We're slow huh? Well, I wonder why....

[sdiver68]

5AM?  I was up at 3AM.  My body just WOKE UP!  Hello!  I was thinkin' 'bout them glasses!
 8)

Cool  8)

Now, after while working with you, each time I don't beat someone I just call that an error on your part  :D

[fourandsix]

Since 600 is becoming and Superbike has been the 2 true "factory" classes, it seems privateers that want to shine do so in the SuperStock and FX classes.

Can I ask, by factory SS bike, do you mean the true full factory rides?  Or the semi-factory teams like Corona, Attack, Vesrah, Graves, etc..?

You can forget about superstock as Tommy Hayden on the 636 was the fastest guy in 750 practice this morning at daytona , by the way 6 of the top ten fastest were on 600cc bikes and that is at the fastest track the AMA races at. The graves 600 bikes are a full factory effort run out of the yamaha race shop. Corona and Attack have everything the Yosh teams have. Vesrah runs WERA which is a whole different ballgame .It doesn't matter how fast a rider you are , if you don't have the equipment or technical backing which costs big $$$$$$ you will never see the top ten in an AMA race , and considering there are over 20 factory supported bikes this year you will never see the top 20. Spend about $20,000 plus the cost of the bike and thats a different story!

[sdiver68]

Oops, sorry, I knew I would include at least one effort in my list that is full factory.

But, the others, do pretty darn well from my perspective, as in some Top 10's.  True, Vesrah (MJ) runs WERA, but they haven't they also done decent in the AMA events they've entered in the past?  I recall a 3rd a couple of years ago.

I'm not arguing as everyone know the factory teams are the shit...I was just "foruming" what type of bike and effort it would take to place really well in the non-factory "subrace", even if the factory boys take places 1-12 :)

I'm also not talking a full season like you are used to, Jim.  Just picking a single event or 2 on a "home" track.

[fourandsix]

I don't care about getting a factory ride. All im saying is that it is very hard trying to be competetive against, let alone beat MR. Factory dude. It'll never happen. If it does, they will tear you down until they find anything that they think is not legal. When I say anything, I mean ANYTHING. You will be disqualified in a heart beat. Ask 4&6 racing about that one if you think im lying. It happened to them along time ago at RA. But when people that also race try to dis your shiznit, i think that's just haten shizit. I enjoy racing against anybody who wants to race, but I don't have no pipe dreams. I don't do this for a living, I do it because it's more fun than almost anything that I have done in my life. I've been in it for 3 years.......I wish I would have known about it when I was an 18 year old kid. I would have tried very hard then to get a factory ride. But now, im just an old slow dude out there having a little fun.

Actually we were dq'd from brainerd not Road America where the bike past tech no problem. But when you start beating up on the factory guys things happen, what they found wrong with our bike after brainerd was more political then mechanical but you can't fight city hall. we had a few other podiums that year and also finished 3rd at vegas using a head supplied by the AMA.

[fourandsix]

Oops, sorry, I knew I would include at least one effort in my list that is full factory.

But, the others, do pretty darn well from my perspective, as in some Top 10's.  True, Vesrah (MJ) runs WERA, but they haven't they also done decent in the AMA events they've entered in the past?  I recall a 3rd a couple of years ago.

Even if you did one race you still would have to have a very well prepared bike so it still is big$$$$$
Monte ran well at RA last year and finished well back of the factory bike in front of him which was hacking, Monte was about 25 secs back . The pole for that race was 2:15.650 , the winner Yates averaged around the 2:17 range or so , Monte averaged 2:20 range times. Monte is a very good rider on a track he knows well , he just didn't have the bike to get him a higher finish. I don't think there are many riders in this area whether they have legal bikes or not that run better than a 2:20 at Road America on a 600.

I'm not arguing as everyone know the factory teams are the shit...I was just "foruming" what type of bike and effort it would take to place really well in the non-factory "subrace", even if the factory boys take places 1-12 :)

I'm also not talking a full season like you are used to, Jim.  Just picking a single event or 2 on a "home" track.

[ice]

Diver,

Tez told me yesterday that before you can enter an AMA race, the AMA requires you to be an expert for at least one full year.  Don't know if it's true, but I do know that you said you will try to qualify for AMA races this year so you might want to check it out......

Good luck ;)

[MightyDuc Racing]

If the factory guys weren't there finishing 1-12, what factory rides would there be for everybody to dream about or shoot for as a career goal.  Name any other major racing series that isn't dominated by factory supported or incredibly well-funded (i.e. Nascar type sponsors) race teams.  Those teams' mere existence gives me something to shoot for.  The odds are extremely poor that I'll ever get some sort of factory ride, but with things like the Hammer Talent Search, etc...the chances, although ever so slight, are there for us.  Just keep riding the wheels off what ya got and hopefully somebody will notice and I GUARANTEE that once you are one of those guys, you'll quit complaining about it.  And if you don't ever make it, like the future holds for most of us, at least you'll always have the "what-if" stories and the coulda shoulda woulda's when you get old and tell your grandkids about it!  Just my .02.

[Super Dave]

Don't start me down this path!

NASCAR has a set of rules.  They are followed and enforced.  The rules are restrictive, so factories support teams.  They are not factory teams.  Basically, we'd have a whole lot of Jim Rashid's out there working to make things better.  

And that would make the series more interesting.  And more lucrative for more people.  Rather than the wash it is...

[sdiver68]

Ice,

Not true, according to my understanding???  1 full year of racing, not 1 full year of Expert racing.  Giovanni Rojas last year ran AMA Supersport events despite the prior year being his first as a WERA novice.

However, looking at the curent 2003 rules, there seems to be no 1 year limitation at all...but more an emphasis on an Expert point system, that may be tough :(  Maybe the couple of WERA guys who did it last year, and had iffy results, made them change their evaluation criteria?

[Tezboogie]

The graves 600 bikes are a full factory effort run out of the yamaha race shop. Corona and Attack have everything the Yosh teams have. Vesrah runs WERA which is a whole different ballgame .It doesn't matter how fast a rider you are , if you don't have the equipment or technical backing which costs big $$$$$$ you will never see the top ten in an AMA race , and considering there are over 20 factory supported bikes this year you will never see the top 20. Spend about $20,000 plus the cost of the bike and thats a different story!

Thank you Jim! Thank you.....
Jim (4&6) has had the best equipment a top priveteer team could have in the AMA, and look what he just said. And he been runnig his team for years.
You need big money and big talent like i said. Jim said it too.........now tell him he's wrong......SIKE!!

Dave, Monty is an excellent rider, no doubt about it.
He was fast everywhere last year. His bike also made alot of usable power last year. I know your gonna say it was set up good, but there is no need for a good set up when you are going down a straight. His bike was real real fast and that's not taking anything away from his riding skills.
I gonna use his engine builder from last year......I wish, im as broke as they come.

Seriously though, anyone who qualifies to be in a national is a pretty good rider. Good luck to all of you who try to.

[chris_chops]

What's up Tez?
I know you would have done better with a better setup and some motor.  Now sell one of those bikes to me real cheap and get some motor.  Focus baby!!
    And Dave, quit taking credit for Monte's setup.  He told me he changed everything back after you went to the brat-hut. :P

Matt

P.s. thanks for the #8

[Tezboogie]

Matt,
I know you're going to be extra fast this year....you don't have to rub it in. No problem on the #8, it'll look good on your bike.
It'll be a tough year for sure, i counted 10 guys that are going to be super fast.......i just hope i can stick with all you fast boys.