| 2016usradesertapplication.pdf |
How to get started in desert racing! By Michael Knight
Here’s the scoop on the UMORA off-road racing scene in Utah. Each year there is a schedule of approximately 8-10 races that make up the “Utah State Championship Off Road Racing Series”. They usually start the first race in January or February starting in Mesquite or St. George and they run races every month from then until early June. Sometimes there is a race in the summer, and it picks up again in the Fall.
All the off-road races in the series are sanctioned by the UMORA (Utah Motorcycle Off Road Racing Association). Their website with race schedule and contact
info: http://www.raceumora.com
Although UMORA sanctions the races, each of the races are put on by one of the riding clubs or promoters in the state. The clubs and promoters are the “bread and butter” that make it
work. Without clubs and promoters, there would be no races. There are several clubs (Sage Riders, Sugarloafers, Firebirds, etc.). The clubs and promoters work with the UMORA to get the schedule set up and then each club or promoter usually puts on 1-2 races a year. The club members “work” the event and by virtue of doing so, they earn points just as if they had
raced. This provides an incentive for the club members to put on a race and makes the whole system work. The points are tracked by the UMORA and they are the ones that move people up through the different classes and organize the whole series, but it is the individual clubs and promoters that put on the races.
In order to race any of the UMORA races you must have either a one-day UMORA and AMA https://americanmotorcyclist.com/join-the-ama/ membership or an annual membership. To be eligible for year-end points, you must purchase an annual membership. If you just want to race for the day and don’t care about points, then you can just sign up for the day. If you plan to do 3 or more races and are interested in points, it is more cost effective to pay for the annual memberships.
The best way to obtain race info is to visit the UMORA website http://www.raceumora.com. The website is where you will find the race schedule, club / promoter information, and a minimum of 2-weeks prior to the race the race “Flyer” will be posted on the website, social media pages, and e-mailed out if you subscribe to updates on the website. The flyers contain all the info as far as dates, locations, costs, mileage of loops, special restrictions, etc. There are also always contact people listed on the flyer in case you have specific questions about the race.
The entry cost for each race is usually between $25 - $100 dollars. Most of the clubs / promoters will make the entry fee $5.00 cheaper if you sign-up before a certain date. If not, you can sign up the day of the event.
All bikes require a U.S. Forest Service approved Spark Arrestor except for GP’s (Grand Prix’s) that are a mix of motocross and off-road typically held on private land. There are no exceptions to this for races held on public land. For events that require a spark arrestor before each race they will do a tech inspection. This basically just consists of them sticking a hanger down the exhaust to see if it is restricted. If you pass, they will put a little sticker on your bike indicating to the guys at the starting line that you have passed tech inspection.
Another thing that is required is the proper number plate background color
combination. There are four main divisions of riders: A, B, C, and Pro. Then, within each of the divisions, you several different classes such as 250, etc. For each of those classes you have a specific letter that you must run in combination with your number. For example, the Vet class uses a “V”, and the Senior class uses a “S” . There is nothing special about the numbers. You can pretty much pick whatever number you want to run if no one else in your specific class is running the same number. Some people run their “earned” number, but if you pick a double digit or triple digit number, you can pretty much run what you want.
UMORA Class Number Guide
https://raceumora.com/numbers-guide-%2F-sign-up
The total number of racers varies by race. Some of the Nationals receive a larger turnout (anywhere from 200-300 people) and often the earlier races in the season have larger turnouts. You’re racing on the course against everyone else, but trophy placement is determined by those in your immediate class. You get to see how you placed overall in the entire race, as well as against those in your class. For example, you could be 8th overall Amateur to cross the finish line, but you may be 2nd in your class.
Depending on the race, they will start you using different methods. A common Desert start is a mass start where GP’s start by class ie: Vet A, Open etc., and an Enduro is by row assignment typically 4 per row. During a mass start they line everyone up in a line, bar to bar, all the way across a large opening. All the Pro/ Experts line up first, then the Amateurs behind them, and then the Novices behind them. They then have a banner held up by a couple of guys usually a couple hundred yards away. Everyone is required to have their engines off. They will raise the banner and hold it up for a period no less than 60 seconds. You must sit and watch the banner and be ready to kickstart (or push the happy button) your bike the moment the banner
drops. It is a cool experience, and an eerie silence while everyone is sitting there waiting. Then when the banner drops it is an instant thunderous roar as 100+ bikes take off. After about a 1⁄4 mile run they will funnel everyone into a more confined course. They increment the starts of the pro, expert, amateurs, and novices by a few minutes. They usually just make sure everyone gets through the start OK and then they will get the next row ready.
