The president of the Daytona Motorsports Group has said that 'silence is acquiescence' regarding his proposed changes to the AMASBK rules. This means that if the fans don't let their displeasure with the proposed changes be known, that we will be stuck with these changes.

Email the track promoters at the following addresses and voice your opinion. Tell them what you want to see, and let them know that you won't be attending races if DMG messes things up. Post a copy of your email here too.

For me, I don't disagree with all of the proposed changes but my major complaint is that 1000 cc Superbikes should be the premier class. I'll be posting up my emails by the end of the day. Do your part, fight the power!

http://superbikeplanet.com/2008/May/080521i.htm

Daytona International Speedway
http://www.daytonainternationa...ntact/

Barber Motorsports Park
http://www.barbermotorsports.com/contact.php

Miller Motorsports Park
http://www.millermotorsportspa...t.php

Infineon Raceway
http://infineonraceway.com/contact_us/

Road America
http://www.roadamerica.com/information_staff.htm

Laguna Seca Raceway
http://www.laguna-seca.com/gen...ntact

Road Atlanta
http://www.roadatlanta.com/staff.lasso

Mid-Ohio
info@midohio.com

VIR - RE: Cameron Gray
cameron@moto1usa.com

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JMU R1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do your part, fight the power!</TD></TR></TABLE>

Viva la resistance!

 

And for those who are a little bit out of the loop about the whole situation, Cliff Notes:

Cliff Notes:

*Daytona Motorsports Group (subsidiary of NASCAR) bought the rights to AMA Superbike. DMG also runs Grand Am and MotoST.

*DMG announces that they are going to revamp the AMASBK championship. The main points of their plan is that "Daytona "Superbikes" are going to be the premier class. They will be middleweight sportbikes (600's, 675's, 750's, some larger v-twins) limited to 130 hp. Originally they were going to eliminate 1000 cc sportbikes altogether but they got such a hostile reception from the manufacturers that they decided to keep the current 1000 cc Superbike class for two more years as a support class.

*DMG states that they will bring in more fans with their new structure and that the 600's will be safer than the 1000's and provide better racing. They also think they will have more variety of bikes racing with their 600-ish class. This 'variety' will apparently come in the form of bikes the KTM Superduke and Ducati Monster S4R

 

Here comes the Bike of Tomorrow.

 

If you got some boots check out the daytona superbike rules.

http://www.roadracingworld.com...32533

A buell 1125r racing against 600s? I would hope thats a typo, that bike should be racing literbike. Whatever their big air cooled twin "superbike" would be fine, but that is .

As well eligible equipment list? Sponsors get to jack up the prices, and it limits the teams on what they can use. In fact all I see is DMG looking to jack the prices up. Wanna run your own exhaust? Better have it on the eligible equipment list and you know only one manufacture will be on it. Looks like there going to try out body templets too. I tries to watch some grand am this weekend, really boring. That is not a premiere race series by any stretch. No crowds watching either.

I don't live near any of the tracks and don't plan on seeing a superbike national, and not anytime soon either. Their going this direction and they don't give a damn. At least there's WSBK, but nest year they won't be running with the AMA after they show them up this weekend.

 

Yeah the eligible equipment thing sounds like a way to extort money out of suppliers. Whether this money will go directly to the teams or into DMG's coffers I don't know. Either way it sounds a bit suspect.

 

The buell should be allowed to race against 600's. It'll NEVER win since it's air cooled. Guys in club racing run them in thunderbike and the best times of those are 4-5 seconds off of the 600's still. The rules didn't bother me either other then the 600cc being the premier class.

 

AMA SBK?

blah. Let it die. BSB and WSBK are FAR more fun to watch.

And I'm with the guy above..let more brands in, buell etc...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EngineNoO9 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The buell should be allowed to race against 600's. It'll NEVER win since it's air cooled. Guys in club racing run them in thunderbike and the best times of those are 4-5 seconds off of the 600's still. The rules didn't bother me either other then the 600cc being the premier class.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The 1125R is water cooled and makes 146 hp, so it's more of a true superbike than a middleweight. Of course the 1098 can kick it's teeth in but maybe with a 1200 cc homologation special Buell could make a competitive bike.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JMU R1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yeah the eligible equipment thing sounds like a way to extort money out of suppliers. Whether this money will go directly to the teams or into DMG's coffers I don't know. Either way it sounds a bit suspect.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Could be, they aren't getting that 50k off the gate money tho. I don't have a problem with a variety of bikes, however it leads to clunky rules trying to equal things out. And you never really do and people are always asking or complaining for more. I would have thought that 1125r would be 150-160 horsepower. I haven't seen a real review of one yet. Seems like the hot bike would be a gsrx 750. Its the overdog.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by slm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Could be, they aren't getting that 50k off the gate money tho. </TD></TR></TABLE>

50,000 fans at barber, VIR, road atlanta, etc... at $100 pop for the tickets, do the math.

 

Finally got around to sending email #1:

Cliff Notes:
-1000's should be the premier class
-600's may result in closer racing, but won't bring more fans
-DMG has been unsuccessful in attracting fans to the other series they run
-I'm for the spec tire and spec fuel


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Dear Mr. Gray,

As a fan of AMA Superbike I followed the sale of the series very closely, hoping that a new owner would be able to realize the potential popularity of the series and fix its woes. When the Daytona Motorsports Group was announced as the winner I had guarded optimism for what they could do, they certainly had the money to get things done. Imagine my horror when DMG announced that they would be getting rid of the superbike class! Never in my wildest dreams did I think they would do something so asinine.

