FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: It takes a lot to get me to write in on an editorial but this Thursday practice discussion is one I think is important. If you are going to read this response read the entire response do not read just part of it. I do not think that factory riders should be banned from Thursday practice. I think Thursday practice should be mandatory at all tracks. On the other side of the coin I think that all private testing should be outlawed. There should be a rule put in place that states: “If a rider has competed in 75% of the AMA Nationals in the preceding year then that rider cannot ride on an AMA National track in any form of private testing that is not open to the general public for registration. Once a rider has competed in more than 75% of the AMA Nationals in the current calendar year then that rider cannot ride on an AMA National track in any form of private testing that is not open to the general public for registration.” This rule might sound a little difficult to enforce but really it should not be. If an AMA rider gets caught private testing then that rider will be forced to sit out one weekend. If they get caught more than once the penalty goes up. This type of rule will still allow the privateers that race a couple of AMA Nationals a year to practice at their local tracks. This type of rule will also allow the new up-and-comers to get the extra track time they will need to learn the track to be competitive. There are many issues that face private teams in the AMA paddock right now and private testing is one that should be at the top of the AMA list. Many race organizations around the world have put rules in place to control testing because they know the benefit and how it can create a separation in the results. Motorcycles are becoming more complicated every year with more adjustments and more electronics. Keep in mind that more adjustments means more time spent figuring out what works and what does not. If the AMA does not do something to control private testing than the gap between the factory teams and the private teams will continue to grow. As that gap grows attendance at the race will continue to be stagnant or even begin to decline. If the AMA wants to fill the stands and become profitable then they need to start putting controls in place to close the gap between the factory teams and the private teams. C.R. Gittere Gittere Motorsports Inc. Charlotte, North Carolina