Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Maybe my point was completely missed in the suggestion of a single-manufacturer cup race. The concept is to throw the motorcycle and tire manufacturers into an open bidding war for the fourth class. If that spot were made valuable, it would behoove the manufacturers to put a really good offer together for that fourth spot. I mention it should go to the manufacturer that makes the best offer for the rider. Emphasis on RIDER! If it ended up being Buel Blasts, so be it as long as the racing was close. If nobody was in debt at the end of year and the top 15 or 20 guys could pay their rent, it would be a success.

Creating a dramatic soap opera of characters trying to climb the ladder of the greatest racing sport on the planet should be the intent of AMA Pro Racing. Selling motorcycles should be left to the advertising and marketing departments of the manufactures. It is their job to utilize the results their factory pro teams hand them while racing under the rules dictated by a fair, organized, powerful, sanctioning body.

When the 36 riders line up on the grid they are heroes. Every one of them is great. When the sport is sold that way, you will garner the unlikely fans. Mothers and sisters don’t always care about the Honda or the Suzuki or who might be winning; they want to know who was that guy on that bike?

As for how many classes? There need not be any more than four. Ultimately the AMA road racing circus is looking to strengthen the market value of AMA Pro Racing so they can find title sponsors. The AMA doesn’t want to fill the paddock like a tent-city club race to pay for their expenses. (There is no entry fee for riders of Moto GP. Showing up with talent to put on the show is their entry and should be for AMA pro riders as well.)

Slipstreaming the program so people comprehend the stepping-stone up to the pinnacle of the sport is the goal. In turn, teams can sell their drama to an outside-industry sponsor and pull up to the racetrack in good-looking rolling billboards and afford to buy factory bits that will put them closer to the front.

If you had to have five classes, an Extreme Singles class seems the obvious route. This would allow supermotard engines to find their way onto road racetracks as well as bring back the engineering mechanics we lost when the 250s disappeared.

Marcello del Giudice
Las Vegas, Nevada



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I nominate the Buell XB9-12R series as a candidate for a box-stock class machine. The Suzuki SV650 is also excellent, but I’d like to see what the track-focused Buell could do in a group of like-built fish.

As an aside, I’m glad to hear from Marcello del Giudice again. A colorful character, “The Man in Black”, back from Antarctica? I remember him, and hope all is well.

Randall Leonard
Watsonville, California



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

SV650s don’t push my buttons, but it’ll go down as one of the success stories in club-racing … right in there with EX500s, KZ550s, and various other lightweight or middleweight bikes. (Sorry if I’ve neglected your personal favorite.)

For a one-bike class, the SV is the best choice right now for North America, as the performance is much more approachable and affordable than 165-mph 600cc Inline-4s. A 450cc supermotard class would be a close second choice — mainly because of the potential crossover into the numerous SM orgs running at kart tracks and/or temporary parking lot circuits.

As for setting up such a series, the most important criteria is that a podium-capable bike MUST be cheap, and not require specialized fine-tuning or mechanical mods. LRRS has that in the “Production Twins” class, run at Loudon for probably two decades now. It has essentially evolved into an “EX500 race,” though other bikes have always been legal. (This winter the Ducati 620 was voted in, and feared to be a potential class steamroller. But only one or two riders race them at the track, and it has not yet made a difference in the class.)

The key to success in all those years was that the rental bikes offered by the race school were EX500s. This offered newbies a smooth transition into a class while simulaneously funnelling in new blood every single weekend. Call that the second-most important criteria.

One other note: Making it a DOT tire negates the need for a spec tire, and though I argued against allowing rain tires in our PT class for years, I now see that they make for better racing. And for teams that put a premium on good paint and presentation, they would save money over a typical season’s usage in bodywork damage. (I’m a fan of spray cans. 😉

Historically, these types of classes have not proved themselves very profitable. We let the riders pay most of the costs, but make it cheap enough for them to do it. Tires are a huge cost, making a (relatively) low-power bike attractive. But tire costs are nothing compared to the costs of actually driving all around the country to score the requisite points to win a national championship: A capable rider with the wherewithall to do that will win — but he or she will occasionally get spanked by the local boys.

Jeez, sure sounds like I’m describing FUSA’s m.o.

B.J. Worsham
LRRS #31
Old Westbury, New York


See related posts:

8/1/2004 Another Racer’s Take On A One-Make Class For AMA Pro Racing

7/30/2004 Racer Opinion: AMA Pro Racing Needs One-Make Class