Just wondering where abouts the entry fee will be for 2007?

I'm 17 and will be 18 later this year (so Junior), is there a novice category and what is the deal with being in it? this is my first year of racing, the only other race i've done was the downtown in october.

cheers

Jake

You will also need a license too I believe.

there isn't a novice cat this year. and ALL entries need a race licence. silver at the minimun i belive

hi how do i go about getting a licence because i want to do the nps series thanks sean

nice 1 mate thanks

No, completely fair in my opinion.  Until the point where Dave Morgan took the series over you always needed a license to compete at national level AND be of reasonable ability.  Both of those appeared to takea  back seat in preference of increasing the numbers of riding.  Numbers that at many tracks were unsustainable.  Hence the change to a 300 limit and a licence as a rule.

The organisors have nothing against guys from down south racing.  I mean, fer chrissake I, along with plenty others am driving solo down to do all the welsh races and that includes the NPS, MSS and Dragons and I am most certainly not what you would call rich.

And in reference to your point in quotes there, people should not be starting at NPS level.  They should race at regionals until such time they feel ready to make the leap to the Nationals.  NPS races have always been expensive and tbh, the % gap has actually decreased quite considerably compared to when i started racing years ago.

The plain and simple fact is that whether you agree or not, the changes have been applied to the series in the hope of making it the top flight series in the UK.  This means that costs do rise but tbh not above what they would have been last year like for like with the transport situation.  The license may be tough but I have had one since I was 14 and just factor it into the seasons costs along with race entries and all the diesel and parts etc.  it's racing, it's an expensive business...I long for the days when entries used to cost £10 and a licence was £20 but they have gone but in place of that we have brilliant races that are being taken to the next level.

The license is here to stay, FACT.

If you have never raced before then please don't enter the NPS series till you have got some experience of racing in a regional series. There are several reasons for this 1 of which is etiquette, moving out the way when you get caught by a faster rider etc..
Also you will find that courses are going to get harder as the NPS is now run by riders and we want to step up the level of the whole series, this will take time!! some of the things you will notice though are AE will have the coffin and a modified end section thats bigger than normal. Kinnerton has 2 x 25ft step downs, Inners will open with possibly 1 of the steepest, technical courses I have ridden there + some nice jumps thrown in for good measure.

Now for the real world of DH racing its bloody expensive, simple fact

No.  Absolutely not as it goes against what they are trying to achieve.  The NPS is for serious racers, not weekend warriors (IMO).  Therefore the License is one way of weeding down the numbers.  Remember that there are 300 riders max per race as opposed to what has been unlimited in previous years.  Buy a licence and you get; insurance; legal cover; more clout for downhillers within the BC.  There are other benefits too which I really can't be arsed to find. 

Racing is expensive, the NPS is the premier series.  I remember having to get a licence originally to race two races in scotland one year.  That was a fair outlay but I still did it.  if you are serious about the racing then you will pay for it, if you are not so serious then race a different series.  Yes it would be lovely if you could race your local track and that track only without needing a licence but that has been the setup for the last few years and in many ways it has failed to work.  300 riders is the limit and, as far as i can gather, entries are filling up nicely which shows there are more than enough serious racers willing to put their money where their mouth is and buy a license.  I mean, I worked it out to £5 a month or about £2 for each race i do.  Not a great cost tbh.