March 2022 - Notes from the President
Rights Riding Racing
Notes from the Pres
March 2022
Thank you for your commitment and patience through the 2020-2021 seasons. The Board of Directors put all their energy into making events possible with the global environment we all have been living through. To describe it simply - it was like trying to track a ping pong ball in play.
Getting you back on the trail (the update):
The OMRA Annual Business meeting was held in December 2021, big thanks to I&E construction and VP Reno Marr for the use of their conference room.
Elections
New – Board of Directors (BOD)
Tawnjai Marr - Elected Treasurer
Lindsey Winchester - Elected Secretary
Referees for 2022
Dusty Smith
Gary Mathis
Jason Kay
Ross Dillon
Competition Committee for 2022
Reid Brown
Maria Beard
Jake Steele
Tater Applegate
Geoff Winner
Point Coordinator
Alex Stout
2022 Officers
Dave Cady – President Reno Marr - Vice President
Lindsey Winchester - Secretary Tawnjai Marr – Treasurer
Lydia - Marketing Woody Evans - Competition
Dan Jordan – YSEP James Harris – Assistant YSEP
Barrett Brown - Land Use Josh Preston – Membership
Rob Wise – Rec and Trail
Former BOD / Thank You
After years of service, Tina Cady resigned as the OMRA Treasurer. Tina did an amazing job in this role and worked closely with Tawnjai Marr to make a smooth transition. Tina has transitioned her time at the OMRA to taking care of her parents and running her farm. Thank you for your service, Tina!
I’m sad to also announce that Justin Lewis is stepping down as the Marketing Director as of March 2nd. We would need a book to tell you about all the things this one man has quietly and humbly done and donated to the OMRA and the sport (you). When you need three people to replace one guy it is very telling of what he has contributed over the 8+ years. Justin’s Family and business are currently needing more of his focus but rest assured, Justin will still be quietly behind the curtain making things better for dirt bike riders. Please give this man a nod of the helmet the next time you see him because if you knew all the things he has done for us crazy dirt bike riders you would say “holy ………..”.
Lydia Bashaw has answered the call and the BOD appointed her as the new Marketing Director for the remainder of Justin's term. Geoff Winner jumped in to take on a newly created position as IT Coordinator. One of our big goals in the coming year is to increase efficiency and streamline our processes to make the systems better for our membership. I want to extend the biggest thanks to both of them for stepping up to the start line to make all this dirt bike stuff possible.
We are always in need of more help, so if you know a person that could help us out with sponsorship, Social Network Coordination, or anything else, please reach out to me davec@omraoffroad.com .
When you are out on the trail or at an event please take a second to thank this team of dirt bike riders for all their time as a volunteer to keep this sport alive. Keep in mind that none of the OMRA positions are paid and is 100% donated time. This group of people have families, businesses, jobs, and more and like to ride dirt bikes so much that they give their time up for you. If you’d like to help make the sport better please contact me on how you can help, we are always looking for good people to contribute.
Rule Updates
The 50x class will now ride the full course in the AM schedule in the XC series
Worker Points have been changed back to a flat 65 points (2nd place) per event. A racer can receive points for one event per series each year. This was to make sure riders were earning equal points for their work and to simplify the system.
Sprint Enduro “SE” Rules have been added to the rulebook for 2022. Please read them.
Membership for all OMRA competition-sanctioned events will be required in 2023. There are many reasons for doing this, but the main reason is it will help clear up our scoring issues. It is incredibly difficult to track year-end points when a portion of your racers are non-members. This Rule will not be in the rule book until 2023 but wanted you all to know we are listening and making changes. It just takes some time to shoot the berm, so hang in there we will get there next year.
Find the complete rulebook for your review each year https://www.omraoffroad.com/racing/rulebook
The Comp Committee is the group that looks at the rules and can recommend adjustments or additions each year to the BOD. If you have a recommendation, please contact the Comp Director or a Comp Committee member before October of each year.
The Youth Racing Program has changed for 2022- it will continue for just the JR C Class. How it works: if a JR C rider has a full year Comp Membership then the Event Organizer and OMRA are covering the entry fee for each event. Please join us in giving a big thanks to Canyon Family Health for last year's very generous sponsorship of the youth racing program. Without their support in 2021, there would have been no program. Please give them a thumbs up next time you cross trails at an event.
