Why are quads always a sideshow?

[Pappy]

For the past 3 or 4 months, I have been grinding my teeth watching the circus take place at several races. Mainly on a district level, but it seems to me that quads tend to get the shaft. I geuss at the national level being that quads and bikes are split the problems tend to get resolved easier or maybe it just seems that way.

My biggest issue seems to be with quad riders themselves! For the most part we seem to just shrug our shoulders if we are told no or watch aimlessly as plans are changed on the fly at a race.

I watched one such event take place where in the tracks effort to wrap up the day, 3 quad riders missed the second moto simply because not everyone was made aware the schedule was moved up. (and i mean no attempt was made to announce the change)

I watched as riders looked clueless when they were told the payout was cut even when the tracks own information stated "based on X amount of entires". Yes, there were enough entries, just a slick handed way of pocketing a few bucks.

Yet on another occasion riders were told that there would be only 1 moto run simply because thats the way it was going to be?

Only on 1 occasion did I see a rider protest over a clear issue and geuss what? He stood his ground and the tracks decision was turned around.

Now, maybe I am just nit picking. After all, we are just quad riders, and we should be happy anyone will even allow us to race. And what does it matter that you paid the same as a bike rider yet you only ran 2 laps each moto? Heck you were probably to tired to do more anyway right?

As long as you keep allowing yourself to be seen as a lessor you will be taking for less. I think it is high time quad riders voiced thier concerns openly to what ever seems to be the problem of the day. Could you see yourself remaining quiet at the food stand when a bike rider was handed 2 cheesburgers for his $3 while you only recieved1? Or how about if you were charged $45 to race, waited all day to finally be rushed thru 2 moto's that lasted far less then 1 bike moto? It is the same priciple right?

Sorry for the rant, I geuss im one quad rider that will not stand by while my money is taken and unjust service given!

[Pappy]

and btw, i just pointed out a few scenerios using bikes as an example. i do understand the fact that at a local race bikes pay the bills. i just find that in no way gives any organization the right to treat quad riders as second class especially seeing you usually pay the same entry fee's

[trx400exxracer]

I think in GNCC bike riders get paid more contingence money than the quad riders for certain companies

[TheFontMaster]

Well look at all that wonderfull stuff I have to look foward to next year when I start racing:o There will probably be atleast a few people that I will piss off over the course of the year:p

[Pappy]

Originally posted by trx400exxracer
I think in GNCC bike riders get paid more contingence money than the quad riders for certain companies

contingency money is a different animal. im talking about the stuff that happens more then not on the local level that we has a whole tend to just dismiss.

i dont mean to cause an uproar, merely i intend to hopefully spark a few folks into standing up for all of us the next time the situation arisies.

[K_Fulk]

Havent really seen anything like what you explained in the cra.

Other than harescrambles, bikes get 2 hours and quads usually only get 1. :ermm:

[Pappy]

2 hours vs. 1 seems to be the norm for XC type locals. i can understand part of that, but again, what did you pay to run that hour versus what a bike rider paid?

[K_Fulk]

Same price :( . One track sometimes asks if we ant to go and hour and a half or 2 hoursevery so often. But I only race harescrambles every so often too at the same track.

[Pappy]

and by no means do i mean to sound completely negative! i know of 1 series that seems to bend over backwards to get quad riders happy and keep them that way. ive heard grumplings, but for the most part this series is A+. it wasnt always thatw ay, but the promoter saw what a healthy quad turnout can do for him! i am sure others are the same way.


kfulk...i have also seen that offer, and usually its when the bike turn out was low and time was available. time is something noone can really control, and 2 day events are scary for promoters so i can understand the limits.

[trx400exxracer]

Originally posted by Pappy
2 hours vs. 1 seems to be the norm for XC type locals. i can understand part of that, but again, what did you pay to run that hour versus what a bike rider paid?

at our local harescramble we run 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours

the atv's classes start after the bike classes but if we get lapped by a bike it doesn't count only if you get lapped by the atv leader you are knocked down a lap you know how that stuff goes

but we get the same rules and oppurtunity's as they do

[Pappy]

i bet racing with the bikes is wild...lol

i know a few series where the bike riders would be so shamed that i doubt they would race again..haha

hey and if im wrong in my thinking ...point it out! i just dont see the logic in paying for something but only recieving a portion of what others that paid recieved!

[wilkin250r]

I'm more of a "don't rock the boat" kinda guy.

Not that I disagree with you, Pappy. You're right, quad riders often get the shaft, even though they pay the same entry fee as everybody else.

But I look at the flipside. The bikes bring in 90% of the proceeds. And you and I BOTH know that very few race circuits have all their stuff together, especially at the local level, so somebody is getting the shaft. Who are you going to give it to? The 90%, or the 10%?

[400exrules]

at the local harescrambles, we pay the same and bikes get 2 1/2 hrs. and atv's get 1 1/2

[bullet3z]

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that for the most part, bike riders hate quad riders. I for one like both but can't stand the quad bashing that goes on.

