Racing

[oldironnow]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C03qFxKs2Hq/

[oldironnow]

https://superbikeplanet.com/story/761/tryg-westby-s-health-issues-force-closing-of-westby-racing

[oldironnow]

And rumors have it Tytlers will fold, but that there will be a BMW team in MotoAmerica.

[Mad4TheCrest]

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[motogrady]

Mad4TheCrest wrote

oldironnow wrote

And rumors have it Tytlers will fold, but that there will be a BMW team in MotoAmerica.

Good Grief, Westby and now Tytlers? They were two top teams 😳

Where will this leave Scholtz and PJ Jacobsen (and Cam Beaubier if he was thinking of continuing)?

If we don't see two new well-funded teams rush in for 2024 this could be bad news for MotoAM.

Bummer.  

American RR has always been a hard sell to the masses.
Or so it seems.  

I’d like to see the AMA do more.
I know they are pretty big presence in American MX and SX.

My 2 cents……..simplify the classes maybe.  
600cc, and the unlimited cc class.
An outlaw class for the Harley’s.
The baggers class.

More on board cameras.  What does motogp have, 5 on each bike I believe.

And I hate to say it……..but, if there have been more than a few runaway races, screw it, let the stewards penalize the strong teams with rev limits to make it close.


I can’t believe I said that……..

[oldironnow]

motogrady wrote

Bummer.

And I hate to say it……..but, if there have been more than a few runaway races, screw it, let the stewards penalize the strong teams with rev limits to make it close.


I can’t believe I said that……..

I think i just felt the Earth move…

[hacksaw]

Fk socialism .
That’s what you are calling for .
Penalize the strong and make everyone weak.
As goes racing as goes life.

[oldironnow]

Mad4TheCrest wrote

Good Grief, Westby and now Tytlers? They were two top teams 😳

Where will this leave Scholtz and PJ Jacobsen (and Cam Beaubier if he was thinking of continuing)?

If we don't see two new well-funded teams rush in for 2024 this could be bad news for MotoAM. .

Got that ^ right….

MotoGrady’s suggestion to simplify the classes might work, but the backgate money might be what keeps the enterprise afloat.
They need to maximize the number of fee-paying racers.
They need to maximize the number of bought-in sponsors.
They need to sell the show to an outlet.
They need to double the frontgate ticket revenue.

Right off, i would suggest somehow pairing the traveling  MotoAm Series with club races.
The Show is in town, at your track, on your already planned race weekend.
Backgate gets increased. Maybe frontgate as well.
MotoAm classes are more full.
Locals run as ‘wildcards’ in the National Series, and some will join the circuit.

I’m not the best to formulate a plan to make a salable show and double the frontgate attendance. I’m too invested.


.

[motogrady]

Good points Oiron.
The local involvement, that’s where, at least with amateur motocross, and i believe dirt track also, the AMA is involved.

Even tho MXSPORTS runs the races, MX wise, it seems they, the AMA, are all over it.

I know if you want to race Amatuer MX you gotta join the AMA.  Sure, there are regional, some would call outlaw series and promoters.  But, if you wanna make the big time, you gotta go AMA.  It’s the AMA that keeps track of points, advancement from novice to pro.  They award the championships. It’s those championships and races that the factories and big teams watch. And hire from.

Road racing, it’s like the AMA is almost allergic to it or something.

I dunno.  

The last time I hit Daytona, 2016, it was cool seeing dealer
shops and garages fighting for the win.
It was like, the feeling was the common man could win.

But that was it.

Sure, here in the states, some diehards noticed.

But on the world stage, WSBK, Motogp, the Americans and their series, in their view,  barely made the bush leagues.

And that my friends pisses me off.

So, what’s worse?
Rev limits, or being the laughing stock of the international scene?

I’m still on the fence………

[oldironnow]

Man, Grado.. I wish I knew....

I thought DMG was the answer - de-emphisase the power of the Factories to control the rules and filter the riders onto their bikes with the unobtanium parts, electronics and adjustments...

It just didn't work out that way. They tried to NASCARize everything.

The Factories recoiled in horror at their controlled environment getting wrenched open.

As to today, I bet it's somewhat easier to get into dirt bikes, say a 250 vs. a Twins Cup bike:




The top class differential is greater:



I bet the rider kit will about the same, but maybe not with a good RR suit and an airbag... Advantage Dirt.

Also the RR bike maybe needs more 'stuff'? Case savers, clutch lever protector, chain fin, aftermarket bodywork (hang the stock set in the garage rafters for later), maybe rearsets, ....

Then the weirder stuff... Safety wiring, removal of all the extraneous street equipment, bypassing interlocks, tire warmers, a generator, front and rear stands, sticky tires that wear out quickly...

And now you can't take your fine street motorcycle out on the street anymore...

Though here's the kicker - thanks for reading - The Distance. Three to four hours from the centers of both LA and the Bay Area to club racetracks.

There seem to be a half-dozen dirt tracks just over an hour from Downtown LA.


