American motorcycle racing is now split in two....

Charlesbusa

Used to be a SoCal Busa
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The MIC has formally established USSB, Inc., and already is at work creating a national championship for 2009 that will take place at major racing facilities, feature factory superbike teams and rules similar to those now in place - rules encouraging technological development that advances motorcycle engineering.
The USSBSM Championship is being designed to carry on America's tradition, spanning more than two decades, of world-class superbike racing that showcases the nation's best riders on the best motorcycles in the country. The premier class, U.S. Super Bike, will invite teams running the highly developed, factory-backed, fan-favorite racing motorcycles (1,000cc fours and larger-displacement twins) that have long been the basis for superbike racing. The inaugural USSB series will include U.S. Sport Bike, a 600cc category similar to the World Supersport Championship and others.

Soup :: Bombshell: New US Superbike Series Announced :: 09-10-2008


This could be the end... MIC and DMG figthing... Not good for American SBK
 
What it may end up meaning is...merger! . Its happened before, IRL/CART/INDY series. They used to fight all the time. One sanctioning body and its car owners/drivers routinely dissed the others. I just hope the full liter class of racing doesn't go away. I'd even like to see a really UN-limited series begin.
 
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What it may end up meaning is...merger! . Its happened before, IRL/CART/INDY series. They used to fight all the time. One sanctioning body and its car owners/drivers routinely dissed the others. I just hope the full liter class of racing doesn't go away. I'd even like to see a really UN-limited series begin.
I would not consider it a merging (IRL/CART) more like a kiss and make up story... they killed Indy car racing when the org split... not sure who to blame but the racing never really fully recovered IMHO...
 
Sounds to me like the manufacturers will be going all out in full factory liter bike development...I like it. Take the technical gloves off and see some really cool sh*t get developed and hopefully trickle down to production bikes quicker.
 
This is so absolutely stupid that it is beyond reason. What was needed in American Roadracing was credibility pure and simple. For years the AMA has struggled to come up with a formula that made everybody happy and put on a good show for the fans. In the process they continually danced around the issue of parity with peer series throughout the world. Never more clear than the Miller round of the Series this year. For the first time ever they had an opportunity to run the AMA Superbikes on the same track on the same day under the same conditions with the World superbikes. I know the official reasons that were stated for this was to avoid displaying signage (billboards) non consistent with the rival series. But if they had truly desired to they could have worked around this and found a simple, economic resolution. The very simple solution to all of this could have been to adopt the FIM rules package for 08 and be done with it. It would have meant that the Manufacturers didn't have the expense of developing two different spec machines for the rival series and it most likely would have meant that we would have had a factory Ducati team in the AMA superbike series this year. Flawed though it may be the FIM package seems to be a fairly good set of rules as the WSBK series has numerous brands racing hard with one another and winning races this year, exactly the kind of show the AMA would want I would think. Instead they dinked around with their own rules and said goodbye to Ducati and then sold the series to NASCAR (DMG) who then decided that everybody was full of crap and invented their own formula for "success". So now the manufacturers were forced to either A) take a bite of the crap sandwich and race under the ridiculous new rules the DMG invented B) Walk away from American Roadracing completely or C) start their own series using a known set of rules. Yamaha being the exception all of the other major manufacturers took option C.

When you look at what was good about American Roadracing you see that it was a series that had factory involvement and promotion from all of the major Manufactures and to some extent tire manufacturers. You have some of the most talented motorcycle racers on the planet, racing some of the fastest racing motorcycles on the planet. You had a series that has produced over a dozen World Roadracing champions (some even with multiple titles) in the last 30 years! You had Speed TV all signed on to cover the series next year in full HD! Why you may ask then did DMG come in and do their level best to wipe out all of that! This is exactly what has happened. Professional Roadracing in the USA is now splintered and any young riders who may have hoped to use the AMA series as a place to showcase their talents and springboard to the world stage will have no choice but to go abroad to pursue such flights of fancy. Yes there will be racing next year and yes it may even be good racing but I fear that we might only see it in print as this tug of war most certainly puts a dagger through the heart of the HD television coverage and possibly TV coverage in general.

