Imola to replace Hungarian GP.? 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Jun 4 2009, 11:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Why. It is very convenient and cost effective for the riders and teams. Also for the organizers and the fans, since in Europe there are more suitable tracks and more MotoGP fans than in all the rest of the world put together.

You need to sell the tickets, remember. Any abstract idea of geographical distribution will not work and send the circus bankrupt.

The future growth of the sport will be in China and India, when the big manufacturers of those countries finally enter the arena...
Its supposed to be a world championship not a European championship. you say the fan base is there and it always will be unless they reach out to new markets ! I doubt it has anything to do with transport coast, if it did there is a more logical way around the world than the way its done now.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Jun 4 2009, 04:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Its supposed to be a world championship not a European championship. you say the fan base is there and it always will be unless they reach out to new markets ! I doubt it has anything to do with transport coast, if it did there is a more logical way around the world than the way its done now.

Any world championship bases its name on the fact that contenders from all over the world take part--not on the fact that it is held all over the world.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Jun 4 2009, 11:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Any world championship bases its name on the fact that contenders from all over the world take part--not on the fact that it is held all over the world.
Well if its not played out around the world how are non European kids supposed to be inspired by it ensuring future generations of non European riders ?
Somehow i think you would have a different point of view if you lived in a country that has no gp. im sure being Italian your delighted

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Jun 5 2009, 12:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Well if its not played out around the world how are non European kids supposed to be inspired by it ensuring future generations of non European riders ?
Somehow i think you would have a different point of view if you lived in a country that has no gp. im sure being Italian your delighted

For sure I have nothing against racing all around the world, if circumstances and local conditions allow. I simply say abstract geographical consideration can never be the priority. Luckily there is TV, and that is the universal vehicle to promote all sports.

I remember when I was a kid, Italian TV just showed the Italian GP, period. Sports dailies just gave you the results the day after. Fans had to wait for the monthly issue of Motociclismo magazine to read complete reports and see photos of other races. That was not such a long time ago...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Jun 5 2009, 08:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>For sure I have nothing against racing all around the world, if circumstances and local conditions allow. I simply say abstract geographical consideration can never be the priority. Luckily there is TV, and that is the universal vehicle to promote all sports.

I remember when I was a kid, Italian TV just showed the Italian GP, period. Sports dailies just gave you the results the day after. Fans had to wait for the monthly issue of Motociclismo magazine to read complete reports and see photos of other races. That was not such a long time ago...
who are you trying to kid ?


i just believe in 1 race per country, maybe 2 to for very large country's. with 3 in spain and 3 in the Italian region means half the season is played out within a stones throw of each other.. How would you feel if Italy didn't have a gp but we in the uk had 3 ?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Jun 5 2009, 09:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>i just believe in 1 race per country, maybe 2 to for very large country's. with 3 in spain and 3 in the Italian region means half the season is played out within a stones throw of each other.. How would you feel if Italy didn't have a gp but we in the uk had 3 ?
+1

coming from southern africa, i had to make do with only 1 race per season in the same hemisphere as me! now there is WSB at kyalami and i would dearly love to see motogp back at Welcom or Kyalami again. there are fans worldwide not just in europe and N.America.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Jun 5 2009, 09:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>who are you trying to kid ?


i just believe in 1 race per country, maybe 2 to for very large country's. with 3 in spain and 3 in the Italian region means half the season is played out within a stones throw of each other.. How would you feel if Italy didn't have a gp but we in the uk had 3 ?

Oh, you consider the late sixties/early seventies a long time ago--my, you are young.

Believe me, if UK or Spain (or any country) had more races than Italy I really wouldn't mind, I am watching the races more and more on TV...

But I do care about Imola because it is a fantastic track with a long history--and the one I know best firsthand

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Jun 5 2009, 10:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Oh, you consider the late sixties/early seventies a long time ago--my, you are young.

wow, i won't compete with that. i feel like an unborn fetus compared to some of you.

anyway, on my side, i don't have much choice with these GPs for reasons you have eloquently stated: this is partly business too so they have to go where the money is.

i'm just wishing, for my pocket's sake, to have more GPs in my region.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Jun 4 2009, 05:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>The future growth of the sport will be in China and India, when the big manufacturers of those countries finally enter the arena...
china had it's chance & nobody cared to show up. and what big manufactures in china do you speak of? now india is a big question mark cause i just don't know if peeps there are really interested in bike racing... it seems not. also what big manufactures in india do you speak of?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (frosty58 @ Jun 5 2009, 04:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>china had it's chance & nobody cared to show up. and what big manufactures in china do you speak of? now india is a big question mark cause i just don't know if peeps there are really interested in bike racing... it seems not. also what big manufactures in india do you speak of?
What was that Chinese bike manufacturer that competed in the suzuka 8 hour ? Something like zhongchen ?? it was said they produced more motorcycles than the rest of the world combined. They raced in partnership with suzuki if my memory serves me right.

The only Indian one i know of is Royal Enfield, cant see them in motogp

FANTASTIC!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (roger-m @ Jun 5 2009, 10:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>What was that Chinese bike manufacturer that competed in the suzuka 8 hour ? Something like zhongchen ?? it was said they produced more motorcycles than the rest of the world combined.
they no doubt do. they simply ripoff the japanese manufactures stuff & they make way more off it but it's just junk.. i think they are incapable of really making something original & forget making a full blow gp missle!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (frosty58 @ Jun 5 2009, 04:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>china had it's chance & nobody cared to show up. and what big manufactures in china do you speak of? now india is a big question mark cause i just don't know if peeps there are really interested in bike racing... it seems not. also what big manufactures in india do you speak of?

