Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Yates receives a suspension for only one race for physically assaulting another rider? Wasn’t it was just a few years ago a privateer, Chuck Chouinard, was suspended for one year for almost running into an AMA employee. This suspension is just another example of the AMA giving special treatment to factory riders.

Charles Fowler
Hampton, New Hampshire



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Give me a break. Somebody please tell Aaron Yates that it’s not really an apology when you preface it by summarizing for us his excuse as to why it really wasn’t his fault and in previous statements how he “…didn’t put any effort into what I did.”

Gee, Aaron, thanks. It’s a comfort to know that you have such admirable self-control and held back a conceivably more vicious assault. Ultimately, I think you only succeeded in confirming what most of us already know – you are a thug and the concept of sportsmanship completely eludes you.

All that’s left is a sour-tasting, flimsy statement that holds no value as it comes off as something you were perhaps forced to do to muster some kind of spin control or maybe find leniency in any action that the AMA or Fania might take against you. Heartfelt? I highly doubt it.

Additionally, Yoshimura Suzuki needs to take a long hard look at whether the actions of its rider and later those of its race team, constitute behavior that meets even the most basic standards of professionalism and integrity necessary to partake in AMA racing.

Steve Evans
Portland, Oregon


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Aaron Yates “apology” was hardly that. He does not accept responsibility for his actions, namely assaulting another racer, nor does he even mention that racer by name in the apology. He is only “sorry that the whole incident ever happened”, and “sorry if my actions offended or disappointed anyone.” It is important to note that he did not say that he was sorry FOR his actions or that they were inappropriate, rather he was sorry if they offended or disappointed anyone. This is a clear indication that he is not taking responsibility for his actions nor is he truly apologetic.

Unfortunately I have little faith that the AMA will take the appropriate actions regarding this matter.

David Cross
CCS #416
Herndon, Virginia


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I would just like to applaud American Suzuki for doing what the AMA should have already done. To proactively fine Yates is a class act. They should take the money and award it to Mr. Fania for having to take that kind of abuse.

I am still waiting for Yates to publicly accept blame for his actions. His “apology” is a very sorry attempt at this. Of course he is sorry it happened, but that is not an apology. An apology would be admitting fault and saying that he apologizes for making a mistake in his riding and his actions afterwards. This apology should be made to Mr. Fania, not his fans or the general public. Did he watch the replay?

Mr. Yates, take responsibility for your actions like a man. It is time to fall on your sword and make a sincere apology.

Mark Allen
WSMC# 34
Corona, California



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Quoting Yates’ apology:…With about eight laps to go, I came up on some lapped riders. I set up to pass, using the same racing line that I’d been using on this part of the track all day – in both the 200 and in the 600 SuperSport race….

Oh, excuse me Mr. Yates, I suppose the guy he’s trying to pass is supposed to know that??? I must have missed it on SPEED, since they didn’t show the sign on that corner that states,
“Attention, this is Aaron Yates’ line. Please do not disrupt him as he is taking this line. If you are in his way at this point, he will run into you, and if you both fall down, he will get up, and throw a flying kick at you, and perhaps even head-butt you. You have been warned…”

I mean how many laps does it take for someone to read that….Fania should have known.

Jesse Pantoja Jr.
Montebello, CA


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Little too much justification and a little too late to call his apology an apology. Poor Aaron…… from awesome rider to simply another pompous a-hole at Yoshimura. At least they have Ben Spies.

Steve Bailey
Brantford Ontario CANADA


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I’m a WERA racer. In my short non-pro and very privateer career I have crashed twice – once my fault and the other not my fault. In both instances it was “in the heat of the moment” but never did I consider fighting with my competitor, even though in one case I thought I was taken out. Does any racer actually plan to take someone out? I doubt it.

In race school I was taught it was the passer’s responsibility to make a clean pass. And that if you pass a guy on the outside you are at much higher risk of crashing. This is race school 101.

Did Yates go to a low budget race school? Has he forgotten the basics since becoming a big shot factory rider? There are plenty of good privateers out there that would do as good a job as Yates if given the chance to ride the Yoshimura GSXR. Suzuki should select one of them to take Yates’ place.

