SoCal MX.. Pro novices

SoCalMX70 wrote:

For OTHG, new members are evaluated over 2 races for proper placement. They are given minimum points for each race regardless of finish. Once placed, there...

For OTHG, new members are evaluated over 2 races for proper placement. They are given minimum points for each race regardless of finish. Once placed, there is an advancement points system to keep people moving up.

The Race Director can also bump anyone at any time if it's obvious a rider isn't where they belong.

We also keep track of non-members who show up frequently and bump them if necessary.

I don't know if anyone is more strict than OTHG (South Chapter in this case) on making sure racers are truly where they belong. Some people still try their hardest to game the system, but we don't put up with it.

Now, we do have the 2nd Annual OTHG Classic coming up, which is a once a year deal that's structured differently and wide open to all vet riders... There will certainly be some more sandbaggers, but it's a fun event and all members get full points just for attending.

Edit: To answer your actual question, there is no written rule for that. We simply suggest this information to new members. Someone who, for example, races Novice with Swap Moto/2X/AMA races, etc. is likely Intermediate or Expert speed in our club. If they don't take our advice and blow everyone's doors off, they'll get bumped anyway. To expand a bit more, our beginners are TRUE beginners, rolling everything on the track, Novice riders jump a quarter to half the jumps, and it goes from there. Intermediate is the first level where you see everyone hitting everything and getting around fairly quick. We don't have novices throwing down and scrubbing everything like you tend to see elsewhere.

mattyhamz2 wrote:

It might have been someone I talked to that raced with OTHG that told me that. It’s been a few years since I had heard that...

It might have been someone I talked to that raced with OTHG that told me that. It’s been a few years since I had heard that last. I immediately went looking on OTHG website and didn’t see it, but figured either you or one of the other gang riders would clarify it for me!

SoCalMX70 wrote:

You going to join us at Perris or GH? You're Intermediate, btw. 🤣

mattyhamz2 wrote:

It might have been someone I talked to that raced with OTHG that told me that. It’s been a few years since I had heard that...

It might have been someone I talked to that raced with OTHG that told me that. It’s been a few years since I had heard that last. I immediately went looking on OTHG website and didn’t see it, but figured either you or one of the other gang riders would clarify it for me!

SoCalMX70 wrote:

You going to join us at Perris or GH? You're Intermediate, btw. 🤣

mattyhamz2 wrote:

With the amount of time I've been off the bike??  I'm gunna get smoked! I'll be lucky to get one lap in at their pace, haha! I...

With the amount of time I've been off the bike??  I'm gunna get smoked! I'll be lucky to get one lap in at their pace, haha! I honestly don't know if I'll be able to make it to Perris or either Glen Helen, but I am shooting for LACR. 

SoCalMX70 wrote:

You going to join us at Perris or GH? You're Intermediate, btw. 🤣

mattyhamz2 wrote:

With the amount of time I've been off the bike??  I'm gunna get smoked! I'll be lucky to get one lap in at their pace, haha! I...

With the amount of time I've been off the bike??  I'm gunna get smoked! I'll be lucky to get one lap in at their pace, haha! I honestly don't know if I'll be able to make it to Perris or either Glen Helen, but I am shooting for LACR. 

SoCalMX70 wrote:

I've seen you ride enough to know you'd be in the mix. You and I might battle a little and you'd probably smoke me.

sandman768 wrote:

The fragile egos of Mx racing 👍…. 

sandman768 wrote:

The fragile egos of Mx racing 👍…. 

sam hain wrote:

Not just MX, two dudes I personally know race 45A in our local hare scramble series will race one or two local GNCC's a year and...

Not just MX, two dudes I personally know race 45A in our local hare scramble series will race one or two local GNCC's a year and drop down to 40C. Get their trophies, post them on facebook and drive home. They've done it for years.

motomind00132 wrote:

With everyone running transponders at a lot of tracks it would be easy to keep A or B class right before or after C class and...

With everyone running transponders at a lot of tracks it would be easy to keep A or B class right before or after C class and if ypur times put you in the top 10 of the next class you get bumped. But no one wants to do that

motomind00132 wrote:

With everyone running transponders at a lot of tracks it would be easy to keep A or B class right before or after C class and...

With everyone running transponders at a lot of tracks it would be easy to keep A or B class right before or after C class and if ypur times put you in the top 10 of the next class you get bumped. But no one wants to do that

motomind00132 wrote:

With everyone running transponders at a lot of tracks it would be easy to keep A or B class right before or after C class and...

With everyone running transponders at a lot of tracks it would be easy to keep A or B class right before or after C class and if ypur times put you in the top 10 of the next class you get bumped. But no one wants to do that

sam hain wrote:

While I fully agree with you, in today's society half the people racing (your business) would stop coming if tracks enforced fair competition. Just like the...

While I fully agree with you, in today's society half the people racing (your business) would stop coming if tracks enforced fair competition. Just like the 'suspected' stuff going on with Ferry, if dudes can't flex their trophies on FB and IG what's the point in racing? *sarcasm*

Ob917 wrote:

C class guys in southern Cal are way faster than they are where you are from, and probably faster than your A class guys. It just...

C class guys in southern Cal are way faster than they are where you are from, and probably faster than your A class guys. It just is what it is. 

Black_Hebrew_Israelite wrote:

This is a demoralizing/frustrating issue for real novices like me and it seems to happen all over.  I rode clapped out cheap bikes in the woods...

This is a demoralizing/frustrating issue for real novices like me and it seems to happen all over.  I rode clapped out cheap bikes in the woods when I was a kid, but family was way too poor to afford an mx bike or go track riding.  I bought my first real mx bike last year at 29 and started riding the local track 1-2 times a month.  Really enjoyed myself and tried to steadily improve.  Eventually I signed up for our local series and went on the practice day before the race, riding in what was listed as the "big bike novice" group.  There were some guys basically bar-dragging through the deep ruts, scrubbing jumps and launching the biggest jumps on the track with ease.  I didn't even bother racing the next day because I figured I would get in the way.  

I'm still trying to improve every time I ride and hope to make a couple local races later this year.  It just sucks to line up against guys that have been riding MX tracks for decades in the novice class.