6 replies to this topic

[Locai]

http://moto-racing.s...-heeded-almost/

AMA has sold all of it's pro racing series (with the exception of SuperCross) to Daytona Motorsports Group (yes, they are semi-related to NASCAR). While it's no secret that the AMA has sucked at marketing any of it's pro series for a long, long time, I'm not sure that the geniuses that brought us Grand Am racing are the best answer (maybe I'm wrong).

DMG also owns the Grand Am sports car series. Grand Am has one big event every year with excellent participation and buzz (The Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona). They then have a dozen or so more races that nobody cares about.

While DMG will take over a variety of series from the AMA, the one with the most press coverage is the AMA Superbike series. While nothing is "set in stone" yet, it looks like they intend to complete overhaul everything (see above link). Their stated intent is to reduce class confusion.

It looks like DMG intends to make something resembling the current Formula Extreme (4-stroke 600cc modified production-based bikes) their premier class and make something resembling the current Superbike class (4-stroke 1000cc production-based bikes) more of a privateer support class. In effect, they want the premier class to be somewhat of a 600cc MotoGP-type class. Confused yet? I am.

Dave DeSpain had the guy in charge of DMG on Wind Tunnel on Sunday night (Speed Channel). He said that they intend to develop equivalency rules to allow 2-cylinder and 3-cylinder bikes into the new premier class and they've identified 10-12 bike makers from around the world with bikes that would qualify. I'm all for getting more makes involved beyond the "Big 4" japanese. I'd love to see Ducati, Triumph, Buell, Aprilia, Hyosung, Fischer, MotoCzysz, MV Augusta, Moto Guzzi, etc (or some subgroup of them) get involved and be competitive.

I hope for the sake of US Motorcycle racing that they know what they're doing.

[pingu666]

arent the supersports class 600cc ?

[Option1]

Originally posted by Locai
...
I hope for the sake of US Motorcycle racing that they know what they're doing.

Actually, they don't have the slightest, tiniest, infintessimal, smidgin of a ****ing clue and it shows!

Same arseholes that claim those fugly and amazingly slow Daytona Prototypes are where sportscar racing is at.

AMA, how to **** up US motorcycle racing in one fell swoop. Way to go...

Neil

[Locai]

Originally posted by pingu666
arent the supersports class 600cc ?

Yes. But they want to "end the confusion" caused by having 3 classes called "Super". I don't disagree with that part, but that is just following the international naming conventions. I just don't like the NASCARization and GrandAmizing of street bike racing. I'm all for getting somebody who's not riding a factory Suzuki onto the podium, but I'd rather see them keep the 1000's as the premier class and go with a spec tire and severely limit the "unobtanium" factory team parts than do this. I think that it's just making the series even less relevant.

They seem to forget that, for all of it's shortcomings, AMA Superbikes HAS fed a few riders into WSBK and MotoGP. And, Nicky Hayden DID go from AMA into MotoGP and WIN A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP a couple of seasons later. There's no reason to make the AMA premier class (whatever it may be) completely irrelevant on the world stage. The US does have several world class riders in MotoGP right now. Most, if not all, did come from the AMA Pro ranks.

Now that open-wheel is all IndyCar I've given up on seeing an American in F1. I guess now I can give up on seeing another American (except for maybe Ben Spies) in WSBK or MotoGP.

[IOU 16]

It's dead or will die soon.

I do not see this ever working. To make suhc changes like that is obsured and stupid. The current system does work. Only reason people think it does not is because you have Suzuki taking advantage of the rules package and dominating.

[canon1753]

Would I be wrong in thinking that change in formula would be focussed on the needs of the Daytona 200? Superbikes can't say "see the bikes and stars of the Daytona 200" because of tire issues and speed issues. So, you dumb everything else down due to the problem with the premier race...

[Locai]

Originally posted by canon1753
Would I be wrong in thinking that change in formula would be focussed on the needs of the Daytona 200? Superbikes can't say "see the bikes and stars of the Daytona 200" because of tire issues and speed issues. So, you dumb everything else down due to the problem with the premier race...

I actually realized the same thing last night. They want to sell the Daytona 200 as the "premier race". They can't really market a "lower" class race as the "premier" race of the year. Therefore, you force the upper classes down so far that Formula Extreme/Daytona Superbikes is, by default, the "premier" class.

I just can't see the manufacturers putting in the time and money to make the 600s into a "MotoGP Lite". I just can't see the payoff in doing so. Hell, for that matter, the real MotoGP is having trouble getting everybody to put in the time and money to be competitive. When's the last time you saw a Suzuki or Kawasaki be consistently competitive in MotoGP? It's been awhile (not during the 4-stroke era, at least).

This whole "we need 1 signature race and everything else be damned" mentality of NASCAR, GrandAm & IndyCar is killing motor racing in the US.