The irony that MotoGP is racing at Indy this weekend is not lost on me! Tony George is the dude that runs Indianapolis Motor Speedway and he is also the guy who instigated the Indycar/ IRL split all those years ago. He got MotoGP to come to Indy at the same time the AMA is tearing itself apart…. Maybe it’s just me though.
 
Now that's a well-reasoned opinion if I've ever heard one. I've got to read more about the split, but I agree that we should have welcomed, and adopted, the FIM rules.
 
Thanks! This isn't going away any time soon. It has almost turned into a Suzuki VS DMG fight at the moment. Roger Edmundson even came out today and flat called the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team "Cheaters"! That's the way to smooth things over! :poke:


Now that's a well-reasoned opinion if I've ever heard one. I've got to read more about the split, but I agree that we should have welcomed, and adopted, the FIM rules.
 
well sounds like you are on top of the issues... this stuff is so far removed from my world that I only know the names of one or two riders and I can not tell you what series they are even in... Public education is really lacking in all venues of the sport.. (well Indy sent me a "rookies" guide to MotoGP that was pretty neat, not much meat to it but at least an attempt to tell us who is who)...

Personally as an uneducated race fan... I just as soon see some kind of monster bike race (run what every you got to throw out there) with reasonable guidelines that allows the privateer to run...

F1 racing is supreme but sort of boring and only the biggest, deepest of pockets can play... what fun is that

thanks for the insight :) maybe they should be listening to the "in the know" spectators a bit more.. (sort of like the Indy car breakup should have)
 
The biggest problem with slpitting the series is where do riders choose to ride and which series do fans choose to watch. The best riders will want money, the best bikes and possible connections with manufacturers to further their career, so they'll want to ride in the MIC series. That leaves your lesser riders, maybe even club racers, to fill in DMGs series. Which means DMGs series will be lesser riders on lesser machines.

DMG's version may very well produce close racing. But the fact is that the vast majority of current fans don't want to watch neutered bikes with club racers. The true motorcycle fan wants to see the best of the best. DMG may very well bring in a new fan base, but that remains to be seen.

The fact that there are 2 series now means tracks(promoters) may have to choose sides, spend more money to accomedate both series, or just say screw it go race somewhere else.

I beleive all talented riders will want to be with MIC. The hardcore racing fans of today will watch MIC. "Maybe" new fans will like DMG's version? Which side will the tracks(promoters) pick?? Which side is the media going to pick??

Its definately not to be a good year next year :(
 
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From Honda;

“Yes, that is our plan, as of today,” said Jon Row, American Honda Motorcycle Sports Manager. “Our plan is to race against the top teams in the sport in an environment where innovation is embraced and the Honda Racing spirit can thrive. As I see it today it appears to be that USSB is the option.”

Asked if American Honda might also participate, directly or indirectly, in the 2009 AMA Pro road racing series, Row said he did not know for certain, but he cast serious doubt on it happening.

“At this point in time, the way the AMA series is currently structured, it is unlikely that we would participate in it,” said Row.
 
From Kawasaki;

“We’ve told both USSB folks and DMG folks what we, from Kawasaki, were interested in a series that included all the top competition, which means all the top teams, the good teams,” said Bruce Stjernstrom, who oversees Kawasaki’s racing activities from his position as Director of Marketing. “Also, that we wanted to have a class structure where we could modify our bikes because we use racing as a means to help develop our products. So from our standpoint we haven’t ruled out anything at this point, participating in anything. There’s no polarization from our side.”
 
From Suzuki;

Roadracingworld.com: Will American Suzuki race in the new MIC-organized USSB series in 2009?

Mel Harris: That’s our current plan.



RW.com: Do you know if you are going to participate in any of the AMA Pro Racing/DMG road race series?

Harris: As I have stated previous, my instructions from the factory and our opinion of that series is more of a club race format, and we’re a professional factory race team. Usually factory race teams don’t race in club-formatted events. So I think I’ve been on the record as saying for quite a while that we are not planning on racing in that series.
 
