Our third year. Can you believe it? Can you even begin to comprehend something as strange and dangerous as The Thunderdrome! has stuck around for almost a third of a century? We can’t. It almost didn’t, but we stuck it through and we’re here again to race another year.

 

As with all things, we acknowledge that we’ve got to adapt with the times or die. Unfortunately, a huge lawsuit this brave new age has pushed our hand into making this a bigger – but all around safer – event. Fear not, for the on track racing will still be exactly as gnarly and unforgiving; we’ve even bumped up some of the engine sizes in a few of the classes. Without further ado, we present the changes for 2012:

 

Spectating is now $5. Free for 12 and under.

This was our biggest and most labored-over change out of everything. We’ve been promising since day one that spectating would be free forever and – guess what – we were stupid. Free spectating was based on a smaller event that had construction fence and a stern warning for barricades. Prior events have shown us that this isn’t enough to keep the racing on the track, so we need to rent big barricades for the track and fencing to keep everyone away from the danger zones. We also need to have everyone, including spectators, sign waiver forms stating that they acknowledge this is a dangerous thing they’re about to witness and things happen. Both the barricades and the waiver enforcers cost A LOT of money and that’s the bottom line. Our new spectating fee will only be put to good use, meaning any left over beyond expenses will be put directly towards the rebuilding of the Dorais Velodrome and maintenance of the grounds. We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t have to, but we’re confident we’ll still have your backing and support for this rad event.

 

Supermoto and Motard are now 125cc four-stroke and 110cc two-stroke.

Since we need to get those fancy new barricades rented, we might as well haw it up. We’ve inched the Supermoto and Motard classes up a notch. We’re positive you’ll make us regret the change, but you can’t stop progress.

 

We’re now serving beer and wine.

There was always a little something missing, something we couldn’t quite put our collective finger on. That thing was official brews. We’re going to further close the gap between a hugely expensive event and breaking even for the sake of the track repairs by vending beer and wine directly on-site. We’ll have a non-profit partner involved that we’ve yet to announce.

 

The Afterparty is on-site and absolutely kickass.

In the past, we’ve had the afterparty off-site at a warehouse or bar. It’s always been difficult getting to the afterparty from the track so we’re bringing the show to the track. We’ll have live bands, food trucks, beer, wine and a damn good time all lined up for you. This is all in-field at the track and included with your $5 admission. The afterparty starts immediately after the racing ends at 7pm.

 

Road Bikes and Fixed Gears are now one class.

Now, I know you hardcore spokeheads will never, ever accept this, but they’re basically the same machine with a few minor changes. We’ve always had a killer turnout for our mountain bike class (thanks!) but the road bike and fixed gear classes have been lacking. We’re hoping this new competition might spur some innovation as this will allow us to hit this newer, bigger class with even radder prizes. And those who show up fixed and compete will be regarded as even more hardcore than before.

 

No On-Site Racer Signups

In the past, it’s been very difficult to handle new sign-ups, racer check-in, tech and whatsit at the start of the event. We’re making it mandatory that you register online prior to the event if you hope to race. Sign-ups close three days before race day, so make sure to get your passes bought if you want to be racing. There will be no exceptions.

 

Practice and Technical Inspection will be the day before the race.

Racers crave practice. They like to know that their machine is tip top (or as tip top as a homemade minibike can be) before throwing it to the demons of high RPM and hard bumps. We’re running practice the day before the event from 12:00PM ’til 5:00PM where you can get your technical inspection and check-in as well. This makes everything easier for everyone and gives you a chance to stretch out your legs on-track before the moment of truth. There is technical inspection the day of the event available from 9:00AM ’til 12:00PM, but if you don’t make the cut-off sharply at Noon, you’re out of the game.

 

Racers now must mark their own machines with numbers.

