Copyright 2001 Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

OPINION:

Time To Take Back The AMA

By John Ulrich

Yesterday I was informed that I am anti-AMA.

This, I was told, is the view from the bunker that is AMA headquarters.

For the record, I am not anti-AMA.

I am a 22-year paying member, I think. (I’m not sure because when I re-upped my membership for three years they sent me a member pin with 23 years or 24 years on it, signifying the number of years I’ll have been a member after the renewal runs out, not how many years I actually have been a member now.)

I have volunteered to help write rules that cannot be interpreted eight different ways, and I have been ignored. (Funny, AFM and WERA seemed happy with my rewrites of their rulebooks in 1978 and 1986, respectively.)

I have volunteered to serve on the AMA Road Racing Advisory Board, and have been refused. There is a problem, I am told—-I might tell AMA license holders and “stakeholders’ (AMA Pro Racing’s new-age term for riders and team owners and sponsors) what happens in the meetings, and we can’t have that.

I have walked the paddock at an AMA race and talked to riders, found near-unanimous opposition to an insane rule, collected signatures from nearly all affected riders asking that the rule be immediately revoked—and have been told that I was a troublemaker. (Although, six months later, without comment, the rule was eliminated.)

And I have advocated that the research and collection of comments from riders and other stakeholders take place before rules are even considered, that a chance for comment be built into the rule-making process.

More than anything, I have invested in AMA Pro Racing. I have spent time and effort and money running an AMA-Championship-winning racing team currently fielding three riders and employing five full-time mechanics and three part-time mechanics. I have also spent time and money sponsoring my own son—who has led an AMA National, reached the podium and twice ended the year in the top five in points–in AMA Pro Racing. And I’ve gone to the hospital with my son and my riders too many times as a direct or indirect result of action or inaction on the part of AMA Pro Racing officials on site at an AMA National.

I have buried a rider who crashed one of my bikes into an embankment unshielded by haybales during practice for an AMA National, and my original racing partner is a wheelchair pilot as the result of crashing our bike into a steel barrier during an AMA National.

I have had a contract with a 17-year-old rider–a rider I and my son considered a personal friend–who didn’t get to race for my team because he hit a fence unprotected by haybales or foam blocks or Air Fence at an AMA dirt track and died a lingering death before the deal started.

I have a bigger investment in AMA Pro Racing than anybody who actually works for the AMA, and have paid a dearer price for that investment.

No, I am not anti-AMA. But I am anti-stupidity, anti-ignorance, and anti-arrogance. I have no problem with the organization, the concept, the association. I have a big problem with many actions and inactions on the part of the people charged with running the AMA and AMA Pro Racing in recent years.

Is a person who objected to Clinton’s executive orders closing public lands to off-road motorcyclists “anti-America”?

Is a person who objects to proposed government regulations allowing insurance companies to discriminate against motorcyclists among group policy holders “anti-government”?

I am not “anti-AMA” any more than a person who advocates open use of public land is “anti-America.” I am not “anti-AMA” any more than a person who advocates equal treatment of all persons covered by group medical insurance is “anti-government.”

But I am against the view that motorcycle racing, especially motorcycle road racing organized by AMA Pro Racing, somehow must look outside to car racing organizations and officials to figure out what to do, or for validation.

I am a motorcycle racer, a motorcycle race team owner, a motorcycle magazine and website owner.

I don’t like sitting around and waiting for a bureaucrat to take a survey to figure out how car guys do it before making a move that is as plain as day and as easy to figure out as common sense. Motorcycle guys are into action, not inaction.

It took AMA Pro Racing years to figure out and get rid of the insane rule that required racers to run dry-pattern DOT-labeled tires in rainy Supersport races. It was a rule that, had anybody known it was coming other than the fool who proposed it and the fools who wrote it and approved it, would have been hooted down in seconds.

I am against a corrupt system whereby a rule that affects a very few—–an example being the proposed ban on powered quick-lifts used in Superbike pit stops—–is instantly postponed when a few factory teams complain that they’ve already built the equipment. Yet rules that affect many more people—–people not associated with factory Superbike teams–—have no chance of being stayed or delayed no matter how great the hardship, no matter how late the announcement, no matter how flawed the concept.

