Support your racer!!

[troutslayer]

Guys -

I know from my first season (yes, this year was my first season) how financially challenging it is to run a race bike. Tyres, entry fee's, fuel, travel, food, spares, repairs, maintenance etc etc. It really does run into the thousands! Then on top of that, you still need to be 110% focussed on the track!

I've never met Tark, or seen him race. From his posts, I would say that he is one of the countries young racers (late teens?? just a guess) and most of his racing has to come from his own pocket. It would be a shame if he had to struggle because he was running on old tyres cos he was skint or whatever, when he could potentially be running up front.

Why don't EB have a whip round, theres enough members here to help make a difference, to put him in good stead for next season? You wont believe how much it helps to have some ££ come in, even if its only enough to get some new tyres! Dan, sort it out! Mark's running around the circuits with EB stickers all over his bike, you guys should try and give him some financial support! It only take's a fiver each to make a difference, whats that, 2 essex beers?? Over to you!

[troutslayer]

Oh, and while i'm on this subject....

Have a look at the flyer in my sig pic. Adopt-a-racer.org.uk is a scheme where you can adopt a racer for a tenner a month. Its a bit complicated but it goes like this.

I'm one of the racers, i pay £25p.m into the scheme. 50% of that goes into a lottery kitty, 50% goes into promoting the scheme etc.

if joe bloggs adopts me at a tenner a month, i get £6 (60%) of that, a quid goes into the lottery kitty, and the rest gets shared between all the 'adoptees'.

not sounding too good so far?? ok, well, i can have as many adopters, theres no limit.4 adoptors means i get my money back. if i dont get any adoptors, i still get a share of all the other riders adoptor payouts, so i still get something back. at the end of the year, the lottery kitty (capped at £15k) is drawn and i have a chance to win that. If there is more than 15k in the kitty, then there is another draw.

the sig pic is clickable and will take you straight to my adoption page, but have a look around as there are oher racers in there. (darren Sharp, lost an arm in an accident a few years ago, been running in rookie600's thi year is one example.)Also there a much better description of the whole project on the home page.

cheers.

[troutslayer]

sugar. sorry dan, should have asked u before posting that one.. hang on, i'll pm u now. please let it stay as its for the benefit of racing in general.

[Dan]

not a problem trouty - sounds great 8)

[Biker Dude]

That all sounds sweet... but wouldnt it be easier if we just sent Tark Cheques...or sent them to dan, whos puts the cash in to a kitty and then we buy tark sumthin he needs.

[troutslayer]

isnt that pretty similar to what my first post suggested?

[Biker Dude]

u know what...i do belive it is LOL

[Tark]

Where Did this come from? Thanks Trouty! I am Flattered.

I have looked at that Adopt a racer thing and signed up but haven't sent in my Standing order form yet. Do you think you will get more money back than what you put in?

Could you give me some help setting it up?

Cheers
Mark.

[troutslayer]

Where Did this come from? Thanks Trouty! I am Flattered.

i'm 30. have just done my first season (or half season really). i'm way too old to contemplate racing as a serious hobby/potential career, which is why i'm happy in the tzr class.
this season, i built the bike myself, from a non runner. it cost me around a grand to sort the bike out start-finish. without even going into all the other expenses. my engine is away being stripped to the crank and rebuilt, that alone is costing me nearly a grand (cash deal). i'm doing it for fun! next season, i have a teenager with me learning, he'll be going into superteens in 2005. The younger riders need to be developed! If i'm spending nearly a grand on an engine just for fun, i dread to think how younger people like urself can deal with the expenses, especially running a 600. As u know mark, EVERY penny helps. Besides, i'd like to see u in a proper race series (MRO) where you WILL need to spend good money to be competitive. In 2005 i'll be doing 400's, mainly for fun, but also to get used to a different bike as i plan to do the manx gp in 2006. I know i'm not going to win it or even come close. But i'll be able to say i've done it. People in general wont invest in a racer like me as i'm 'past it'. In our game, if ur not at the top by 30, u never will be! U've still got time on your side, it's up to you to make the most of that time. I'm just getting a ball rolling for ya.

I have looked at that Adopt a racer thing and signed up but haven't sent in my Standing order form yet. Do you think you will get more money back than what you put in?
i wouldn't have signed up for it myself if i didnt. sure, you'll have to put some effort in to get people 'adopting' you. Life isnt easy and people dont just give money away.

Could you give me some help setting it up?
theres nothing to setup really. The lady who's doing it is really helpful. Fill in your form, with ur info, send her some photo's and also send the standing order form.

And race with bemsee or MRO instead of DP. That said, i'm considering doing a couple of DP rounds in the f400/proddy250

[Tark]

Thanks Again

I have made a portfolio that can be found at

www.tarkracing.com/Docs/Sponsorship

If anyone is interested.

I might Join that Adoption thing but I will have to look into it.

I have just been through the yellow pages and got about 100 addresses to send sponsorship letters to.

The only reason I was doing DP is because my CBR is a steel frame carb model and wont keep up with the newer alloy fuel injection bike and DP do a stell frame class.

If I could get the cash together to do it I would move up. I am only on £115 a wekk before Tax you you will understand how difficult it is for me.

Thanks for any help guys and gals. :wink:

[Tark]

And if anyone really wants to help then can pay the £25 a month to pay for the adoption thing! LOL :lol:

[Biker Dude]

LOL £25 a month......urmm, maybe not on what i earn. Ask dan, he's always loaded!! ;)

[troutslayer]

and i'm sure dan has plans in the pipeline to start a whip round...