You must be aware that the motorcycle industry in both China and India have an output of millions of bikes per year... They have the biggest output in the world. In India the one brand I recall is Bajaj, who produced the Vespa on license since the 60s. They produced millions of them. Now they make motorcycles in joint venture with Kawasaki, I think. All Jap manufacturers are there in joint ventures with this or that local industry.

These manufacturers know no crisis. They have the kind of cash that our Western and Jap industries can only dream of. Of course their market is still 100% utilitiarian, no sport bikes. Maybe they do not need the racing publicity to sell... Not yet.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Jun 5 2009, 03:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>You must be aware that the motorcycle industry in both China and India have an output of millions of bikes per year... They have the biggest output in the world. In India the one brand I recall is Bajaj, who produced the Vespa on license since the 60s. They produced millions of them. Now they make motorcycles in joint venture with Kawasaki, I think. All Jap manufacturers are there in joint ventures with this or that local industry.

These manufacturers know no crisis. They have the kind of cash that our Western and Jap industries can only dream of. Of course their market is still 100% utilitiarian, no sport bikes. Maybe they do not need the racing publicity to sell... Not yet.

Over and above the the Bajaj scooters (I've owned one) there are 175 cc Hondas, Kawasakis and Suzukis in India by the zillions. But other than the rare one owned by children of the very wealthy - there are no proper sport bikes in India. And there's no real likelihood of seeing them appear any time soon. In the cities the traffic is so congested it's a joke and in the suburbs and the country the roads are more suited to moon-rovers with giant tractor tires. I lived there on an off for 15 years and still travel there twice a year on business and can tell you there's no awareness of motorcycle racing whatever. No-one there rides for "pleasure." Going for a spin on a sport bike on Indian roads would be on par with going for a picnic in Rawanda.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (J4rn0 @ Jun 4 2009, 10:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Why. It is very convenient and cost effective for the riders and teams. Also for the organizers and the fans, since in Europe there are more suitable tracks and more MotoGP fans than in all the rest of the world put together.

You need to sell the tickets, remember. Any abstract idea of geographical distribution will not work and send the circus bankrupt.

The future growth of the sport will be in China and India, when the big manufacturers of those countries finally enter the arena...
If that were the truth and fact about China then they would have kept shanghi on the list of races. But due to the fact no one went they got rid of the track. I just don't see those people being intrested in the race aspect cuase no of them really use the motorcycle as an avenue for fun but rather transportation and work.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ROCKGOD01 @ Jun 5 2009, 10:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>If that were the truth and fact about China then they would have kept shanghi on the list of races. But due to the fact no one went they got rid of the track. I just don't see those people being intrested in the race aspect cuase no of them really use the motorcycle as an avenue for fun but rather transportation and work.

Maybe--it wasn't like that in Europe though. In the 50s and 60s when the motorcycle/scooter was the main utilitarian vehicle here, as it is now in those Eastern countries, motorcycle races were already very popular... They were popular even in the 30s and even earlier, actually, so history says that motorcycle races do not develop as a consequence of motorbikes being used mostly for fun, rather the other way round

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Keshav @ Jun 6 2009, 02:24 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Over and above the the Bajaj scooters (I've owned one) there are 175 cc Hondas, Kawasakis and Suzukis in India by the zillions. But other than the rare one owned by children of the very wealthy - there are no proper sport bikes in India. And there's no real likelihood of seeing them appear any time soon. In the cities the traffic is so congested it's a joke and in the suburbs and the country the roads are more suited to moon-rovers with giant tractor tires. I lived there on an off for 15 years and still travel there twice a year on business and can tell you there's no awareness of motorcycle racing whatever. No-one there rides for "pleasure." Going for a spin on a sport bike on Indian roads would be on par with going for a picnic in Rawanda.

Whatever you have said is true. But times are changing and awareness about Motorsport getting increased day by day. You can see a large number of bikes displaying "46" nowadays and i tell you some of the kids riding these bikes on Indian roads are maniacs considering the speed with which they maneuver without having a learnt in a proper way (they do have some talent to control the bikes). Also there are manufacturers who can possibly interested (every one of them has an alliance with the Jap manufacturers). HERO with Honda, TVS with Suzuki, Bajaj with Kawasaki, TATA (thogh they are car maunfacturers) has a tie up with Ducati etc. If the 2011 Indian F1 GP becomes a success, then things will start to move positively for motorsports in India.

Oh man...Mugello, Misano and now Imola...all one hour and less away from Bologna where I live.

Bring it on. I love the idea and I would not miss one!

Sorry to you guys that don't even have one...that is not fair either...so come over to Italy to check one out!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Motrix450 @ Jun 8 2009, 06:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Oh man...Mugello, Misano and now Imola...all one hour and less away from Bologna where I live.

Bring it on. I love the idea and I would not miss one!

Sorry to you guys that don't even have one...that is not fair either...so come over to Italy to check one out!

you'd take care of my plane tickets?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Motrix450 @ Jun 8 2009, 11:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Oh man...Mugello, Misano and now Imola...all one hour and less away from Bologna where I live.

Bring it on. I love the idea and I would not miss one!

Sorry to you guys that don't even have one...that is not fair either...so come over to Italy to check one out!
with all due respect to you mate, but this is exactly my point !