President’s Announcement – Fourth Quarter

The first event for the second half of the 2019 STRA Championship Series was sponsored by Hollytree Off-Road Park and the Huntsville Trials Club.  We must say what a great way to end the three month break from competition.  We had 58 riders competing Saturday and 41 on Sunday.  We lost a good many people on the second day due to fatigue, bumps and bruises from day one, bike malfunctions and other commitments.

Sections were not overly hard but they were not easy either.  They seemed just right to challenge riders of all skill levels over rocky ground and through trees.  The weather was hot (in the 90s, which is atypical for September, even in Alabama), clear and dry.   Traction was great and the overall course was challenging.  The loop transverse from section six to seven was considered an extra section by many riders and kept things interesting to say the least.

No one at the event could recall the last STRA competition held in Alabama.  We are sure glad it was back on our schedule this year and hopefully will be in the years to come.

The second event for the month of September was another hot one at Henry’s Hills in Cornelia, Georgia and it, too, was a great outing.  67 riders on Saturday and 54 on Sunday participated on sections that were technically laid out by Jamie Gourley, emphasizing off-camber turns, short hill climbs, well placed logs and creek bed riding.   The prolonged dry weather in the area made the course extra challenging because the footing was as fine as talcum powder in some places. We thank Henry and JW for taking the time to use a water hose to wet down the staging area in an effort to keep dust at a minimum.  We had a lot of new riders take part in this event.  It was great to see new people become excited with their exposure to the sport.    We hope to see them at our next event on October 19th and 20th at the Trails Training Center for the 58K.

As mentioned during the announcements at Henry’s Hills, the yearly STRA Business Meeting will follow Saturday’s event on November 2nd at the Mark Moon Ride in Ringgold, Georgia.  The agenda will include voting on rule and operating changes and the election of new officers for the 2020 competition year.

Most of the current officers are willing to stay on in some capacity for 2020 but they are open to giving up their administrative positions with the STRA if someone has a desire to take over their duties.  Those officers are Dawn Shirley, Francois Saint Laurent, Ray Peters and  Eric Mattson.   The positions of President and Youth Director, however, will become vacant and an election will be held to fill those roles.  If anyone is interested but is not sure of the responsibilities, please contact me and we can discuss what the roles currently entail. Vice-Presidents note: Francois Saint Laurent is available for any position except that of President as he will be out of the country for an extended period.  We really need someone to express interest in taking over the Presidents role.

The other item scheduled on the Business Meeting agenda is modifying the current rule book and current system of operation.  We will follow the same process as we have the past two years:  any potential change to be discussed at the meeting must be submitted by noon on October 30th to stramail@charter.net.  All proposals will be posted on this page for members to review.

Proposals should resemble this example.

“Proposal:  Amend Rule 13 – 4 states “Thirty (30) layout points will be awarded to the Trials Master and one additional worker per STRA Trial.  Layout points can only be earned one time per year.”  Propose change to “Thirty (30) layout points may be awarded to the Trials Master and up to one additional worker per STRA Trial.  Layout points can only be earned one time per year.”

Reason for the Change: Provide flexibility in awarding points.  Some Trials Masters do not want the automatic points going toward their championship score and the current rule mandates the giving of 30 points.”

I hope to get a lot of suggestions about how we can improve our association so they can be discussed at the Business Meeting on November 2nd (stramail@chareter.net).  I also hope to see large turnouts for our last two event weekends for the 2019 STRA season at the 58K on October 19th and 20th and the Mark Moon Ride in Ringgold, Georgia on November 2nd and 3rd.

Until then, keep riding,

Douglas