[Spider]

how many regular members do we have we all put £5 in the kitty for tark! thats a bit of cash for him! and if we can all attempt to do that each month im sure we can all aford £5 a month even i can i dont work! (currently looking for jobs) and then essexbikers can truely say they sponsor TarkRacing plus all the support we can give him at races! so im in and tark m8 friday i should be getting some cash so ill send ya the money for the knee sliders and £5 on top for my contabution!


its not alot of money folks i agree with trouty! we can all aford £5 here and there! and if your a flash git u can adopt tark!

In fact im making a promise to you tark as soon as i gets me a job im gonna adobt ya! £10 a month right im sure i can handle that better than it being spent on smokable goods!

ill get to work on getting ya cash m8!

[troutslayer]

well done!


i've had to sell my roadbike just to get my engine sorted. so hopefully my bike will at least be reliable next year, and if the bikes reliable, then the finishes will come rolling in!

[Spider]

good good all good to hear im behind you both 100% percent!

[Tark]

Cheers Spider.

I am looking into the Adoption thing a bit more and am worrying that I will be sheeling out more than I am bringing in!! :?

I need to get adopted about 3 times pluss a share from the common pot to get my £25 a month back! :roll:

[troutslayer]

thats pretty similar to my calculation.

the adoptin scheme should be getting published in a variety of different magazines over the next month so should have excellent coverage. i think it'll work, i doubt you'll get any return on ur investment for the first few months as its a new scheme, but i think it will start to pick up after xmas.

[Tark]

Why do we have to pay £25 a month?

I know £12.50 goes to supporting the sceme etc etc but the other £12.50 goes into the POT.

If 100 people join and stay all year we get £15K in the pot yeah. Much more than 100 will join wont they?

I think that price should be brought down a bit so that our monthly payment is less (say £6.25 to the pot) so if 200 people join there will be still £15K?

Thats only cos I am skint!

[troutslayer]

i know where youre coming from... costs about £5k to run a tzr for a year! but, if u or i had 15k to spend racing, u can bet ur life that u'd spend it easy!

if more than 100 people join, i'm under the impression that a second pot gets started, ie. a pot per 100 people.

[Tark]

Its Just the £25 a month!! :shock:

[Simon]

lol tark

[The Yeti]

Its Just the £25 a month!! :shock:

Surely there's enough people on this site, that between them could come up with £25 a month for Tark??? (or a least a big part of it)

I'll help if I can, but next year I'm gonna need every pennie I've got for meself... But if you just need a pound or two a month I might be able to do something :wink:

[Tark]

If just the regulars put in a pound or 2 a month that would cover it. It might take a few months of me loosing money before I reep the rewards.

[Spider]

i thought he was more on £25 a month from each of us! but hell if its £2 a month thats easy! lol! we can all sacrifice £2 a month from our petrol money ?? cant we!?

[Simon]

there are 200 members on essex bikers if we all give tark £1 a month thats £200 in his pocket

wots £1 to everyone!!!!!!

[Dan]

well.. thats like 100 cola bottles..... 8)

[Biker Dude]

mmmmmm, cola bottles

[Tark]

Nice Idea. But not every user would dontate as there are only a fraction of that that post.

Still I wont say no to anything. Even send me a few of your Cola Bottles if you want! :lol:

[Biker Dude]

Hell NO.......My cola bottles!

[Simon]

LOL GUYS........ yea but tark even if 50 of us donate then thats still 50 quid in your pocket each month!

did u ring HGB about sponsorship m8 ???

[Spider]

some money is better than no money

[Tark]

True. I am gathering £20 cheques from CBR600.org.uk as I type! :wink:

[Biker Dude]

for doin what?

[Spider]

for being abnoctious and big headed!

[Tark]

WTF that suposed to mean? CBR600.org.uk are sponsoring me to promote the site and the desiel spill campaign next year. The members have offered to send me £20 each for doing it.

There has been lots of talk on this site about supporting me which has been very thoughfull and I have appreiciated it. But if people think I am being obnoctious then dont bother. I am not asking and It wasn't my idea and If you want to help I would be greatfull. But so far there has just been talk.

[Simon]

well tark tell us where u live and u mite just get something we cant guess where u live dude

[Spider]

chill the F U K OUT dude im only joking take the poll out of ur A S S and chll out! was only makin a joke u sposed to replied with summink witty

[Tark]

Its like shooting in a bucket! You cant miss the fish! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Biker Dude]

LOL.... u mean Barrel not bucket

[Tark]

Yeah but I spelt it wrong the first time so just put bucket! :roll:

[Biker Dude]

lol... fair enough

[Spider]

ive said it once and ill say it again EH!?

[Simon]

lol tark was that your witty come back??

Dude u gonna tell us where u live so that some of us can send you some money!

[Spider]

my head hurts eh! wots going on aint u sposed to be mad @ me?

[Tark]

I thought you have all feel out with me? Or am I taking things too seriosly? If i sned you my address your not going to come round and give me {EB} are you?? :?

Feel free to send me money:

Mark Talbot
65 abbey road
barrow-in-furness
cumbria
la14 5es

[Spider]

no m8 we aint fell out with you were all joking around maybe you have been taking things a little too seriuosly! and ive already got ya addy! and even if i wanted to come round and give ya grief i wouldnt be assed to come all that way lol!

[Tark]

I know your not gonna send me any money for racing as you still owe me from E-bay item you won!! :roll:

[Simon]

lol tark we arent going to come round and giv u {EB}!

u mite have some mail coming after this weekend......

[Spider]

as sson as i get some real; cash ill send ya some cash for what i owe yta plus some racing money im just abit skint at the mo

[Simon]

why nick did all the money u get before fake???

[Spider]

no i mean real money like more than 50p! LMFAO i need a job !!! and yes i am looking!