Re: AMA Pros at club races?

[Litespeed]

"I don't think anyone faster than me should be allowed to race."  This statement makes about the same amount of sense as trying to not allow AMA pros to race.

[Super Dave]

Yes, and when you state it that way it seems pretty simple, doesn't it.

Come on out to school, that would be great.  

Don't know the schedule yet, but I hope to know by the end of next month.

[Admin]

Again, all in my opinion...but:

Club racing is not a business for most people.  Club racing is a competitive sport.  Competitive sports are, many times, broken into classes to allow for more competitiveness.  Club racing does that in many different ways...novice/expert, lightweight/heavyweight/etc, supersport/superbike...and on and on.  All things are in place to make things competitive and fun for many different people.

AMA Pro's are in a different class.  Would people be defending the third year novice who had one three national championships but somehow was not being forced to move to expert?  No...most people would call him a cherrypicker.  

Why do we have different standards for AMA pros?  I'm sure some people defending them know them personally.  For some, maybe there is some "hero worship" involved.  

I haven't heard what I would consider good arguments for allowing them to race.  "They need the money"...in other words, they are going to cherrypick the club racers to fund their inability to win money in their own class, the AMA.  Bet there are plenty of experts wishing they could cherrypick the novice class to make extra money.

Make a choice.  If you are going to race AMA, race AMA...you arn't going to learn anything racing with the club guy "you have to race with people faster then you to get better".  

This is all my uninformed opinion.  Nothing personal!

Shawn

Shawn

[Super Dave]

I guess I couldn't disagree more.

AMA Pros a different class?  No.  They are experts that have moved their program up a notch.  Might be in the form of their investment in machinery, or that they just are serious about racing.  

Once you're an expert, you're part of that playing field.  Then it all depends upon how fast you are committed to go, or can be able to be commited to go.

The numbers of "Pro" racers that make money doing this is very limited.  It's much bigger than it was several years ago, but there is also more money available to amateurs and experts at the club level in the form of purses.  Guys that "go AMA Pro" often struggle alot.  It might make them a better rider, but its nothing other than making a decision on who to race, and where to race at.

Larry Denning makes $40 to $60k a year racing for Yamaha money, etc.  Doesn't do AMA pro races because it would be hard to make a living, and the financial commitment would be extraordinary.  

Larry's a very good rider.  Do we make him go "pro"?  Do you make a mid pack first year expert stop racing in CCS club racing because he decided to take a shot at a Pro Thunder race on his old Ducati F1 750?

[Admin]

I guess I see both sides of the situation.  In my opinion, AMA Pro's are a different class...they arn't club racers anymore, they are professional racers.

Its going to be up to the clubs to either allow or disallow professionals.  At least Shane Prieto retired this year...  :o

Shawn

[Super Dave]

Is it bad that Shane retired?  I think so.  The sport needs people to shoot for and people that are recognized.  

What do you do with a guy like Ed Key that is so good in the Lightweight classes?  He wins races, etc.  Used to race AMA pro stuff, 10 years ago.

What do you do with a guy that doesn't do so well?

Again, back to Larry Denning, he is a professional, Yamaha money is his living.  Does he get booted out?  He might have an AMA Pro license, but he doesn't use it.

How many guys that have an AMA pro license actually make money racing?  How many amateurs make more money than most of the experts racing?  Should they be booted into being experts?

[spyderchick]

What do you do with a guy like Ed Key that is so good in the Lightweight classes?  He wins races, etc.  Used to race AMA pro stuff, 10 years ago

Exactly. Mr. Key devotes almost every breathing moment to racing his SV. He's raced as a club amatuer, made money at it, as a pro, not so much money, raced cars, and eventually came back to club racing.
Does he make money? Probably not enough to cover his expenses. Does he improve the sport and mentor new racers? Absolutely.

Ask Ed sometime about the year Jason D'Amico finally beat him in the lightweight supersport race. Ed on his beloved CB-1, Jason on his trusty Hawk. It made Jason's day to finally beat Ed. It made Ed's day to have that exuberant competition.

Omiting a racer because he is an "AMA Pro", is denying everyone of eventual elevated competition. Good racing is good racing. It's exciting to compete, exciting to watch, and tests a competitor's mettle more than he or she might care to know.

[Super Dave]

Yeah, Baby!

You've got it.

We all have to get up in the morning to pee, sitting or standing.  Then the pants go on.  Some are more dedicated, some are lighter, and some are just faster.

Racing is not about handicaps, that's where bowling and some drag racing come in.

When the green flag drops...

[sdiver68]

What do you do with a guy like Ed Key that is so good in the Lightweight classes?  

Force him to run a MW or bigger bike so we can all judge exactly how fast he is....

No offense to Ed as he's a great guy, but haven't you always wondered???   ;D

[Super Dave]

He can't.

His wrist was smashed up many years ago.  It just doesn't work.  When he has to work it hard, it doesn't work very well.  That's why he retired from bikes and did cars.  But the bug bit him, and he worked to get back into it.

Ed just can't ride a 600 because of a physical limitation.

[roadracer797]

Dave
Nothing against Ed but I ride both a 6oo and a SV. I can't think of any physical limitations that won't allow you to ride either bike. If it is a wrist problem then he should go with a quarter turn throttle. Just my thoughts on it is all, Ed is a great rider who brings a lot to this sport and evrybody has to ride what they want not  what other people want.
Craig

[Super Dave]

Honestly, I believe that his wrist is fused together.  So, he might have a 1/4 or even 1/5 turn throttle.  

A 600 would require braking more often and for a longer period of time, that would pound up his wrist until it just gave out.

As for wondering how fast Ed is, I've got video's with him on a Honda Hurricane from 1987.  He used to race Yamaha FZ750's too.  What does he need to prove to anyone else anyway?