I used to be an Aaron Yates fan. No longer. The words “Aaron Yates” and “professional road racer” shouldn’t be said in the same breath. Maybe the WWF has an opening? There was nothing professional about his antics and attack on Fania. What if Fania had been hurt (back, concussion, whatever)? Fania should have kicked him back (in the groin)!

Thanks for the forum.

Henry Avello
Hoover, Alabama


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Yates’ apology was more of an excuse than an apology. Last year he knocked two privateers off of their bikes at Fontana. He hit Sean Fey at PPIR, causing him to crash, destroy his bike and break his collar bone. VIR…Laguna World Superbike…Yates’ behavior at Daytona was not a single, isolated incident. If the AMA doesn’t suspend him for at least two races I think the Privateers should stage a demonstration of some sort at Fontana.

Paul Moore
Colorado Springs, Colorado



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I think people are making a little more out of this than it deserves. Honestly when I saw both riders get up…I first was relieved, then I laughed at their childish behavior. Yates with his tantrum…Fania with his “eat this” gestures. I thought it was great entertainment…simply because the race was so boring. It sounds as if it got maybe more heated in the pits. Having raced both motorcycles and bicycles, I can tell you it’s 100 times worse in bicycle racing! Imagine 80 guys in a pack all yelling obscenities at each other at speed, inches apart in lycra…I’ve even seen guys fighting on their bikes! Yates’ behavior was amateurish…Fania’s was just as childish and probably more offensive. Fania filing charges is not good for the sport at all, and a lawsuit sets a damaging precedent.

Prompt action by the AMA could prevent this type of occurrence…but we know that story. Moreover, the Daytona 200 needs to be overhauled. I don’t know which race was worse, the Australian F1 race or Daytona. 4-5 guys racing for the win, with everybody else getting lapped is bad TV, bad racing, and bad for the sport. Fania and Yates’ Three Stooges impersonation was the best thing I saw in racing all weekend. “Hey Mo, eat this!”

Charlie Stevenson
Clarksville, Indiana



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Your article regarding Yates should read “He Said, She Said,” because we all know Yates is nothing but a big girl.

Dale Brown
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Great site and magazine for us old guys…

Daytona was my home track. I have many laps and years spent at the track. I was totally disappointed at the AMA’s small field of riders and sorry for the Yates-Fania incident. For those of us that have been there, we know it all happens fast while we see it in slow motion. A rider always takes a chance when passing but it is the passing rider that has to yield to the rider in front. I can not say who caused who to crash, it was racing. What happened afterwards was stupidity. It did nothing for the sport except show the world every one is human. I know the pressure the AMA is under to act and hope it is in the best interest of the many and not the few. One thing for sure is, superbike racing has to be more competitive and that will not happen as long as the factories drive the show. I totally agree with Greg Esser. We raced together back in the original CCS days…. Remember, racing is a show, it is for the fans to watch and the sponsors-factories to sell..

And for B.J. Worsham, words and jesters are one thing, physical assault is another…..

Buddy Keller (still alive)
Never Ready Racing
Harriman, Tennessee


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I won’t even attempt to discuss the actions of Mr. Yates- He did the wrong thing. However, I do believe that there is a serious problem in the AMA series. Why does it seem that in every race the lapper plays a role in the outcome? I don’t want to see my favorite rider in the lead by a few seconds only to be held up by lappers. You see it all the time, a guy like Mladin comes up on some slower guys and is held up through an entire portion of the track, while his rivals close the gap. It’s crazy. These guys need ample warning and they have to get out of the way, if they don’t then punish them. Everyone should be allowed to run if they can qualify, but is it not poor sportsmanship to hold up the leaders of the race? Maybe the AMA needs to wave a blue flag with a picture of Yates waving his fist, after all he is the “Enforcer”. And I for one will still be cheering him on!

Ali Khani
Torrance, California


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I have read through all the emails posted so far on Aaron Yates’ behavior. During the 200 I had my entire team over having a Daytona Party and who would have thought that besides GREAT racing we would get to watch a little UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) action?

In all seriousness I was also as pissed off by Yates’s behavior as was everyone that was watching. He has a reputation for being “scary” if you are a lapped rider and I guess now you have to be afraid that once you are taken out – you might get your ass kicked too! All of this said, I do believe that Mr. Yates should be fined and not only suspended for a race but be personally responsible for setting Mr. Fania up with a new ride! People forget how expensive these bikes and parts are for privateers – Aaron should know – he was a privateer too a long time ago!