I am for fair, logical rules, applied equally to everyone in the paddock.

I am against the corrupt, pork-barrel, good-old-boys appointment-by-one-man system that is responsible for the non-representative Road Racing Advisory Board. It is stacked with representatives of manufacturers and of factory-affiliated Superbike teams with a couple of token 250 guys. There are no representatives of independent, multi-rider teams with non-factory primary sponsorship running in the Supersport or Formula Xtreme classes, nor of teams running in Pro Thunder.

A key concept in the American Revolution was: No taxation without representation. Every American understands how unfair it is to be dictated to without representation—–every American, it seems, except the men in charge of AMA Pro Racing.

AMA Pro Racing Directors have been talking about rationalizing the rule-making procedures–allowing racers at large a chance to comment before a rule is made—for at least 18 months. They’ve been promising imminent action for at least five months. So far all that has happened is that a former car racing guy has been hired to figure out how to create a process that any one of a dozen or two dozen team owners/racers/businessmen within the AMA ranks could fully develop and implement in a matter of days. At this rate, if we’re really lucky, maybe something will be proposed in 2001 and implemented in 2002.

And AMA Pro Racing has been talking about buying more Air Fence for years, yet while there is budget for hiring a former car racing guy to explain the obvious in regards to making rules, somehow there is no budget for Air Fence.

I’m tired of waiting and waiting on the grid, of watching for a green flag that never comes, of hoping for fairness and concern for everybody in the paddock, not just the factory few.

I’m tired of waiting for Air Fence that never comes, of delays, of excuses, of hoping my son and my riders and the sons and riders of my friends don’t hit a wall where there should be Air Fence but is there is not because AMA Pro Racing can’t get its act together and figure out what is really important here, the safety of racers versus the post-retirement employment of retired car racing executives.

I am against the way AMA Pro Racing conducts—–or, more accurately, does not conduct—–its business.

The way I figure it, it is time for AMA members involved in Pro Racing to take back the AMA, to take action, to get something done, starting here and now.

AMA Pro Racing needs 30 sections of Air Fence at $2900 each. I’ve already written a check for one section.

I need 29 other people (or groups of people) who are sick and tired of waiting for something to happen to each kick in $2900 and buy a section of Air Fence. Just 29 people out of 240 million Americans, 29 people who care about a son, a brother, a rider, a friend. Just 29 people who are tired of excuses and inaction. Just 29 people willing to get it done right now.

Make the check payable to Roadracing World Publishing, Inc., and mail it to me at the address below. Do it right now.

I’ll collect the money and personally deliver it to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of AMA Pro Racing, with a simple message: Here’s the money, now get it done. If the AMA Pro Racing Board of Directors decides it doesn’t need to take our money and buy Air Fence, I’ll buy the Air Fence myself and make arrangements with individual racetracks and promoters to deply the Air Fence at races.

Any donors who buy a complete section of Air Fence ($2900) and wish will also get a free 15-inch ad in Roadracing World in which to congratulate the AMA on committing to using the donations to speedily buy and install Air Fence at AMA Nationals. And everybody who donates will get a listing in a new “Take Back The AMA” donor section on www.roadracingworld.com.

Will this work? I honestly don’t know. But trying anything beats the approach typically taken by AMA Pro Racing, which is, do nothing. Or maybe talk a lot, accomplish nothing. Or promise a lot, deliver nothing.

Other than to declare a critic to be anti-AMA.

Send those checks, made out to Roadracing World Publishing, Inc., to:

Take Back The AMA Action Fund
c/o Roadracing World
P.O. Box 1428
Lake Elsinore, CA 92530-1428

Do it now, and help take back the AMA.

While several AMA teams traveled to Road Atlanta to test last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Southern California-based Graves Motorsports made the relatively short trip to Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, California and tested with Aaron Gobert and Damon Buckmaster last Friday.

HMC Ducati’s Steve Rapp also rode at Sears Point on Friday, during a Dp Track Day organized by former racer Dennis Pegelow.

