FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I would like to start out by saying that I have read the writings of this publication in paper and web format for longer than I can actually remember. I have been a motorcyclist, road racer and general road racing fanatic since I laid eyes on a poster of Kenny Roberts’ 1978 500cc title-winning bumble bee. I raced AFM in 1988 (Novice #230) at both Riverside and Sears Point. I rode and raced in a golden time on motorcycles that bridged the gap between the feather bed and the twin spar. However the safety in all areas of the sport at that time was way behind the curve. Just ask Wes Cooley or Bruce Hammer how close Armco and hillsides used to be. I knew all about the reputation Sears had before I raced there. I couldn’t help but look at the embankment that Wes hit outside turn one during my first few laps there. We used to go through turn one flat-out in 5th or 6th in those days, no chicane. I was on the tail of a guy one day as he went down in turn 10. After watching him and his bike disappear under hay bales and car tires I decided that it would be wise not to crash in turn 10. But the place has a mystique and a feel that grows on you. We all loved Sears, we revered it, but we never, ever, ever raced in the rain there. I have slept at the gate of Sears Point, bike on trailer only to drive home Saturday morning due to rain. I remember an AMA National there in 1999 or 2000 that was rained out Sunday and Monday. I took Monday off from work and took my sons to Sears to watch the race rescheduled from Sunday. That, too, was canceled because water was still seeping up in turn one at the apex going up the hill. I have never as a racer or fan had a problem with any cancellation due to safety. I have been at too many races that are etched into my memory because of tragedy. I have been so proud over the years of Sears and now Infineon as they have led the way in two wheel racing safety along with the Roadracing World Action Fund. Just ask Aaron Yates how much nicer the air fence is now in turn 10 compared to old car tires, he’ll tell ya. Which brings me to the AMA. I am concerned, as are many about the future of our National Roadracing Championship Series. I like to reserve judgment in most cases until things are clearer, but I gotta tell ya… anyone who thinks that racing at my beloved track by the bay in the rain is Ok, is not of sound mind or conscience. Don’t even get me started about Mid Ohio… Tim Mackie Austin, Texas FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: My e-mail is regarding R.E.’s statement. This is B.S. Any reasonable person knows and I was there that Pro/AMA racing at Mid-Ohio is dangerous in the wet. He wishes to compare tracks and organizations, fine. Let him get on the back of Chris Ulrich’s GSXR for a few laps in the wet. I have ridden many of the tracks in the US and I’m no pro. But, I can see there were a few that I would not ride in the wet. Mid-Ohio is one of them. DMG is a joke in my opinion. I hope the manufacturers start there own series. I for one what to see SUPERBIKES! I went to Miller to see Superbikes and more Superbikes. I did enjoy Supersport and Superstock. However the plan that DMG has put forth will not do. I support the manufacturers and the riders. If Pro Riders say it’s unsafe then it’s unsafe. The principals of DMG need to get out there and ride the track at speed. Oops, I don’t believe they can keep up with me, none the less any of the pros. I’m just a track-day junkie! Enough is enough! Craig Ramey Lemoore, California P.S. DMG, there are enough clubs in the US, and one more is great. Manufacturers, rent 12 tracks, use WSBK rules, provide last year’s bike to some smaller teams that have an up-and-comer and put on show that we the fans want to see. Fans, speak up let your voice be heard! FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I have been reading this ongoing nonsense from Roger Edmondson for long enough. I was about to send an e-mail very similar to what Alex Florea sent when I read the site and saw that someone else had beat me to it. I agree 100% with everything that both Alex and Jim said. I, too, used to race with the AFM and there is absolutely no way we could race that track in the wet! Rather than rant and rave about what we think DMG is doing to the series, I am trying to figure out a way to approach it more constructively. I am pretty sure that Suzuki will pull out of racing next year and I applaud them for that to be honest. Despite that happening I don’t think DMG will change any of their ideas and will continue to do whatever THEY think is best for the series. While I agree that some things needed to change in the current AMA, these is not the changes we needed. Superbikes should indeed be the fastest, “baddest” motorcycles on the track. These rule changes are making the USA the laughing stock of the world in terms of motorcycle racing. Its pathetic really. I can’t believe someone who is so good at promotion can’t figure out a different way to make the series more popular. I for one, will boycott NASBIKE and never attend another race or watch it on TV. I will also encourage all the members of my forum to do the same! So – what to do? How do we get the manufacturers to perhaps start their own series? I heard that Michael Jordan was planning on purchasing the series from the AMA, is there a chance he might be interested in starting a new series? There has to be other options here. DMG is going to ruin Superbike racing in the US next year and for the foreseeable future. That