AMA Superbike

It's now a 21 point differential.

Yes, Michael Jordan the basketball guy owns a factory supported Suzuki team. They've tried to get the Bostrom brothers and Nicky Hayden to ride for them for 2005 and Roger Hayden for 2006, they're aiming to get Spies for 2007. I don't think it will happen.

Also, the multi million dollar renovation has begun at Road America. Over the weekend, the president of operations of the track sat down with five top riders and went over safety concerns at the track and walked the track with the riders to evaluate the necessary changes. The man in charge said the ultimate goal IS TO GET A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT AT ROAD AMERICA. Please, oh please let MotoGP come to Road America. If there is one track in the states that is laid out for MotoGP, it's Road America.

Sounds like a good spot, Ooost. Like Autopolis, a failed F1 circuit. Great circuit, good facilities, but nothing big all year.

That's basically what the story at Road America is. A beautiful course, well laid out but is lacking in track safety and facilities. The latest renovation is aimed at aiding both.

Autopolis is diffrent. It has the facilities and the safetly, and it was intended to be a contender for the Japanese F1 contract, I think. But it went bust and it`s really remote anyway. I went there about a month ago. The roads would be great on a bike, Kyushu is basically full of mountains and more twisties than you could ever ride. But In a tin top with a leadfoot driver it was a one way ticket to carsickness

Anyway how the hell does Jordan get the money for a Factory Superbike team?? I knew I shouldn`t have wagged the basketball lessons in high school.

He's got more money from Nike than he knows what to do with. They paid, and continue to pay, him a lot of money for playing basketball. He even owns his own portion of Nike, Jordan apparel is a part of Nike so he continues to make a fair dime off that. Nike is very much involved in the operation, they design the paint schemes for the bikes and the leather designs before they go to Joe Rocket. Other than that, everyone wants to sponsor Michael Jordan. He basically auctioned his team off to the highest bidding factory and Suzuki won, after 2004 he set up meetings with Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati and Honda to see who would give him the best prices and support. So he's got dirt cheap Suzukis with factory support, loads of Nike money and on top of that he's got more main stream sponsors than any other team in domestic Superbike racing. The team is sponsored by Jordan/Nike, Oakley, Gatorade, Upper Deck, Hanes and a bunch of other stuff. Basically, everyone who MJ endorsed at one point followed him into the road racing game.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ooost @ Jun 6 2006, 11:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Please, oh please let MotoGP come to Road America.
not gonna happen Ooost. it'll be wsbk....... but it don't hurt to dream!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ooost @ Jun 8 2006, 08:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>He's got more money from Nike than he knows what to do with. They paid, and continue to pay, him a lot of money for playing basketball. He even owns his own portion of Nike, Jordan apparel is a part of Nike so he continues to make a fair dime off that. Nike is very much involved in the operation, they design the paint schemes for the bikes and the leather designs before they go to Joe Rocket. Other than that, everyone wants to sponsor Michael Jordan. He basically auctioned his team off to the highest bidding factory and Suzuki won, after 2004 he set up meetings with Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati and Honda to see who would give him the best prices and support. So he's got dirt cheap Suzukis with factory support, loads of Nike money and on top of that he's got more main stream sponsors than any other team in domestic Superbike racing. The team is sponsored by Jordan/Nike, Oakley, Gatorade, Upper Deck, Hanes and a bunch of other stuff. Basically, everyone who MJ endorsed at one point followed him into the road racing game.
jordans ultimate goal is to go gp racing. he said this when he was starting his team up for ama sbk. said he wanted to get his feet wet first, then get to motogp if possible. think of the exposure & sponsors he could bring into gp! i hope this happens!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (frosty58 @ Jun 8 2006, 09:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>not gonna happen Ooost. it'll be wsbk....... but it don't hurt to dream!
jordans ultimate goal is to go gp racing. he said this when he was starting his team up for ama sbk. said he wanted to get his feet wet first, then get to motogp if possible. think of the exposure & sponsors he could bring into gp! i hope this happens!
You never know, the changes they are making are supposedly major. if they make it safe enough I think there's a good chance. They've been the only track making noise about getting a grand prix over the past 10 years other than Laguna Seca (not until recently) and Barber (which is too small for GPs and wasn't built until 2003).

I certainly hope Jordan doesn't get too comfortable in the AMA, he's got the money and the backing to go MotoGP. Hopefully he cuts his ties with Suzuki at that point.

I had no Idea he was so rich, into bikes or anything?! I thought he was just a retired basketball player who was really tall. Well I say good on him, great that he`s helping our sport.

