DMG/AMA Roadracing

I tuned out of the US superbike racing as soon as I heard about the DMG taking over the sport. But I have been enjoying WSB very much this season.

 

Just teething problems. The series will become better, I suspect. The economy is causing some grief, but the team in place is a very good one. The point is this: if you race, and have the funds and determination, you should have a chance to win. Prior to DMG taking over, you didn't. The factories refused to provide any of the special stuff, the tire people had ringer tires for their friends. In short, nobody was going to win, other than the factories. That has changed, and will stay that way.

Are the bikes slower than world super bike. Sure. Just like NASCAR, the parts are registered, and if they are not available to everyone, you don't get to use them. If your bike is much faster than the competition, they slow you down.

Give this a couple of years, let the economy get better, let them figure this out a little bit, and I think you'll see a revitalized sport.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the principals are clients of mine, and I'm co-counsel on a case with their corporate counsel.

Art

 

The DMG group was brought on by the AMA to prove that there really are people who can f*@% racing worse than the AMA by itself. I raced on the AMA circuit in the early 70s when it was extremely popular and the AMA seemed to take pains to screw it up. Nowadays the purses are the same as they were in 1972 and the bikes are 10-20 times as expensive.

 

Do I know you? PM me, if you would.

Art

 

I mostly Flat Tracked but travelled a lot 73-76 AMA 99B

 

I was AMA 24, and 42. We probably know more than a few of the same people. Mert is a friend, and was a client. Para, his mechanic, helped me, and we won a championship or two out here with his stuff. Was talking with Nixon at Laguna, and we were comparing broken bones, he won, had broken 31 bones, I'd only broken 28....

Art

 

The real question is better for who? I'm sure the racers would prefer faster and faster. The spectators probably don't know the difference between our superbike and WSB. The reason you've got the top 8 running away from everyone else is money. The top 8 is factory or near factory stuff. The game plan is to produce relatively equal machinery, and let the riders decide who wins, similar to NASCAR. People want to see racing, not a parade. As for others that favor them: try John Ulrich, editor of Roadracingworld. John understands that under the old rules, the sport was going to die. DISCLAIMER: also a client.

Art

 

Art,

While the concept of everyone running the same type of equipment. The top riders are still going to checkout as they are the ones that can extract out the last 10% of what the bike is capable of while most of the privateers dont have the suspension and chassis prep nor the riding talent to run at that level. A lot of the factory works parts are there to develop the technology and bikes of the future. Getting rid of the works parts will stagnate the development of the bikes.

JMHO

 

I say if the factories want to run works parts they can but they give up qualifying on the first 2 rows of the grid at the start. One other thing is the factory has to make available these works parts once they are developed to the privateers in the form of a works parts kit. This way the privateers that don't have access it gives them the chance to shine in the limelight for a while until the factory bikes fight there way to the front. It also makes the racing more exciting for the spectator. It also helps the privateer to develop there riding skills and confidence. Now the privateer that has improved has a chance to land that factory ride or support deal this will make more riders that are capable of battling for the win making it better for everyone.

 

Jim Rice? Stevie Morehead? Just joking. Class C sure was good racing back then. I only broke some ribs and cracked a sternum and destroyed my knee caps. We probably do know the same folks

 

it seems to me that the France family has a very narrow view of what racing is supposed to be, and applies it to everything they get involved with-NASCAR, Grand Am, now DMG. Low cost, managed competition, more about "the show" than the cars/bikes.

problem is, a lot of racing fans like to see incredible machines...you know, motorsport and all.

I hope it works out for both GrandAm and DMG in the long run, but it seems the core fans in those sports are light years away from the core NASCAR fan (and therefore the France family's formula may not work so well).

 

Knew Jim and Cathy (she ended up with McLaughlin).

Art

 

I am hoping that the current situation will be looked at as "darkest before the dawn". Right now you have an adjustment period where fans have to get used to new ways of doing things, manufacturers/teams have new rules to adhere to, and the organizers seem to be finding their way as they go.

There is no doubt that the old AMA was not sustainable, Yosh Suzuki had won every race for 3+ years and the costs were huge even for privateers. Safety at many tracks was more concept than reality. There was promotion to anyone other than hardcore roadracing fans.

I have my hopes (and doubts) that DMG will change most of these in the coming years. Certainly NASCAR knows how to promote itself, can you imagine walking into Wal-Mart to racks of Attack Kawasaki or Graves Yamaha boxers and jackets? Reducing costs by running basically the old Superstock rules for the new Daytona Superbike will help privateers have better finishes. Already there have been more winners. While the safety car has been very much flawed in practice, at least DMG is trying to improve safety and should continue to do so in the future.

Slightly off-topic, but I am still having a hard time understanding the vitriol that so many feel about the Buell 1125r racing with 600cc fours. It has its strengths and weaknesses just like they do, so far I see parity with Eslick being the only Buell to take it to the fours. Even Daytona 200 winner and MotoGP fill-in Chaz Davies has struggled on his 1000cc Aprilia. When he finally wins the worshippers of displacement will cry foul again.

And if that wasn't enough, the new Buell 1125RR ($40k, not street-legal Daytona Superbike starter bike for racers only) has really set these same people off. I wish Buell had seen fit to make the bike street-legal with the race bits in a box, because now you might see Suzuka 8-hour or WSBK-spec bikes sold in the same way from the Japanese.

 

BTW, the rumor is that Mladin is choosing not to race in Kansas this weekend. Probably as a protest over safety concerns, or maybe he just hates DMG and wants one of "their" tracks to fail in attendance numbers for the round.