HMC Ducati skipped the Road Atlanta tests because, according to owner Mitch Hansen, the team is still in the midst of finding a second rider and is spending the break between Daytona and Sears Point relocating into a new race shop.

The Ducati ridden by Rapp at the Dp day was not a full Superbike, but rather a modified streetbike.

Ben Spies broke his left wrist when he crashed a motocross bike while training Sunday.

Spies, 16, who rides for Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki, finished second in the AMA 750cc Supersport race at Daytona and ran well under the class lap record during testing at Road Atlanta last week.

At post time it was not clear when Spies would be able to race again. He will miss next week’s Formula USA National at Willow Springs and may miss the AMA National at Sears Point May 4-6 as well.

AMA Pro Racing Superbike Operations Manager Ron Barrick was on site in turn one during the 600cc Supersport race at Daytona and personally watched five riders crash before deciding there was oil on the track and calling for a red flag.

The rider who put down the oil, Roger Hayden, immediately told cornerworkers that there was oil on the track. But Barrick continued to watch as rider after rider fell in the turn before finally ordering a red flag and track clean-up.

Barrick also said he did not hear calls on the radio net for an oil flag at start/finish although grid marshalls on the same frequency have said they did hear the calls for the oil flag, which was not displayed at start/finish.

That’s the story from an AMA employee who came clean in the wake of the resignation of Safety and Logistics Officer Dan Lance in a dispute that, the employee said, centered on safety issues.

Lance declined to comment on the controversy when reached by telephone and hung up on a reporter.

AMA Pro Racing Director of Competition Merrill Vanderslice has refused to comment on the Lance situation.

At post time, Barrick had not commented on the issue, although he did return an e-mail last week saying he would comment when he had a chance.

The White Brothers Los Angeles Motorcycle Calendar Show sponsored by Performance Machine, The Recycler, and Budweiser has expanded into a two-day event scheduled for July 21-22, 2001 at the Queen Mary Event Park in Long Beach, California. The show is the traditional premier of the Fast Dates calendars and features some of the calendars’ models and machines. The annual show’s director, Jim Gianatsis, is currently taking display booth and display bike registrations online at his website, www.fastdates.com, by phone at (818) 223-8550 or by FAX at (818) 223 -8590.

The Honda Elf RC51 entry led the 24-Hours of LeMans after 18 hours, with a three-lap advantage over the GMT94 Suzuki GSX-R1000, 563 laps to 560 laps. The Suzuki-Castrol GSX-R1000 held third at 553 laps.

First (and now only) American still running in the race is Michael Barnes on the Herman Verbonen Racing Suzuki GSX-R750 Superbike, in 28th place with 509 laps.

The Bikeshire Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 co-ridden by American Joe Prussiano has DNFed, listed in 43rd place. And the Whirley Phase One Suzuki GSX-R100 co-ridden by American Jason Pridmore has also DNFed, listed in 45th position.

Racer Jerry Wood lost his run for AMA Trustee in the fall, but here is Wood’s take on what needs to be done to improve the AMA.

“I don’t think I have all the answers,” said Wood in a written statement he sent to Roadracing World. ” I would (have been) available to listen to other members’ concerns and suggestions. Communication has improved so much with the internet and it is a very useful tool to exchange ideas and information.

“I believe that the racing program needs attention but I am also an active street and trail rider. I understand the importance of fighting for our rights and freedoms. Responsibility comes along with those freedoms, we need to teach our young riders to respect the rights of others. That person on the horse might own the land.

“The concerns that I have heard so much about are the expensive lawsuit with Roger Edmondson, rider safety, and the lack of opportunity for riders to comment on a rule change before it is enacted. Members want to see the racing program grow. Riders like Doug Chandler and Nicky Hayden are American heroes just like Dan Moreno, Tiger Woods and Bill Elliott. We need the sponsors to put their faces on television to get our sport in the mainstream.

“We need to conduct our business honestly with integrity and fairness. Lawsuits should only be a last resort.

“Rider input before enacting new rules is a must.

