MIC announces US Superbike League.

[spyderchick]

I would!  DMG will run.  I have no doubt whatsoever in that, and THAT is where I'd want to be as a privateer team.  I've never really weighed in on the DMG/AMA disputes, but honestly I think it's a great thing for everyone EXCEPT those 8 or 9 that Dave listed off...

Controlling the series so tightly should increase competition immensely.  Controlling the sources may also cut costs.  How can this be bad for the majority of the paddock?

How can closer/tighter racing lead to a WORSE show?

In the past, at this time of the season, now most of the cogs in the privateer machine are set into place for the following year. As it stands for 2009, everything's up in the air. Most will probably run DMG, but the whole USSB thing, providing it's for real, will make signing riders a mess and may screw up bike deals. No one is even certain how licensing will be handled. So it's more about logistics and strategic planning than competition at this point of the game.

I wouldn't want the headaches, even if I had the money in place.

[EX_#76]

I would!  DMG will run.  I have no doubt whatsoever in that, and THAT is where I'd want to be as a privateer team.  I've never really weighed in on the DMG/AMA disputes, but honestly I think it's a great thing for everyone EXCEPT those 8 or 9 that Dave listed off...

Controlling the series so tightly should increase competition immensely.  Controlling the sources may also cut costs.  How can this be bad for the majority of the paddock?

How can closer/tighter racing lead to a WORSE show?

I think the thing that is looking good for DMG is the fact that it is backed by the France family.  There is allot of big money and allot to track / media affiliation in the France family.  They are just applying their nascar model to motorcycle racing.  DMG is defiantly in this for the long haul.  It will not effect DMGs plans at all if the factories are not involved.  The other thing that plays into DMG game plan is the fact that they are tied into NASCAR.  Every track would love to host an event of NASCARs magnitude, and some tracks already do.  DMG will use this power to lever their way into and keep others out of certain venues.  I think this will work its way out much like the Champ car and Indy car split.  Tony George won that battle, I DMG will win in the same manner.  If DMG promotes their show correctly, they should not need the factory's involvement to succeed.  So in a twisted way I agree with Jeff. 

[tug296]

If you think it through to fruition, there can be only one outcome.
  Too bad the road to the eventuality has to be tainted, like snivelin Mat Mladin's illegal crankshaft.

[Super Dave]

Money in place, this is just easy.  Buy four crashed 2008 motorcycles of my choice, build, and start testing.  I'd probably do a couple of 600's and then something else.  A twin of some kind.  Might be an advantage at some tracks or on a rainy weekend where torque would win out over HP. 

Parts would already be done, available, and the leg work is already in place. 

You could go from building $35k bikes to $15k bikes. 

And did I mention testing?  How many have raced at Daytona, or tried, with stock garbage, or rehashed stuff from the previous model bike that you wasted your time for six months before figuring it out?  How about ruining equipment because of teething problems?

Attainable, enforceable.  $5k for 20th?  That's at least a reasonable value in what it costs.  Rather spending time waiting for parts that never show up or are rumored to be in development for whatever position you are in line on your order, you have it and are actually moving forward building the best bike that you can under a reasonable set of attainable rules.  Then go ride the damn thing.  Throw it into the hill or whatever you need to do. 

Yeah, we can talk all about how if Mat Mladin was on our own bike, he'd go faster...but he wouldn't go as fast as he was on his bike now, certainly.  Does that actually even the playing field and make it interesting?  Yes.  The result doesn't change necessarily, but it does put it in jeopardy. 

Racers that don't race for factory teams...they don't suck as riders.  There's this aspect there where there's becoming a bigger and bigger difference in the opportunities in the machines, parts, testing, etc. that's not helping that.  It is NOT helping the fun aspect of watching an AMA race. 

Further and further manufacturer/distributor "involvement" hasn't improved the excitement. 

I like a good race.  The local flat track actually engaged my kids.  Watching AMA Superbike doesn't. 

[Super Dave]

Is KTM bad for wanting to race?
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=34146

[LongDogRacing]

Hello everyone.  Can someone give me a quick synopsis of the CHAMP/IRL history, especially R. Edmundson's involvement?  How and why was there a split? 

Thanks in advance.  I decided to take an elective course in "Strategic Sports Event Management", and I think this whole AMA/USSB transition, and the events that led to it, are a great topic to focus on for the class.

--Justin

[Super Dave]

Roger wasn't involved in CHAMP or IRL.

AMA transition is its own story.  The MIC part is related, but outside in many ways as DMG owns AMA Pro Racing.  That is linear. 


Recognize this:  there are many forms of car racing in the United States.  There is only one professional motorcycle racing sanction in the United States.  There have been a few attempts, but nothing that offered a real opportunity for much of anything substantially different than what is or was. 

DMG is very different though as they don't have to go the manufacturers and hope to get money to pay wages, line pockets (which I don't think happened all the time and if it did it was to a minor few), or help with paying to sponsor events at certain places, etc.

[lilroy]

I don't care what happens, AMA will only succeed if they rip the mic out of Freddy Spencer's hands.

The racing is pretty dull with Suzuki dominating every race, but having to listen to Freddy Spencer is a rare form of torture.

[Burt Munro]

Hello everyone.  Can someone give me a quick synopsis of the CHAMP/IRL history, especially R. Edmundson's involvement?  How and why was there a split? 

Thanks in advance.  I decided to take an elective course in "Strategic Sports Event Management", and I think this whole AMA/USSB transition, and the events that led to it, are a great topic to focus on for the class.

--Justin

Justin,

Sounds like an interesting case study.  Best advice I can give is to do a Google search for IRL vs CART. 

I looked through a couple of articles there and this one seems to summarize the history of the conflict pretty well......

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/high_performance/features_classic_cars/cart_vs_irl_who_won_the_war_feature

Might be a good place to start.

Good luck!!
   

[Ducmarc]

interesting  to se where mic is going to get the their air time nascar and speed are pretty tight maybe espn or spike freddie is pretty bad but the motogp guys ain't much better sounds like their in the closet  i've always liked david hobbs but he's got it made with f1  maybe  chris carter but he's getting old  naw they will get cheap and pull out some no name who doesn't know which end of the mic to talk into .seems ashame that this whole split isn't about racing at all just selling bikes

[Super Dave]

seems ashame that this whole split isn't about racing at all just selling bikes

I think you hit it on the head.

[barb_arah]

Jenny Craig

Nice pit bike.