| Author | Message | ||
     Trojan |
If I rember rightly, John Ulrich and the AMA have not exactly been best buddies for years though, so I find it hard to imagine a scenario where DMG would g cap in hand to him unfortunately. I think it needs a new promoter from outside the current circle to come in and try and fix the leaking ship, although it is a bit of a poison chalice so getting somebody to do it may be difficult. | ||
| Bads1 |
Matt you are correct that DMG and Ulrich have not a good relationship. Although they may find it beneficial to have someone to the likes of him to run it. Hes not entirely bias to the factory teams and may just be what the AMA needs in terms of a good rules structure. | ||
| Mcgiver |
And if i'm not mistaken, Mr Ulrich's team has been the longest participating team in AMA history. | ||
| Xb1125r |
factory teams are bad idea, look at MOTO GP. is so lame that if you ride Honda or Yamha you are the only one that has a chance at being on the podium. only when the top dogs crash the other racers have a chance | ||
| Classax |
The top tier of racing is always going to be about the depth of pockets. Speed cost money and its always been a question of how fast can you afford to go. The factories really do need an outlet to test their latest greatest ideas. Its good for all of us when they prove to be good on the track and trickle down. The problem is in support levels and the pay to play has made it impossible to compete without a factories help. Unless you change the rules to limit the $$$$ spent in support and electronics instead of the technology, we will see more of the same. | ||
| Xb1125r |
the rider has to do alot with it. look at ducati and stoner. lesser bike spanked the japp bikes with all the money in the world. you could take marques and put him on a ducati and he might not win, but he would get podiums and he would be Rossi for sure | ||
| Trojan |
look at ducati and stoner. lesser bike spanked the japp bikes with all the money in the world. wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. Where do I start! | ||
| Classax |
So far 2014 is looking quite dismal for AMA. Only 4 rounds confirmed. Shocking since CMRA and WERA will have 3x that many each. I guess CBSS will have no choice but to drop them as well. No good having a great TV coverage deal when there are no events to cover. Mazda\ Laguna isn't looking like it will be hosting any major moto races next year. Even if they get two more rounds on the schedule, it will still be a huge failure of a season and the end of the AMA series. | ||
| Xb1125r |
the problem is American society there are too many sports, its cheaper to have a car then a motorcycle and most motorcycle guys just ride but have no clue about any races. just the facts however american like to gamble but if Yamaha wins every race in AMA, then that is out the window | ||
| Jaimec |
Looks like AMA/DMG is resorting to Two-Day race weekends instead of the more typical three. Guess that's ONE way to cut costs... | ||
| Classax |
Xb112r, there are a lot of things wrong with and as result caused by, "American society", but the success of motorcycle road racing and plethora of sports entertainment choices aren't one of them. The reality is racing in the USA has always been a grassroots endeavor as opposed to a national passion like it is in some parts of Europe. When the cost to compete goes beyond the reach of the majority of "dedicated" fans, the racing becomes a parade, the fans stop coming, new blood and money stops participating, and eventually the racing stops.The exception being NASCAR which has continued to market itself as a grassroots motor sport even though the teams are multi million dollar corporations. (Message edited by classax on November 30, 2013) | ||
| Ljm |
Tim, I would add that racing here is difficult to follow and that information and the opportunity to reach fans, and vica versa is limited. To actually find information on a race, a bike, a racer is difficult at best. So, the fans and potential fans do exercise their choices to look at other sports. One exception seems to be Elena Myers. She posts on facebook, goes to shows, visits dealers, etc. As a result, her fan base is larger than her results would predict. And on the fan walk, her line is the longest other than perhaps Josh Hayes. That is not a coincidence. It is a concerted effort that AMA racing could learn from. | ||
| Trojan |
It is a concerted effort that AMA racing could learn from The AMA/DMG just seems to suffer from 'learning difficulties' unfortunately. Despite warnings on low viewing figures, poor/non existent TV deals etc they have still failed to learn anything. Now, not only has DMG failed to get AMA/DMG racing in the support slot for WSB at Laguna, but they have listed an AMA race for the same weekend at mid Ohio. Given the poor spcatator and TV audiencs so far, where is the logic in clashing with the home round of WSBK for viewers? No wonder all the young guns are jumping ship  James Rispoli haas now signed to ride for Keith Flint (Prodigy front man) in BSB Supersport next year. Would the last man out of DMG racing please turn out the lights. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I can't get the WSBK races *or* the AMA races live anyway on my mid tier cable package. But I can (and generally will) drive to Mid Ohio to go watch the races. The AMA televised coverage hasn't been "live" for years anyway. The series is obviously in flux, and the AMA and later DMG both obviously made some mistakes, but I think there are just some big fundamental challenges to get people in the US interested. Absent Buell or EBR, I probably would never have bothered to go watch a parade of inline fours where the winner is the team willing to burn the largest barrel of money anyway. | ||
