Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

From a phone interview with privateer Brian Livengood, who is fourth in AMA Superbike points following the AMA National at Fontana and so is banned from Thursday practice at Sears Point by a rule AMA Pro Racing Director of Competition Merrill Vanderslice says was enacted to “save the factory teams from themselves”:

“I called (Vanderslice) this morning and left a message, and he got back to me this afternoon. Basically, I knew they had the deal with the practices, but I thought it was the week prior to the event. I didn’t know it was the promoter practice that they weren’t letting the top 10 in. I never thought or worried about it until we started making our plans for Sears and I found out, actually last night, they’re not allowing top 10 in Superbike points (to take part in Thursday practice).

“I figured I’d call. I thought that it should’ve just applied to the factory teams, not the privateer guys. So I called and (Vanderslice) got back to me. I asked him about it. He said that’s the way it’s been for three years and there was nothing really that he could do about it.

“I explained to him that the big importance was that, one, I’ve never been there (Sears Point), two, I am a privateer team and by going there and learning the track it allows me, on Friday and Saturday, to be up to pace where I’m not in the way learning the track while you’ve got the factory teams out there. All in all in the end, my sponsors that got me where I’m at now, if I’m not learning the track like all of my other competitors that’s going to put me behind.

“Other than that, he said if there was anything else he could help me with fine, but there was nothing he could do with this. I asked him as far as penalty-wise, what would be the penalty if I decided to run it. He said several different things, revoking licenses and this and that. So he pretty much said, ‘Don’t do it.’

“He talked to me normal. He wasn’t a smart ass or anything like that. But he was like ‘This is the way it’s been. You should’ve known this. This is the way it’s been. I can’t help you out there. Anything else, let me know.’ I asked him what we could do. He said it was a long, drawn out deal. It has to go through this and that, through different parts of the board to get changed. That’s when I decided to give a call and maybe we can get something worked out to where privateer guys that’s not renting out a track every weekend can do at least one day of practice before a full race weekend.

“I guess they really ought to ask the factory guys, ‘Hey, do you really give a care if these guys go out and practice?’ I’m pretty sure that most of them would say no. They don’t care. My understanding is that (the rule) is designed to keep them there for the show on the weekend, so their not out there getting hurt and anything like that. I guess there’s other reasons, too.

“So I guess I’m stuck. It’s good to be in the points where I’m at, but I’m not going to win a Superbike Championship or anything like that. I’m there because they (factory Superbike riders) broke and this and that. I’ll have some good finishes and all, but the Superstock was our main focus this year.

“We wanted a top 10 in Superbike because of the track time and, of course, the money. Now where we’re at now, we’re talking to some guys and they might get a Superbike motor built just to finish beating out the rest of the privateer guys.

“Until today (being so high in the Superbike points) was working better for me and all my sponsors. It’s just hurting me for the next events that I’m going to. When I get out to Sears and all of my competitors are out practicing on Thursday and I’m sitting in the pits…there’s no replacement for track time.”