Spies Crew Still Confused About AMA Superstock Fork Brace Rules

Spies Crew Still Confused About AMA Superstock Fork Brace Rules

© 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

A June 18, 2004 rules “clarification” issued by AMA Pro Racing regarding fork braces on Superstock (and Supersport) machines was still unclear to Tom Houseworth, Ben Spies’ Yoshimura Suzuki Crew Chief, following the first official Superstock practice session held Friday morning at Brainerd.

Originally, the rule permitted the replacement or addition of fork braces in the class with no stipulation on the design. The clarification, however, stipulated that any fork brace “must function solely as a strengthening device for the front fork structure” and not incorporate “any air management qualities such as downforce producing deflectors or ducts that redirect incoming air…The determination of air management qualities will be at the sole discretion of the Race Manager and the Chief Technical Inspector.”

The rule clarification was clearly directed at Spies’ Superstock GSX-R1000, which has worn two different versions of a carbon-fiber fork brace that mounts at the front fender mounting points and arches over the top of the fender. The original brace had a more triangulated profile with a raised trailing edge, and the revised design has a more rounded profile but still has a raised trailing edge.

Spies’ GSX-R1000 passed technical inspection with the spoiler in place Thursday evening at Brainerd, but AMA tech officials told Houseworth that a final decision on the fork brace would have to be made by AMA Pro Racing Superbike Series Manager Ron Barrick. As of Friday morning – after the first and only Superstock practice session of the day, Barrick had yet to inspect Spies’ brace and make a ruling.

“No one can make a decision without Ron, and Ron can’t come over and look at it until after we’ve had a practice session? It doesn’t seem right to me,” said an agitated Houseworth. “I can see why they clarified it (rule). But in our case, Ben (Spies) could actually look down and see the fork flex fore and aft. And it’s complicated with the inverted forks. You can’t just go out and buy a fork brace. So we made something up. We’re just trying to do whatever we can to make our rider feel comfortable.

“Jeez! It actually overheats the bike a little bit. As far as downforce, how much do you need to get through a corner? Who has the degree in fluid dynamics or air management to tell us if it works or not? Who is going to take it to a wind tunnel? Nobody really knows. We don’t know. The AMA doesn’t know. They’re all going by looks. It’s not like we’re setting the world on fire with that bike right now, you know?

“You think they would just be timely about it. You know we’ve had a problem with it. Just come and tell us good or bad.”

“I told them I would be there to look at it when I get a minute,” said AMA Pro Racing Superbike Series Manager Ron Barrick. “There was a re-think on the whole matter (fork brace rule clarification), internally. Our ultimate recommendation to our (AMA Pro Racing) Board will be to remove the rule allowing fork braces on Supersport and Superstock bikes. That rule’s been in existence since the start of Supersport, when forks on bikes had a need for additional bracing. We currently don’t feel bracing is needed on current production bikes.”

Asked what evidence they have whether Spies’, or any racer’s fork brace, has “air management qualities,” Barrick said, “By the educated opinion of a number of people inside the business. An educated assumption, I suppose. Clearly we don’t have a wind tunnel to roll the thing in.”

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