The one thing that would change my opinion of the entire incident would be if Fania sued over it. I am so tired of everyone being so “sue-happy”. It might sound silly but to me that is just taking this too far. He was not hurt by Yates’s rantings and monkey kung-fu or whatever the hell that was and should keep it where it belongs – in the AMA. This would be a GREAT test for the AMA; they cannot get out of this without being 100% fair on the situation. Millions of people watched that race and incident and there is no hiding this one from the public. If anyone has to get sued let’s see what the organizing body does first before lawyers are drawn into the situation.

Aaron – fess up man! Admit that what you did was wrong despite anything that was possibly said in anger by Fania. You are a great rider with a great team and ultimately put on a great show out there. Don’t let your ego get in the way of an apology where it is clearly due. Just come out and say it – “I’m sorry!” At this point in the game there is very little else you can do.

Shane Whitworth
www.revlimiterracing.com
Ben Lomond, California






FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Let’s not forget Infineon Raceway (Sears Point) last year when Aaron Yates took out Kim Nakashima, part of the Hawaiian contingent that comes across the ocean for the AMA California races each year. This is not an isolated incident…patterns of misconduct warrant increased punishment in our judicial system. Seems to be valid in this case as well!

Aaron Yates needs to get his aggression under control. I hope Suzuki and the rest of the sponsors demand serious action and consider a replacement rider.

Dean Thimjon
KC, Missouri



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Those who consider Aaron Yates’ actions inappropriate should take the time to
contact each one of his sponsors and let them know how his actions reflect
on those companies.

Regards,

Dan Opal
Ann Arbor, Michigan



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Boy, it seems I could link to the letter I sent RRW in 2002 and just change a few items, and it would work again.

Basically, the link at the end of this talks about Yates laying on the track and to a lesser extent, the fact that Sadowski did not “tear him a new one”.

In the Daytona 200 race yesterday, my only problem with Sadowski is the rush judgment that Yates was taken out. Basically, if you were watching the race you saw 2 guys that have already crashed and Sadowski says something along the lines of, “Anthony Fania took out Aaron Yates.”

Mind you, this is before anything was shown about the crash! According to Sadowski… because 2 guys were down and one was a factory rider, the factory rider must have been taken out?

Is this a big deal? No. But I do think it hints at the prevailing attitude that Factory Racers can do no wrong and it’s always the privateers fault.

As I said almost 2 years ago, the punishment needs to be big enough to stop this sort of stuff from happening. It obviously wasn’t 2 years ago. Will it be now?

Now… having said all that. I watched the tape and while Yates originally intended to drop kick Fania…he obviously thought better of it when he was in mid-air and pulled back.I don’t believe his kick amounted to any more force than a light shove.This is evidenced by the fact that Fania was barely moved and is able to turn around and face Yates.

If Yates had stopped there, I could chalk it up to the moment. While there should still be punishment, I could live with it being fairly minimal. To me, it’s the subsequent push and head-butt that is worse, and should draw the heavy penalty. Yates obviously realized moments earlier that he should not “drop kick” a competitor, yet somehow cannot restrain himself from some sort of physical contact. I think this speaks volumes about Yates’ state of mind when racing.

I’m sure someone will say that is the state of mind you must be in to compete at that level, but I’ve yet to see some great riders do these things(all of the Haydens come to mind).

Oh well… as Sadowski likes to say… “Strike TWO Yates.”

Link to previous letter sent in 2002:
(NOTE: THE LINK BELOW TALKS ABOUT A VIDEO LINK – IT IS INACTIVE)
http://venus.13x.com/roadracingworld/breakingnews/81420023962.htm


Tony Iannarelli
Springfield, Massachusetts


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

To address Steve Snyder’s comment from Eugene, Oregon. Stick to Springer and Nascar and take Yates with you.

