Series, etc.... all have huge billion dollar industry corporate sponsorships. What is a way to use that as a tool to pursue better venues, create spectator and racer growth, promote the major sled manufacturers everywhere instead of just at Jackson Hole. Jackson Hole would still be held as the World Championships since it is actually run by the Snow Devils, but the 2 RMSHA divisions could hold an internal season points championship event at the end of the year similar to the current points championship race. This is an insanely huge task to accomplish, but we already have the status of a hillclimb circuit that dominates racing in the Western U.S.
I don't see the current circuit changing demographics even by procuring a couple new race sites. All that will do is weed a few of the numbers out to gain a few numbers back. Factory support is thriving is some cases. It's also dwindling down to barely having a pulse in other cases. National recognition is needed. Completely new demographics of people need to be in reach of races just like most of us are in the 'banana belt' of RMSHA. I see it more as an opportunity to branch out and create a whole new 'family' of hillclimb racers if we truly want it to grow.
Location would probably be in the top 3 reasons too. Demographically the majority of RMSHA members are not more than 2-3 hrs away from most the races. That has been a good reason why we have grown, but a bad reason based off of how many other people want to race that just can't travel 4+ hrs every other week. Look at the northern MT, WA, and CO racers right now. 6-8 hrs or way more of travel each way 6-8 times in 3 months is a monumental feat to overcome. IMHO RMSHA is at a standstill as far as creating more membership. We have the racers we have because it's conveniently close for most and they have been doing it for long enough that to face start up costs is a thing of the past. I have had a pretty good PM discussion with Syko and I have thoughts........
RMSHA is currently saturated as far as a racer market goes. It's evident by the few numbers of new racers joining the circuit in the last few years. There might be quite a few new names on the roster, but 50% of them are only attending 1-2 races for the year. I don't see racing getting any 'cheaper' especially the way it is set up now. I do however, see possible ways to sprout growth with a ton of effort in addition to what RMSHA has going now. Anyone remember MSSHA??? Years ago it was the only other hillclimb circuit that had as much potential as RMSHA. There are plenty of race sites to go around. Problem is a circuit can only have up to 10 sanctioned races a year. Add in Jackson Hole, the ever present unknown of snow conditions from year to year, and location of all these venues, and you will have to settle for a happy medium.
I would like to see another formation of a circuit catering to completely different venues that what we currently have. The most unique thing would be for it to still fall under the same organization and processes as RMSHA would have. Something like Eastern Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Assoc. (currently RMSHA), and Western Rocky Mountain Snowmobile Hillclimb Assoc. (cater to OR, WA, MT, CA race venues) or something of the sort. Start representing the size and status of the biggest snowmobile hillclimb circuit in the U.S. to potential corporate sponsors like other race circuits do. ISOC, NASCAR, TORC Series, etc.... all have huge billion dollar industry corporate sponsorships. What is a way to use that as a tool to pursue better venues, create spectator and racer growth, promote the major sled manufacturers everywhere instead of just at Jackson Hole. Jackson Hole would still be held as the World Championships since it is actually run by the Snow Devils, but the 2 RMSHA divisions could hold an internal season points championship event at the end of the year similar to the current points championship race. This is an insanely huge task to accomplish, but we already have the status of a hillclimb circuit that dominates racing in the Western U.S.
I don't see the current circuit changing demographics even by procuring a couple new race sites. All that will do is weed a few of the numbers out to gain a few numbers back. Factory support is thriving is some cases. It's also dwindling down to barely having a pulse in other cases. National recognition is needed. Completely new demographics of people need to be in reach of races just like most of us are in the 'banana belt' of RMSHA. I see it more as an opportunity to branch out and create a whole new 'family' of hillclimb racers if we truly want it to grow.
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^^^ And not to discredit RMSHA for doing a ton of stuff, but that's what came to my head after a lengthy discussion with Syko about some true 'out-of-the-box' suggestions. It might be the hardest to accomplish, but I see the biggest results for the sport altogether in this aspect.
Put Turbos in Open Mod only... get 6/7/8 MOD back like it used to be..For a long list of reasons. Cost being one of them.
When you go to Haydays for example.. Mods are still mods and Turbos are in one class only "Outlaw"...and they get a lot of attention drawn to that class. Let the guys who can afford it, duke it out.
The rest can focus on riding and setups, like the old days. 25-30k Turbos sleds and the trick suspensions are a roadblock for attracting new riders to the sport.
My 2 cents.
When you go to Haydays for example.. Mods are still mods and Turbos are in one class only "Outlaw"...and they get a lot of attention drawn to that class. Let the guys who can afford it, duke it out.
The rest can focus on riding and setups, like the old days. 25-30k Turbos sleds and the trick suspensions are a roadblock for attracting new riders to the sport.
My 2 cents.
S
SSF108
Active member
Mods
Mods are Mods! That is where the industry tests it's best products. You can NOT take the aftermarket companies only avenue to Hillclimb Racing away!
Stock and Improved Stock are affordable classes.
If you think by taking turbos off Mods it will make racing cheaper you are wrong.
Mods are Mods! That is where the industry tests it's best products. You can NOT take the aftermarket companies only avenue to Hillclimb Racing away!
Stock and Improved Stock are affordable classes.
If you think by taking turbos off Mods it will make racing cheaper you are wrong.
If you re-read my post I'm not against Turbos, in fact I own one. For the benefit of the growing racer participation in Mod classes, I think Turbos should all run in the Open class... just like any other race organization in the world. I don't understand why they can run the exact same sled in 7/8 Mod then enter it in Open Mod. It/s the same sleds and riders riding in the same classes...There is a lot of development that can be done to benefit future consumer sleds ie: chassis development, carbon fiber and exotic materials, electronics, other boosted opitions etc..
With the exception of Afton maybe,, if you want to be competitive in any Mod class you must build a competitive turbo. It's just the way it is now. Sad to see all the normally aspirated mod sleds go away....This topic is about growing RMSHA and lowering race expense.. as it appears a major hurdle for most guys who desire to hillclimb.
Just one man's opinion.
With the exception of Afton maybe,, if you want to be competitive in any Mod class you must build a competitive turbo. It's just the way it is now. Sad to see all the normally aspirated mod sleds go away....This topic is about growing RMSHA and lowering race expense.. as it appears a major hurdle for most guys who desire to hillclimb.
Just one man's opinion.
