Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Pressure applied to team managers by AMA Pro Racing Director of Professional Competition Merrill Vanderslice to silence rider criticism of Sears Point International Raceway over safety issues had an effect Saturday at the Sonoma, California racetrack.

Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates and Mat Mladin and Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert were all critical of the racetrack in response to a direct question asked by a reporter in a press conference held following the Friday Superbike qualifying session.

In response, an angry Vanderslice complained to the involved teams, telling them to muzzle their riders “or else I’ll do it.”

Don Sakakura, team manager for Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki, said Vanderslice was “disappointed as far as the comments that were made in the press conference. I couldn’t respond because I wasn’t there and didn’t know what the riders said. Speaking to the riders, they were concerned (about track safety). We had gone to see (AMA Race Manager) Ron Barrick on Friday. Several issues were brought up, the big ones being turn one and the speed of the course. They made some improvements with airbags and things at that time.”

Yamaha Racing Division Manager Keith McCarty said he, too, was approached by Vanderslice. “Merrill did talk to us yesterday after the Superbike qualifying press conference. His discussion point was bringing up about the track safety at the press conference. We want to be able to talk to him (Vanderslice) about that, and I’m sure they wanted to be right, but I think they (the AMA) took it as a bit of a surprise because with all the track improvements they really weren’t ready for that. When the racers come off the track after qualifying you can imagine that they were trying to be their best and I think it’s a sensitive weekend for everybody.”

In a press conference held following 600cc Supersport qualifying on Saturday, Gobert said, “I want to apologize to Sears Point Raceway. Obviously, we didn’t mean it to blow up and be such a big deal. We just kind of said a couple of things and, obviously maybe, it wasn’t the best time to say that. But, like everything, you always learn the hard way.”