From a press release issued by CCS/Florida:

CCS/Florida Announces New “No Muffler” Pay Out for “Shoot-Out”

Championship Cup Series/Florida has announced a new “No Muffler” payout program for 2005.

“Starting with the Homestead round on February 12-13, we will be encouraging riders entering the Expert Unlimited GP (Shoot-Out) main event to run without mufflers. To do this we are adding a bonus for the top ten finishers (see enclosed pay out list),” said series promoter Henry DeGouw.

“After attending GPs in Italy and Spain last year, I could see how the ‘no muffler’ new sound electrified the crowd and everyone in attendance. So I thought, why not try it! And that is what we are going to do this year, and we will offer an incentive to do it. It will be a great show and think about it, can you imagine F-1, NASCAR or NHRA racing with mufflers?

“We do not want any other classes to run without mufflers, only EX/ULGP and only those same bikes that are entered in other races.”

This program will be in effect at Homestead and Moroso but not at Jennings, which has sound restrictions.


New 2005 Shoot-Out Purse

Purse, No Muffler Bonus, Total

1. $450.00, $150.00, $600.00
2. $270.00, $80.00, $350.00
3. $180.00, $70.00, $250.00
4. $150.00, $50.00, $200.00
5. $135.00, $40.00, $175.00
6. $80.00, $25.00, $105.00
7. $70.00, $25.00, $95.00
8. $65.00, $20.00, $85.00
9. $55.00, $20.00, $75.00
10.$45.00, $20.00, $65.00

$1,500.00, $500.00, $2,000.00




And now some reaction:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

There are two main problems with Mr. DeGouw’s fatally flawed plan to run bikes without mufflers:

1. There are no spectators to electrify at US club races.

2. This is the USA, not Europe.

We are lucky to be racing motorcycles without the STOCK mufflers on them. Very soon somebody is going to prove how his actions have damaged the eardrums of some mosquito in a nearby swamp, and then nobody will ever get to ride a bike there again.

Max McAllister
Woodstock, Georgia



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Running (without mufflers) at tracks or on the street for that matter is a lousy idea! It’s certain to damage personnel in the pits, fans’ and racers’ hearing. And how about the kids that go? Cities and towns are starting to crack down (at long last) on loud noise. The day I can’t walk the pits and enjoy it, I will no longer attend.

I remember years ago when I and others had open pipes in Vintage. Fans would walk off holding their ears, and headaches were common when pitted next to megaphone Manxs. My ears ring now for months when a loud noise goes off next to me, I wish it on no one!

With all the Harley type street cruisers around, I have a hard time enjoying my own yard in summer. Animals and birds are affected too, I see the birds constantly disturbed when a slow-a– cruiser rides by. Animals count on their hearing for survival, so I do worry that they could suffer hearing loss.

You want noise, go to Main Street, Daytona–just don’t plan on getting any sleep. Oddly, one of the quietest places in Daytona is the track! And GP racers have asked to quiet the loud racebikes so they can ride faster. Loud bikes suck, plain and simple.

Hearing aids suck, too. Ask an old racer, they know what it does.

Carl Hokanson,
Acushnet, Massachusetts