Tyson Silva
T Bone OMRRA #199
DirtyRottenBastards Racing
Portland, Oregon


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

To trash Aaron Yates’ entire career for one incident, as some readers have done, is unfair. I watched the frame by frame photos of the crash and Fania clearly moved his line from the inside of the corner to the outside, directly into Yates path. With the large difference in closing speed, there was nothing Yates could do. As for Yates’ reaction after the incident, it was born of the frustration of being taken out again by a lapper making an unpredictable move. He has been overshadowed by his teammate for years, and it seems every time he has an opportunity to catch him, he’s taken out by a mechanical or lapper.

To me, he is THE most interesting rider to watch, due to his skills with a motorcycle. He shows up for autograph sessions at the races he runs, and is very cordial to his fans. To trash his entire career for a moment of frustration is unfair.

I traveled over 4000 miles by car last year, so I could watch his techniques in the corners at Road Atlanta and Barber. I wouldn’t have done that for any other rider, and I’m nobody, just an admirer of a guy who can do things on a motorcycle that I’ve never seen anybody else do.
I hope Fania just drops the juvenile lawsuit and accepts his role in the incident, too.

Dale Hughes
Nazareth, Pennsylvania


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Hey Team Suzuki, how about showing some class and using the $25,000 you fined Yates and helping out Mr. Fania. After all YOUR RIDER did cause great damage to Mr. Fania’s bike, leathers, boots, gloves, helmet and maybe more. I’m sure Aaron walked away thinking, oh well, I could of had second place, but for Anthony everything is destroyed and that a large chunk of money out of his pocket. I have watched the tape over and over and just can’t see where Anthony did anything wrong. All Aaron had to do was to check up early and get around him safely, which other riders did throughout the race.

The Daytona 200 wasn’t as fun to watch this year with the new rules. I liked the old 80 bikes on the grid races. The riders had to go fast AND use there heads to win it. If some of the PROS had their way, the race would have only about 10 riders. How boring would that be for the fans.

AMA, CCS, Formula USA Corner Worker and Motorcycle Race Fan,
David Ehrhart
Eustis, Florida


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

BRAVO SUZUKI! I applaud sponsors for maintaining their image by managing the conduct of their riders/spokespersons!

While I very much enjoy Yates’ aggressive “go for it at all costs” racing style, HE needs to realize that HE does race this way and eventually HE WILL CRASH. And WHEN HE DOES CRASH, HE needs to accept responsibility for that crash and not take it out on someone else. (emphasis intended)

I taped the 200 and played the crash back a few times and, in my opinion, the crash was a racing incident that could have been avoided by Yates. Fania did not seem to be doing anything wrong when Yates hit him from behind.

I surely sympathize with Yates’ frustration with the crash. I absolutely do not agree that he should have taken it out on Fania!

George Leavell
Gilroy, California


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail

John, I know you won’t be able to petition on behalf of yourself (or at least something you started), but hoping you might be able to get word to ASMC and others that are imposing fines on Yates. The best use of Aaron’s fines will be rider safety improvements, and what better way than to work on the air fencing! Here’s hoping ASMC (and others) will actually make Aaron write a check (not just dock his pay) and he could turn that into a positive by supporting rider safety issues (or at least other charities he chooses).

Kyle Kirschenmann
Knoxville, Tennessee


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I’m a Navy man stationed outside the U.S. near Tokyo, Japan and have not seen the race but have read all there is to read about it. I know of some of the behavior of Aaron Yates in the past and am smart enough to know that doesn’t mean he’ll act like that in the future.

For me, I guess it isn’t really who ran into who as much as who did what after it. Gesturing and yelling is one thing, but placing your hands, feet, or helmet in anger on someone is a totally different animal. Again, I haven’t seen the race or the incident, but once you cross the line, you have crossed the line and you’ve crossed it on your own doing.

If a back marker caused the accident and Yates simply walked away, witnesses and his crew would be screaming, “How can you remain so cool about this?!” To which Yates could reply, “Because I’m better than that.”

Kick ass website and magazine guys.

Shiny side up,
Spike Call
Tokyo, Japan


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Aaron Yates committed an act of violence in the workplace. Will he be fired like anyone else would be?

Pete Rajek
Merrill, Wisconsin


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail

Here we go again. Poor Yates. Poor motorcycle roadracing. Poor humanity.