“Safety has to be a main concern. The safest races are the result of a strong program, it’s easier to buy the right equipment when you have the money. We learned at Loudon that you can bolt Indy car slicks together and make soft walls that absorb energy with little damage to machine or rider. The bonus is that they are free! The dirt tracks could probably use these as well. The new Air Fence ‘Bike’ product is not free but it works great in high-impact areas and is worth every penny of the cost.

“Helmet removal is another life-or-death issue that must be addressed. Years ago if a rider crashed and was not able to remove his own helmet the ambulance people were instructed to leave the helmet on the person for fear that they would make a neck injury worse. The trouble is that if the rider couldn’t breathe, he died.

“Joe Zeigler, who was my partner with the Penguin School at the time, thought that we could do better than let the rider die. Joe worked with the (Loudon) track nurse, Karen Hornbecker, along with the track doctor and an orthopedic surgeon to develop a method of removing helmets while stabilizing the neck. This became standard practice at Loudon. The method has been refined and is now a regular part of advanced EMT training.

“I was at the crash site when my son Eric was run over by another motorcycle. Eric was not able to breathe until the helmet was removed and an airway placed (in his throat). I have been present on two other occasions where the rider’s helmet was removed and an airway inserted with these methods, and everyone lived.

“A short time ago I was present when the local fire department demonstrated all of the latest life-saving equipment and the training that went with it. It was impressive, they could cut you out of a car, get you out of a burning building and had all kinds of live-saving medical stuff. When I asked if they were trained on motorcycle helmet removal they said NO and the EMTs that came after them could not remove helmets, either.

“I was shocked to learn that this training is not required for emergency personnel at AMA races. The training for helmet removal is part of the Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support manual written by the National Association of EMTs.”

If Wood had been elected, he would have pushed “hard to make sure that all AMA races have emergency personnel that are trained in helmet removal…(and) push for the AMA to sponsor nationwide police and fire department training as well. I want to see cost-effective barrier protection used as well as the Air Fence where it is needed. I… encourage rider input on rules and changes and…(representation of) all riders including privateers.

“I have been told by many people that they want to see changes in the AMA. I am a longtime AMA supporter and I think that the people that have been working on these boards have tried to do a good job, but we need new ideas. No one person makes the decisions, all I…(was) asking for is to have a voice at the table.”

A GMT94 Suzuki GSX-R1000 entered in the SuperProduction class for machines with modified chassis and stock engines took the overall win in the LeMans 24-hour, the opening round of the 2001 Endurance World Championship.

The works Honda Elf RC51 entered in the Superbike class led most of the race, but encountered clutch problems in the closing hours and had to be pushed in; the Honda still finished second overall, one lap behind the GMT94 Suzuki, 759 to 758.

Another SuperProduction Suzuki GSX-R1000, fielded by the Suzuki-Castrol team, finished third overall with 755 laps.

The first (and only) American to finish was Michael Barnes, riding for 24th-overall Herman Verboen Racing on a Yamaha YZF-R1.

American Joe Prussiano rode for Bikeshire Racing, which retired and was ranked 43rd in final results; American Jason Pridmore rode for Whirley Phase One on a GSX-R1000, and that team retired and was ranked 47th in final results.

Rob Tuluie’s Tul-Aris 780cc two-stroke racebike will next run during a CRA regional event at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota on May 4-6.

According to a release issued by Tuluie, “We have secured AP Lockheed as a brake sponsor and are excited to try out the new equipment at BIR for the first time. In addition, Dave Gilbert at DCM services has made us a beautiful set of adjustable triple clamps, complete with Tul-aris logo (!) which we will use and play with at BIR for the first time. We’re trying to get some special transmission gears machined in time for BIR, coming all the way from Vtwo in Australia, but these might take a little while longer.”

The release concluded, “Our hunt for a primary ‘money’ sponsor isn’t over yet, but at least we’re having fun contacting some rather ‘unusual’ possibilities. We’ll keep everybody posted…”

Top Gear Motorcycles in Eugene, Oregon is now importing Corner Leathers from Italy. At one time Corner Leathers were sold in the U.S. under the Bell2 and AGV brands.

More information is available from Top Gear at (541) 683-4670.