Once the race is started, and you get through the start OK, then you are funneled into a more defined course. They mark the course with fluorescent ribbons tied to bushes, trees, and other vegetation alongside the course. It is typically very easy to follow the course, especially after 200 plus guys have been on it before you. They also mark all of the known Dangerous Areas, and with “W’s” for Wrong-Way in the event you come to a fork in the trail.
Course Marking Guide (UMORA is using the KC66 Foundation Course Marking Guide for All Races)
https://www.kurtcaselli.com/course-marking-guide
Depending on where the race is held, the terrain can really differ. Most people that have never done it think that it is sort of a bonsai full throttle screaming across the desert type of race. Out at Knolls and other places where its lot more technical type of stuff. I think the clubs intentionally try and do that because it is much safer.It is wise to carry a fanny pack with tools and a camelback for drinking water. Keeping yourself hydrated before and during the race is critical.
The other type of race they do sometimes is a “timed race” known as a Grand Prix style
event. In this type of race, rather than having a massive start for each division, they start you by class in the same manner. So, you would line up with the other guys in your specific class and they would do a dead engine start (sometimes it is a live engine) the same way previously described, but they would just increment all the classes by about 30 seconds or a minute. This is a much safer way to start a race because you have fewer guys going for the first corner together. They keep track of the minute that you started on and then “start the clock” for your class. You are still on the course with everyone else but because others got a “head start” you are racing the clock too. Because you started at the same time as the other immediate racers in your class, you “place” against them (for trophy purposes). But, when the final race results are in, you can compare your overall race time against everyone else
A typical modern enduro is a 50-100-mile competition consisting mainly of single-track trail where racers ride from checkpoint to checkpoint, ultimately returning to the start. Riders leave in small groups of three to five. These groups, also referred to as “rows” or “minutes,” typically start on the hour and every thirty seconds to one minute thereafter until everyone has entered the course. Because of the desire to limit the number of riders in each group and to make sure everyone can finish by a reasonable time, enduros cap the number of groups and riders they can accommodate.
Rows usually include riders competing in different classes, allowing friends to ride together. For example, a single row might include a dad racing the Vet A class, his son racing the Open B class, and a friend competing in the Senior C class. Each rider will be assigned a number that reflects the row, or minute, the rider is on. So, riders on row 20 might be given numbers 20A, 20B, 20C and 20D.There are two broad types of enduros most popular today: traditional timekeeping enduros and start-control/restart enduros.
https://americanmotorcyclist.com/racing-3/story/getting-started-in-enduro-1/
In most of the other races you usually have 2 loops. Most of the loops are 40-50 miles long on average. However, with recent land-use issues, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for clubs to obtain approval for such long loops. This is changing the face of racing and forcing shorter loops on redundant courses, or having clubs look at racing on private land (which also results in shorter loops).
If your bike will go 40+ miles on a tank of gas, then you usually don’t have to worry about gas checks out on the loops. Most loops don’t exceed 40 miles and if they do, they will have an advertised gas check where you can send a gas can out on a truck before the race starts. If the race is multiple loops, you will have the opportunity to come into the pits and gas up, swap goggles and anything else you need to venture out on the course again. Most people have some type of support there to help them with this. But if not, the off-road racing crowd is a friendly bunch and there are usually always supporters standing around on pit row that are more than happy to help you gas up and get a drink of water. If in doubt, just ask
somebody. In my experience the folks hanging out in the pits just love to have additional people to “pit”. This is another benefit of being part of a club as most clubs have a general area where fellow club members will help you.
When you get to the end of your race the course workers will funnel you into a single file line and a nice person will slip a finisher pin inside of your glove. Now, you have a minute to catch your breath (or puke), and get a good drink of water, then you can congratulate yourself on the achievement of finishing a desert race. If you’re like most, you’ll wonder to yourself why you put yourself through such punishment and vow that you’ll never do it again. However, usually within about 24 hours you’ll start realizing how incredible the experience really was and you’ll start dreaming and planning for the next race.