| Ljm |
AMA just released their flat track schedule for 2014. There are 16 stops on it, with several new and returning promoters. Looks like they are growing. There are stops on the tour that would seem to be out of the way but are either thriving (if they have been there before) or willing to chance that spectators will come out. All in all, looks like a healthy circuit. | ||
| Firstbuell |
Road Racing Class Restructuring Intentions Announced ".....AMA Pro SuperBike will be entering its 40th year of competition and will once again be featured as the headlining class for the Series. Following consultation with both World and National Superbike championship governing bodies, incremental changes will be made to the technical rules package over the next two seasons in the interest of rule commonality, performance parity and cost containment......" http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/12/04/amASBK-road-r acing-class-restructuring-intentions-announced/ | ||
| Reepicheep |
Good lip service (cost containment and parity), but no facts that I could find... It seems pretty clear that the twins have been at a disadvantage for quite some time. | ||
| Jaimec |
Merging that stupid Daytona Sportbike and Supersport bikes into a single class is the most sensible thing I can see out of that announcement. That's the last of that IDIOT Roger Edmundsen's changes to the series to go. Making all classes closer to the various international series also makes it easier for our racers to step up onto the international stage. Now, all they need is something akin to a "Moto3"/"Red Bull Rookies Cup" series to get the kids started off on the right foot... | ||
| Svh |
Jaime they are talking about doing that once the 2 classes are merged. Replacing the Hardly's with a small displacement class. I hope that happens in 2015. Now to work on a schedule. | ||
| Bads1 |
As far as Im concerned its still crap. The Sportbike class is still expensive for privateers to run. Now we have two classes..... less then half of a season races.... and shortened weekend races. This series is in crapper. I bet more jump ship next year. | ||
| Firstbuell |
"jump ship" - to where.....? | ||
| Trojan |
"jump ship" - to where.....? BSB,WSS,CEV, Moto2.....all the placesthat young US riders are currently jumping to. | ||
| Bads1 |
JD Beach for instance. Hes on the Graves bike this year. If he win the title this year he may step up to the Superbike because Josh Hayes is getting close for retirement especially if he gets beat by his Rookie superbike teammate this year. Then JD beach will fit right in. But it wont take long for either to leave. | ||
| Classax |
WOW.. 12/16 and still no official schedule. CBS Sports and the teams who actually want to compete have no way of planning the season when there is no schedule. Come on DMG you are shooting yourself if the foot and risking the whole season and industry by not being on top of this. What is the big hold up on issuing a schedule so that teams can lock in sponsors, and by extension crew and riders? UGH! | ||
| Ljm |
Tim, so far, at least as near as I can tell, there are 5 stops identified so far looking at AMA site and RRW, etc.: Daytona, Road America, Mid-Ohio, Barber, New Jersey. I would hope they are frantically trying to add races, but as you said, it is late. Flat track schedule is up, Motocross is up, and if I recall both have 12-14 stops. For whatever reason, finances, lack of crowd, or whatever, tracks are not jumping on the bandwagon. It is going to be a bummer if it doesn't get better than this. For my part this year, my spectating trip is probably going to be WSB at Laguna Seca. | ||
| Classax |
Hopefully we will run into each other at at Laguna Seca for WSBK. I was also going to do Daytona, and COTA as well for MOTOGP, and possibly Barber if things go as planned. From what I've seen club race series brings in more revenue than a track day, and certainly more than an idle track. If DMG is getting greedy then that would explain tracks being reluctant. The crowds are about the same so surely that's not it. This is a joke, first you had lots of rounds with no tv coverage contract, now you have a guarantee to have every round covered for television with good production value and you have no rounds( only 5 may as well be one). What are you doing DMG... you are killing us here. You're not going to have any teams willing to run soon and those teams may leave the series or die ala MJMS. Most teams normally have locked in riders and sponsors based on the schedule by now. I know of at least 3 teams in superbike that haven't decided if they are going to return and haven't signed their riders yet because of this. | ||
| Bads1 |
lil bird is peeping. Something about EBR still racing AMA?? | ||
| Svh |
Erik just said in a Sportrider interview they plan on being in AMA. Now is that next year or '15? That is the question. CW has been out putting in track time on an EBR as well (Message edited by svh on December 16, 2013) | ||
| M2typhoon |
Cory knows more about that bike than most anyone else but, I'm sure it won't be an RS since their flagship is now the RX. There's still Roger Hayden and Danny out there looking for a ride as well. If I were Erik, I'd wait for all the rule changes to take effect and get a season of WSBK under my belt before spreading back into AMA. My .02 | ||
| Jaimec |
I'd disagree... the "flagship" is still the RS. The "RX" is the "affordable version." |