much is clear. The only racers who like the changes are the ones who are not competitive right now and I would prefer to see the best racers winning races rather than the current backmarkers on the podium. We are going to lose Spies and almost definitely Mladin next year. How many other top-tier riders will leave? I also get tired of watching Matt and Ben run away at the front but Rossi used to do the same and that changed too, right? Nothing stays the same forever, and what are the chances that R&D will continue on the 1000s at the current rate when the largest market in the world for them is not going to race them as the premier series? Someone please come help DMG see the light or start a different series that actually makes sense! Sincerely, Shane Whitworth Former AFM #149 (2001-2004) Owner www.cbr1000rr.net Woodside, California FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I’m curious. Did he really state that the racers will race because “this is my chance for a big payday”? As quoted from paragraph 11. Or am I reading it wrong? Doesn’t he realize that the riders would have no problem racing in the rain if the tracks built their facilities according to the FIM safety standards on not the paved dirt tracks we race on now? This guy is dangerous on so many levels. Sean Wrenn Russells Point, Ohio Editor’s Note: I read it as he was suggesting what another rider might say. I’ve seen it, the famous guys boycott and somebody else sees it as their chance to make some money…John Ulrich, Editor FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I think Chris Ulrich should give Mr. Roger Edmondson a 2-up ride at Mid-Ohio in rainy conditions. But, I don’t want Chris Ulrich to be in danger. Darrin Zumbaum Pasadena, Maryland FIRST PERSON, OPINION Via e-mail: It is my understanding that AFM doesn’t race at any track in the rain. You may want to verify this, but I know when I asked the Dunlop vendor if he would have a set of rains in truck for an event at Buttonwillow, he said he never carried any rains for any AFM events as they never raced in the wet. Matt Roberts Glendale, California FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Roger Edmondson’s comments are dismaying, to say the least. I’ve followed his activities over the years and have always believed him to be a reasonable person. I’m also of the mind that DMG’s takeover of road racing falls under the Good Thing column. However, the arrogance oozing from his statement sends up a big red flag. I would hope that his dismissive manner does not signal business as usual, just with a different name at the top. Reg Kittrelle Santa Cruz, California FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I read with disappointment about DMG’s intent to race in the rain at Infineon, and other tracks where rider safety is needlessly compromised. As the United States importer and sponsorship coordinator for Pipercross (UK) Air Filters, I want to publicly state that none of our sponsored riders contesting any stateside professional or amateur series will suffer any loss of support or lack of confidence from us should they make the choice to refrain from racing in the rain at Infineon Raceway or the other tracks mentioned in the RRW article. The last thing a racer needs is to feel pressure from sponsors to race in patently unsafe conditions. Thanks as always to RRW for keeping these important issues in the forefront and furthering the cause of safety in racing. Todd Robinson, Owner/GM Cal-Sportbike Distribution Sagle, Idaho FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Sadly, I think Roger Edmondson’s arrogance and ill-conceived comments are alienating many supporters of change in the current AMA Superbike series. He reminds me of a kid who just discovered the interweb, bashing out emails with whatever thought pops into his head only to be surprised when he gets flamed. Christ, man. Get some tact. This is a business. Even in his half-baked apology he continues to insult “reasonable people.” The riders have legitimate concerns about track safety. They see a problem and think about career-ending injuries or worse. The fast guy’s skills push the limits of both motorcycle AND facility. Even if the Rider Safety Council didn’t pass their concerns on to DMG through proper channels, you’d have to be hiding under a rock the past few AMA seasons not to know there were issues. Personally, I’d rather hear their concerns now than be surprised on a rainy race-weekend Saturday. As a fan and rider, images of amazing men like Dajiro Kato and Vincent Haskovec are too painful to not take EVERY rider safety concern into consideration. If there’s any lack of professionalism, I’m seeing it coming from DMG. Mr. Edmondson, you really need a good PR man to calm what appears from your writings to be a pretty hot temper. I support changes to make racing more competitive and better-attended. However, with rants like RE’s, I question my support of DMG. Honestly, moving forward in the spirit of collaboration with fans like me, racers, track owners and DMG has got to be easier than fighting at every turn. Why pay so much money for the Series, only to chase away the existing fans, the manufacturers, sponsors and racers? Starting from scratch can’t be easier than addressing current problems with methodical, unbiased analysis. Please Mr. Edmondson, please be more calculated in DMG’s planning and public communications. I’m glued to my TV set every AMA weekend. Don’t chase off die-hard fans like me. Dana Wilson Salt Lake City, Utah FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Go Roger! Let’s face it: Motorcycle or any other kind of racing is inherently dangerous. Doing it in the rain is insane at any track. Mat Mladin and Ben Spies are such terrific, talented riders, but I for one am tired and bored watching the “Mat and Ben Show,” and now the “Ben and Mat show.” All we’ve had for 2 years are these two pros racing each other. Even the well-funded privateers have no chance of winning. Over the past 25 years, if memory serves me correctly, only one privateer has won a Superbike race. What is needed in the AMA is a level playing field. I feel that Roger Edmondson is on the right track, putting up a large sum of money to purchase AMA Racing to run as a business for profit, and the riders are the show. In order to have spectators show up and advertisers to be willing to invest in air time they need people to watch. As it stands now, today’s race is boring, at least to me and I’ve been both a rider and a fan for 50 years. I believe the emphasis will be back on the riders, where physical and mental conditioning, a strong desire to win, and the rider’s set-up ability will be the measure of a true champion. Tony Fania, Sr. Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Maybe I read it wrong, too, but taken from context it sounded to me as if it were Roger’s “chance for a big payday.” To be quite honest I feel DMG may want to sideline Roger and find a more effective PR person to represent the series. There was just a certain abrasive and un-professional feel to his statements. Rider safety is what we all should care about regardless if the event is canceled and no profits are reaped. This just doesn’t sound like safety conscious with a double roll bar, HANS device and full face helmet-requiring “NASCAR” to me. Also I was curious about the DMG/MOTO-ST mind set turning right back to the good old AMA b.s. when last week at Road America the Buell team was allowed to circumvent the rulebook and start a back-up bike in their qualifying position obtained on another motorcycle. By simply taking the 3 off the 83 bike it was like “presto,” same bike, same grid position. I may have been mis-informed, but the end result was the final results stood and once again a series sponsor was able to leverage the dollar against what all the other teams must abide by. And to think I actually thought stateside motorcycle road racing was finally going to be governed by a consistent, un-biased and professional organization so it could ascend to the level it should have for the past 30 years. Maybe next time. Bob E. Spuhl San Jose, California FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: If the elevator door opened and Roger Edmondson stepped in, this is what I would say to him: The battle last year between Spies and Mladin was epic. Those two guys rode so hard, and pushed each other so much, they almost killed themselves in the process. That I would pay to see (and did, at Laguna Seca, VIR and Road Atlanta; and this year I have already attended races at Barber and Miller and plan to see the show at Road Atlanta). At all of the race weekends I have attended, I have never once watched an entire Formula Xtreme race, even though those races have produced some of the closest racing in the series. Make no mistake, the attraction for me (and for many other road racing fans, I am willing to bet) is and has been watching a couple of the best riders in the world try to tame those 1000cc beasts and beat the other guy to the finish line. And now, just when Hacking and Kawasaki and Hodgson and Honda are starting to show some real progress, and it looks like we might be in for a few great battles at the front, you want to neuter the series by putting everyone on 600cc bikes and call the show “Daytona Superbike.” Give me a break. Do you have any idea how much easier it is to ride a 600cc machine than it is to ride one of those 1000cc monsters that the big boys ride around on? Do you think the leaders of any other sport would sit around brainstorming and come up with the following idea? “OK, I’ve got it, let’s change the rules to make our premier class 50% easier! That will bring more fans out for our shows.” This is what you need to understand. I am happy to shell out good money to see something special, like a three-year smack-down battle between two of the best riders in the world on wickedly fast GSX-R1000s. Even if on most days those two guys are 30 seconds ahead of the other riders on the track. Thirty years from now racing fans still will be talking about those battles. Don’t unnecessarily water down your best product by putting all of the riders on 600cc machines. It’s not necessarily close racing that I want to see. I want to see unique riders doing unique things. Oh, yeah, and I don’t want to see them get killed trying to ride in the rain at Mid-Ohio. J.R. White Atlanta, Georgia FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: In response to Mr. Edmondson’s press releases yesterday, June 12th, I would like to ask Mr. Edomonson just one question: If racing in the rain is so safe, why doesn’t NASCAR race in the rain? Vas Rajan CCS/ASRA #518 Delray Beach, Florida FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I am disappointed by Mr. Edmondson’s lack of empathy and indifference towards ‘rider safety.’ It is consistent with decades of promoters, track owners and various motorcycle ‘federations’ that have put the racers’ interests second. With few exceptions positive changes have occurred only because the riders have demanded them. In the mid-1970s I competed in the World Championships. The prize money was pretty much non-existent but you had to compete in the GPs no matter what because ‘start-money’ [appearance money] was paid according to your position in the Championships. As a privateer if you didn’t race, you didn’t eat. Most the tracks were street circuits; always dangerous in the dry and diabolical in the wet but you had little choice. I remember one GP, I think the French, where it rained and the track wouldn’t drain. All the factory guys boycotted the meeting and many of the better-funded privateers supported them. I completely agreed that it was insane to race in the wet on this track–I did so regardless, because I needed my 300 Swiss francs (start money) so I could buy gas to get to the next race, keep my bikes running, and if there was enough left over, eat. If it rains at the Mid-Ohio event the factory riders will not race but there will be plenty of privateers that will. A few bucks is better then nothing and when you are living from race to race”¦ . It really is sad that it all seems so familiar–40 years later. As I read Mr. Edmondson’s statement he sounds naive about motorcycle racing. At least 40-years ago you could race, and collect your ‘start’ money, and circulate at a safe pace but it won’t be like that at Mid-Ohio in the wet. The privateer will be “going-for-it” and really bad things will happen. Tell me how this will advance the sport. Personally I could care less if motorcycle road racing ever becomes “popular.” If I wanted to be part of a herd and go along with something because it was “in,” regardless of how mindless, I’d ride a Harley and watch NASCAR. I was once coerced into going to a Craftsman Truck event. They looked slow, they were annoyingly loud and as “boring as a boxcar” – but boy are they popular. I don’t get it. I also don’t get 3-hour races with 70-horsepower streetbikes but I guess that’s just me. Allan Engel Long Beach, California FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Mr. Edmondson’s comments regarding the state of the Rider Safety Committee worries me very much. I know it’s tough sometimes to get a group of people with type “A” personalities (like the riders on the safety committee) to agree on things. I too know that you can’t let the tail wag the dog. I also buy into the fact that just because you’re fast doesn’t mean you’re smart. However, it does not take a genius or a consensus to figure out if you are going to hit something in the event you fall down. Also, having the fastest guys (and usually most experienced) on the committee ensures the guys like me (who are not that fast) will be safe. If they can’t hit something, there’s a great chance I won’t either. Why would we let learnings from past accidents fall by the wayside? Over the years, many riders have paid with careers and lives so that future riders won’t be dealt the same fate. Do we forget those things? Are they not important? By nature, the Motorsports societies are sensationalists. Most fans (cars, bikes doesn’t matter) like to see a good wreck. Bikes crash, it’s part of the game. But when a rider gets up and walks away have you ever seen fans say, “Damn he walked away!” The answer is no even for guys they don’t like. The clap and yell and breathe a sigh of relief; glad that they’re OK. I guess my point is, the Safety Committee is a good thing R.E. needs to get on board with that. Fans may be upset if a race is canceled due to safety concerns, but who are they going to come and watch if everyone is injured? Walt Sipp AMA & ASRA #221 Kansas City, Missouri FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Correct me if wrong but, I believe Nascar, with 4 large tires (ie; lots of grip) and a full crash cage surrounding the drivers, do not race in the rain. Yet it is safe enough for motorcycles? And as far as what has been done to promote Nascar, it is not possible with AMA racing. Nascar is a race on an oval that can be seen from almost every seat in the house; takes approximately 3 hours; and you can leave for an hour and return and will have not missed much other than one driver “rubbing” another driver into the wall. I just don’t see soccer moms and non-auto afficionados rooting on their “Viagra”, “Tide”, and “Lowes” superbike teams. RJ Graham Sacramento, California FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Unbelievable!!! I won’t even get into how incredibly stupid this man sounds putting business interests in front of human safety, You would think they would have learned from the Iowa debacle. Get a PR man, please! Every track AMA Pro races on should be FIM approved. Period. But on the greater scheme of things in US Road Racing, it seems obvious that what we need is to get the US series on par with WSBK. Good for manufacturers, good for fans, good for everyone, right? They’ve got the best racing in the world going on right now! Manufacturers can build one spec bike for worldwide racing, you get 3 Premier Races each weekend, 2 Superbike, and 1 Superstock, as well as perhaps one more development class in addition to the Red Bull Rookies Cup. And there seems to be no shortage of manufacturers wanting to get involved in WSBK with BMW, Aprilia and KTM coming onboard next year. They can run their spec-tires, spec fuel, etc to help control costs. And imagine, we could see US riders enter their own bikes as wildcard riders on WSBK weekends again, like back in the day, with Miller and hopefully Barber coming on board, that’s what would really get us as fans excited! Bret Weiss Los Angeles, California