Posted on Friday, July 06, 2007 - 07:57 am:

Q: Why did you decide to come into motorcycle racing, as opposed to any other form of racing -- NASCAR, other cars?

A: Actually, I grew up riding dirt bikes when I was a kid. I had no ambitions of getting into any kind of racing. Although I grew up watching NASCAR quite a bit, I just never really saw that as a business opportunity for me. I kind of got into this whole thing by mistake. I was riding on the streets one time, and I ran into a couple of friends, and we started riding together. One of them had the aspiration of riding in the AMA. He was such a good friend, I thought at least I'd sponsor him, just to give him his dream, give him the opportunity to succeed. And once I got a taste of it, I was hooked from that point on. So to say that I woke up one day and said "I'm going to get into motorsports," it wasn't that way. It was kind of by mistake. But I'm glad that I've gotten into this, because I truly, truly enjoy the sport.

Q: This being your fourth year, did you think it would be this difficult to get the results? Did you think it would come right away?

A: No. Well, I always thought it was going to be difficult. But then again, I didn't think it was going to be this difficult. I'm starting to understand some of the political aspects within the sport, the factories and the privateers and why there's such a difference. Obviously it's about the parts, and about the riders, and things of that nature. I thought it would be where everybody's operating under the same guidelines, and you just get out there and you compete with the same type of equipment, with the same guidelines.

Financially, if you can buy it, I feel like I would buy it. But in some ways you can't. It's almost ... trying to get certain parts that the factory players may have, you've got to rely upon the factory guys to give them to you, or let you purchase them (from the factory). It's a different business. In my business, in my world of sports, if you've got the talent, you can compete. It's not about Nike giving you a pair of shoes, or whoever giving you a pair of shoes, to play. If you can play, you can play. In this game here, it's about who can give you the most equipment that can put you up to this -- at least have a better bike, and then up to that point it's about the riders. We've got great riders, and our riders have probably made our bikes more competitive, along with Gemini Racing and everybody, that we can compete with the factory teams. Not on a consistent basis, obviously, because (the factory teams) are who they are. They've got a lot of other tricks up their sleeves, a lot of things they can do that we can't. But I don't think it's about the money. It's about being able to purchase and get the parts.

Q: What are your goals for the team for the next few years? How long is your contract with Suzuki, and what are you trying to do next?

A: I'm trying to consistently win, on all levels. My contract with Suzuki right now is year-to-year. With options, obviously. We're trying to do everything we can to get up there and compete on the same level as Suzuki, as Yamaha, everybody else. Once again, I know it's very difficult. Because I imagine if I'm a factory team, the last thing I want to do is give a privateer some parts so that they can beat us. But I think that's the beauty of the sport. When the fans can come out here and not know who's going to win, that gives you a little bit more support. I think the sport itself could gain a lot. But if you come out knowing that Honda's going to win Formula Xtreme and Suzuki's going to win Superbike, even though the Superstock is a little bit more open, that's kind of tough.

When you go out and you look at NASCAR, anybody can win. In their position, they do what they do with the cars. Everybody's got to use a restrictor plate or non-restrictor plate. You've got guidelines you can follow, it makes it more fun as a sport. But I don't think AMA's gotten to that point yet. I think it's still, to some degree, a little more political, and the privateer has a very, very tough time winning. But I'm still here. I'm going to do everything I can to try to keep getting better as a team, and with riders, and with Suzuki's help, whatever way they can give us, Dunlop's help, whenever they can give it to us. But I'm a fan. I'm not leaving the game. I just hope the rules get changed to where everybody can play on the same playing field.

Q: So if it was up to you to make the AMA a better show, how would you start?

A: First of all, I'd make sure all the factories play on the same page. I want the privateers to have just as much of a chance to win as the factory teams. Obviously the factory teams are going to be able to pay more, they're going to get the better riders. Someone like me, who now wants to put money in, he should have an opportunity to win, and not just be out there. So if I'm the AMA, I want to find a way that everybody competes on the same level, from all the factories being in, to all the privateers being on the same level. To where fans can come, and say, you can root on your favorites, but everybody has a chance. The better riders are going to win. Not the better equipment, the better riders. And see what happens.

