HOW DO WE COMPARE?

Dear CR We campaign a brace of 4DP TZ250S with the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA). We are now in our fifth season of full participation with six or seven events each year. In 2018 we are defending our third Open Two-stroke class championship. As a somewhat established fixture in the paddock (with 25 and 26-yearold bikes that are ‘modern’ to some) we have watched the AHRMA organization wrestle with class structure and the financial realities of visiting some of the best tracks in the States, responding to turnout of various bikes of a variety of vintages and offering a mix of modern classes to help the bottom line. The debates about class structure rage constantly, largely on social media. There are a variety of smaller vintage racing organisations with WERA the largest mixed in with their extensive modern club racing program and other smaller more geographically limited ‘local’ organizations as long travel distances conspire to keep the vintage diaspora from coalescing more often. With this in mind, it would be of interest how other organizations in other countries choose their class and financial structure. Your occasional coverage of our events are a treat, but it would be interesting to read more of your impressions, even if critical, of the depth of our fields and our program as it compares to other gatherings. Keep up the good work. We get a lot of help from your international advertisers. Mike Bootes Cincinnati, US

Hello Mike, very good to hear from you. I’ve chosen to print this letter here so that the huge collective font of knowledge and opinion that’s the Classic Racer readership might be able to help you with what you want to know. I certainly can’t think of a better bunch of fans and enthusiasts of the sport we all love who are more qualified to throw their tupenneth in. Tony