Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

It seems to me the AMA has a new girlfriend. Miss Communication has been seen at qualifying sessions, i.e. Mat Mladin having his posted pole taken away and not notifying the team until it was too late for him to do anything about it.

She also was around a lot last year when teams were waiting for a definitive word on the 2003 Superbike rules. And now most recently with Woody Deatherage’s crash at Road Atlanta, at the exact spot Steve Rapp’s bike hit the wall, and nothing was done. No Airfences were deployed, no extra haybales were put out.

Ron Barrick stated the cornerworkers never communicated that Rapp’s bike hit the wall. This is the premier road racing series in the country?

It’s time for someone to make some changes. There is always the statement that goes something like, “we didn’t know” or “we were not told ’till.”
It’s a load of crap, if you ask me. Someone has been dropping the ball. Someone needs to take responsibility. The buck stops somewhere. Doesn’t it?

Thank God, Woody is making a good recovery; the next racer may not be so lucky. If this is a case of “Miss Communication,” ban her from the track.

Bill Scalzitti
CCS Expert #121
Paterson, New Jersey.


Miscommunication? I was working as a crewman for Scott Carpenter and Scott Harwell at the AMA races at Road Atlanta last month. I knew about the crash on Sunday morning…and I’m nobody. I can’t believe the head of the sanctioning body didn’t know.

Chip Spalding
Greenville, North Carolina


Ron Barrick needs to go get his hearing checked. I attended the AMA races at Road Atlanta last month. I was in the pits at the time of Steve Rapp’s crash on Friday and within minutes of the incident it was known in the pit area that a bike had hit a wall and caught fire. A few minutes later it was being discussed over the PA system and the announcer confirmed it was Steve that was involved in the fiery crash. Not long after, Steve arrived in the pits on the back of another racer’s bike. So how did I know about the crash (and its severity) almost instantly and Mr. Barrick didn’t? Where was the entire AMA Pro Racing staff during that time?

Good try, Mr. Barrick, but I don’t buy the never-ending excuses accompanying each event. Maybe I should have his job. Hell, obviously I pay closer attention to what’s going on.

Jim Markey
Abita Springs, Louisiana