For reaction to the announced and published 2009 AMA Superbike Series rules and class structure we contacted, (or attempted to contact), representatives from each of the major motorcycle manufacturers currently involved in AMA National road racing in America. To get the position of American Suzuki, we contacted Mel Harris, Vice-President of Motorcycles, ATVS and Marine. Roadracingworld.com: When we originally spoke at Laguna Seca your reaction to the 2009 rules and class structure DMG seemed relatively positive? Mel Harris: I think it’s positive on the [Factory] Superbike class in the rules. I think that our disappointment is that even though they [DMG] say it’s a premier class you’re only running one time [each weekend] and the costs to get that show to each event doesn’t compute to running only one time. And even though they say it’s the premier class, the Daytona Superbike [class] under their control will race twice. I think the fans have gotten used to and want to see two of the Factory Superbike races per weekend. We have to justify costs. As far as the rules, I think they’ve come across with the rules we’ve been requesting. RW: So you’re happy with the rules but not quite happy with the status of the Factory Superbike class in the 2009 program? Harris: That’s right. RW: What about the other classes, American Superbike and Daytona Superbike, do you have any thoughts on those? Harris: At this point, to me, they [DMG] don’t seem like they want a lot of factory participation. As I said earlier and still have to go that direction, the factory [Suzuki Japan] does not want us participating in one of the classes that DMG has total control over with the spec tires, the power-to-weight ratio, the controlling ECUs and all that they’re using in the Daytona Superbike class. We feel that does not help us get better technology to make the bikes better and to do things. So they [Suzuki Japan] have disagreed on allowing us to participate in a class like that. American Superbike that is somewhat of a Superstock race, and as you know we have kind of let the Superstock racing go to the privateer and the support teams. So at this point I don’t see where we would be participating in that class. We’d be leaving that again to privateers and the support teams to participate for Suzuki. RW: At Laguna you didn’t seem to be concerned about how many teams participated in Factory Superbike, because right now the feedback we’re collecting shows concern that there won’t be many bikes entered in that class. Harris: I think that you’ll have at least the four manufacturers this year, and I think there’ll be more participation in the Superbike class in the future, especially if we go to more of a global rules situation. And again, I think some of the support teams will try to participate in that class. Aaron Yates did a great job for Jordan Motorsports and Suzuki at Laguna Seca on a support team, finishing third. So I think the opportunity is there for some of the better support teams to participate and be somewhat competitive in that [Factory Superbike] race. RW: Going to that global Superbike rules format, do you think that would make it more accessible to smaller or private teams to build competitive machinery? Harris: Well, I think that the things are available. I think that all the manufacturers wouldn’t be making separate bikes for separate countries. If you only have to make one bike with one set of parts and one set of rules then I think they would be available to other teams. But when you have to make different bikes and different parts for different places in the world that becomes very expensive and does not allow support teams the great participation they would like to have. RW: So as it stands right now do you feel American Suzuki is going to participate in the 2009 AMA Pro road racing series? Harris: We’re still looking at it, but at this point there’s been no clearance for us to race in that based on all the classes being finalized and agreed upon. We’re still in a wait and hold position. RW: What are exactly are you waiting on from DMG/AMA Pro Racing? Harris: I think we’re waiting to make sure that that the requests that we have made to them over a separate sanctioning body along with the promoter and things of this nature are handled. We call it somewhat of a four-legged stool. I think there needs to be a rider’s committee that has authority. I think there needs to be a separate governance committee, rules making, whether that’s the FIM or not that would be a good start. They [DMG/AMA Pro Racing] can be the promoters and so forth. We don’t have a problem with that. And I think we need to go and have an organization where we can be heard just like they have in World Superbike and all the other disciplines over there, like the MSMA, where we would have the MIC here. So I think that four-legged stool would make everyone more comfortable and be able to go forward. RW: That sounds like an interesting structure, but I haven’t heard that from any of the other OE representatives that I’ve spoken to. Harris: I think that was proposed to DMG by some other people. I think that has been proposed.