Q: Your team has sponsors from outside the motorcycle industry -- Nike, Gatorade. What kind of feedback have you got from them?

A : It's a new sport for them. I've used my arms, twisting of their arms, to get into the sport. But to them, they want to see exactly what I want to see -- a chance to compete on an even playing field. But I keep them involved. I keep telling them, "Hey, look, things are going to change. The sport's going to be a little bit different." It's a fun sport to watch. It's a great spectator sport. A lot of people haven't seen the excitement that comes into this sport. You look at NASCAR. NASCAR's a three or four hour experience, and they do a great job promoting it. But this could be -- obviously, a fast-paced sport, that you can come in and watch a race and not lose interest. You can see everything from the guys working the bikes, you can see everything happening with the machine and the guy that's guiding the machine. In NASCAR it's a little bit different. You've got cameras in, you can see it, but they make all left-hand turns, except for the road races.

I'm trying to bring as many sponsors into the play, but I think most sponsors want to see the competitiveness, where everybody's competing, and it's not just dominated by one race Honda's going to be dominating, one race Suzuki's going to be dominating. I think it should be fun where everybody has a chance to win.

Q: Superstock is going away next year, and it's rumored that the new Superbike rules will be a lot tighter, a lot like the present Superstock -- not a lot of modifications.

A: Great. I support that 100%. Because now, guys like me, or privateers, (would) have a better chance of competing with the factories. And it forces the factories to get in the same category with everybody else in the business. They probably have the better riders. I'm pretty sure they can go out and spend the money on getting the better riders -- the Mat Mladins, Ben Spies. But that doesn't say a Jake Holden shouldn't compete with them in certain (races). So I think it's great.

Q: How close were you last year to getting Ben Spies?

A: (Laughing) And Suzuki at the same time?

Q: See, that's the problem. It's one or the other.

A: Once again, it's a political aspect. I don't even know how to even answer that question. In my mind, I'm thinking I'm close. In their mind, it wouldn't have ever happened. Because at the end of the day, do you want to wear the Jumpman and people are going to be happy to see you, or do you want the better parts and you're going to be up front? When I say political, it can happen that way, even with me.

Q: Would you be interested in taking over a factory team? Say if Ducati came back -- running their factory team for them, something like that?

A: I'm not opposed to that. At all. As long as I can win. If I can win, I play. If I can't win, it's not worth playing. Nobody wants to play a game where you know you can't win.

Look at our team. In all honesty, we went from being in the game our first year, second year getting a taste of the podium, third year we had a lot of issues with injuries and whatever. And this year, we're at least out there and we're competing. We got a win, we got a podium finish, a couple podium finishes. So if it wasn't gradually increasing for me, it wouldn't be worth my time. But we're starting to at least compete.

We just want to keep the progression going the right direction. If it gets to a point where we can't move further, even though I still love the game, it wouldn't be worth it. I think AMA should have to understand that this is a great opportunity to move this in a good direction where people can understand. I'm bringing a lot of people who've never seen this sport before. Everybody that I've brought here loves it, and they can see the excitement of it. They never thought it was that much fun. But something needs to be said about how you get that interest and yet make sure that everybody can compete on the same playing field. That's the biggest issue for me.

Q : Does the AMA try to borrow from your knowledge about recruiting sponsors?

A : I don't know about my knowledge, but more so my time and promoting what's in place. And I refuse to promote what's in place, because I think it needs to be changed. So if they want to sit down with me and understand, I'll sit down with them if they want to talk ..."Well, maybe we need to even up the playing field, and can you give us certain support and whatever?" Sure. But if you're telling me to support the way things are right now, as a privateer, we can't win. Even though my competitive nature is that I'm going to try to prove you wrong anyway.

Q: So would you be willing to give more, as far as helping them promote the thing, if it got to a point where --

A: Well, it depends now. I'm not opening a blank check here, obviously not. (Laughter) I've got other business ventures I've got to take care of, but as long as you can coordinate and we can work something ... I mean, I run the Charlotte Bobcats as well. This to me is a hobby. I'm not gaining anything other than a little brand recognition, but I still have a strong passion for the sport.