Here’s the scoop on the UMORA off-road racing scene in Utah. Each year there is a schedule of approximately 8-10 races that make up the “Utah State Championship Off Road Racing Series”. They usually start the first race in January or February starting in Mesquite or St. George and they run races every month from then until early June. Sometimes there is a race in the summer, and it picks up again in the Fall.
All the off-road races in the series are sanctioned by the UMORA (Utah Motorcycle Off Road Racing Association). Their website with race schedule and contact
info: http://www.raceumora.com
Although UMORA sanctions the races, each of the races are put on by one of the riding clubs or promoters in the state. The clubs and promoters are the “bread and butter” that make it
work. Without clubs and promoters, there would be no races. There are several clubs (Sage Riders, Sugarloafers, Firebirds, etc.). The clubs and promoters work with the UMORA to get the schedule set up and then each club or promoter usually puts on 1-2 races a year. The club members “work” the event and by virtue of doing so, they earn points just as if they had
raced. This provides an incentive for the club members to put on a race and makes the whole system work. The points are tracked by the UMORA and they are the ones that move people up through the different classes and organize the whole series, but it is the individual clubs and promoters that put on the races.
In order to race any of the UMORA races you must have either a one-day UMORA and AMA https://americanmotorcyclist.com/join-the-ama/ membership or an annual membership. To be eligible for year-end points, you must purchase an annual membership. If you just want to race for the day and don’t care about points, then you can just sign up for the day. If you plan to do 3 or more races and are interested in points, it is more cost effective to pay for the annual memberships.
The best way to obtain race info is to visit the UMORA website http://www.raceumora.com. The website is where you will find the race schedule, club / promoter information, and a minimum of 2-weeks prior to the race the race “Flyer” will be posted on the website, social media pages, and e-mailed out if you subscribe to updates on the website. The flyers contain all the info as far as dates, locations, costs, mileage of loops, special restrictions, etc. There are also always contact people listed on the flyer in case you have specific questions about the race.
The entry cost for each race is usually between $25 - $100 dollars. Most of the clubs / promoters will make the entry fee $5.00 cheaper if you sign-up before a certain date. If not, you can sign up the day of the event.
All bikes require a U.S. Forest Service approved Spark Arrestor except for GP’s (Grand Prix’s) that are a mix of motocross and off-road typically held on private land. There are no exceptions to this for races held on public land. For events that require a spark arrestor before each race they will do a tech inspection. This basically just consists of them sticking a hanger down the exhaust to see if it is restricted. If you pass, they will put a little sticker on your bike indicating to the guys at the starting line that you have passed tech inspection.
Another thing that is required is the proper number plate background color
combination. There are four main divisions of riders: A, B, C, and Pro. Then, within each of the divisions, you several different classes such as 250, etc. For each of those classes you have a specific letter that you must run in combination with your number. For example, the Vet class uses a “V”, and the Senior class uses a “S” . There is nothing special about the numbers. You can pretty much pick whatever number you want to run if no one else in your specific class is running the same number. Some people run their “earned” number, but if you pick a double digit or triple digit number, you can pretty much run what you want.
UMORA Class Number Guide
https://raceumora.com/numbers-guide-%2F-sign-up
The total number of racers varies by race. Some of the Nationals receive a larger turnout (anywhere from 200-300 people) and often the earlier races in the season have larger turnouts. You’re racing on the course against everyone else, but trophy placement is determined by those in your immediate class. You get to see how you placed overall in the entire race, as well as against those in your class. For example, you could be 8th overall Amateur to cross the finish line, but you may be 2nd in your class.
Depending on the race, they will start you using different methods. A common Desert start is a mass start where GP’s start by class ie: Vet A, Open etc., and an Enduro is by row assignment typically 4 per row. During a mass start they line everyone up in a line, bar to bar, all the way across a large opening. All the Pro/ Experts line up first, then the Amateurs behind them, and then the Novices behind them. They then have a banner held up by a couple of guys usually a couple hundred yards away. Everyone is required to have their engines off. They will raise the banner and hold it up for a period no less than 60 seconds. You must sit and watch the banner and be ready to kickstart (or push the happy button) your bike the moment the banner
drops. It is a cool experience, and an eerie silence while everyone is sitting there waiting. Then when the banner drops it is an instant thunderous roar as 100+ bikes take off. After about a 1⁄4 mile run they will funnel everyone into a more confined course. They increment the starts of the pro, expert, amateurs, and novices by a few minutes. They usually just make sure everyone gets through the start OK and then they will get the next row ready.
