Racing

[Fatfatboy]

Maybe it was that way when you last visited a GP track but now with jumbo screens facing the stands it’s better than the couch viewing.
Plus the atmosphere is much more gooder.

[hacksaw]

oh giant screens!
so its virtual . I mean why go there to watch it on tv? obviously many aren't.
so perhaps you have answered your own question.
perhaps everything has got so technical the bikes themselves don't relate to people?
idk. race bikes aren't really motorcycles anymore. what I don't watch nascar. stock cars my ass!
I used to watch religiously . motorcycles weren't on tv much.
flat track was on for a year or two. springer days. I might still watch FT if it was on and easy to find. .  

 

[motogrady]

Fatfatboy wrote

I belong to a MOTOGP page on Reddit and a Brit posted this pic of the stands on race day.



He noticed a big drop in attendance this year.
A lot of guys blame the cost to watch it on tv. Some say it’s because there are no Brits in the top class.
I wonder what the truth is and if Dorna is taking notice.

Trackhouse had the opportunity to put an American in but chose not to. So when will we see an American in the top class? Do you think it would help or will it take an American bike to join in to get Americans to pay attention to the sport?

One exceptional guy can do it.
But they are rare birds.
Kenny Robert’s was one.
Barry Scheen the Brit.
Jeremy McGrath, motocross, was another.
Rossi also.
Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR.
John Force in drag racing.  
Mike Dunlop is doing it on the island.

They kind of transcend the sport itself.
Their driving or riding is braking records,
they have that main stream personality people like,
and poof, people want to be part of it.

Or, increase the crashes and wrecks.
That brings them in also.

This was Jeremy, at the height of his career.
He was on The Tonight Show, Friends, selling
phone service packages on National TV.

Yeah, Jeremywas cool.  And Fast.  And a winner.
And we all love a winner.

https://youtu.be/PBXzLmp-8ok?si=g4UL2IJhnx_j_Q-k

[hacksaw]

Brad Lackey for me.

[motogrady]

hacksaw wrote

Brad Lackey for me.

Yeah  brad was bad ass.
1st American 500cc World Motocross Champion.
When it mattered, when it was the premium class on the globe.
Left Northern California as a teen to live in an unheated
shack by the CZ factory so he could race the GPs.
Worked on the assembly line and ate crap food there,
just to be on the team

Nobody does that kind of stuff anymore.

Still, he never took it mainstream.
Only a few die hard fanatics know of him.

I dunno.  

Maybe if the AMA, who makes money on racing would step up to the plate and actually promote the stuff that would help.   Some TV ads, something.

[motogrady]

https://youtu.be/Dg3Vm_b8E2g?si=Ifa32TMf-grDp1DQ

[hacksaw]

I am as anti AMA as the AMA was anti me in the early “70’s .

True what yiu said though

[hacksaw]

Great vid!

[oldironnow]

hacksaw wrote

Great vid!

Very great

[oldironnow]

Fatfatboy wrote

I belong to a MOTOGP page on Reddit and a Brit posted this pic of the stands on race day.

...

The core of Western Europe still packs them in.

But, WSBK rounds are very thinly attended, and it's been getting sparser at Laguna Seca, as well.

Yet I'm not sure if us computer jockeys can derive the true health of the sport.

Based on sportbike sales, I do believe roadracing is fading away as an entertainment business as it was.

In 1949, one had to go to the track to see the event.

In 1969, one could catch it delayed and edited on the Wide World of sports.

In 1989, one could see it, maybe even live, but with horrendous commercial breaks.

In 2009 one could get the entire thing right in your den, right now, without tickets or travel costs or any discomfort.

Everything has changed with the internet.

Every event has better sight-lines through the TV.

Every event has 100% coverage when streamed.

There's no reason to go to the track now, unless ... one needs to go to Church - to see the machinery and people, smell the fuel and exhaust, consider the varied aural beauty of open pipes, and unless one can afford a 'vacation' that might include camping/RVing/hotel.

The World of Screens has stripped away the casual TV fan that was captive to just three TV channels.
The World of Personal Recreation has liberated people from passive spectating on a hillside in Monterey.

So it continues to change.

Hopefully the series' can turn a profit through streaming sales and broadcast rights, and the circuits can cover the lost front gate money from day-to-day enthusiast trackdays, because tracks need maintenance and repaving.

But roadracing will continue, somewhere, somehow, with or without spectators, right to the end... because it feels so good.

[whatarush]

oldironnow wrote

whatarush wrote

Interesting…when the local TD guys want to look it over. They said the outer loop was still unsafe do to lack of runoff and guardrails to close to the track.

Well dang.
The story had the issue lying in the inner loop, but even disregarding that, the aerial photo makes the track look very narrow. No wonder it’s not happening.
Quite the shame.
Nice shapes.

Here is a video one of my old riding buddies made when he went down to check out the place. IMO the walls are way too close

https://youtu.be/R2sOoYFWp4I

[oldironnow]

https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/american-flat-track-bromley-racing-honda-adventuretracker-at-sturgis-tt/

[motogrady]

Well guys this weekend here in The States, it was Unadilla.

The best riders, on what one considers the best track,
on a perfect day, weather wise, made for a pretty good show.  

Unadilla is a fast track.
Mostly just a natural circuit, layed out in the hills in a beautiful valley in New York.

Chase Sexton, KTMs top guy and current leader in the series played it smart, going 2-1 for the overall win in the 450 class.  The buzz was on Hunter Lawrence, Hondas top guy, who was crushing it early on in the series, but got hurt.  Apparently, Honda has been busy and had their new 2025 450 ready, and they raced it. Word has it the bike looked and performed great.  