MotoAmerica and the World have top-down harmonized the tech rules between the USA and the other series, so we aren't isolated anymore on 'odd' equipment.

Maybe it's time we internally harmonized the access points to the RR culture and make it easier to get on the path to the world stages.

"This weekend. Your chance."


.

[motogrady]

I’m with you on the DMG thing.
I thought that would work.
But, Roger E had made a lot of enemies when he sued and almost put the AMA out of business.

I dunno.

Think for a bit how Triumph made their comeback.

Grass roots involvement by the factory.
The lack of tracks, RR wise for sure is an issue.
The cost, tires alone.  
Plus, like the chopper gang, is the image.
A lot of the masses just don’t like guys winding up a crotch rocket and blowing by them.

No easy answers.  

Maybe just embrace what it is.

A relatively small group of guys, a kind of exclusive club
if you will, that keep to themselves.

[hacksaw]

I wish he did put the AMA out of bizz!
As for choppers ? How many do you actually see on the road these days ?
 Don’t think the public perception of choppers is as bad as you allude to .

[motogrady]

For those that don’t remember……..there was a time, late 60s/70s…. that the AMA just quit its involvement with RR.

A guy named Roger Edmondson created his own RR series.
He said with the AMAs blessing.
I think it was called Formula Extreme.

After a few years that series grew.
To the point the factories were getting involved.

The AMA noticed, started their series up again, and according to Roger put him out of business.

After saying they wouldn’t.

So, Roger sued.

And won.  Big time.

And then left motorcycles completely,
getting a job with DMG. Daytona Motorsports Group.
The owners of NASCAR.

Well, about 10 years later, a new regime is elected to run the AMA.

Which decides to sell off its Pro Racing division.
All of it.
The rights to run, under the AMAs name,
any and all motorcycle racing in the USA went up on the chopping block.

And who wins the bid?

Out of I think 4 groups, DMG.

They then sell off the rights to each venue,
Mx, hillclimb, drag racing, Supercross, keeping only dirt track and RR for themselves.

They and their guy Roger think they have the answer.
On how to run those 2 venues.

And they totally, for whatever reason, screw them up.

To the point the AMA threatens to rescind the whole deal if they, DMG, don’t do better. Something about tarnishing the AMAs good name.

So, DMG washes its hands with motorcycles.
It sells off the rights to RR and dirt track.

And now, as far as I know, collects a fee from each venue,
and sends off part of that to the AMA, as per their original contract.  I’ve heard a million a year but who really knows.

And so now, this is where we are.

[hacksaw]

So they are all crooked u say?
Doesn’t surprise me any .
I don’t see many MC events on the cable channels I get, sometimes super cross which I think sucks. That bike looks good though .

[oldironnow]

motogrady wrote

...

Maybe just embrace what it is.

A relatively small group of guys, a kind of exclusive club
if you will, that keep to themselves.

An awesome, straightforward, Zen statement. ^ Dispassionate consideration of the Truth.


People were getting into cars again, post-War, and it took an effort to be a motorcyclist. Sales were dropping.

Honda and Japan opened a new door, and the masses rushed in.

So it turns out this huge mountain of ridership that we see now as normal, was mostly a one or two generation obsession.

We're getting back to a normal level of interest in motorcycling.


.

[Fatfatboy]

motogrady wrote

My 2 cents……..simplify the classes maybe.  
600cc, and the unlimited cc class.
An outlaw class for the Harley’s.
The baggers class.

More on board cameras.  What does motogp have, 5 on each bike I believe.

And I hate to say it……..but, if there have been more than a few runaway races, screw it, let the stewards penalize the strong teams with rev limits to make it close.


I can’t believe I said that……..

DING, DING, DING Wehave a winner!
Especially the more camera's part. One of the best things about Motogp is you get some close up camera action with damn good slo-mo replays. But this all cost $$ lots of $$$$$$. Where can they get it if 'Mercuns don't want to flip the wallet open enough to cover it.

[hacksaw]

Bagger racing is turning me off to the whole Moto scene.
It’s totally non Zen.
Racing itself on any kind of big time deal is non zen .
Zen is maybe taking a dual purpose bike out thru some old orchards or logging roads .
Mainly alone.
Certainly not bagger racing .

The old class A cutdowns. Yeah baby!
One took parts off to race. One didn’t add shit .
That was racing for and of the people . There a few outlaw races left . Even rope pull mini bike races are cool.
No stinking AMA or Dorma or whomever .
Baggers. Shameful lack of righteous class .

[hacksaw]

You didn’t happen to mean “Americans” by any chance?
What are ‘Muricans’? Sound more like Mexicans .
Or maybe illegals from the planet Mercury?

[Fatfatboy]

hacksaw wrote

Or maybe illegals from the planet Mercury?

Well of course that is who I was referring to. Everyone knowed dem Mercurians are the tightest bastids in da whole damn universe. Why even post some a dumb arse, idiotic, jackass, moronic, gosh dern question such'ass dat!?  

[hacksaw]

LMFAO
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