New Afternoon Scramble Class Structure

In 2019, we made the move to age cap the Junior Class since we had riders 16 years old and older (a few in their 50s!) racing in that category. At one 2018 race, we had 40 Junior riders on the line, so we knew we needed to make a change.

We also introduced the +25 Class in 2019, meaning it to be a Sportsman Class, but we found that the overaged Juniors moved into the new +25 Class rather than Intermediate, so we ended up making +25 a competitive class.

This rider move from Junior to +25 was not what we had expected. It caused limited growth in the Intermediate Class and stagnation in the Expert Class. The +40 Class was only attracting higher level riders that were still competitive in Intermediate and Expert Classes. With yearly rider promotions and adherence to the rulebook, we should have seen increases in the Intermediate and Expert Classes, but we didn’t.
 

The old +25 morning class was never intended to be an overly large class with wide ranging skills and ages. This year we made it so all the (adult) competitive classes run at the same time, keeping the mornings for junior riders and the new Sportsman non-competitive, non-points class for newer riders who are looking for a safe entry point into the series.

The +40 Class has become the +50 Class as a means of keeping more of the still-competitive riders in their respective classes. The Intermediate A Class captures the previous Intermediate riders and the former +40s. The Intermediate B Class captures the former +25s as well as the promoted Juniors. 

This year we focused on the redirection and growth of the Intermediate and Expert Classes in an effort to better balance the class sizes and level of competition in them, through enforcement of the rulebook, specifically around rider promotions and classification. The race times were increased to bring the race series more in line with typical off-road racing standards.

This year, there will be a focus on moving riders up into the appropriate class, if it’s determined that their race performance demonstrates that they’re capable of it. This primarily relates to a rider deemed to be “dominating” rather than competing or winning a race or class.

Off-road racing is just as much about pace and energy management as it is about technical skill. It’s the ability to balance both that keeps things competitive and challenging.

We wanted the series to be less of a sprint and more of a race. The Race Committee would like to emphasize that this will be a transition year for the series and participants alike. The classes will continue to evolve in a more familiar structure, as we achieve better balance in class size and competitive levels.

Morning Classes            Basic Info                       Time                 

Pee Wee                               6 – 9                                     30 min class

School Kid                            7 – 11                                    45 min class

Super Mini                            12 – 16                                  60 min class

Junior                                    14 – 24                                 60 min class

Women B                              Beginner                               60 min class

Sportsman                            Non-competitive                    60 min class

Vintage                                 See Rulebook                       60 min class

Afternoon Classes         Basic Info                        Time                 

Women A                              Advanced                               90 min class

Intermediate B                     Former +25                             90 min class

Intermediate A                     Former Intermediate/+40        105 min class

Plus 50                                                                                105 min class

Expert                                                                                 150 min class

Refer to Rulebook for specifications

Geoff Munt grew up riding dirt bikes in the Annapolis Valley while camping with family and friends. He served a two-year term on the board and has consulted and served on the race committee ever since. He is also an active sweeper at hare scramble events.