But what I see about this sport, it can be very, very intriguing, very competitive. People can really enjoy themselves watching the race. Now, how do I contribute to that? Well, I come to as many races as I can. Obviously I sponsor a team with no kickbacks or money coming to me at all. It depends on what the AMA wants to put on the table for me, or show me the bigger picture. Then I'd say, "Yeah, okay, I can help you with this," or "I can help you with that." As long as I know it's going to contribute to a better picture for everybody, and not just the factory teams. I'm not here to -- if I'm just here to represent Suzuki or Honda or whatever, me personally, you can't pay me enough.

Q: Do you want to try to push the AMA to go in the right direction, or do you have aspirations for MotoGP or anything like that?

A: I love MotoGP. That's the NASCAR of motorcycling. I don't think this country's ready for MotoGP yet. I wish they were. But I think the only way they're going to get that way is if the AMA provides that program. If it gets to that point, yeah, I want to play in it. I want to play in the big leagues. But I think this minor league -- I don't say it in a negative way, but AMA is a minor league compared to MotoGP -- if they can get themselves in the right frame of mind, you can in some ways merge the two. I don't know how yet. Maybe it's a long-term vision. But you've got to make it a hip thing first, before MotoGP can really come over here, anyway. That's my opinion. I'm not getting paid to give that opinion, but that's my opinion.

Q : Aaron Yates is new on your team this year. You've won a race, and been on pole. How has he affected the team?

A: I love Yates. (He's) very professional. He's been in a factory situation. He's come to us, and I think we provided something that he probably didn't get in the factory situation -- the individual attention and support, the belief. He's the guy underneath our tent. And with his leadership qualities and Jake Holden, we hope to continue to progress with him as well.

Yates has been very professional. I'm glad we were able to get him. I think it gives us a better chance to win, obviously. But it says a lot about who he is. He was looking for a new start. He could have easily just laid it down, or whatever. But he's a competitor, and I love that about him.

Q: Does it make it a lot more fun knowing Yates has been up in a podium position in Superbike races, when you come to a race you think, "Maybe this'll be the one?"

A: Yeah. It makes it a lot more fun. We're getting closer. If he can come here and say our bike is faster than what his was last year, we're gaining ground. We're doing something right here. And he's very enthusiastic. He's helping us develop our whole program, because he's been underneath that factory umbrella. We needed someone like him at this stage of where we are, just so he can help us progress as a racing team.

Q: We'd heard that the factory was trying to push you into the Superstock class, and you were really adamant about wanting to run Superbike.

A: You're right. Because everybody's going to Superbike, so why would I go to Superstock when they're going to totally eliminate Superstock? It just didn't make sense. A lot of our data, a lot of our progress, has been in the Superbike class anyway. So let's continue this process. I'm not afraid to say no, because this is not my livelihood. I can walk away with no problem. I think Suzuki is a great marriage. I think they have a great understanding in the business. We've had a great relationship with them. We push for more. They know we're pushing for more. And sooner or later, it's going to happen. Hopefully with Suzuki. If not, I'm not afraid to go with a winner. Wherever I can go win, I'm going.

Q: Since you've been in the paddock, we've been asked to respect your space because this is your off-time. Now, we have this opportunity to talk to you -- but from your point of view, why talk to us now?

A: It's a great opportunity. Obviously I try to stay away from the press of this industry, because I'm still gaining knowledge. You guys ask me questions, things that I may not know. Now that I know, I can really be more articulate about it, and at least express myself. But up to this point, I've just been telling Kenny (Abbott of Michael Jordan Motorsports), "Let's run it like a business." Let's try to understand the business. Once I understand the business, I can say something. And I'm starting to understand it very well, and I can say my piece. So is this the correct time? I don't know. You guys asked for this interview, and I said, "Okay, no problem. Let's sit down and let's talk about it." I was never afraid to sit in front of the media, I just didn't know how to say it, or what to say and what to talk about. Now that I know it, I'm not afraid to talk about it.

Q: A lot of people know you, obviously, you're renowned for your fierce competitive nature. What about this sport? Does it fan the fire in you? Is there anything like that?

