Serious post time
I'm currently sitting in third in points for the 250 novice class in the series I race, I've gone 5-5 both of the races we've already run, just so happened that the guys in 4th and 5th did better than me one race than rather poorly the other. The guys in first and second, have both finished first and second both races, both are running loop times on par with your average 250 amateur rider.
Maybe if I was younger and this was all about trophies to me I'd be aggravated, but I'm not. To me its "just" the C Class, which means that even though I want to become one of the fast guys, I'm not going to stress about 2 guys (which for the record I don't know their racing history) who could be sand bagging, if they truly belong in B and are just doing this for trophies, I'll use them as my target speed since I do want to improve and move up through the ranks, I really don't care that to them a plastoid trophy is more important than improving as a rider, actually they're doing me a service, they're giving me something to work for, I'll bust ass all year long to run with them, and I'll move up to B next year and probably get owned pretty bad, but a C class championship isn't what I want to be the highlight of my time spent racing. Actually I won't, because for me personally I've never finished outside the top 10, this is just how I ride period, I want something that I can say I worked hard for.
Man, you like to through out that whole "top ten" alot.
He likes to get his moneys worth ... As for sandbagging, you will find that in any ameture sporting event. Anything to get in the money! We have it in our weekly bowling league ... 200 avg bowlers establishing with a 165 so they can have handicap. Unless they're new, they get called out on the rug and they eitehr start bowling their level or quit.
You have to addrss it otherwise they'll keep screwing you!