Michael Jordan Motorsports Announcement

[steve_karson]

Thats what I would do if I had this handed to me.

It wasn't "handed" to him. He made the deal happen, he deserves everything that he gets.

[MJFRacing]

" " "How do you guys think Tez will do with the big boys?
 
I hope he does well, but do you think he has what it takes?" " "

That's a loaded question and a touchy subject...  Post an honest opinion and your slated as jealous or a Tez-hater...

Personally, I don't hate Tez & I'm not jealous.  I know he'll do better than I would, and believe he'll improve from last year.  But I don't see any podiums in 05 on the AMA circuit for him.

Well put Jeff.

I support him 100%! He's one of us! He's also a great guy at the track. With that said, here's what I don't understand. . . end of August at Blackhawk he finished 8th in Middleweight Grand Prix and 13th in Expert GTO. In September at Blackhawk he placed 26th (out of 29?!) in Middleweight Superbike. At least he finished 5th out of 32 in Middleweight Grand Prix and 7th out of 33 in Speedscreen Unlimited GP. In the AMA races he's towards the back with mid-pack being the best. Don't flame me yet - Hold on, hold on - - - I know the top 10 pro level guys have 100K bikes, personal trainers and dietitians and have been riding since the age of 5.

That brings me back to my question though - How/why would he get a sponsorship when guys like Super Dave, Ortega, Stumpy, Purke, etc. beat him on a consistent basis? Tez isn't slow, but he's not the number 1 or 2 guy out there.

Again, I wish him well. I would love to say "I knew him when".

Lastly, I'm not jealous (just slow  :) ) or bitter. I'm just confused. Maybe I'm missing something or maybe I'm just missing a wealthy friend.  :D  If he's accomplished something I'm missing, post up. I don't want to disrespect him, I just don't get it.

[WebCrush]

That brings me back to my question though - How/why would he get a sponsorship when guys like Super Dave, Ortega, Stumpy, Purke, etc. beat him on a consistent basis? Tez isn't slow, but he's not the number 1 or 2 guy out there.

Again, I wish him well. I would love to say "I knew him when".

Lastly, I'm not jealous (just slow  :) ) or bitter. I'm just confused. Maybe I'm missing something or maybe I'm just missing a wealthy friend.  :D  If he's accomplished something I'm missing, post up. I don't want to disrespect him, I just don't get it.

Read the post right above yours.

Without Tez, there would be NO team, no sponsorship to be had, and certainly no ride for Pridmore and Rapp this year.  He had connections, he made something happen.  Was it selfish for him to negotiate a team last year for himself?  Damn straight, and why shouldn't it be.  I'd do the same thing along with every other racer I know.

[motomadness]

MJFRacing,

Since you're an amateur you probably don't have the luxury of history, and you just can't look at a results page to judge someones talent.

Tez, was a former #8 and #3 plate holder in the Mid-West and I think Great Lakes or Great Plains in 2002 and 2003, which didn't come from racing a ton a races each weekend either (no dis to anyone else).  He has won many races, several coming from the back of the pack (late registration).  Before the track was repaved (when he raced more regularly), he was definitely one of the fastest.  He was even under the then track record of 1:12.xx, before Robert Jensen eclipsed his time with a 1:11.9xx.  This season, especially in the latter part (think VIR cancellation), Tez registered late, and had some bike issues, and wasn't going to push it at a club race, when his job is racing in the AMA.  Look at how many races Larry Denning pulls out of for whatever reason.  Sometimes I think LD tries for the lap record early in a race, and if he can turn it into a win, he'll stick it out, if not and he's oout of the money, he'll stop.

I said all of this to say that Tez deserves his ride, he's earned it.  We should all be so fortunate to have friends and associates that speak highly of us to people with power to make things happen.  With the teammates he's got now, and a completly healed Tez, I expected to see good things from him this year.  One things for sure, he's competing against the best to be the best, that's a challenge many could not and have not endeavored to accept.

[Protein Filled]

Also, do remember that Tez was still hurt when he raced at BHF the last couple of times...

[pitbtch#1]

Congrats Tez and the rest of the team.  Good luck to all of u guys next yr.


Heath

[DRU2]

http://www.amasuperbike.com/picture.php?n=Photo+Gallery&f=6mwx0s3r47_1104940068.jpg

[MJFRacing]

Good info y'all. Thanks for the non-flame response. I wasn't getting down on anyone, I just wasn't clear on this entire deal. Hot pic DRU2!

MJFRacing,

Since you're an amateur you probably don't have the luxury of history, and you just can't look at a results page to judge someones talent.

Here's the sad part motomadness --> I may be an amateur but I've been racing with CCS since '99.  ??? With entrance fees, tires, fuel and everything else roughly totaling $1000 per 3 day weekend (let's forget the chopper rides out of Blackhawk and the 80K of medical bills!) and my work schedule limiting my time, I'm lucky if I can do 3 weekends.  :( I envy all the "regulars".

