Why is 30+ almost always a C/D class?

Listen to Ken Roczen about last night and doing that quad onto the table. When you get older, you tend to back it down from a safety standpoint. We don't like to get hurt, our reflexes are slower, and it takes way longer to heal and most of us have jobs we have to worry about.

I'm 35. When I was younger, I'd jump things and go fast without a care in the world. Most of the time, we tend to get smarter as we age

Bro, this is your concern on race day?

Go to the promoter and have them change who is in what race.

I know you are not racing today. Are these class structures written in stone?

Go to the promotor and request a change.

If you want to race with faster people, sign up for the faster class. You aren’t forced to run +30 if you’re over 30. 

All depends on your area I guess because here in California we have multiple 30+ classes as well as a 30+ open. As a 30C Slower 30B guy, I prefer it split up like that so I don’t have to worry about guys that don’t care about having to go to work on Monday. Racing also isn’t serious to me anymore. Being 32(33 this coming Friday) racing is purely just fun for me now. Rolling off the track and looking over at the dude that just beat you or that you just beat and both of you laughing because you’re completely winded and could barely hang on anymore is much more enjoyable. We’re getting old now dude and a lot of us have families that we have to provide for. A lot of the 25’s haven’t got there yet and are willing to hang it out. Enjoy it for what it is now

It used to be because of Loretta’s. The way it was you couldn’t run their 30 class if you ever won one dime of purse money. Local series started putting in a 30 B/C because of it. It’s different now and you have to have scored pro points and be in the vault before you are excluded from the 30 Sportsman class. Some people are still in the dark on this. 

I get it especially if you’re trying to go to Loretta’s next year. I just had to have that talk with myself about how I don’t ride a whole lot anymore and how my speed may improve a little bit with seat time but that I’ll probably never be more than a fast 30C/slow 30B guy. It was hard to admit at first, but it helped me enjoy riding and racing a lot more.

We need to get together because we are about the same I think.  What I see around us is you get a bunch of guys that just get into it at 30 or so because their kids do.  It gives a slower vet class for newer dudes.  I'm in the same boat I'm a faster C or slower B depending on how much I've been riding and just the day.  I think they just don't want every single class open to faster vets so that there is at least 1 slower class.  Now we can have a whole different discussion about LL.  Every single one of those vet classes is open to pros. 

Our district does +25 open, vet beginner (which is 25+ c/d), and 30+ b/c. They added the 30+ b/c a few years ago and it’s been a hit, usually one of the bigger gate drops on a race day. 

Self promote if you are a lower end B rider and stop the sandbagging. You'll get even faster and not ride with spodes.

When I was racing, 30b would have staggered gate with 30a most the time. 30c was a large class so they had their own.  Plus 25 was a faster class but they ended up splitting into +25 A and +25 B/C. Now that I’m closer to 50, there’s not too many left to fill a class 🙂

Vet racers are some of the biggest classes. Tracks do not want to scare NEW riders away by them getting smoked week after week after week so they start a lower D/C/B vet class.

Pretty much how they run it in NESC. 45+, 50+, 60+ are Open classes because there aren't that many on the gate to break it up. 

As long as you're quick enough to be safe there, nobody will mind you jumping into a faster class.

It could be better for everyone as C / Novice classes are often overflowing and faster classes often have space on the gate.

Props on the attitude though, a lot of people don't seem to see it this way anymore and will sandbag or drop down a class for an easy day which is so lame. Riding with faster guys to progress and challenge yourself is always good.

Open practice yesterday at a well known track. They put Vet with women together, if you thought like me, i thought vet was for older guys who are just going out to ride, plus mixed with women, it thought it would be chill.

But hell no, it was by far the largest group, about 5 or 10 of the guys should be riding A/B, and a few were double dipping into A/B and Vet. Props to the fast pro ladies who rode the A/B.  Sadly i think the Vet class needs to be defined into fast vet and slow vet. 

Looking back I should have rode the the C/D class, but since im 60, I thought I was a vet, lol i never been so wrong

If your 30+ class isn't fast enough for you, you could always run 450B or 450C. 

30+ Open races on Saturday...30+ C/D races on Sunday. Been that way for a while at the OSCS races...some quick dudes in 30+.

I think there are too many vet B/C classes in D14 though.  I run 40+ or 40B/C and used to run them on the same day.  40+ to try to learn and keep up with the faster guys and B/C so I had more guys my speed.  Now I see guys in the B/C class that would have no problem keeping up in the open class.  The B/C classes definitely have higher numbers than the open classes though.

District 17 only has B/C, no D class. 30+B/C and beyond can and will run A class pace. I'm in the back trying to survive. 

20-25 years ago, 30A in D34 was packed and paid out $ and contingencies, guys would try to kill you for an extra 25$….

To get a full gate?  Encourage new or reentering riders?

For me I like that they don’t put the +30 class with the younger guys. Not because I can’t go their speed, I can. But the younger guys are willing to risk so much more normally, which puts me at risk as well, and I just don’t want to be at risk so much anymore. So in my eyes it makes sense.

They add all the different levels to placate the mid pack and slower guys so they keep coming back and spending their money on entry and gate fees. Just look at Lorreta Lynns these days. I remember a couple decades back when the vet classes were 30+, 40+ in D14 and eventually there became a 50+. To me that should pretty much be it. I'm old school and wanted to race with as close to a full gate of competitors as possible. I was a decent vet and could run in the top 10 when it was structured like that and was willing to admit that's all I had in me but loved racing with a ton of guys on the track. Nowadays it seems like a lot of these guys have no pride and want to kid themselves by feeling good over winning $40 or a trophy in Vet 40 Z or whatever friggin class they dream up to keep them coming back. 

Back to the original poster though and I agree with what some others have said. If you want to race with faster guys than you and you want to get better then sign up for other classes where those dudes are.

First, I think it's the area you live in... Up here in the northwest, we generally have three different classes:
30+A
30+B
30+C/D (Sportsman)

If there's a small turnout, the 30A and 30B have the first gate drop and 30C/D are on the second.
If there's a bigger turnout, or a bigger race, the 30C/D get their own moto while 30A and 30B are on a split gate.

Consider that 30A riders don't want to be on the track with 30C/D.
I'm 40A and still race 30A at some races.  Even at the bigger tracks around here like Washougal we can still lap our way up into the back of 30 sportsman class in a five to eight lap race.   It's really not safe for anyone if we're in a hard battle and we're dodging dudes who are rolling a triple, a big double, or creeping along through some whoops.

I raced my way through the 30B class on a YZ125 and when I could win the class, I moved up to 25A and 30A.

Why not just run Open B or Open A?

Get in where you fit in.