Once the race is started, and you get through the start OK, then you are funneled into a more defined course. They mark the course with fluorescent ribbons tied to bushes, trees, and other vegetation alongside the course. It is typically very easy to follow the course, especially after 200 plus guys have been on it before you. They also mark all of the known Dangerous Areas, and with “W’s” for Wrong-Way in the event you come to a fork in the trail.
Course Marking Guide (UMORA is using the KC66 Foundation Course Marking Guide for All Races)
https://www.kurtcaselli.com/course-marking-guide
Depending on where the race is held, the terrain can really differ. Most people that have never done it think that it is sort of a bonsai full throttle screaming across the desert type of race. Out at Knolls and other places where its lot more technical type of stuff. I think the clubs intentionally try and do that because it is much safer.It is wise to carry a fanny pack with tools and a camelback for drinking water. Keeping yourself hydrated before and during the race is critical.
The other type of race they do sometimes is a “timed race” known as a Grand Prix style
event. In this type of race, rather than having a massive start for each division, they start you by class in the same manner. So, you would line up with the other guys in your specific class and they would do a dead engine start (sometimes it is a live engine) the same way previously described, but they would just increment all the classes by about 30 seconds or a minute. This is a much safer way to start a race because you have fewer guys going for the first corner together. They keep track of the minute that you started on and then “start the clock” for your class. You are still on the course with everyone else but because others got a “head start” you are racing the clock too. Because you started at the same time as the other immediate racers in your class, you “place” against them (for trophy purposes). But, when the final race results are in, you can compare your overall race time against everyone else
A typical modern enduro is a 50-100-mile competition consisting mainly of single-track trail where racers ride from checkpoint to checkpoint, ultimately returning to the start. Riders leave in small groups of three to five. These groups, also referred to as “rows” or “minutes,” typically start on the hour and every thirty seconds to one minute thereafter until everyone has entered the course. Because of the desire to limit the number of riders in each group and to make sure everyone can finish by a reasonable time, enduros cap the number of groups and riders they can accommodate.
Rows usually include riders competing in different classes, allowing friends to ride together. For example, a single row might include a dad racing the Vet A class, his son racing the Open B class, and a friend competing in the Senior C class. Each rider will be assigned a number that reflects the row, or minute, the rider is on. So, riders on row 20 might be given numbers 20A, 20B, 20C and 20D.There are two broad types of enduros most popular today: traditional timekeeping enduros and start-control/restart enduros.
https://americanmotorcyclist.com/racing-3/story/getting-started-in-enduro-1/
In most of the other races you usually have 2 loops. Most of the loops are 40-50 miles long on average. However, with recent land-use issues, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for clubs to obtain approval for such long loops. This is changing the face of racing and forcing shorter loops on redundant courses, or having clubs look at racing on private land (which also results in shorter loops).
If your bike will go 40+ miles on a tank of gas, then you usually don’t have to worry about gas checks out on the loops. Most loops don’t exceed 40 miles and if they do, they will have an advertised gas check where you can send a gas can out on a truck before the race starts. If the race is multiple loops, you will have the opportunity to come into the pits and gas up, swap goggles and anything else you need to venture out on the course again. Most people have some type of support there to help them with this. But if not, the off-road racing crowd is a friendly bunch and there are usually always supporters standing around on pit row that are more than happy to help you gas up and get a drink of water. If in doubt, just ask
somebody. In my experience the folks hanging out in the pits just love to have additional people to “pit”. This is another benefit of being part of a club as most clubs have a general area where fellow club members will help you.
When you get to the end of your race the course workers will funnel you into a single file line and a nice person will slip a finisher pin inside of your glove. Now, you have a minute to catch your breath (or puke), and get a good drink of water, then you can congratulate yourself on the achievement of finishing a desert race. If you’re like most, you’ll wonder to yourself why you put yourself through such punishment and vow that you’ll never do it again. However, usually within about 24 hours you’ll start realizing how incredible the experience really was and you’ll start dreaming and planning for the next race.