We’ve tried a few silly systems in the past like handwritten stickers or printing numbers ahead of time, but each machine is different and requires a different setup. So, the burden now lies on you, noble racer, to mark your own machine with legible numbers. You’ll be able to request up to three potential numbers when you sign up to race, but we’ll assign you an official number prior to raceday. You’ll need to put this number on the front and sides of your racing machine (front and back of shirts for bicycle racers) and make it readable from at least 50ft. That means nice, big, high contrast numbers. No numbers, no race for you. The full details are in the updated rulebook.

 

That’s it for now. We’ll keep you updated if anything else evolves, but the rulebook and class structures are locked for this year to allow you to setup your machines. If you have any questions or complaints, hit us directly at hello@thunderdrome.com and we’ll be sure to put it in our circular file for immediate attention.

 

Cheers and thanks for your support.

Andy Didorosi

2012 Race Dates: June 30th September 15th That’s it for now. More in a bit.

Friday, September 9:

2:30 PM – Park clean up and mowing courtesy of The Mower Gang.

4:00 PM – Begin track and infield set up

9:00 PM – End of Day

 

Saturday, September 10:

9:00 AM – Gates open

10:00 AM – Finalize track and infield set up

10:00 AM – Registration for Motorized Classes Begins

11:00 PM – Qualifying for Motorized Classes (REQUIRED for Supermoto and Motard, Optional for Others)

3:00 PM – Open practice for all motor classes

6:00 PM – Courses closed

 

Sunday, September 11:

9:00 AM – Gates Open

9:30 AM – Registration and Tech open

10:00 AM – Practice, alternating between motor and non-motor classes

11:30 AM – Registration Closes

12:00 PM – Racer Meeting. Beer and liquor sales start. (Pending license)

12:30 PM – Amateur Scooter Class

1:00 PM – Pro Scooter Class

1:30 PM – Road Bike Class

2:00 PM – Minibike Class

2:30 PM – Mountain Bike Class

3:00 PM – Go-Kart Class

3:30 PM – Amateur Moped Class

4:00 PM – Pro Moped Class

4:30 PM – Fixed Gear Class

5:00 PM – Motard Class

5:30 PM – Supermoto Class

6:00 PM – The handing out of ridiculous awards and swag.

6:30 PM – Clean up and head home

 

 

---

We’re going to cut right to the chase – no bull:

---

 

 

---

We’ve split Pit Bike into Supermoto and Motard

What this means is we’ve taken Pit Bike turned it into two classes: Supermoto, which does most of the ‘Drome and then heads up Derby Hill and back – and Motard, which is strictly ‘Drome.

---

 

 

---

We’ve raised the engine limits on Supermoto and Motard to 110cc, two- and four-stroke.

Yeah, you heard it right. You nutters have been begging for a displacement increase and here we are. We’re only doing this because we’ve hired some bulletproof barriers for September. Again: Both two- and four-stroke engines 110cc’s and less are ALLOWED.

---

 

 

---

Whining and Bitching We’ve Already Heard

 

This is too much! I can’t handle it! – Then don’t! We’re not forcing you to be cool. That’s gotta be of your own doing.

 

Now the little bikes have no chance! You monsters! – You still have Moped and Scooter for anything 85cc and under. Anything over 85cc deserves to be in Supermoto or Motard. Once you see the course we’ve laid out, you’ll see it is much more about balls and bravery than horsepower.

 

This is too dangerous! Think of the kids! – If you were one of those parents placing your children on the track every 20 minutes between security telling you otherwise and us belittling you on the megaphone, smarten up. Despite your need to endanger yourself and others by residing an on active racing surface, we’ve gone through the trouble of hiring barricades for the entire track – inside and out – for our September Grand Finale. We take safety very seriously and we’ve tripled our security staff to protect you from yourself. This’ll be a great event.