In the 250s it was Levi Kitchen, on a Pro Circuit Kawasaki, the team Kawasaki uses for their factory effort in the 250s, going head to head with Wonder Boy Hagen Deegan, on the Factory Yamaha.

Ya, at this point in time, this is the state of American Motocross.

https://youtu.be/tHJucpRK-Fk?si=ZN03ysbXDet_6lsA

And the fun fact for today?
Half way thru their first AMA Motocross season,
Triumph puts their new 250 on the podium with a third overall.  

That my friends, is effin awesome.

450MX Overall Results (Top 10)

1. Chase Sexton (KTM) 2-1
2. Hunter Lawrence (Hon ) 1-2
3. Aaron Plessinger (KTM) 3-4
4. Dylan Ferrandis (Hon) 6-3
5. Jason Anderson (Kaw) 5-5
6. Justin Cooper (Yam) 4-7
7. Ken Roczen (Suz) 7-6
8. Christian Craig (Hus) 9-8
9. Malcolm Stewart (Hus) 10-9
10. Grant Harlan (Yam) 11-10


250MX Overall Results (Top 10)

1. Levi Kitchen (Kaw) 2-1
2. Haiden Deegan (Yam) 1-2
3. Jalek Swoll (Tri) 6-4
4. Garrett Marchbanks (Kaw) 5-5
5. Max Anstie (Yam) 3-8
6. Pierce Brown (GG) 7-7
7. Jordon Smith (Yam) 12-6
8. Ty Masterpool (Kaw) 9-9
9. Julien Beaumer (KTM) 8-10
10. Ryder DiFrancesco (GG) 10-11

[hacksaw]

Cool!

[hacksaw]

Triumph!

[Fatfatboy]

BMW is considering joining MOTOGP. Dorna says not unless they can merge with an existing team.
Dorna wants to maintain 22 riders.
Is this the future of Dorna?

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1053359/1/motogp-sticks-22-riders-bmw-would-need-existing-team

[oldironnow]

Fatfatboy wrote

BMW is considering joining MOTOGP. Dorna says not unless they can merge with an existing team.
Dorna wants to maintain 22 riders.
Is this the future of Dorna?

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1053359/1/motogp-sticks-22-riders-bmw-would-need-existing-team

This IS Dorna.

A controlled soap opera.

I would much prefer an open entry system.

Ash-can the rules, and have an open gate for anyone to show up, qualify, and grid for each race.

The powers that be want a consistent group of actors they can manage, sell, and promote.


.

[oldironnow]

[motogrady]

oldironnow wrote

Fatfatboy wrote

BMW is considering joining MOTOGP. Dorna says not unless they can merge with an existing team.
Dorna wants to maintain 22 riders.
Is this the future of Dorna?

https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1053359/1/motogp-sticks-22-riders-bmw-would-need-existing-team

This IS Dorna.

A controlled soap opera.

I would much prefer an open entry system.

Ash-can the rules, and have an open gate for anyone to show up, qualify, and grid for each race.

The powers that be want a consistent group of actors they can manage, sell, and promote.


.

Well……thing is, without guys like Dorna, things devolve to little more than club racing.

What was that series on tv, about life in a Castle in 1800s England.
Donington Abby.
My girl and myself watched the whole series.
Yes, it was a kind of soap opera, a chick thing.

But there were gems that came up every now and then.

A scene came up where the Baron, the guy that owned the place, was talking to the guy that had just married his daughter.  
The new son in law was a commoner.
Self made, did everything himself and was proud of it.
So much so the help, his valet, the butler, the guy that took are of the horses and carriages, were not happy.

The new son in law brushed them off whenever they tried to help, to do their job.

Well, the big guy takes him aside one night, in the privacy of his room and tells him, look, it’s admirable how far you’ve come.  And how you did it in a honorary way.
But remember, we all are cogs or gears in a bigger thing.

Yes, I am the leader. But that is but a part of it.
The cooks, the footmen, the maids, we all have a part in this bigger endeavor.

To not let another do his job, his chosen work, which he or she has a talent or expertise in, takes away the feeling of worth they offer.
Not only that, no butler, or cook, maid or King could succeed in building and maintaining something as big as
what we have by himself.

We are all but bit players in a very good play.

The next scene the son in law is getting dressed.
His valet, his man, sits dejected in the corner.
The son in law stops, deciding on what cuff links would best finish off his suit.

He pauses, looks at his valet, and asks, what would be a good pick. And is there a better way to present himself with the selection.

The valet jumps up, smiling broadly and finishes with choices, the fitting, with just a bit of advice on the dinner to come.
And both are better for it.

And really, in a lot of things, that is life in miniature.

Dorna has their place. They organize the whole show.
They deal with the tracks.  The factories. The logistics.
The various governments. All the bullshit that goes into running events.

The factories, sure, they’re in it to sell bikes.  So what?

The riders, yes titles matter, but how many would ride for a world championship for free?  Without the factories, or Dorna, they would be buying tires, sleeping in pup tents and oiling their own chains.  
For what?  The Champion of the North Central Region of the UK?

Thing is, it’s all a big play in a way.
With no way of it being possible without
everyone doing their job.

[hacksaw]

I disagree with just about everything you said here.
I would actually watch club racing .
Dorma can suck my exhaust headers.
Elitist azzholes .
Deny BMW?
You got to be kidding me. There is more to this than 22 teams. BMW is the most up and coming companies out there. Tech and sales. They would bring in a whole bunch more fans.
So somehow BMW as a stand alone entity is a threat to Dorma.

Club racers rule!
We don’t need no stinkeen Dorma!