| Author | Message | ||
     Jaimec |
Although I'm excited to see Baz racing here in the States, does this mean PJ's career is over? I sure hope not... Baz has won multiple WSBK races and even podiumed in MotoGP so he'll DEFINITELY raise the bar as Elias' did when he first joined the grid. https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motoamerica-l oris-baz-riding-ducati-superbike-for-hsbk-racing/ | ||
| Steeleagle |
Hopefully PJ lands somewhere for 2021. I haven't seen anything alluding to whether he's still got issues from his burns from RA, sponsorship issues or... But then I haven't actively looked!! He's too good of a rider to sit on the sidelines. I'm still wondering how Ducati is supporting Wyman. He took the plunge with Ducati a couple of years ago and has been doing well, considering he was the lone wolf at the time he went that direction. But what I'm seeing is the factory putting their major effort behind HSBK. Is Kyle getting comparable support? | ||
| Jaimec |
Hey Dennis, have you heard anything about Cameron Petersen? He doesn't seem to have a ride (yet) this year. Also, I see Tim has a new rider for Supersport 1000 along with Max in Superbike. Walt Sipp is back on the grid for 2021. | ||
| Steeleagle |
Shame on me, but unless Walt is his new rider (He rode for them last year) I wasn't aware Tim had a newbie! I've heard nothing about Cam Peterson. One would hope that with him crushing it in Stock 1000 that he'd land somewhere. I'll shake the trees here on my end and see if I can get any gossip! | ||
| Jaimec |
I guess I misinterpreted this article. It does say Walt is BACK with Thrashed Racing, which does imply he rode for them before. I just didn't realize Tim had riders in both classes. https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motoamerica-s ipp-entering-selected-stock-1000-superbike-cup-rac es/ | ||
| Steeleagle |
FWIW I checked my "sources" and got zero intel on Cam's status. He's a stand-up guy and approachable as hell. I hope he's got (or retained) a decent ride and is just laying low waiting for the season to start. | ||
| Jaimec |
You're right. He's far too talented to NOT have a ride. Of course, the same could be said of Andrea Dovizioso over in MotoGP too... | ||
| Jaimec |
Cam Petersen to ride Superbike in 2021! Took long enough for this announcement to come out! https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/cam-petersen- joins-bobby-fong-on-m4-ecstar-suzuki-superbikes/ | ||
| Jaimec |
Jake Gagne is on FIRE!! | ||
| Steeleagle |
Yep. Scholtz got shuffled back at the start of Race #2. Not sure if he could have given him a challenge or not. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Why do I think MA is a joke? No personalities anymore, except for the occasional Euro that has defected to MA. No more factory teams. Processional racing with massive gaps. See below. ***EDIT*** Not sure how I forgot to include this--"King of Baggers".     (Message edited by fresnobuell on June 12, 2021) | ||
| Hughlysses |
Look who set a lap record: https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motoamerica-m ay-breaks-lap-record-takes-stock-1000-pole-positio n/ | ||
| Rsh |
I think it has a lot to do with spectators not turning out, and I am referring to pre-covid times. Without spectators you will not attract sponsors and without sponsors there is little money to go around. The factorys don't want to foot all the bills with such little return on investment. Used to be 2 AMA rounds in California, sometimes 3 when piggy backed with World Superbike at Laguna Seca. I live in socal, the races at Auto Club speedway and Infineon used to be a big events with the Spies Mladin show and the formula extreme class was very exciting as well, even Buell teams were racing. Many many more spectators attended in those days. When DMG and Dingman got involved and tried to grow the sport by leveling the playing field things started to degrade, I want to see factory riders with factory race bikes, that was something to aspire too, you earned your way to that level. At least roadracing isn't completely dead, Wayne Rainey is doing a tremendous job with MotoAmerica working to keep things alive. Now Supercross is starting the same death spiral. Obviously Covid has not helped any sport. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
You are correct. It's all about the economics. I remember when GP returned to Laguna Seca. It was an EVENT. We had to comb Craiglist to to over-pay for a camping spot second-hand for a couple year , until we were finally able reserve one through the track. What great memories. 40,000 or 50,000 fans packed into Laguna Seca each day. I am just glad we got a few good years in while road racing was in its prime still. As far as AMA goes, it was also in its heyday. Eslick and Barney rocking the Buells was cetainly my favorite memory since I was riding the same bike. Spies/Mladin on the factory Suzukis, but not liking each other. Great stuff. Now everything is soooo PC. Everyone is so worried about saying the wrong thing and getting "cancelled" that it's all so bland and boring. I still wonder what Eslick did to get cancelled. I can only imagine what Laguna Seca will be like in July with no WSBK to bring the fans out. I home I am wrong, but I envision it to be completely dead...thus the death spiral RSH refers to. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
We went to all the AMA rounds in CA back in the day since we were younger and had less responsibilities. Infineon and Fontana were stand alone AMA events, thus a bit smaller than Laguna Seca with GP for sure. Each had it's own character. I remember fondly of witnessing Danny's first two wins on the Buell in Fontana. We caught up to him outside his RV later in the evening after the first win and he was just one of the happiest dudes ever. Good down to earth kind of guy. Miss him not being in the paddock anymore. | ||