---

Alright, so check this out:

We planned out the Thunderdrome! races for 2011 sometime in late 2010 over a grandiose pile of the finest moonshine and picked the dates at random, thinking a schedule spaced amongst the warmer months evenly would fit us well. As it turns out, some SUPER MASSIVE THING called the Dally in the Alley is going on September 10th, 2011. So we’re rescheduling our finale to September 11th, 2011. As the dyed-in-the-wool hardcore rebels you Thunderdrome! types tend to be, you might be thinking, “Ey! Fuck those Dally guys! Let’s do this damn thing!” Our first response would be, “Hey guys, be cool, please don’t flip our bus.” Our second statement would be, “Nah, this is even better than before, look…” It’s at this point we’d bust out an infographic and a series of Powerpoint slides thoroughly explaining:

 

---

“Fuck you, Bin Laden.”

---

 

Really. That guy deserved it. So, in addition to moving our event just one day as to not conflict with the Dally, we also get to collectively dance on that bastards grave by having the most FREEDOM-FUELED NUTSO-FEST THIS SIDE OF THE MISSISSIPPI! We’re calling it THUNDERDROME! IV: FREEDOM SUPREME.

 

What this also gives us is the chance to have qualifying and practice all day on Saturday, 9/10/2011. Plan for it. It’ll be required for all racers that don’t want to be gridded at the back of the pack and/or blow a bag of ‘em on race day. You can get more information on the Event Details page. See you there.

Believe it or not the notation in Roman numerals for 1/2 is S, the reasoning is arcane and boring but suffice it to say we’re throwing a surprise, mini-Thunderdrome between the epic grandeur that was TD III at the Gilmore and the 2011 showcase showdown of TD IV at the Dorais Velodrome. July 30th and 31st we’ll be putting on a last-minute race that’s FREE to enter for our most ballerific of riders. If you’ve got the weekend open, a gnarly self built machine and the eye of the tiger you can come out to Dearborn and race during the second-annual Maker Faire Detroit. Haven’t heard of Maker Faire? Get out from under your rock and drag your eyeballs here. Basically it’s a two day nerd, geek, handyman, gearhead, tech dork and otherwise alternate reality cool kid festival. These folks are doers, inventors, madcaps and weirdos. Exactly what the kind we like.

 

In any case, yes, we did say FREE to race, and over the course of two days no less. We’ll have a races Saturday and Sunday (schedule to follow) for whatever motored racers want to show up. It’s a short twisty track (600-700 feet, and even tighter than Gilmore so don’t get skeered now, ya’hear?) and the challenge will be handling more than speed. Build your steeds accordingly. We’re really looking for peds, minibikes and go-karts — garage-built specials, but you know we’ll never turn down your fresh super custom scoot or pit bike.

 

Prizes? This race is for pride more than parts. We promise to deliver special, mantle-worthy trophy bits on Sunday but even we don’t know what the hell we’re doing about that yet. Seat of the pants? Check.

 

If you want in, shoot an email towards hello@thunderdrome.com ASAP. Let’s show these nerds how to have a really good time.

 

Here we are – a few days out from a race event. That uncomfortable twilight just before we go engines hot and let you fools tear off into the ether. We’ve compiled a list of things you should know, things you should avoid and a survival guide to brave the wastes of outback Kalamazoo.

 

 

The Race Outline

So just after our first race, Thunderdrome! I at Dorais in Detroit, we got a call from Geoff at Gilmore asking, “Why don’t you guys have a race here in Kalamazoo?” We thought, “Hell, why not? Let’s spread this thing around a bit.” Since then, we’ve crossed the mighty mitt a handful of times to plan out a super stonkin’ awesome just for you. On their 1/4 mile flat asphalt track – that’s never been raced on before – we’ve mapped out a wily course of lefts and rights surely to make a banging race. The Gilmore sits on an absolutely massive spread of land in farm country with over $100 million worth of classic cars and motorcycles sitting in pristine barns and showcases. We’re going to do our darndest to keep it nice, eh? Right, everybody?

 

 

Getting Into The Event

You racing? If not, you should be. You pansy. You lily livered softy. You absolutely despicable piece of monstrously lame detritus. Did we motivate you enough yet? No? Well, we can’t all be cool, so if you just want to watch, you’re paying the $9 to see the Vintage Motorcycle show like everyone else. Getting into the Thunderdrome! race is free once you’ve gotten into the Gilmore show. It’s worth the cash as 5,500 motorcycles showed up last year. Gnar.

