The new qualification rules are final for Barber, and before I go further I want to apologize for the Board for the delay in getting all this sorted out. Work started on the revisions at the time of Cindy’s passing. Needless-to-say much more, some things fell through the cracks as we all struggled through the rest of 2018 and worked to get 2019 off the ground. Several concerns were on the table from members regarding Barber qualifications, and we were committed to making changes members were requesting.
There were three major concerns voiced. The biggest was the “13 month” rule. It seemed that no one felt that was a good rule. So now we will all race in the current season. The second and third changes are two parts of a similar concern—readiness. Racers need to be ready to race, and the same goes for machinery. By extending the requirements to include racing on two separate weekends, it is hoped riders will be more prepared for the fast pace Barber demands with 600 racers on track Saturday and Sunday—1,200 entries for the two days. Recognizing two AHRMA races might be difficult for some, we have included a provision for competitors to complete one of the two required races through another club.
Last year with several people helping take up Cindy’s military-like preparations, we ended up with 1,428 entries. 1,200 is manageable when we are all prepared, and that includes our machines. We are all familiar with prepping our bikes for the first weekend of the season and often that prep may move into the second weekend, also. Mechanical breakdowns are inevitable, and every time a crash truck goes out for a pick-up we risk having our races shortened. We are anticipating a second weekend will cut down on those pick-up calls.
It is our hope these changes will lead to a better racing experience for all of us as well as for the spectators who want to see racing, not medics and crash trucks.
~ Kevin Burns, Eastern Trustee