Sponsorships
We are very excited to announce the Title Sponsor for the 2022 Race season is Motosport Hillsboro! Also, we have Canyon Family Health as a major returning sponsor. We will keep you posted on all the sponsors for 2022. Please support our sponsors in return by supporting their businesses and saying thank you. We can’t do this without them.
If you would like to contribute or know someone or a business that is willing to support our sport please share the link below or have them contact me at davec@omraoffroad.com.
https://www.omraoffroad.com/shop/omra-sponsorships
What does the money do? Legislative work, Education, Obtaining Grants and Equipment, Youth Racing, Trail Work Parties, Riding and Racing, and more.
Youth Safety Evaluation Program (YSEP)
Big thanks to Dan Jordan, James Harris, and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department for their many years and commitment to Youth OHV Safety Education. In 2021, YSEP did 389 Dirt Bike and 252 Quad evaluations with help from Evaluators all over the state. YSEP has about 10 different bikes to help with the classes if the rider is in need of a machine for the class. To learn more about YSEP: http://ysep.omraoffroad.com/Dan and his team are looking for new Evaluators. Contact Dan for more details if you’d like to be part of this amazing team that grows our sport through our kids: dan@omraoffroad.com .
2022 Race Schedule
The race schedule has been finalized and is posted on OMRAOffroad.com.
We are having the 2022 race calendar printed on posters and they will be available at the Banquet on April 9th in La Pine (more banquet details below). Don’t forget to grab one for your garage wall!
Goals for the Year
Improve communication and transparency through OMRAOffroad.com and social media platforms.
Simplify, improve, and speed up our scoring system to make standings/points available much faster and with more accuracy.
Have a ton of fun on our dirt bikes with our friends and family!
Woody Evans is your Competition Director and has a team of great people working with him as the Competition Committee and the Referees. If you have a current rule question, reach out to the Referees. Please note that the Refs will always ask you to try to resolve issues at races with the Event Organizer first and if that is not possible you will then need to provide your concerns in writing to the Refs for consideration.
2021 Awards banquet
Pulling together a banquet this year was a whole new challenge with the impacts of COVID-19 and Reno Marr has been pulling his hair out trying to lock in a place for us this year. We have seen businesses close their doors (World of Speed - you are missed!) and many move to models with heavy restrictions in place. For this year, we will be hosting the awards banquet on April 9th at 5:30 pm at Rosland OHV - following Great Escape MC’s Fire Mountain SE. This will be an outdoor event with covered seating and a catered meal, the cost is $20 per adult and $15 per child.
Land Use
Barrett Brown, our Legislative and Land Use Director, has been working to ensure our OHV areas stay intact as some areas are now in the midst of active conservation. Our attention on Rider Education has been amped up as we want to be a solutions partner for conservation and trail maintenance.
Here are just a few of the things Barrett is working on or helping to make happen:
ORV/ATV Grant Fund: Applegate Rough Rides / Grass Flats Staging Area, Huckleberry OHV staging -camping- new trail improvement, La Pine Staging area improvements, Hood River Stage area improvement.
NOVAC trail building workshop in the Tillamook State this summer.
Working with the State of Oregon to keep riding open during summer fire restrictions.
Additionally, Barrett has organized a Backcountry First Aid Training, sponsored by the OMRA, that will provide in-depth training and State-level certification to up to 20 adults per session. Our first session will take place in Q2 of this year and we hope to have at least one more this year.
Trail Work
Rec Director Rob Wise has taken the OMRA to the next level by hosting Second Sunday Trail Work Parties each month in various locations - all are posted on OMRAOffroad.com and through Facebook. If you or a club would like to co-host one of these parties for a project you would like to see get done, reach out to Rob at rob@omraoffroad.com.
Rob is also helping to promote family Fun Rides so look for updates on the website throughout the year.
Remember the biggest thing you can do for our sport is become a member of the OMRA . There is power in numbers or is that cubic centimeters…..anyway…... The next best thing is to donate time and resources to the sport.
Rubber side down, see ya on the trail.
-Dave Cady, Your Pres