Once again the pro will take the heat when one of these knuckleheads ride erratic lines and takes them both out. I don’t know about other professional sports but in motorcycle roadracing there always seems to be this constant stream of slow men on the racetracks with the exceptional riders – regardless of equipment quality.

Fabio, or whatever, clearly moved over on the brakes from the far right to the far left of the track entering the second chicane at Daytona, keeping well alive the all to classic, “slow-guy-has no-idea-when-or-where-he’s-supposed-to-be-on-the-racetrack syndrome.” So frustrating.

“But he was going into the corner SO much deeper than me… how could he of made it?” slow guy asks.

Breathe. Deep breath. Smile. Exhale. Yes, how indeed.

“Were gonna sue Aaron, then… uh uh… we’re gonna…” Need to chill a little with that poser talk, dude. My God.

When you are competing in a race at that level, good riders are ALREADY in a fist fight in their minds against the other athletes. You come to an abrupt stop like that and a rider’s mind does not quickly return to a walking-talking-respectful-citizen mentality. At all. I hope the AMA is sensible with a mild monetary fine for Aaron Yates.

And there will be no law suit.

Kevin Gilbert
Long Beach, California


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail

If you watch the video, you can see the bonehead at Daytona was going 20 mph slower and standing the bike up . But I’m sure 90% of the people who wrote in have never raced or even have seen 160-170 mph on there own bike. Also on the video you can see that A.Y. only ” fainted ” a dropkick, then only bitched at the guy, then something pissed him off and he ran up to the ‘motormouth’ which was obvious. And with adrenaline flowing, did headbutt him. Have you ever been so pumped that you did do something in hindsight you overreacted too….. well…. I for one have and do give A.Y. the benefit of the doubt..
GO Aaron!

Barry Schmidt
#305E CRA
Bismarck North Dakota


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

On the subject of Mr. Yates apology due to his current bout of unsportsmans-like conduct and given his past pattern of behavior, it’s too little too late. A ban from racing via the AMA for two events along with a substantial monetary fine and a suspension of his contract from his sponsors might just impress upon Mr. Yates the error of his ways. If not I’m sure the upcoming charges of criminal assault might have the desired effect. And as the suits in NASCAR are so fond of telling the drivers who don’t pay attention to the rules of engagement, “you (Mr. Yates) need us a lot more then we need you.”

Mike Derian
CCS AM 222
Washington, DC


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

As someone who was taken out by Aaron Yates during practice for the 200 two years ago at Daytona, I feel it is time the AMA and Yoshimura and Suzuki finally do something about him. Yates took me out as I was exiting the chicane, the tire mark on my fairings showing clear evidence of an intentional T-Bone. This was shown to Ron Barrick, AMA race manager, and the Yosh team. As usual, it was “just racing”. Unfortunately, I feel it will continue to be “just racing” until someone gets seriously injured.

The AMA could do something about this by suspending Yates for a serious amount of time. The results of this could be nothing but positive. The other factory riders would stop over aggressive riding in fear of losing their big (and usually well-earned) paychecks, which would make the tracks safer for all. All the riders would have a new respect for the AMA which, of course, does not exist now. Those of us who raced the AMA pro circuit know that there are one set of rules for the factory guys and another for the privateers. If the rules applied equally to all, perhaps it would foster all the riders working together to promote the sport. Finally, it might teach Yates a lesson while he is still young and he could come back more appreciative of the great riding talent that he has, and be able to look at himself in the mirror as the reason why he isn’t a champion….yet.

Kevin McCrea
former AMA superbike #88
Boston, Massachusetts


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I have been a Suzuki fan for close to 30 years and have watched Aaron Yates ride on T.V. and at the track, I have always considered him one of the best riders out there. Over the last couple of years his actions as mentioned in other emails here had me wondering what was up with Aaron, then watching him drop kick (attempted or for real) then shoulder into the other rider pissed me off.

I also think Kurtis Roberts has the same attitude. I have seen him elbow and pull crap on other riders in practice and racing. I have to think that had something to do with Honda not signing him and only his dad hiring him to race. I’m glad he is no longer in AMA racing. I don’t care to watch any racer who acts like these two idiots.

Freddie Lopez
Dallas, Texas


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail

I’m a big Aaron Yates fan, but come on! You call that an apology? Whatever the circumstance of the crash you’ve got to keep your emotions in check. What are you going to do if your kid scratches your favorite muscle car?