 

If you’re brave enough to race, you’ll pay only $20 to register online beforehand or $25 at the door. To get in, go to the Show gate with your race machine and tell them you’re there to race in the Thunderdrome! Once you’re in, come to the Registration tent and get your wristbands. If you’ve already paid, show your payment printout to the folks at the Show gate and head straight to Registration. Easy.

 

 

Practice, Practice, Practice. No, Really, You Need It.

We’ll be having open practice on Saturday, June 11th. Roll up to Gilmore anytime between 10AM and 5PM when practice closes and get your stink on. If you’re registered to race online, you’re free to practice. You can also pay at the door for $25 on Saturday and be all set for racing on Sunday.

 

 

Camping (Or: Pioneers! O, Pioneers!)

To further coddle your cheap ass ways, we’ve opened up free camping on-site at the track both the night of Saturday, June 11th and the night of Sunday, June 12th. This is for both racers and spectators. We’ll have our super cool Thunderdrome! HQ RV on-site; not that you can drag your two-stroke oil-soaked hide up in it. Combine camping with the Open Track Day Saturday and Sunday night and you’ve got a killer combination.

 

 

The Afterparty

Usually our afterparties include much debauchery, a bit of grabassing and all the proceeds go towards the rebuilding of the Dorais Velodrome. This race, the afterparty consists of a shit-ton of debauchery, a whole lot of grabassing.

Friday, June 10:

Track and infield set up

 

Saturday, June 11:

9:00 AM – Fine tuning the course

10:00 AM – Open Practice

5:00 PM – Track closed

6:00 PM-10:30 PM – Loud noises! Camping, cookouts, tall tales of courage and feats of strength.

 

Sunday, June 12:

9:00 AM – Gates Open

9:30 AM – Registration and Tech open

10:00 AM – Practice Starts

11:30 AM – Registration Closes

12:00 PM – Racer Meeting

12:30 PM – Amateur Scooter Class

1:00 PM – Pro Scooter Class

1:30 PM – Minibike Class

2:00 PM – Go-Kart Class

2:30 PM – Amateur Moped Class

3:00 PM – Pro Moped Class

3:30 PM – Pit Bike Class

4:00 PM – Awards and end of the Vintage Motorcycle Show

6:00 PM – On site afterparty, lies, damned lies, and obvious bragging

10:30 PM – All engines off.

The Email, As Sent In By Josh B

Hey, I\’m really upset and I\’m having a hard time containing myself so please forgive me if I seem out of line. I spent all winter getting ready for this event. Then before I know it the event is over because I specifically asked are we having multiple heats. Yes was the answer I got. Next thing I know your anouncing the winners. I had planned on competing to premote a specific part I make that is not avalible anywere in the universe except right here, ME. I was planning on racing on a Saturday and selling on a Monday. Now I\’ve got shit. Nothing. Last year I was supposed to get a shirt and low and behold Andy gave it away. Shit! So I tell Ben and he says I\’ll get you a shirt. Guess what, I got shit. Nothing. Well I\’m not sure I\’m going out of my way to premote this event again or even enter again. Thanks for wasting my time and potentially costing me tons of money due to me being unable to prove these parts on a race track. Instead I get lumped in with bikes that have 15cc\’s on me and no way to catch these MF\’s. I\’m so pissed I can\’t see straight. Thanks again.

 

 

The Way We Read This:

blah blah tirade of bitching/wall of text blah blah blah took forever for me to put together a slow bike blah blah would’ve lost anyway even though there were multiple heats blah blah lame blah blah super secret prototype moped part that would’ve made me a millionaire blah blah wasn’t as fast as I thought it was so I’m taking it out on you blah blah ben and andy were cool enough to offer me a free shirt because i blew out on the track last year too but never came to pick it up blah blah i don’t love you anymore, i’m leaving you blah blah whine whine whine.

 

 

Our Official Response To Josh B: