| Author | Message | ||
     Hughlysses |
Interesting rumor: http://www.riderfiles.com/dornas-top-secret-plan-f or-road-racing-in-america/ | ||
| Slaughter |
What AMA has now is NOT working... why not? Uhlrich did wonders with a Western pro level series at Sears Point, Fontana and Miller. Superbike Shoot-out. AMA was late to the dance with Laguna. Uhlrich knows racing. AMA should stick to legal advocacy and riders rights, let SOMEBODY handle racing. http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/three-round-su perbike-shootout-series-to-visit-auto-club-speedwa y-april-26-27/ | ||
| Jdugger |
> AMA should stick to legal advocacy and > riders rights, let SOMEBODY handle racing. Technically, that's what they do. The AMA Pro Racing name and road racing series is licensed to DMG. | ||
| Smoke |
not defending AMAPro but the AMA sold the rights to all pro racing to DMG(daytona motorsports group)(owned by Bill France) who then leased the motocross stuff to clear channel who appear to know what they are doing and DMG then totally screwed up the roadracing side. unfortunately AMA who sold the pro series to concentrate on rider's rights and benefits(because pro motorcycle racing was costing money instead of earning) are still catching the blame. 2008's economic collapse also coincided with the early years of the DMG takeover and although the economy is recovering motorcycle sales have not reached pre 2008 levels yet. the biggest issue i see is that the current pro roadracing organization does not have a central marketing plan and depends on the track to do the marketing to attract spectators. no video coverage whatsoever of the largest spectator venue of the year so far doesn't help. grids are shrinking due to losses of sponsorship and lack of a sellable presence. not good! WERA pro has organized a series starting next year but i don't know the details yet. buy motorcycles and come to the races is the best advice that i can give! tim | ||
| Classax |
To be frank, Roadracing is a conflict of interest for DMG who is also NASCAR. Its not a matter of not knowing how to build the sport, its a matter of protecting the golden goose which is NASCAR. The sponsor dollars, eyeballs and market share, even race calendar days are all in competition with one another. In the same time period in which DMG has seen AMA road racing struggle, they have seen their other baby blossom. We can quit blaming the economy because it was not the root cause. Its DMG | ||
| Trojan |
There has been a rumour for months about Dorna organising a series in the USA to try and boost US riders in International competition. To be honest they would do a very good of it (let's face it, barnum and Bailey would do a better job than AMA?DMG so far!). A well organised US series incorporating some good south american riders on the same basis as the CEV series would be great news for everyone. I would thik it would be less superbike/supersport orientated though and more Moto3/Moto2 so that would be a big shift for US teams, riders and fans. In the meantime, the only route to international meetings for US riders seems to be as part of the EBR team, so maybe this is an opportunity for EBR to promote good young US based talentr as part fo their superbike squad. JD BEach, Jake Gagne, Gerloff, James Rispoli and a few others spring to mind as excellent young guns that ned a leg up in international competition. | ||
| Gregtonn |
Anyone who thinks that by turning US moto road racing into a feeder series for WSBK/MotoGP they will attract more US fans is even more clueless than the DMG. G | ||
| Trojan |
Anyone who thinks that by turning US moto road racing into a feeder series for WSBK/MotoGP they will attract more US fans is even more clueless than the DMG. The US series doesn't have to attract fans initially so long as it is funded well. A well organised series attracts good riders (look at BSB for example) and that brings spectators and teams. Hopefully it would feed US riders into WSB/MotoGP and THAT will attract fans, which eventually shoudl filter down the system. That is basically how it has happened in Spain and Europe so far and is working. | ||
| Smoke |
interesting statistics http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-news/statis tics/motorcycle-sales-statistics.htm http://goeurope.about.com/od/europeanmaps/l/bl-cou ntry-size-comparison-map.htm Matt had it right with his comparison to the circus. Everybody knows when the circus is coming to town due to flyers, tv commercials and the other types of marketing they utilize. I'm a big believer in watching how successful operations perform and emulate the procedures that help make them that way. 100 free tickets would give you an army of workers to blanket an area with info. the general public has to be the focal point of the marketing. get them there and turn them into fans. tim tim | ||
| Gregtonn |
"I would thik it would be less superbike/supersport orientated though and more Moto3/Moto2 so that would be a big shift for US teams, riders and fans." and "The US series doesn't have to attract fans initially so long as it is funded well." So let me get this straight; Paying riders and teams large sums of money to tour the country racing in front of empty stands, on down-scale spec bikes, is what we need to save US moto road racing??? G | ||
| Trojan |
on down-scale spec bikes, Down scale? Moto3 and Moto2 are definitely UP SCALE compared to Daytona Sportbike (a series that nobody else in the world shares or cares about). It depends what you want to achieve. Whatever happens next is not going to attract new fans overnight, so anyone who claims to be able to do that is just plain wrong. What needs to be done is a ground up rebuilding of a series that will attract teams, riders, money and eventually TV and paying punters. To get that you need someone like DORNA to come in and build a series that has a genuine chance of producing world champions like AMA Superbike used to. I am old enough to remember when the world racing stars flew in in droves to race at Daytona and Ontario every year on proper factory GP machinery, and the stands were sold out months in advance. Why did they go there? Because it was the best and most prestigious race in the world at that time. Now it is a club race in comparison. if the US series is built to reflect te world championship series instead of mickey mouse classes then you will grow riders capable of arriving in MotoGP and WSB with a fair chance of success. It will also allow world class riders to ride in AMA races on the same machinery as they are used to, whether formula that is the same as WSB or MotoGP. If not then you will continue the downhill spiral that the AMA series is now on. The fact that the reigning AMA Superbike champion can't get into the top 20 in Moto2 and is in real danger of losing his ride by the next round should be ringing loud bells in somebodies ears by now surely? If they have to run in front of empty stands for a couple of years how much different is that to now? 49000 at Lagina over 3 days, compared to 89000 at Sachsenring on race day alone? You do the maths. AMA is not exactly turing people away at the gate now is it? Dorna know how to attract sponsors and TV coverage and have rescued MotoGp from a dire place it was at towards the end of the 2 stroke era. They haven't done everything right, but they have made a better fist of things than the AMA/DMG have for sure. Give them a chance. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Moto 3 is some of the very best motorcycle road racing around. At one race the difference between the top box and 10th place was less than a second. With top speeds on the North side of 145 mph. Not damn shabby for a single cylinder 250. Close, tight racing. Constant dicing for position. Exactly what racing should be. Last weekend, I didn't watch the entire GP race because it was another parade. AMA has become the Josh Hayes Show. Same boring, different flavor. | ||
| Blake |
I'd darn near rather chew on dirty socks than watch Moto3 or Moto2. I'm just not interested in any spec engine/machine series, never have been, never will be. | ||
| Trojan |
I'd darn near rather chew on dirty socks than watch Moto3 or Moto2. I'm just not interested in any spec engine/machine series, never have been, never will be. This train of thought is exactly why there are no young US riders in the pipeline for a world championship ride in Moto3, Moto2 or MotoGP right now. If the US wants to continue on its own isolationist course in motorcycle racing then there will be no US riders competing at world championship level at all. Moto3 is one of the best series to come out in recent years that means young riders can race on relatively affordable competitive GP spec machinery. The AMA race series is in its death throws right now and the current formula does not work, what would you suggest they do to revive it and to get more young US riders into world championship racing? | ||
| Classax |
While attracting new fans would be nice, servicing current fans should be job one! There are plenty of fans and sponsor dollars to be had. In the days when SPEED actually covered motor and motosport even TV was at least available. The sport is dying from lack of participants (racers and sponsors), due to lack of venues, due to lack of fans due to lack of promotion, due conflicts of interest by the ownership group. There needs to be a premiere spec series and a premier Super bike series that follows the rules of WSBK with lower cost approved parts on the aux parts list. Right now wsbk, motogp and ama are all parades and I enjoy rooting for anyone who has a sniff at beating the respective leaders. Not the best formula for racing but the best for developing machines. | ||
| Trojan |
Right now wsbk, motogp and ama are all parades I wouldn't call any of them parades except maybe AMA, where there are only really two top teams. Everywhere else the best riders on the best bikes tend to win. Moto2 and Moto3 are very close and the guy who wins one race can finish out of the points the next, and that is exciting racing. if you want people to come and spectate you need to give them close racing that they enjoy. if that meens a spec series then so be it. | ||
| Jscott |
How about a spec EBR series  | ||
| Trojan |
How about a spec EBR series I think most spectators would like to see at least some bikes finish  | ||
| Smoke |
damn,Matt. that's cold! tim | ||
| Court |
. .. and would potentially exclude several manufacturers.  | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Blake, if you watch Moto GP, why not watch the feeder series for riders like Marquez and others before him? What you're missing is some of the best racing in the world today. We all wish Moto GP could be as competitive, and perhaps it will be when some of the fast guys join Marquez in the premier series. If there's ever enough bikes for them to ride of course. Rocket in England | ||
| Jscott |
One of those on the list is not like the others…. Personally I'll take the DNFs, and crashes all day long over the DNS | ||
| Blake |
I'd MUCH rather see unfettered open completion, no limits on tires or machines or fuel. I'm actually more interested in the machinery than the people. I like and appreciate many racers, but the tech and the freedom to improve it is my favorite part of the competition. Thus, I've come to hate the bloated limitations on MotoGP machines. Close racing is entertaining, but not so much when it's contrived by tech rules that end up essentially dictating the common engine configuration for all bikes. | ||
| Ljm |
I don't know about parades. That may be true in AMA superbike, but not in sportbike and supersport. Both are deep and the competition is good. Unfortunately, AMA superbike, the flagship is sinking. Unless a someone wants to run outside the podium group, behind Graves Yamaha, without factory support (if a European bike), why bother? I think that if someone, say Ulrich were to add a few stops onto the existing 3 race series, with media coverage (albeit internet), lots of classes of racing to feed it, they might just make the AMA obsolete. The fact that there were several factory supported teams there, Yamaha, KTM, etc. suggest that the teams and companies are hedging their bets. If they collapse, the alternative already exists, particularly if it grows a bit. | ||
| Fast1075 |
No holds barred road racing ended in the 60's. Everybody else was hemorrhaging their check book trying to keep up with Honda. But there were some fine pieces of mechanical technology (for the day). From the 21,000 rpm Honda 50cc twin, thru the 350cc sixes, The Suzuki and Yamaha 2 smokes, the Laverdas, The MVs, the Guzzi V-8. | ||
| Trojan |
I'd MUCH rather see unfettered open completion, no limits on tires or machines or fuel. So would we all, but it ain't gonna happen. And as fast1075 says, the guy with the biggest cheque book still wins anyway. far better to have a well supported, well financed spec series that brings competitors and spectators back than a technically interesting but dead series with limited competitors and no support surely? Also if the rest of the world is racing Mot3 and Moto2 the US would be nuts to do anything else really, unless they want another 'world series' in which nobody else takes part. | ||
| Trojan |
If you think that spec series racing hinders technical innovation take a look at this... http://www.bikesportnews.com/news-detail.cfm?newst itle=Mossey-to-debut-Moto2-Brough-Superior-at-Silv erstone-MotoGP&newsid=12456 Designed by John Keogh, the guy who designed the Buell Xb9R, and built by Taylor made racing (badged as a Brough for publicity reasons). I hope they do well although Luke Mossey is a strange choice of rider at this level maybe? | ||
| Rodrob |
This is a truly exciting development. Paul Taylor and Shawn Higbee left for testing at Silverstone last Thursday. I am anxious to hear the results and pissed that I could not go. Paul is an amazing guy and truly dedicated to the sport. That this bike could be developed and built by hand out of a tiny shop in Van Nuys CA, is a testiment to Paul's talent and dedication. Moto2 is the only class where this could be done. The choice of riders is small, given that most are already under contract. Luke's (and other's) involvement was able to attract a named sponsor to be able to run as a wild card entry. That makes him the perfect choice in my book. I hope to be able to make the race and bring back some behind the scenes video of this groundbreaking effort. Here is a link to a video of the bike's unveiling with Jay Leno. I have a recent video of Shawn racing the bike in the F1 race at WERA Fontana that I will try to have up by tomorrow. http://youtu.be/hhcPQ9z8Ic4 (Message edited by rodrob on July 17, 2014) | ||
| Hootowl |
Neat! | ||
| Firstbuell |
hey Trojan, RE: ".....John Keogh, the guy who designed the Buell Xb9R....." I know he was the Gen2 Aprilia RSV guy, & have heard somewhere that he had unknown input on 1 or more of the 1190s please be specific about his contributions to the XB9R [& any other models], as there's a difference between 'styling' & 'designing' the former is sometimes seen as a Buell/EBR weakness {I disagree] & the latter a strength |