It’s not the end of the world, and you’re still one hell of a rider!

Good luck for the rest of ’04.

Dave Watson
Hershey, Pennsylvania


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

He just doesn’t get the fact that the wreck was totally his fault. Aaron Yates needs to stop blaming other people for his own mistakes, it just makes the common fan hate him more. Suzuki has fined him $25,000 dollars for the incident and issued another apology blaming other people for Yates’ failure to win. They need to acknowledge that if it was not for his careless riding and the company’s acceptance of their riders putting blame on other people for their own mistakes they might become fan favorites and not hated by all the riders and fans that attend races. Fania could of been killed by Aaron Yates’ reckless riding. The AMA needs to realize what a mistake it is to let Aaron Yates race professionally.

Carmen Centennial
Fort Knox, Kentucky


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I’m a racer and former race school instructor and have had the opportunity to meet and speak with Aaron many times. While I agree with many of the prior comments regarding his acting like an idiot after the crash, it must be understood that this is a very emotional sport. Guys get pumped on adrenaline and sh-t happens. I damn-near jumped off my bike at over 100mph at the checked flag of my first win…

He probably deserves a fine, but Aaron is one of the most entertaining riders on the circuit and is good for viewership. Don’t you get a fine if you DON’T assault somebody during a hockey game?

Drew Swanson
Grand Rapids, Michigan


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Love the mag and website, the best. . .

I agree that Aaron Yates’ stunt at Daytona was shameful, and he will probably receive a lawsuit of this. He gave the sport we love a black eye on national TV, BUT:

It is the faster guy’s (or gal’s) job to overtake the bike in front of them, not the other way around. Remember, it’s hard to see someone coming up behind you unless mirrors are made legal or anyone who qualifies 10th or less must look behind themselves after every corner. As an ex-CRRC (CMRA) regional sprint and endurance champion, I never got mad at a slower rider in front of me (it was sometimes amusing to watch some of them) unless he purposely tried to block me (which Fania did not to Yates). I always raced like my dad taught me when I got my street license. Always ride like you are invisible, which on the track meant never put yourself in a position where a slower rider could crash (or cause you to) and take you out without ever knowing you were there. I know it is hard to do during the heat of the battle (when your rival is on your tail), but he is still the one who has to pass as well.

James Nichols
ex-CRRC 495
San Antonio, Texas


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail

I place much credence in your publication and the dissemination of the truth. Through many overseas military operations…retirement…and much travel worldwide…your publication has always been my anchor for the motorcycle truth. So…please spotlight the riding tactics, style, strategy, or whatever you decide to call it, of Aaron Yates. After Daytona, I think it is time someone highlighted his overly aggressive /dangerous demeanor on the racetrack. Just simply research his riding history and I’m sure you will have more than enough to produce a feature length article,(Eric Bostrom take out at Laguna,.etc.,). In my opinion, this rogue should be suspended from the AMA and other series until such time as his reactionary conduct can be controlled.

William Welborn

Redding, California


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Mr. Worsham,

You, sir, have penned the best response relating to the Yates/Fania incident. When mostly everyone has stooped to name calling (a-hole, redneck dipsh-t from Hayseed Gap, etc) you put the accident into a perspective that makes sense.

Well said.

David Ferris
Houston, Texas


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I felt compelled to write you on the matter of Aaron Yates and his behavior at the 2004 Daytona 200.

Deplorable.

Yates has shown utter disregard and a lack of respect for other racers on repeated occasions. It is my opinion that he lacks the self control and judgement needed to participate in our great sport. He has proven time and time again that he is a liability to the positive image of roadracing. He also reflects poorly on your company. Since I anticipate that you will do nothing in regards to his actions I wanted to inform you that I will never do business with your company as a result.

The AMA will also do nothing as any action on their part would in their minds reflect poorly on their system that has allowed him to flourish into what in hockey is referred to as a goon. In short Yates will be allowed to continue to be a liability. I find it ironic that Privateer Charles Chouinard can be punished so extensively (AMA ban) for a minor technical infraction (scotch brighted valve stems) and Yates can be repeatedly forgiven for actions that are simply dangerous.

I realize tha