| Author | Message | ||
     Fresnobuell |
I was really disappointed with the whole Laguna event. It was alot of time, trouble and money to see 2-1/2 real races (DSB, Superbike, MotoGp). No I am not counting the E-bikes or Supersport. I was completely bummed and perplexed the Laguna DSB race was called early due to the second red flag incident. It was just heating up between Beabier (sp) and 'Slick at the time. They called the DSB race early for what? Sponsor pace lap rides? Two-up rides with Randy Mamola? Fat, old Kenny Roberts riding his 500cc GP bike? ALL FILLER. Complete bullshit--ESPECIALLY when there simply isn't enough racing to begin with. HOw many warm-up, practices & Q sessions do we have to sit thru before we get an actual race....and then the DSB race is called early! For what? MOst likely it was because the MotoGp race was being shown live at 2:00 PM PST and they couldn't deviate from the schedule. I can understand that however red flags are a part of racing and there should have been a contingency plan IF there were significant red flag delays prior to the GP race, then one of the stupid filler events (see list above) should have been axed. Plain and simple. As much as I love the whole atmosphere, I am probably staying home next year unless there is a serious change in the event schduling-like the AMA running the DSB and Superbikes on Saturday AND Sunday. I would like to hear other peoples' view of the Laguna experience this past weekend. (Message edited by fresnobuell on July 26, 2011) | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
I had a blast. But i agree about the race being called was b.s. also by te time you buy ticket parking paddock and fees $110.00 but i got to meet Erik and see the 1190rs. So i was happy | ||
| Fresnobuell |
I was really disappointed with the whole Laguna event. Clarification: We camped from Friday AM thru Sunday PM, so this rant is coming from someone who was there for 3 days and really a reflection of the entire weekend. | ||
| Doerman |
I think there is an rule. If the race is past the halfway point and is red-flagged, they call the race. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
I think there is an rule. I thought it was up to race direction. If it's a rule then I stand corrected. However, if that IS the case--I have a big beef with the 23 lap race being cut to 15 laps. Obviously someone was concerned about time as the first red flag incident was on the first lap. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Appears the AMA broke the rules. Race was red-flagged on the first lap. Race was illegally shortened to 15 laps. Nice. Excerpts from the AMA rulebook: When a race is stopped with two laps or less completed by the leader, it will be restarted for the original race distance using original starting positions. Other interesting rules regarding red flag restarts. n. Should a race be stopped in which 50% or more of the total laps have been completed by the leader, the race may be considered complete at the discretion of AMA Pro Racing. o. Should a race be stopped in which 80% or more of the total laps have been completed by the leader, the race will be considered complete and there will be no restart. | ||
| Strokizator |
I've been a few times before, but not in the last 3 years. It makes for a fun Sunday but I don't think I could stay entertained for a 3-day weekend. There's no vantage point that let's you see more than just a small piece of the races. Add to that the CHP speed trap on Hwy 1 and the traffic jam getting out (thank God for lane splitting) and you have to be a dedicated fan to want to see it. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I just wish we could get the live racing on TV. The Speed TV schedule blows moose @#$#$. How did Speedvision go from being the awesomest TV ever to this crap SpeedTV we've got now? | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
P.S. Danny Eslick's pass to take the lead was ridiculously awesome. | ||
| Trojan |
I was completely bummed and perplexed the Laguna DSB race was called early due to the second red flag incident. It was just heating up between Beabier (sp) and 'Slick at the time. They called the DSB race early for what? Sponsor pace lap rides? Two-up rides with Randy Mamola? Fat, old Kenny Roberts riding his 500cc GP bike? ALL FILLER. After the first red flag incident involving Jake Holden they shortened the race distance from 23 to 15 laps in order to fit the full schedule in for the day. The second red flag came out at 10 laps or 2/3 race distance, so is counted as a full result. There would have to have been a delay between the DSB and MotoGP races anyway in order to check the track and get the right people into position, plus of course world TV schedules to think about, so the 'fillers' that you speak of would not have affected the planning or timescale of the event too much and would have been run at the same time as the other preparations were being made for the main race. Delys and disruption are unfortunately part and parcel of attending live motor racing events and things may not happen at the correct time or even not at all. My brother rode 300 miles to the last British Superbike race at Oulton park, only for the whole event to be cancelled after just one rain shortened race because of terrible weather. Life is a bitch  | ||
| Fresnobuell |
After the first red flag incident involving Jake Holden they shortened the race distance from 23 to 15 laps in order to fit the full schedule in for the day. The second red flag came out at 10 laps or 2/3 race distance, so is counted as a full result. There would have to have been a delay between the DSB and MotoGP races anyway in order to check the track and get the right people into position, plus of course world TV schedules to think about, so the 'fillers' that you speak of would not have affected the planning or timescale of the event too much and would have been run at the same time as the other preparations were being made for the main race. I understand the math. I guess I should have made myself a bit clearer. The DSB race was not back-to-back with the MotoGP race. There were appx. 2 hours or so between the races. This 2-hours was filled with crap consisting of Sponsor Pace Car Laps (which were Mazdas zoom-zooming around with VIPs), Randy Mamola on his 2-up GP bike (I will have to say those were the fastest 2-up rides I have ever seen) and Kenny Roberts taking laps on his 500cc GP bike (not sure how long he was on the track.) Any of these "filler" events could have been eliminated, thus giving adequate time for the DSB race. Delys and disruption are unfortunately part and parcel of attending live motor racing events and things may not happen at the correct time or even not at all. Exactly. But why shorten one of the few real races of the weekend and let the rest of the BS run as scheduled. Awful decision. Especially in light of the apparent rule violations in the first place. | ||
| Trojan |
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?artic le=45491 | ||
| Slaughter |
Matt beat me to it by posting the link (he has a 7 hour advantage). A very good response to Harlan's question by Dave McGrath. In it McGrath clearly states that the MotoGP schedule is absolute - that some of the fluff that is inserted is more THEIR fluff than the AMA's... basically McGrath understands and sympathizes with Harlan's issues. I guess sometimes this is the price paid by hitching AMA's wagon to the MotoGP team. (and I'm glad that McGrath is leading AMA Pro Racing out of the DMG doldrums) |
