L a t e s t  n e w s ..... Oliver Robinson and Charlotte Evans win opening Inghams Grand Prix races of the summer in Norfolk ... HOT NEWS: SnOasis gets given planning permission..

'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams' (Eleanor Roosevelt).

Masters in the UK get the rough end of the stick at races.  With age groups bunched together because of a lack of numbers, this means that a 31 year old can be racing in the same group as a 59 year old. In the regional races, where the turnout tends to be higher, closer age groups are in place. While the entry fee is the same for all the age groups, the opportunity for the Masters to win prizes are limited when the age groups are divided up to favour the younger racers.  From the organisers point of view, by having one or two racers in the age group it is not cost effective in terms of prizes, hence the discrepancy. There are many Masters that race yet due to having to look after their Children at races and other time factors, many choose not to race that often.

In is not the same in other countries.  Masters are positively encouraged to keep racing and certainly in North America and Europe the Master's scene is very popular.  This has not come about over night but has been developed over time.  While the snow racing is limited to the Kandahar Martini races in February in Courmayeur, there is plenty of scope to do something in the UK. Masters racing may not be the pool of future racers but they are still a very keen, enthusiastic and appreciative group of racers. Why can they not have a series of their own? Could this not take place on Club National race days in the evening under lights? Or on the Friday night? Why not have a regional series that could take place midweek? All ideas and all something that would keep people involved in the sport...

There are enough Master's wanting racing so why not make use of the Indoor slopes and Dry slopes and start something up!

Send a comment to Racer Ready and we will place replies on here... Click here

How Master's in America are looking forward (Click here)

And results from New Zealand....note the sponsors in race title (not something seen often at any level in UK racing) (more)