Another interesting article....

[motomadness]

Hey, I know Stevie Patterson.  He goes by Steve now.  When he raced for Team Valvoline Suzuki, he was teammates with Chuck Graves and Mark Martin (M4 Exhausts).  We see where their careers have gone, but what about Steve.  All I know is he had a falling out with JU.  Tez will tell you about a race he remembers where Steve beat Aaron Yates.  Where is Aaron now?  Steve's not doing poorly.  He has a successful career he has and is working hard for, but in 2001, his last official season of racing,  he raced only four AMA rounds, placed well top 10-20 in Superstock and Supersport on a mostly stock GSXR-600, but couldn't find the backing to continue in the sport after that.  Which I think is disappointing after racing for so long, being a past National 600cc Champion in WERA, a regular top privateer racer, and being a solid individual.  

Usually when I get back from a race, I go talk to Steve.  I can see it in his eyes that he wants to be out there, but he wants to be on excellent equipment, which he has shown he can handle, yet no ones a knock'n.

Is this prejudice?  Possibly, don't know Steve before 2001, but real opportunities in the AMA come when you yourself have money, lots of it.  Not just for marketing, but also to invest in developing a  strong team, which takes years, not months.  I say developing, because it takes more than getting financial backers, look at Larry Pegram in 2003.  DTR had started the season with $1million investment (marketing hype), from two folks that thought they wanted to go racing.  They made all of these announcements in the preseason, but lacked some early podium success.  Eventually, Larry got on the podium at Road America, but it wasn't enough to keep the team going, which in large part may have been due to a loss of marketing appeal.  Given more time (and money), where would they have been.  

James "Bubba" Stewart will tell you there's prejudice in motorcycle racing, but his record is too powerful for anyone to ignore, and in the 21st century, business in general is further ahead than is was even just 10 years ago when Steve was a champion racer with TVS.  Bubba tries to get people to get people to not make an issue of his color, but there are several articles in Racer X that talk about it and how he deals with it.  

It does no one any good if we ignore the fact that racism still exists in America and many minorities are fighting to make inroads in the motorsports industry.  In the AMA paddock last season, Jeff Carter with the factory Yamaha effort was one of a small handful of obvious minorities (the only black guy) I saw on a regular basis.  Why is that?  I think that since sportbikes are becoming more main stream, we'll eventually see more minorities in the paddock, which will be great for the sport because both the fan base and participation level will grow.  Recently, during the Daytona 500 "parade", I heard many reports that the demographics of Nascar aren't clustered around South Carolina good 'ol boys anymore.  I personally know a wide variety of folks that enjoy watching the races and even put down cash to go to the races.  For the AMA Pro Racing series to grow, more doors have to opened, and the rules have to set so privateer X has a chance of winning.  That used to be what Superstock was.  Now it's just another factory rider/equipment supportted class.  Will the privateer have a chance?  Who knows?

Said enough, time to go back to bed.

Peace,

[Super Dave]

Good to hear that "Steve" is still around.  

I started in 1987, and I remember him and his dad.  He was riding RZ350's.  They were taking the conservative route on the smaller bikes.  Seemed like it took a while before he got onto bigger bikes.  Maybe too long.  You'll have to ask him as maybe he has a feel for what they should have done.

He was smooth and consistent without the flash and rough edges that guys like Russell had.  I mean, you had to just go watch Scott Russell race when he was chasing Suzuki Cup money.  Something was going to happen.  I mean really, Jesse-J is nice to watch, but Scott was unbelieveable.  

Anyone knocking?  Doesn't happen that way.  You've got to go knockin'.  Seldom does anyone come to you and say, "Would you race for me?"  Maybe Mladin, and me for vintage bikes.... ;D, but really, you've got to go door to door to find something agreeable.

Money...well, yeah, we are talking about a higher level, right?  I guess that's the beauty and the curse of motorcycle road racing.  First, it is relatively accessable.  Superbikes ARE street bikes.  CART, IRL, NASCAR, World of Outlaws, etc...those are serious machines that are specificially designed for racing.  Meanwhile, you can go buy a GSXR1000, throw on a new shock get some fork work and some bodywork...you could go race in the premier motorcycle racing event in the United States...the Daytona 200.  

Certainly, that bit of accessability does taint things.

But, then again, with the poor support of the racing series from the motorcycle industry, why would you expect anything less?

The rules in AMA certainly don't appear level.  Does anyone disagree?  Should there be more teams?  Yes.  Would that only lead to people buying rides?  Would that be bad?  

At what point to we make riders responsible for marketing themselves?  

Predjudice.  You speak of things that I don't know much about.  I have to defer to your knowledge.

Falling out with JU?  I think that Chris started getting out of 250's and going into four strokes more so then.  So, everyone got shuffled around a bit.  

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

What are you accusing me of Sean?  Do you thing I'm the poster boy for sexual innuendo?  Do you think that I just lurk on this board, ready to turn every questionable remark I see into a reference about sex?  I'm highly insulted.
You can say squirted, spurted, sprayed spumed, hosed, doused or splattered, and I won't take it sexually at all.  I would never attempt to be so Freudian as to analize your desire to be sprayed with foaming liquid by your masculine role models.  No, I just wouldn't go there.
In the future, please keep your accusations to yourself.  I have only the purest morals and standards, and don't appreciate having my noble reputation tainted by the likes of you.

Hey!  That kinda sounded like a John Cleese routine!

