AMA Road Race Manager Morgan Broadhead announced at a riders’ meeting held at 11:00 a.m. Friday at VIR that riders who participated in the Suzuki Privateer Appreciation Day Presented by Team Hammer Thursday were in violation of an AMA ban on closed tests within 10 days of an AMA National, because factory Kawasaki rider Roger Hayden was denied entry. Broadhead said that instead of penalizing the participating riders, the AMA would fine the event promoter. Broadhead made his decision following protests from Kawasaki and Yamaha. According to Yamaha’s Tom Halverson, Yamaha did not actually intend to run and did not attempt to enter Josh Herrin in the Thursday event, but complained to AMA officials to seek clarification of the definition of a “factory” rider. One of Herrin’s crew members asked a Team Hammer registration clerk Thursday morning if it was true that factory riders could not participate and if that meant that Josh Herrin could not ride, and was told yes. Kawasaki’s Mike Preston said that he was not aware of a press release issued in February announcing that factory riders would be banned from the Team Hammer event at VIR. Hayden and Herrin were the only two riders denied entry in the Thursday event, which drew about 50 non-factory riders. Hayden and his Kawasaki teammate Jamie Hacking participated in a private test at VIR June 28-29, which was not open to non-factory riders. Broadhead was on site at VIR and did not inform event organizers that there was any problem until 3:00 p.m. Thursday. Broadhead did not notify Team Hammer, Inc. of his decision to penalize event promoters prior to announcing it at the riders’ meeting. Practice sessions were alternated between Track Ride sessions on Thursday, and the day was co-promoted by Team Hammer, Inc. and race promoter M1 Entertainment, a company run by Cameron Gray. Broadhead said, “It was brought to our attention and in the (AMA) rulebook, page 52 section 6.6 it says that there are not to be any private track rentals within 10 days of a pro event. Open track days are excluded under the rule, but by excluding some riders, it became a closed test. That’s the way the rule is written. The riders in the promoter’s practice participated in good faith, that is, they thought it was an open test. The responsibility for making sure the test is open in on the promoter who contracted with us. A penalty will be assessed, but the amount is yet to be determined. The promoter has taken responsibility and has been very pro-active.” Promoter Cameron Gray said, “I was simply out of the loop on this. I need to read my rulebook. I don’t want any of the riders to have to pay for it (the penalty). I was under the impression that the top 10 riders couldn’t participate in a promoter’s practice, but that has apparently all changed. If something comes about that I didn’t know about, I want to make it right.” Team Hammer’s John Ulrich said, “We issued a press release in February stating what we were going to do, and why, and on Thursday we did exactly what we said we were going to do. Back in February I discussed the situation with Cameron Gray and he agreed with and supported my decision. AMA officials knew about and saw the press release and had six months to raise any concerns or objections and said nothing. I don’t agree that our Thursday practice met the rulebook definition of a closed test, but my biggest objection is that officials said nothing over a six-month period, and then dropped their interpretation of a rule on us at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, then followed it up by publicly announcing a penalty before even telling me what they were doing to us. It’s unprofessional. And the idea that Roger Hayden and Team Kawasaki needed to participate in our Thursday practice–which by design was for non-factory riders–when they held a private test at VIR for two days June 28-29 is bizarre at best.” The rule in question reads, in its entirety, as follows: “At facilities where road races are to be held, exclusive track rentals by participants, including manfacturers, teams or individuals, within ten days preceding the first day of official practice, are not allowed. Regional race meets, promoter/racetrack organized open practice and open schools are not restricted.” In an additional statement, Ulrich said, “Our Thursday event was not an exclusive track rental. It met the same criteria applied to Thursday practice by AMA Pro Racing officials over at least the last five years. During that time, AMA Pro Racing officials repeatedly ruled that Thursday practice sessions excluding certain riders were in fact legal. Every Thursday practice held during at least the last five years excluded at least some riders, based either on their factory team employment or on their point standings at the time. To now declare that such restrictions are not legal is simply a political reaction to a factory team’s complaint, with no support in the rulebook language or in precedence.”