From Yamaha;

Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A.'s 2009 racing plans and if the company will compete in an MIC-organized U.S. Superbike League, Yamaha Racing Division Manager Keith McCarty said "We’re not planning to. I think like everybody else, we’ve heard a lot of the rumors. We don’t know any details. Our assumption is--since we heard at Daytona--that the AMA series that we’ve grown to be a part of was handed over to DMG, and that’s kind of where we plan to be. It’s unfortunate that whatever is changing, but that’s where we’re headed at the moment. So until we hear otherwise that’s the plan."
 
For the life of me I can't figure out where DMG is going to get the funding to pay out the purses they are touting without major league Sponsors and they just lost three of the four biggest sponsors in the series! ???

The rate things are going I may just pencil in Mel Harris for President this year! :bowdown:
 
Honda's lastest quote;

"In the spirit of cooperation, Roger Edmondson of DMG and I met today to discuss Honda's position regarding the proposed AMA Pro Racing road race series. A constructive dialogue was struck and while there is much to do in a short time to prepare ourselves for the impending 2009 season, we believe we can strike an accord that will prove satisfactory to our most important partners, from our race fans to our facility owners and operators as well as our sponsors. We are encouraged at the opportunity ahead."
 
As I read this Article today about Roger Edmondson finally(!!!) talking some sense about possibly adopting the FIM Rules package. This is what they should have done from the Beginning. I even said so back in September(see below) . He11 we may even have some racing to watch next year! :thumbsup:

This is so absolutely stupid that it is beyond reason. What was needed in American Roadracing was credibility pure and simple. For years the AMA has struggled to come up with a formula that made everybody happy and put on a good show for the fans. In the process they continually danced around the issue of parity with peer series throughout the world. Never more clear than the Miller round of the Series this year. For the first time ever they had an opportunity to run the AMA Superbikes on the same track on the same day under the same conditions with the World superbikes. I know the official reasons that were stated for this was to avoid displaying signage (billboards) non consistent with the rival series. But if they had truly desired to they could have worked around this and found a simple, economic resolution. The very simple solution to all of this could have been to adopt the FIM rules package for 08 and be done with it. It would have meant that the Manufacturers didn't have the expense of developing two different spec machines for the rival series and it most likely would have meant that we would have had a factory Ducati team in the AMA superbike series this year. Flawed though it may be the FIM package seems to be a fairly good set of rules as the WSBK series has numerous brands racing hard with one another and winning races this year, exactly the kind of show the AMA would want I would think. Instead they dinked around with their own rules and said goodbye to Ducati and then sold the series to NASCAR (DMG) who then decided that everybody was full of crap and invented their own formula for "success". So now the manufacturers were forced to either A) take a bite of the crap sandwich and race under the ridiculous new rules the DMG invented B) Walk away from American Roadracing completely or C) start their own series using a known set of rules. Yamaha being the exception all of the other major manufacturers took option C.

When you look at what was good about American Roadracing you see that it was a series that had factory involvement and promotion from all of the major Manufactures and to some extent tire manufacturers. You have some of the most talented motorcycle racers on the planet, racing some of the fastest racing motorcycles on the planet. You had a series that has produced over a dozen World Roadracing champions (some even with multiple titles) in the last 30 years! You had Speed TV all signed on to cover the series next year in full HD! Why you may ask then did DMG come in and do their level best to wipe out all of that! This is exactly what has happened. Professional Roadracing in the USA is now splintered and any young riders who may have hoped to use the AMA series as a place to showcase their talents and springboard to the world stage will have no choice but to go abroad to pursue such flights of fancy. Yes there will be racing next year and yes it may even be good racing but I fear that we might only see it in print as this tug of war most certainly puts a dagger through the heart of the HD television coverage and possibly TV coverage in general.

The irony that MotoGP is racing at Indy this weekend is not lost on me! Tony George is the dude that runs Indianapolis Motor Speedway and he is also the guy who instigated the Indycar/ IRL split all those years ago. He got MotoGP to come to Indy at the same time the AMA is tearing itself apart…. Maybe it’s just me though.
 
Well, he needs to hurry the he11 up b/c the teams need to start building bikes to conform to the rules and tech package. Sounds like no one has even turned a wrench thus far and bikes, at this point in time, should already be in race trim and ready for winter testing.
 
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