[Pappy]

we all know i dont rock the boat, i send out a fleet to sink it:p

i have no idea why i feel the way i do, its not directed towards any certain series or track etc, i geuss i just got see alot more then most this year and last and started forming some pretty hard opinions.

id have to disagree on the 90/10 tho. ive seen races where the quads equal the bikes yet the payout is higher for the bikes. i geuss its all gum smacking but it does feel good to vent:D

maybe from now on, when i see something take place, i will email the person in charge and explain what my take on the situation is. sometimes folks will keep putting thier hand in the cookie jar until someone points it out to them.

and then again, mayb im just getting older and care who does what with my money:cool:

I think quad riders need to do something about it, rather then just talking about how unfair it is. Its kinda like the "White man keepin the Black man down", where in this case the quad riders are the black people(srry Pappy, I know you'll have trouble with that one), and the bike riders are "The Man". All the quads want to do is talk about how awfull the big bad bike riders are and how its unfair. Well, nothing ever got resolved by just getting pissed about it and going to the races everyweekend. If they can get away with it, why should they stop? You ethier need to go to track meetings like some people just did, and now their in charge of building a nicer ATV track, or just boycott the place while you're telling them what you want.

[JR3]

IF the quad riders would just stick together and say we arent comin back until this that and the other thing is taken care of and we are tretaed fairly then they might change there ways. And that 1 track changed there mind because 1 rider made a stand what if 10 did like pappy said if they just treat u like **** and u take it they will continue.

[Pappy]

well i have already started penciling out tracks that dont support quads for next season. i completely agree that getting involved is the answer....however.

i have made contact with a distrct rep that is himself a quad guy and truthfully i get the feeling he is more interested in what folks think of him then what improvements need to be made etc. that could just be because our corrospondence has been limited to emails but my gut usually is not wrong.

one of the major problems i see is that the majority of those that raced quads did not stick with it as alot of bike riders have. im sure everyone knows more folks that raced once or twice then gave it up for a myriad of reasons, then we do folks that have raced for 5 or more years. bike riders started all this long before quads and trikes were even considered racers so embedding ourselves will take time.

i did not attend but 1 GNC race this year, but the one i attended seemed like it ran pretty well. The GNCC races we ran were also run well, but nothing is perfect.

for us, it will come down to how much BS we want to put up with as to which race we will attend.....and thats a shame. locals will be out unless i see some major improvements and i have not only made the district aware, but also a few of the track owners. maybe 1 family wont hurt thier budget, but then again maybe the thought of turning away folks wont sit well with those in charge either.

[trx400exxracer]

Originally posted by Pappy
i bet racing with the bikes is wild...lol

i know a few series where the bike riders would be so shamed that i doubt they would race again..haha

hey and if im wrong in my thinking ...point it out! i just dont see the logic in paying for something but only recieving a portion of what others that paid recieved!

we pretty much pass up to the B class bike riders and starting atleast 3minutes back I consider that pretty good

[AtvMxRider]

Well I think we are pretty lucky in D-13. The quads race saturday and the bikes on sunday. I mean we still get the short end of the stick because we are a minority. At the very most we will have 20 to 30 quads compared to 4 or 5 hundred bikes. But D-13 chairman is a quad guy so that has helped us get a pretty fair deal. The only complaint I have is not enough quad racers:ermm: Alot of times you can't blame the district because it is the track. (BuddsCreek prime example)

[JR3]

At atco at 10 o clock till 11 the last hour of practcies as long as theres not that many of each they let the biks and quads run together. But b4 that its split 20 minutes each which is cool they are very fair. Its funny at practcie watch donny lysigner #411 pass a a good dirtbiker then pull a look back at em over the next jump.

[trick450r]

this is why i love Neatv-mx..no dirtbikes...the only problem with this series right now is to many riders...anywhere between 500-700 on a good day...and its rising rapidly, so the day flies by and soemtimes we have to rush through a few classes...

[clutt225]

All quad events are much better.
f the bike guys I am tired of being a sideshow

[AtvMxRider]

Originally posted by clutt225
f the bike guys


Thats the biggest problem. The quad guys say f the bike guys and the bike guys say f the quad guys. We all enjoy the same sport just on different machines.

[clutt225]

hey the local mx club around her will not let quads on any of ther tracks for race or practice.
The quads have a seperate club and can't even rent the mx tracks. the bike club caims we do to much damage to the tracks.
The nearest mx track that has quad races is 1.5hrs away yet there is at least 15 tracks for bikes that are closer.
sorry if I have a piss poor attitude towards bikes

[hsr]

The problem tends to be that the bike guys is where everything started. They were racing "motocross" long before the 4 wheeler was ever invented. They feel as if they don't have to cater to us 4 wheel guys, let alone let us ride on the same track as them. Dirtbikes are the roots of motocross and they are always going to get the first hand, thats just the way it is.

[Scott-300ex]

The National Quad Constitution.

The quads always get to race at the Monster Jam, events. However they are not the main show but we get a lot of our names out there from that. When the bikes get there own series and the stadium just for them.

At our local events, I'd say it is 90/10 on MX, BUT on FT, its 60 quads to 50 bikes, and on FT we all know the quads are WAY funner to watch than bikes. And I bring all my friends to the events so I'm bringin quad guys up.

And thats cool you get to run with the bikes, I ran with a good dirt bike rider once, threw trails, he was fast and I just followed him, pushing myself to stay with him and.........................I did it, I kept with him and was surprised, he's gotta worry about 2" I gotta worry about 48" cuz its easier to ride a bike, he was on a crf450 and I was on my 300ex, so I was happy.