FIRST PERSON/OPINION By Chip Spalding Team Manager Millennium/KWS Suzuki Charleston, South Carolina When this DMG/AMA thing first happened at Daytona I was excited. I thought DMG would be the best solution to many of our problems. They have solid financial backing and tons of successful racing experience. This should be really good, right? I have tried to be optimistic as each new piece of the puzzle is revealed, even when some didn’t make sense. We need things to change in the AMA. The status quo is not working. I think everybody agrees with that. Maybe the extent of the changes DMG wants to make is a little too much, too fast. As one motorcycle journalist said, “Do we need to throw the baby out with the bath water?” Even still, I remained optimistic. It’s too early to panic. I want the sport to be marketed well and the crowds to grow. I want everybody to have the theoretical chance at being competitive. I want sponsors to look at the AMA series as a good marketing value, worthy of their advertising dollars. Above all, I am a race fan and I want good racing. This is what DMG is preaching…I can get behind that. But with each new week it seems like DMG issues a press release or makes a public statement that erodes my faith in DMG’s ability to make all the promises happen. Virtually everything that they have issued since Daytona has caused hate and discontent among everybody in the sport, including fans. If you Google “DMG-Edmondson” you get back pages and pages of internet articles criticizing what has been done so far and what is going to happen. You have to look really hard to find someone with a positive attitude about the plans DMG has made public so far. This last episode, with the announcement that Mid-Ohio, VIR, Road Atlanta, and Infineon are now going to be rain events and the associated public comments by Mr. Edmondson, is the most disheartening so far. Rider safety should be everybody’s number one priority. Racing in the rain at these facilities is debatable for sure, some more than others. I don’t see a problem with VIR at all, but I can’t imagine racing in the rain at Infineon. The problem is, in public statements Mr. Edmondson appears not to care about rider safety, even dismissing the opinions of the rider’s safety council and insulting the intelligence of top riders. This has caused yet another storm of controversy. The potential for a show-down at Mid-Ohio could be the death of the series. I have talked to a few of our sponsors over the last week and they are considering getting out of motorcycle road racing altogether. They are getting tired of the controversy. Tired of the instability. The manufactures are talking about leaving, the sponsors are talking about leaving, the teams and riders are talking about leaving. How long before the fans get tired of all the controversy and buy concert tickets instead? Nobody needs to go racing. I want DMG/AMA to succeed, but they have to try to reach out to people. They have to get the teams, riders, sponsors, and manufactures behind their program. I cannot see anything going forward with this “our way or the highway” attitude. DMG needs to be a unifying force in this turbulent time. Time is short. If there is going to be a Daytona in 2009 then a different direction needs to be taken now. Please, don’t destroy professional motorcycle road racing in this country.