DAYTONA 200

[ScubaSteve]

In the 600 race, I so wanted Barnes to stick it to everyone.  Do you think that during tear down they would look at the Pietro Racing entry the same as they do the new GSXR600's?  Anyone who has been around racing long enough recognizes Barney's tallents...and the unevenhandedness of the AMA.

quote]

 Me to dave even though barney is a teammate of mine. I wanted him to win to see if he would get torn down some of the factory guys came over and were looking at the bike before the race had started. Barney is a hell of a rider and very talented he can ride anything. I learned alot from him about daytona. Plus hes one of the nicest guys you will meet unlike alot of Pros.

[Super Dave]

Jack,

It was Fania who said that Aaron didnt kick him... read the link

http://venus.13x.com/roadracingworld/scripts/NewsInsert.asp?insert=8668

I read that too...

Still doesn't excuse the action of what he did.  He did act in a completely unprofessional matter.

He may not have hit him hard with a kick, a flying drop kick, or a head butt...but I do believe that it still rises to the legal defenition of battery.

AND...

To me the biggest thing is that I[/i] don't need to have anymore reasons why motorcycle racing is stupid, club like, or cr@ppy because of Aaron's actions.

Honestly, I like Aaron.  Not a family of wealth.  He just was fast, and he got a ride.  Doesn't happen like that anymore.  Rather than racers traveling in older Dodge Maxi vans, amateur road racers have Showhaulers, Toy Boxes, and tandem axle trailers.

[Super Dave]

Barney is a hell of a rider and very talented he can ride anything. I learned alot from him about daytona. Plus hes one of the nicest guys you will meet unlike alot of Pros.

Yes, he can.

Yes, he is a nice guy.

As for a lot of Pros...why is it that we assume that most of the pros are the top factory guys?  In reality, they (Mladin, Bostroms, DuHammel, Yates, etc) have almost no relationship to the rest of the paddock...as do their teams.  But the AMA caters to their ideas, requests, etc.

[SliderPhoto]

Jack,

It was Fania who said that Aaron didnt kick him... read the link

http://venus.13x.com/roadracingworld/scripts/NewsInsert.asp?insert=8668

I know, I did read the link. It's hard to know what is happening when your back is turned to the guy. It's clearly shown on the tape. Yates kicked him. Yes, it turned more into a push kick, but a kick to the back nonetheless.

[Decreasing_Dave]

I know, I did read the link. It's hard to know what is happening when your back is turned to the guy. It's clearly shown on the tape. Yates kicked him. Yes, it turned more into a push kick, but a kick to the back nonetheless.

Not to mention that Fania was still off-balance when he received the kick.  Plus with all of the leathers and back protection, and the fact that the crash impact was still probably tingling through his body, he just didn't feel enough of the kick impact to identify it.

But the tape is crystal....YATES KICKED HIM!!!

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

And how many times have you crashed, jumped up, run to safety, and then suddenly gone  "Oh sh1t, I'm hurt!"  What if Fania had been suffering from injuries that were compounded by Yates' attack?

[StumpysWife]

OK, I've simmered for a day so here's my opinion...

The bottom line is this was a racing incident no matter who's fault it was.  Dumb crashes happen.  When you go on the track, you have to count on it.

BUT,
Grown men do NOT get up, and start kicking at a man who's bell was obviously rung--who could have been seriously hurt.  As for Yates not putting effort into it, why did he run at him and throw his shoulder into the head butt?  

I don't feel Yates owes Fania a bike.  That's racing.  I do think Yates owes Fania a helmet.  That was not racing.  That was 12 year old boy stuff.  If that was my husband out there behaving like that, let alone my employee, I'd have a stroke.  

Can't blame lappers--wasn't it Yates who took out Eboz at Laguna last year?  Why, yes it was.  

What kills me is that all of this takes the attention off Mladin who ran a flawless 200.  The best rider with the best team won for sure.  

Congratulations to Mladin as well as Zemke and Duhamel for a job well done!

Heather

[Super Dave]

Racing, yes.

What happened after...

Criminal.  That's it, right?  Battery seems to be the term.  Certainly, Fania even had the right to pound him based on the rule of law for self defense.  After kicks and head butts, Fania had reason to believe that the alleged perpetrator would continue to commit the act.  And the tape clearly shows it.

As a racing incident, clearly, we don't have to rise to the level of criminal for sanctions from the AMA to be levied.  They have the hand to do as they please, or to ignore the incident.  

The punishment should be swift and certain to Yates.  It must be harsh enough for his own specific deterence so that he may actually learn that it's not his own personal sand box that he's in charge of.

Additionally, the punishment should be severe enough that general deterence would be served in that no one else would want to do this.

I believe that a public appology is necessary.

I believe that he should serve a suspension from racing, at least one race.  That would be an outstanding warning to moronic teams that put up with rider BS too.

He should loose his points for the event.

He should be required to dontate his Daytona money to a shelter for violence.

He should be force into anger management training.

Do you think NASCAR would have put up with it?  They come down pretty hard on this kind of BS.

[Jeff]

Dave, on top of all that, I'd look to see a fine in the neighborhood of $20-50k.  

Heather, you are correct!  The fracas did take attention from Mladin who (much to my chagrin) won again.  What it points out is not simply that Matt ran a flawless race, but that the WHOLE PACKAGE stayed together longer than the rest.

The plan of 3 fast pit stops versus 2, to keep laptimes FAST really paid off.  Hats off to the whole Mladin crew & team for an extremely well run race...

[StumpysWife]

The public apology is up--to those he disappointed.

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2004/Mar/t040308a.htm

[r6_philly]

others may view differently, but that sound half-assed and is not really a real apology. He is not admitting any wrong doing, only apologizing to the fans, and not acknoledging that he actaully did anything... I guess someone made him to say something, but couldn't quite make him say what he needs to say

[Dawn]

Some of these letters to RRW are pretty funny...

http://venus.13x.com/roadracingworld/scripts/NewsInsert.asp?insert=8670

Dafan - I agree with you.  That wasn't much of an apology.

Dawn   :)