Racing... where to start?

[blasterandy]

wanna start racing, i am gonna get a 250r cause i know i can work on em, but where do i start. What are the guide lines/restrictions. Im 16, i would say im good at riding but i don't have anyone to ride with n e more thus i figure i can go to the race track, have fun and make friends. So where do i start. What class should i go for, and that sorta thing. I have went to a few open races (raced in small race with a few people around town) but besides that nothing.

[atvmxr]

the B E G I N E R class, "C", amatuer or whatever the lowest class is. Just take your time out there and get used to your bike. I dont know how many times I've seen some newbe think he is Jeremy McGrath and just ride completely over his head and wind up breaking his face coming up short on some huge jump and getting hauled off in the ambulance.

start going to pratice for maybe a good 6-9-12 months depending on how you progress before you race. also you're more likely to make friends at pratice, quite often during a race people arent as willing to shoot the bull because they are focused on the task at hand...

:cool:

[blasterandy]

I noticed you said jeremy Mcgrath, i think you know but i might as well clarify that i want to race atv's. n e ways, where can i get a schedule of races that are upcoming in South Carolina. And thanks by the way for the help so far. it gives me something to think about.

[atvmxr]

are you really trying to bust my chops for saying Jeremy McGrath, like I dont know we are on an atv forum???? :rolleyes:

ok fine, newbeez think they are Gary Denton, Shane Hitt, Nic Granlund, Doug Gust, Dana Creech, Tim Farr, Joe Byrd, etc. and wide up eating **** . better now?

If you are 16, that means I started racing (not riding) around the time you were born.... damn Im gettin old :huh

[blasterandy]

no,no,no. Im not trying to bust n e ones chops. I just wanted to clarifiy that i was wanting to race atvs not dbikes. Its a much more common thing to race. I also know that 250r refers to more than one 2 stroke 250 dirt bike. Like i said i think you know that i was talking about atvs but i just wanted to make sure. Sorry if i offended you in any way. My sincerest apologies, but i was still wondering where schedules would be posted of races that are happening in South Carolina.

[blasterandy]

still wondering, i have another question in addition to the one above. Where are all the race tracks at here. And are the 250r's still as competitive, due to their beeing very unrider friendly. im going off what i have heard about them being harder to ride. I have ridden banshees before and realize that 2stroke + miss shift= Last Place (JK, but its hard to recover from) Is it not.

[Nac's22]

yea they are hard to ride... you really have to know how to ride to be fast on a 250r. like you said miss a shift n your screwed. i just started racing on 1 this year and did ok. last race of the year was over the weekend and got 8th overall. they are competitive but you have to know your ability and machine very well. my friends who race 4 strokes have ridden mine and it tires them out quick b/c you just have to ride them harder. they are extremely fun on a track. the only real disadvantage i have found this year is the holeshot. those 450s can sure get off the line quick. after that its rider skill. just make sure you are on your clutch. race season is pretty much comming to an end so you wont find much about next years schedual yet i dont think. try in another couple months.

[blasterandy]

cool, yea if i like it i may go n get a 450 but i dunno. Im getting a new truck also so i can't aford much more than about 3-4k

[MossboysRacing]

250r's can be competitive. I race one ( XC ) and beat 450's all the time. Like stated, you have to be a good rider on your machine to be fast. IF you want a 250r get one and ride the crap out of it. Going to race on a bike your not comfortable on, can end up very badly. If you expect to get a stock or slightly modded R and expect to do well, it probably wont happen. 250r can be very fast, but stock for stock a 450r is faster. Im not telling you what to do, but realize it takes a good rider, and usually a little $ in your bike to do well. Definately run a beginner class. It is a great place to start, and you can always move up to a faster class later in the season, or your next season. I personally hate when racers get into my class ( im a fast B or A racer), and are over their head. Start at the bottom, it will be better en the end. From a maintaince point of view, 250r parts are getting a little hard to find. Some stock parts have been discontinued by honda, and you see more and more people using 400ex parts and 450r parts to replace 250r stock parts. (see stickies at top of page) Most aftermarket compaines have stopped making 250r parts. I personally live on the 4-sale forum here and ebay, to keep mine running tip-top. 250r's can be very tempermental, but when you get them tuned right, its like ridding a bat out of hell. I personally race mine all the damn time, and ride/race a modded 450r. (check profile sig.)For Most of the "older" (like me)guys on this fourm, 250r's are like a lifestyle and we do it to prove to people that old, doesnt mean slow at all. Sorry for the hugly long post, i didn't mean to bash you at all, I just wanted you to realize what your getting yourself into with an R. Fell free anyone else to add, or ridicule what i said, its just my Opinion ont the subject.

[Creech52]

I totally agree with the guys saying out of the box a 250R isnt going to make you fast, if you want that your better off going 4-poke, but the R can be a competitive bike with the right mods and a good rider. If you want to check out races in your area hit up google or some search engine and find the district tracks in your area, also check the AMA and such as they have the district track listings. If you local tracks offer it I suggest for a first time racing to enter in the "woodsman" or "first year racer" class. They are usually a mix of bikes mildly modified but everyone is a newb. One of the last times I was at a track a friend of my just purchased a mild built 250R (very mild) and he entered the woodsman class up against modded 400exs and such (dont think the 450s were out yet) and he pulled the holeshot and did pretty well till he tossed a chain. Now he was new to the sport and had very little racing experience mostly trail riding. So really along with the rest of the guys with their built machines and little racing expeirence he was right on par with them. Also like said above practice practice practice....the old saying isnt a myth "practice makes perfect". Well good luck!

[blasterandy]

Cool, Yea i realize that they 250's are going to have b maintained, thats not a huge deal. I'm good at working on 2 strokes. I can go through a weedeater in about 20 minutes. Yea i realize that theres alot more to them than just a weed eater but when you get right down to it there just so much simpler than a 4 stroke. And then down, times not going to be as much as with a 4 stroke.

[atvmxr]

start going to your local motorcycle shops and ask the employess. Most shops have a bulletin board of upcoming race's, new tracks, etc. when you go to those tracks, ask the people out there where else they ride. Pretty much any track will allow quads and dirtbikes, so feel free to ask the dirt bike guys information too. I would keep tabs on the quad magazines too, as from time to time they highlight upcoming races / racing organizations. ask around on different forums on the 'net too....

[blasterandy]

Cool, i appreciate all the help by they way. i am really interested in getting started and when i get the new quad in december il have a chance to get use to it. What limitations on engine sizes are there. Like no bigger bore on a 2 stroke than 310ccs or what.

[Nac's22]

i think most locall districts are an open class.... i know mine is. pretty much you run what you brung.

[blasterandy]

cool, i am new to all this and i just talked to my dad about it and he said get my truck and a new four wheeler(i guess new is kinda a interchangable term) :D and then we'll see how it goes.

[atvmxr]

guy on one of the zilla sites posted this:

I'm in Charlotte, NC and there are two great areas to ride out here.

1) TNT Motorsports park - Great ATV MX tracks.. OK trails

2) Carolina Adventure World - Bad MX tracks but AWESOME trails. Hundreds of miles of groomed trails.

If there are any quadracer riders in the North/South Carolina area...Let me know and we'll link up and go riding.

-Matt