Well, let me end this with a "Go Tez!"  ;)

[Nate R]

What a few have said, and from what I saw last season: Tez needed someone to help him RIDE. He was given the bike, but who was there to coach him, to really help him on setup? No one really. This year he'll have that, and I think that will help his results.

We'll see.

[Nate R]

Also nice to see the Jordan bikes up there in the times. Might not mean much for racing, but Pridmore was only a bit more than a second off of Duhamel's time.


(aside)
This type of growth is really good for Gemini. I KNOW they weren't going to survive on Carbon alone.

I gotta find a way back in there.  ;D

[Super Dave]

OK, I'll chime in...

Did Tez negotiate the deal?  I think it was luck and opportunity.

MJ and Tez met, and something happened.  Sparkling personalities.  MJ makes some calls to companies obligated to him, and he says, "This is what I want to do," and the money shows up.

Tez will have help?

I don't know about any of you, but if you're part of a team, the first guy you're gonna clobber is going to be your teammate.  Set up?  Well, I think Richie Alexander knows Jason Pridmore pretty well, so they will be getting their set up right...yeah, they will work with Tez, but until someone really takes interest in Tez and his strong points...

Sometimes a rider has to be told things.  Do this, do that, don't do that, what are you doing...

I'm watching from the outside, but I got to race with him at Blackhawk.

Tez, you listening...

I didn't see you doing anything different in riding style from what you did in years past.  I know your strong points, and I know your weak points.  You need to find someone that can really help you.  Until then, you'll be in the spots that have been slotted for you.

CCE is contracted to MJ.  So, anything that he does, CCE will have a part of it.  Since MJ is involved in road racing, CCE placed Kenny in the position of looking out for CCE's investment.

Third and eighth in the region overall.

Um, yeah, a nice prestigous series where it's based on a system that pays points to 50th place without that many entries, and you can enter as many races as you want.

Anyway, I'd rest his hat on some of the good race wins that he had, not on overall points.  He's a good rider with something that's available, but he could really use someone to tell him some things to change.

I like Tez a lot.

There are certainly a lot of riders out there that are deserving of rides and have earned it.

How would you give them out?  Experience?  How much you've spent?  Talent is pretty arbitrary.  If we're talking money spent, I think my friend Dr Jeff Purk has most of us beat.  Good guy, goes fast, and, really, I think the racing dentist would rather race motorcycles than have his hands wrist deep in someones mouth.

Do I could in an aspect of a lack of money?  I made $8900 last year at my place of employment.  My budget is about as long as the shoe strings on my Oxtar boots...non existant.

Is the team good?

Montez Stewart, Suz GSX-R1000 Superstock, 1:50.738
Jason Pridmore, Suz GSX-R1000 Superstock, 1:42.795

Jason's not short.  Tez has been with the team for a year, and the track is new for everyone.  Injuries?  Don't know.  Jason always screws himself up in the off season training, so I don't know why he wouldn't have done something to himself this year.

DiSalvo's best lap time on the 600 was below a 1:51.  This year he was at the 1:43.5 mark.  Dropping about seven seconds from his lap time at the new track.  

If I take my best lap time and drop six seconds, I'll be at the 1:50 mark no problem with no budget on my 600.  You try making scrambled eggs for yourself and crew chief early in the morning out of a big van.

At the Blackhawk that Denning was at this year late, he did like a 1:09 something.  Didn't beat Mark Junge, and Mark broke the lap record, but did anyone think that Larry was injuried?  

Larry was sporting some broken ribs.  That's why he was coming in.  Lots of pain, and Larry's there to make money, not to show up for someone else.  If he can't win, why tear up the equipment and tires.  That's a loss of money.

Injuries?  Fine.  Russell won the Suzuki Cup Final race or two in like 1988 with broken knees.  Schwantz had a broken wrist when he won he Daytona 200 that same year.  "Iron" Mike Harth won a Suzuki Cup Final race with a broken femur.

Tez's grids...

Ok, last Blackhawk he shows up...

Somehow, he's at the front of the grid on Saturday's races.

 ???

Did he pre enter?

I was out of a job and had to poop the money to pre enter at the last minute.  Left me on row six to nine all weekend.

GTU - Tez 11th, from the front row?

Me, from the back 5th.  In front of me, Blake Young, Shawn Conrad, Joe Gill, Brian Johnson.

Fine.  If you only want to

have the luxury of history, and you just can't look at a results page to judge someones talent.

Goes both ways.

[grasshopper]

Great post Dave.

But I have a question about the Jordan Team and the way the bikes are sponsored and who's riding what.

How in the hell can pridmore be on a "Suzuki" and Tez be on the "Yamaha" and they are all sponsored by Jordan on the same team. That just doesn't seam rite to me. Usually, and correct me if I'm wrong, all riders on a "Race Team" are on the same brand machine. AM I RITE?

So how is Pridmore going to be able to help Tez with bike set up when they are on totally different Machines?