Since that initial bombshell DMG has relented and thrown the manufacturers a bone by letting them keep the Superbike class as the "Literbike" support class or two years. But it is clear to all that DMG intends to get rid of that class all together

DMG seems to think that by making 600's the premier class there will be better racing and thus, more fans. This is just not true and a series that DMG runs proves this. Grand Am's formula has produced large grids and the Daytona Prototype class usually has pretty close racing. Yet, 8 years in, fans for this series still have not showed up in large numbers. Meanwhile their direct competitor American Le Mans had 170,000 people come to Sebring and average 100k spectators for it's first three events. Grand Am doesn't publish their attendance figures but it is quite clear that their attendance is less than impressive at a lot of their venues. Grand Am made the mistake of featuring cars that sportscar fans are not that interested in. Don't let DMG make the same mistake with AMASBK.

Over the years I've been able to get more and more people to come to the race with me. Last year I got a total of 6 people to come to watch the race with me. If these rules go through I'm not only going to not bring friends I'm not going to show up at all. The only recourse I have to show my displeasure is to not buy the product, and I will advise others to do the same.

The hardcore fans bring new fans in and help sell the brand. If the core fanbase gets alienated not only will you not have them bringing new people to the sport, you will have them negatively influencing the casual fan. This is severely going to hurt you, the promoter. Every year I've been to VIR more people have come but the way things are going there is going to be a big hit in attendance next year. For what? What blows my mind is that DMG to this point has not said a word about what the fans want to see or how the fans have responded to their purported rules changes.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for some of the changes. Spec tires and spec fuel is a big one and I think there needs to be less classes. Some of the other rules like the horsepower limit I'm not sure about, but I'm willing to see how it unfolds.

I want to come to the races and see the sport get bigger. But getting rid of the 1000's is a step backwards that I cannot and will not accept. There is a win-win scenario out there, and that is one with the 1000 cc Superbikes in their rightful position as the premier class. I would support that scenario and would be absolutely supportive of the series.

-Gerald </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

I can understand DMG's desire to bring in more fans and provide them with a better show, but I think they are going about it the wrong way/don't really understand the sport's fanbase. The liter bikes should remain as the pinacle of the series, with provisions that allow for larger v-twins, triples and what not to compete in the same class. The bikes could be limited to a maximum power level, or even a specific power:weight for the class. Throw in spec tires and fuel and the class would be a lot of fun. Similar rules for the middle weight bikes should follow, and ticket prices should be (and this will never happen) lowered to draw in more (and possibly new). fans. Riders should not be limited to what brands they can use, or what gear they can wear so long as it meets a class-specific safety standard.

Getting rid of the 1000's would mean that no U.S. rider would stand a chance in the transition to Moto GP or WSBK.

 

Right on, email your thoughts to one of the promoters! Don't forget to let them know that you won't be attending races if DMG screws things up.

 

a european point of view.. ron ten kate

Q I wonder if you might have an opinion about the rule changes here in America, or what you know of them? Can you talk about it at all?

A Well, I heard a little bit about it.

Q Supposedly, someone said that you found the rules "interesting." I don't know if it's true or not.

A No. I find them interesting because they are very, very weird. I find it interesting because I would like to know if somebody can explain me, I will be very interested to hear. Because I doubt that somebody can explain this. It's killing the racing. And if they want a series which is close together, I think a mono tire rule could do a lot in that. But it's not, to start the series, what they want. You must not forget that motorcycle racing is not car racing. It's something different.

 

Yeah I wish I had asked Ron and Carlo Fiorani what they thought of the DMG rules. I have Fiorani's card so maybe I can email him and get an answer.

 

can someone please explain to me a lil more about wat is goin on&gt; kinda lost!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Superdragr45 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">can someone please explain to me a lil more about wat is goin on&gt; kinda lost!!</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Cliff Notes:

*Daytona Motorsports Group (subsidiary of NASCAR) bought the rights to AMA Superbike. DMG also runs Grand Am and MotoST.

*DMG announces that they are going to revamp the AMASBK championship. The main points of their plan is that "Daytona "Superbikes" are going to be the premier class. They will be middleweight sportbikes (600's, 675's, 750's, some larger v-twins) limited to 130 hp. Originally they were going to eliminate 1000 cc sportbikes altogether but they got such a hostile reception from the manufacturers that they decided to keep the current 1000 cc Superbike class for two more years as a support class.

*DMG states that they will bring in more fans with their new structure and that the 600's will be safer than the 1000's and provide better racing. They also think they will have more variety of bikes racing with their 600-ish class. This 'variety' will apparently come in the form of bikes the KTM Superduke and Ducati Monster S4R</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

ultimately they just want more people at the front of the pack, and no one winning consistently.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .paul &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ultimately they just want more people at the front of the pack, and no one winning consistently.</TD></TR></TABLE>

They could do that by making changes to the Superbike class as is. Implement the spec tire, dial back the technical regulations a bit, offer more prize money to privateers, and right there you will probably see a better product.

Secondly, even with their 600 class there are going to be teams and riders that are going to win a lot more than anyone else. You're not going to have a race where 20 people can win on a given day. Even in a spec series like R1 Cup you're usually only going to have a handful of guys who will win races. This year one guy has won 3 out of the 4 races.