Like the rest of the racers in the class, Tilley Buell’s Tripp Nobles didn’t learn about the Pro Thunder class being excluded from three AMA Superbike double-header weekends and moved to three WERA National Challenge Series events until he was told about it by a friend the night before the 2001 Supercross opening round at Anaheim, California on January 5. But Nobles is not outraged by the move, which AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth has revealed is the first step in a plan to eliminate the class entirely from AMA Pro weekends. “The biggest mistake they (the AMA) made was that they waited until the middle of January to do this,” said Nobles in a telephone call to Roadracing World. “If they could’ve done this in November, that would’ve been more sound and realistic. And instead of taking it all, all three events, from one class, I wish they would have distributed it evenly. Like take one away from 250cc GP, one race away from Pro Thunder, and one race away from 750cc Supersport. I hate to single out anybody else, but come on, fair is fair.” About the three Pro Thunder rounds being run with the WERA Series, Nobles said “I don’t mind at all. WERA, PACE, CCS, whoever, I don’t care. Just give us more races. Granted we won’t have the bigger crowds, but maybe we can bring a bigger crowd to WERA. It would be cool if WERA was to make us the Premier class and that the AMA would promote it. I’m all for it. I’ve raced with WERA for a number of years. I’ve always been treated good by them. Evelyne (Clarke, CEO and President of WERA) puts on a good, strong event every weekend that I’ve raced with them. So I have no problems with it at all. I hate that it (Pro Thunder) gets taken away from the crowds that come to the AMA events. (But) If there’s anything that I can do, as far promoting it for the AMA or WERA and Evelyne and them, I’m game for it.”