Analize... hehehehehehe...  sounds like something you'd violate during a sexual innuendo...  heheheheheeh

Oh lord.  I just can't help myself... ;D

[motomadness]

And the Emmy for Best Comedic Performance on the CCS Forum goes to.

Drum roll.  :o

Envelope. ???

CCCCCuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrris 'K3' Onwiler.  ;D

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

It's not even Daytona time yet, and already I've won something!  How cool is that! ;)

[racer34]

Why is anyone discussing if Tez will be "too slow", if Mike is going to get involved, isn't this a plus for the sport? Look, if he can bring gatoraid and other sponsors that we've all tried to get before, don't you think that others will follow? For other racers? maybe for faster ones, and maybe for slower ones, but I'm sick of looking at Home Depot on the side of stock cars and this is a chace for all of us (racers) to bennefit. I've seen the list of people ready to throw down "nascar" sized $ for this project, and there was enough to go around, so don't you think this is helping the entire community? Besides, Mike is not out to make money on this, and he and Tez are very tight, and they are starting this to have fun, and and hopefully put on a good show. We would all like to see a local racer on the podium, but Mike didn't pick Tez by his resume, he picked him because they ride together, would we talk about you if your friends want to help you with your racing season? Also, I've raced AMA superbike and the curve IS huge, but so what, you have to start somewhere, don't you think?

[EX#996]

I don't think anyone on this board thinks that Tez is too slow.  We know that that Tez will give his all and do his best.  

Since we all agree that the AMA is a huge learning curve, I hope that he is patient and will allow the race to come to him.  We've had too many of our own get injured recently, I don't want him among them.

My $0.02

Dawn   :)

[Super Dave]

We would all like to see a local racer on the podium, but Mike didn't pick Tez by his resume, he picked him because they ride together, would we talk about you if your friends want to help you with your racing season?

I'll agree that we'd all like to see someone we know on the box.  

Can Tez do it?  Is he too slow?  Not for club racing, for sure.  But to get into the top ten in either class is very, very, very hard.  Hard for guys that win every club race they enter.  Hard for guys that make money racing for Yamaha or Suzuki money.  

Yes, it's good that MJ is working with a rider he knows.  Business works well when it's between friends.  But if we want to compare to NASCAR...the drivers get paid a lot of money to execute.  They generally have long histories from different places.  K3...would you like to elaborate on Gordon of NASCAR fame?  

AMA Pro road racing is screwed up because it's too easy for any first year expert to show up at the big show and try to race.  "I just want to try it once to see how good I am..."  What ever happened to being ready for the show, knowing that you were ready to race at the top of your game?  

I think it's all great what MJ and his rider are doing.  I hope the program goes well.  Probably a beginning at least.  Hopefully, some of the people involved don't mess it up.

Really, the flip side to the whole story is that because MJ brings in something, if the whole program put on by the promoters, the AMA, and the other racing teams is so goofy....no one will ever want to support anyone in motorcycle road racing.

So, my question is:  Are the teams, the motorcycle industry, and the AMA ready?  I doubt it.

And Racer34...who are you?  Inquiring minds want to know.
 ;D

[TZDeSioux]

And Racer34...who are you?  Inquiring minds want to know.
 ;D

I'll give you some clues...

1. He used to race AMA Superbike on a Yamaha   YZF750 Superbike.
2. He at one time qualified on the front row right next to Ben Bostrom
3. He quit SBK to race 125s
4. He'll be racing a TZ250 this year.
5. He played tuner for me when I took race school on my 98 TZ250.

Guess who and I'll buy you a no. 2 extra value meal

 :)

[fourandsix]

Boyd Brunner , and he was scared to death that he was on the front row.

[racer34]

OK guys, save the drama for you mama, I don't want to start any trouble here, and looking at Bostrom next to you can be a daunting thing if you are thinking about who is next to you instead of getting the holeshot...now I know better, but anyway, I just think this is  a good thing no matter what happens, and we should just watch and see what happens, instead of acting like someone or something in going to make this into a fiasco or a half ass effort, the building blocks are there, and this isn't a one time thing, so if everyone involved needs more than 1 year to get it right, then there will be another year, Mike loves bikes, and his rider is his guy, and his feelings for either are not going to change in the next few years.  He has been waiting years to ride a bike, and now he is hooked like the rest of us, and you all know your relationship with motorcycles unlike your ex's is one that dosen't fade.
    The majority of us on this page can't keep up with Tez (some can, so don't even reply to that) my point is, when Mike gets to ride around the track with Tez, he can't catch him and feels just like we would trying to play one on one with him, so in short, they are friends having fun, both with something to offer the other  and trying to grow something here that could turn into something good. The people ready to sign on the bottom line, would never ever look at motorcycle stuff before so thats better for all of us already, everyone involved is really excited and it may not come together all at once, but it will, the bikes wouldn't be where they are now if they didn't want to make sure things would be reliable, and I'm sure that they want to have the entire operation run as smoothly, and professionally.  So can't we just wait, because it wouldn't matter if Rossi was availabe, Tez is going to be on the bike, and there isn't a better canidate for the position, because this is two friends having fun trying to go AMA racing, not MJ trying to win the championship, he could just go hire Maladin or Bostrom (or your favorite fast guy here)to do that...every one will learn what they need to sooner or later, so lets hope its sooner and hope that MJ can at least let the people who won't put the money into motorcycle racing know that there is a legit sport here that deserves more sponsors than its getting now, this can only help all of us in the longrun. Right?

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

Well said.  Very well said.