| Rsh |
Eslick and Barney are supposed to be in the King of the Baggers race today at Road America | ||
| Crusty |
Eslick has been doing well in Flat Track. He was on the podium at the Chicago 1/2 Mile. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
No kidding. Strange Danny doesn't post anything on Facebook. I checked recently and it looked like he had basically taken the page down (or moved to another one that I am not aware of.) I am glad to hear he's still racing one way or another. | ||
| 46champ |
I went to the superbike race at the ridge in Washington. Yes it was hot like 104 hot. Really neet track lots of elevation changes. Gagne is in a class by himself. They must be growing the series some with decent bike counts in the lower classes. | ||
| Jaimec |
I see "Toni Sunglasses" is back subbing for Kyle Wyman. Odd... Kyle is apparently not fit enough to race the Panigale, but fit enough to race in "King of the Baggers." Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how Elias does on the privateer Panigale against the essentially "factory" version raced by Loris Baz. | ||
| Rsh |
The difference for Kyle is he is racing for a championship in the bagger series and has a good chance of a pretty good payday from Harley if he win's and a huge boost for Harley in the Harley vs. Indian rivalry. In MotoAmerica superbike, Kyle is currently 8th in the standings. What would you do. | ||
| Jaimec |
I wouldn't risk my health... but then that's why I never got into professional sports so there's that... | ||
| Slaughter |
Anybody here going to Laguna Seca? WE're camping and can exchange cell numbers to organize. PM me if interested. | ||
| Bertman |
My riding buddy Glenn and I are going up to Laguna Seca also this weekend. We will be staying in a hotel in Gilroy smelling all the garlic though. I'll ride the ol' Firebolt up this time since it has never taken a lap around the track. See you up there Steve! | ||
| Jaimec |
I can't believe Fox Sports interrupted their coverage of the Superbike race for a ****ing SOCCER GAME!! WTF?? Bring back beIN Sports!! | ||
| Rsh |
That was definitely a Cluster F***. Even though soccer has way more fans, and the money Fox must get, that was just wrong. | ||
| Jaimec |
One would think you'd get more soccer fans watching if they actually KNEW there was a game being broadcast. My friend discovered that Fox Sports did rebroadcast the race in its entirety during a segment FiOS identified as "NHRA Drag Racing" later in the evening. How many ways can Fox screw this up??? | ||
| Bertman |
I got to Laguna Seca about 1:15 on Friday to exchange my e-tickets for wrist band passes (old management use to mail you real tickets and wrist bands for preferred parking so you could go straight in) then checked it out for awhile. Lots of racers there, which is very encouraging for the sport, but not very many people. Hardly NO venders at all in the infield so I figured it was gonna be a bust spectator participation. Boy was I wrong...Showed up Saturday morning late and couldn't hardly find a place to park the motorcycle. Great fan turn out, but the management majorly underestimated that turn out. | ||
| Bertman |
Bonus..Bonus...The racing was very very good. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Wow. What a GREAT weekend at Laguna Seca. Fans were out in droves and the weather was perfect! I have a renewed faith in MotoAmerica. I hope this isn't just a post-Covid rebound and the momentum will continue in the years to come. I venture to say the attendance was in the ballpark when WSBK was still around. The racing was good, not great. A few close finishes on Sunday were the highlights but I don't remember pass-filled races, although I will be the first to admit we sometimes we get lost in the paddock or Marketplace during the racing in the smaller classes. The Superstock race was the best of the weekend with the leader taking a defensive line in the final Turn 11 (killing his drive while he spun up the rear trying to recover) while the guy behind him did the opposite to take the win by .032 seconds (IIRC). Typically you don't see the big bikes drafting past if they are behind coming out of Turn 11 as there isn't enough runway before the Finish line. That was cool. Lowlight of the weekend. Two ass@#$$# with "General RV" passes parked their trailers in trackside RV spots. One of them happened to be ours. I think they were too stupid to realize that trackside spots are reserved, you know, each with a clearly designated number not only on the fence but also in chalk on the ground. They proceeded to complicate the situation by driving their truck off-site and riding motorcycles back into the track. The suck part is they got away with it and were allowed to stay there all weekend. We ended up in the site next to them as it was open and the other party they displaced were also relocated. The only good thing is these people only came in from about 10am to 4pm to hang out in their trailers and then left for the night. Since we are gone from the campsite all day except to eat lunch and reload our drinks, we never really even saw them. I don't know if anyone knows Hannah from Motoamerica, but that girl went over and above a couple different times because of the campsite fiasco. I was thoroughly impressed with her. Anyone who hangs out at the Tiki Hut may know her. Some people still care and really want to do the job right. (Message edited by fresnobuell on July 13, 2021) |