He said that his father was big into motorcycles so he rode dirt bikes quite often as a kid. Must have stuck with him all this time.

What does everyone think of Danny Eslick's potential? He looked strong in 600SS. Also, Oost, is it just me or is E Boz look agrressive on the downshifts?

Eslick has got some pretty massive potential, he will be a factory or factory supported rider in support classes next year for sure. Up until Road America, I thought he was the most promising rider in the field. Then I saw 16 year old Josh Herrin's debut race for Graves Yamaha. From my understanding, he is supported by Graves Motorsports but not on the same team as the Graves Yamaha factory team with Hacking, DiSalvo and Spies. Road America was the kid's first ever national, so what does he do? Takes a sixth place ahead of Buckmaster, Eslick and Attard. The kid has potential.

As for EBoz, do you mean the downshifting itself or strong under braking? I've never really noticed much about his downshifts, he blips the throttle pretty good and he always looks like a fullback in a two point stance as he does it but past that nothing out of the ordinary. He is good on the brakes though, that's always been his greatest asset, my opinion anyways. That and turning left.

he has potential. but will have to wait & see

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ooost @ Jun 14 2006, 11:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I saw 16 year old Josh Herrin's debut race for Graves Yamaha. From my understanding, he is supported by Graves Motorsports but not on the same team as the Graves Yamaha factory team with Hacking, DiSalvo and Spies. Road America was the kid's first ever national, so what does he do? Takes a sixth place ahead of Buckmaster, Eslick and Attard. The kid has potential.
this kid seem's really promising!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (richo @ Jun 9 2006, 07:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I had no Idea he was so rich, into bikes or anything?! I thought he was just a retired basketball player who was really tall. Well I say good on him, great that he`s helping our sport.

can you imagine him and pedrosa stood next to each other

the racing at miller was fantastic! this track will be the next american round in gp's. it is world class, state of the art garages, media center the works & designed with bikes in mind. $100,000,000 spent so far. no chicanes or stop & go ..... fast & flowing. larry miller owner of the track say's they are definatley shooting for motogp in the near future. they only need to build some more grandstand seating to comply with what dorna want. the ama guys used the 3 mile outer track but can be configured for a 4.2 mile layout. there was so much passing going on in all the classes i could'nt keep count! the facility is still under development.

The facility itself looked top class. However, it looked .... on TV. It looked like the track was just some roads paved in the middle of a desert, no landscaping or anything. The racing was fantastic, Zemke broke the Suzuki SBK streak in the class. He would have doubled if he didn't crash in race one. Josh Herrin took third in Supersport in his second ever national. Factory ride... cough, cough. Over a month off now before Laguna. Time for Roger to heal and try to regain his Supersport dominance and win out. Laguna is a good place for him, he's been fast there the past few seasons.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ooost @ Jun 19 2006, 08:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>The facility itself looked top class. However, it looked .... on TV. It looked like the track was just some roads paved in the middle of a desert, no landscaping or anything.
thats why i said the facility is still under development. the landscaping has'nt started yet. they are also getting 3 huge jumbotron screens so all the action can be seen by all. but u can see like 90% of the track no matter where u are. it's very stadium like.

I thought the most interesting part of the weekend was the talk of grip and traction. The commentators on Speed were saying how no one was complaining about a lack of traction for the first time all year because of how nice the surface was. Oddly enough, they go to a track with loads of grip and suddenly Ben Spies and Mat Mladin are caught up in a four way battle for the lead with Jake Zemke and Ben Bostrom. Must just be a coincidence, right Mat?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ooost @ Jun 19 2006, 12:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I thought the most interesting part of the weekend was the talk of grip and traction. The commentators on Speed were saying how no one was complaining about a lack of traction for the first time all year because of how nice the surface was. Oddly enough, they go to a track with loads of grip and suddenly Ben Spies and Mat Mladin are caught up in a four way battle for the lead with Jake Zemke and Ben Bostrom. Must just be a coincidence, right Mat?
yes that is interesting hmmmmmmm...... traction control! what traction control!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ooost @ Jun 19 2006, 08:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Josh Herrin took third in Supersport in his second ever national. Factory ride... cough, cough.
this kid's the real deal. very impressive watchin him fight it out with hayden & eslick. was racin like somebody with a lot more experience. he's only 16! need to get him on a full factory ride & see how he does!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (frosty58 @ Jun 19 2006, 03:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>need to get him on a full factory ride & see how he does!
I'm sure Yamaha will do all they can to keep him on their bikes for 2007. Although, Honda have no future talent so I wouldn't be surprised to see him riding Supersport for them next year.