A: I'm excited. I like this sport. These guys -- the dangerous channels that they take, the split-second decisions -- that's a talent. That's not just a daredevil, that's a talent, and they're good at it. You can sit here and watch the races, and you can -- I'm starting to be able to calculate some of the things that are happening in the race, some of the mistakes that are being made.

I ride. I get on the track, I ride. I fall. I crash. I do all that stuff. To me, I'm a daredevil to some degree. I'm not afraid of a challenge. I'm not afraid to step into something that I don't know much about, but I can learn. And once I learn it, I want to win. I want to compete at it. And yeah, this does drive my competitive juices. I'd like for it to be even better where we're all on the same playing field. And I like to think that we could really make an impact. I think it would be good for the AMA.

Q: (Utah Jazz owner) Larry Miller owns this place. You obviously had a few run-ins with him. Is there anything ironic about that?

A: Well, I didn't come last year. They told me that this is a great track. I think one of my friends, Jason Pridmore, had a school here, and I wasn't able to make it, but I wanted to come for this trip and see it. Larry Miller, I know Larry, I've had some dealings with Larry. I have no ill feelings. Why should I? I think he loves the sport, obviously. He loves motorsports. He built this facility for that. I wanted to see it, because it's something new and something different, and I'm happy I got the chance to come here.

Q: Everybody that's a fan of the sport has one race that just sucked them in -- a classic race. Which was it for you?

A : The race that really sucked me in was the race in Daytona (in '06). When Spies was leading going out of the last turn, when Mladin hit the brakes and got into the draft. To me, there's a lot of strategy in this game. It's craftiness as well. I think Mladin would be good at playing at any sport, because he has a competitive nature. He has the brain that he could break things down and find a way to win --although it's going to be tough with Spies, because Spies is gaining confidence each and every win that he has. But you can still see in certain tracks, certain technical situations, Mat pushes his buttons, which I think is the beauty of this sport.

I wish everybody had that same type of situation. The better player is going to win. If you put me with whoever, the better player is always going to win. So all I'm saying, if you put everybody on the same -- I'm pretty sure you're going to see some competitive guys, and the best guy that day is going to win the race. And the fan's going to win as much as anybody else is going to win.

Q: Does Mat's competitive nature remind you of yourself?

A : In some ways. Him, as well as Duhamel. I like Duhamel as well. He's a crafty old guy too. I think he's younger than me -- I know that. (Laughter) You can tell I've learned a little bit about the sport already. It's fun. I love it.

Q: What was scarier, riding the MotoGP bike or being in that BMW with Rossi?

A: Rossi. (Laughter) Because I'm a guy, I like to be in control. When you're sitting in and somebody's driving, you're not in control. But if they would've told me how good he was, I wouldn't have been as nervous. He was really good. He scared the (crap) out of me, but he was good. It was a lot of fun.

Q: What do you think of the athleticism of the riders?

A: I rode on the track. You don't really sit down on that bike except for on the straightaways. Everything else, you shift your weight, you position yourself on the bike to make the turn, to downshift, all the things I probably couldn't calculate as often as these guys could have. Those are some of the reasons why I fell. But I don't underestimate them being athletes. They are great athletes. Some of these guys ride bicycles 100 miles, just so they can train themselves to get on the bike. Little guys, but they're powerful, they're athletes. So don't think that they're not. And those little guys working this big bike, that's a lot of work. I appreciate the athleticism in this sport. It's not just "get on the bike and ride." I think it's a lot more than that, and they train themselves to do it.

---

quote:

Jordan tried to buy Mat Mladin's 2006 factory Superbike at the end of the '06 season, but was told by Suzuki that he could not afford it. Jordan, who regularly made over a hundred million dollars a year, told them to simply give him a price and he'd decide if he could afford it or not. No price was given.

(When Mat Mladin won the championship at Barber Motorsport Park a few years back, George Barber asked Suzuki for a price for Mladin's bike as he wanted to add it to the collection at his museum. Barber was told he could not afford it but that Suzuki would be happy to build him a replica of the bike. Barber reiterated that he wanted the actual bike. He was again told, according to Barber, he could not afford it.)

---