Houston we have a problem

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Sep 23 2009, 02:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>These types of investments are called Silly Putty or Playdough for a reason. They are cheap and can be shaped into anything you want. The AMA was playdough before DMG arrived, and that's precisely why DMG bought it. The AMA was just unrealized potential.

Unfortunately, the manufacturers just wanted DMG to put it in a cup and sell it on SpeedTV. That ain't gonna cut it anymore.
Ray Blank explains his frustrations with DMG

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=38197

Its amazing how much he sounds like a fan of the sport. Its an integrity issue,just like us fans have been saying for close to a year. DMG doesnt care though,their plan is right on schedule. Time will tell if this plan was hatched by fools or geniuses.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (povol @ Sep 25 2009, 06:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Ray Blank explains his frustrations with DMG

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=38197

Its amazing how much he sounds like a fan of the sport. Its an integrity issue,just like us fans have been saying for close to a year. DMG doesnt care though,their plan is right on schedule. Time will tell if this plan was hatched by fools or geniuses.

While I don't disagree with anything Blank has to say (other than the fact that the rule book is a religious book that never changes ), I don't think he sounds like a fan. He sounds like another semi-educated corporate executive who was one of the people who wrote the old AMA rulebook. Of course Blank doesn't think the rule book should change, the class his company cherry picked has been eliminated, and Honda's brand identity has been hurt badly by there inability to run at the front in either class on a consistent basis. He's pulling out to save face.

He's either an incompetent .... or he's just making things up (I think it's the latter). Honda have a huge marketshare and Suzuki and Yamaha are always nipping at their heels. Suzuki and Yamaha are staying in. Yamaha has a field of enormously talented riders who are good for marketing in the US even non-Americans like Rossi and Lorenzo do well for US marketing. Honda on the other hand have nothing. They have no popular American riders at any level of motorsports and they can't win anything in the AMA, BSB, WSBK, or MotoGP. The only class they win is WSS, yet they have no American riders and no TV coverage for the class. This country is full of more "Pedrosa sucks" T-shirts than "NASBIKE sucks" T-shirts so I have no idea what this guy is going to rely on to feed his marketing team.

I suppose he could have a completely new strategy for marketing Honda products in the US, but it seems more likely that he is whining simply to create a reason for departing the sport. It also appears that his only real problem is Buell. His AMA tenure ended with the XB9RR, he didn't want to race DSB b/c of the Buell 1125R and he's whining about the Buell 1125RR. How is he supposed to be in charge of the entire North American operations when he can't work past some arcane class structures and racing concepts. If the guy can't tolerate ambiguity, he's got no business running a company, imo. He's dealt with far worse injustice at the hands of the Federal government who outlawed his ability to sell dirtbikes to kids. He's whining about a few racing rules that he doesn't understand?

This is complete hogwash or the man is an incompetent buffoon. Given his time at Honda, I'd say it's mainly hogwash. His misery is stemming from a really poorly managed motorcycle division that is run in Japan. They've given him nothing to market with, they can't win anything, they've pulled his lavish racing/marketing budgets, and the Federal Government has outlawed part of his product line. DMG is really the only place he can focus his rage. The changes in the AMA are simply the straw that have broken the camel's back; he's got much much bigger problems that he can't control.

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <div class='quotemain'>Honda out of AMA. That leaves Suzuki and Yamaha. Dropping quicker than Obama's promises ;-) The series is going to the pack. Shame. Ego's!!!

Let us not forget, amongst all the DMG hating and Factory lovin' that DMG gave the Factories what they asked for (as far as rules) several times. RE gave them the rule book they asked for. Then the Factories changes what they wanted. RE gave in again. Changed again by the Factories. RE finally said this is what we are running (rules package wise). You have until this date to get in line or get out. Then, it was the Factories that had to cave in. Now, the Factories are blaming DMG. So, why wouldn't DMG go to the Factories and try to get them to stay in. Sure, there were PLENTY of things that didn't go right with the series this year. There is always going to be resitance to change. Same thing happend in WSBK. But look at where it is now.

I realize that most people will continue to view this as 100% the fault of DMG, but what would have happened if the factories accepted even 1 of the previous versions of the rules package. The factories even wanted to keep the rules the same as last year and change the book for 2010. It was obvious that that rules package wasn't working, so why keep it? Something HAD to be done. The AMA (Suzuki Cup) wasn't going to do ..... Why? Suzuki had "paid" too much to let the rules be changed into something that was not in their favor. DMG bought it and tried to do too many things too quickly. But at least they had the balls to do something. All we can do is wait and see if the things that RE now realizes didn't work will be removed and see if this series can move forward. If not, the road racing scene in this country is dead or will be VERY soon.