Its official now. There will be no Moto GP at Laguna Seca in 2014. Mazda released a press statement Monday in which they cited an increase in the event fee of $800,000 and a lack of state support, which both Indy and Austin receive from their states, as the principal reasons behind the decision. The event has apparently lost money for the past four years and SCRAMP simply can no longer afford the loss. I'm going to miss this event a lot, but I have great memories of the GPs there going back to the days of Spencer, Rainey, Lawson and Schwantz.
Joined Aug 2013
342 Posts | 1+
Louisiana, USA
dubey796
Dammit...you could see this coming but it still sucks. Laguna (in my opinion, anyway) was the best of the US rounds.
Dammit...you could see this coming but it still sucks. Laguna (in my opinion, anyway) was the best of the US rounds.
Joined Sep 2009
482 Posts | 198+
Austin, Tx. USA
Dang! Really glad i chose to go to Laguna this year. Really loved the vibe. The whole city was a party. Austin needs to step their game up. The city wouldn't even grant permits for parties down town.
see you fellas in Indy & Austin. & hopefully across the pond soon!
see you fellas in Indy & Austin. & hopefully across the pond soon!
Joined Jan 2011
3K Posts | 152+
The North!
So glad I went this year, Thank you Jumks 
Like Steeve the vibe I experienced was sublime, probs the best I have been to, and I done one or two.
Austin the best track, worst vibe, (just because of the restrictions)
Guna best vibe, great track.
Cannot comment on Indy I have not been.
WSBK Guna 2015 anyone?
Fcuk dorna!
Like Steeve the vibe I experienced was sublime, probs the best I have been to, and I done one or two.
Austin the best track, worst vibe, (just because of the restrictions)
Guna best vibe, great track.
Cannot comment on Indy I have not been.
WSBK Guna 2015 anyone?
Fcuk dorna!
lil red rocket pilot
ROFL, you are aware that Dorna owns WSBK now too?
3621711380587936
So glad I went this year, Thank you Jumks
Like Steeve the vibe I experienced was sublime, probs the best I have been to, and I done one or two.
Austin the best track, worst vibe, (just because of the restrictions)
Guna best vibe, great track.
Cannot comment on Indy I have not been.
WSBK Guna 2015 anyone?
Fcuk dorna!
ROFL, you are aware that Dorna owns WSBK now too?
Joined Jan 2011
3K Posts | 152+
The North!
eltoro
Yeah but it aint their prized pig.
I just cancelled Sepang and PI for 2014 and I'll be ...... if I pay to watch next year. .... em!
Yeah but it aint their prized pig.
I just cancelled Sepang and PI for 2014 and I'll be ...... if I pay to watch next year. .... em!
There simply are not enough Americans who care about racing. Even NASCAR is not what it was in the mid 90's and early 2000's. Bike racing will draw even less support. Interestingly however, virtually every manufacturer sells more of their litre and larger powered bikes in the US. The US dominates the bike sales numbers of the fastest production machines but that translates into apparently too few racing viewers.
Oh well, it is what it is. Clearly Indiana and Texas are subsidizing these events either with State or local funds. California is unwilling. I fully understand that and I can't blame them. MotoGP has a very small but loyal following in the US. It's a boutique event. Justifying three events is probably difficult. I don't think many will care after a season or two. Most will unfortunately flock to Austin which puts on a ...... over priced event. It's a nice facility, the town offers just about anything you'd need but the venue staff is awful and the promoters appear to be complete scoundrels.
Not sure which I'll attend next year. Perhaps it'll be all fly away events for me....
Oh well, it is what it is. Clearly Indiana and Texas are subsidizing these events either with State or local funds. California is unwilling. I fully understand that and I can't blame them. MotoGP has a very small but loyal following in the US. It's a boutique event. Justifying three events is probably difficult. I don't think many will care after a season or two. Most will unfortunately flock to Austin which puts on a ...... over priced event. It's a nice facility, the town offers just about anything you'd need but the venue staff is awful and the promoters appear to be complete scoundrels.
Not sure which I'll attend next year. Perhaps it'll be all fly away events for me....
Joined Oct 2006
25K Posts | 4K+
Your Mom's House
Laguna were not willing to kowtow to Dorna's extortion. .... it, I wish more circuits did this as Dorna (Carmelo) keeps all the TV revenues while making the events for the circuits impossible to turn a profit. The tradition of GP that this circuit brought to the fans of the sport was of no value to Dorna. We continue to get ...... by Dorna, but most simply see it as conspiracy when point it out. I called it here, I said Dorna's public signals regarding Laguna Seca were simply hard tactics to extort money from the American circuits. Indy and Austin were willing to .... their tax payers out of money to line Carmelo's pockets and the pockets of investors. DMG (AMA promoters) tried the same .... with Miller Motorsports park, and the round was canceled because the circuit said enough is enough (unfortunately the owner of the track died). Eventually the sanctioning fee that DMG demanded was mitigated by negotiations, and the series has returned there. Dorna were obviously pitting Indy against Laguna. One track almost nobody likes, while the other wildly popular with fans and the paddock, the one that made the executives of Dorna rich won out. What does this say for their interest in the fans? Ah, but MotoGP is a business, right? Of course, that is why they would never influence the competition...and engage in king building. (sarcasm)
For those of you interested in how sports league owners operate, here is a great article. Dorna are not that much different than what is described here, and the fact is that most local governments make sweet deals with league executives that are lucrative for the principle parties at the expense of ....... tax payers. As you read this article one might think its would be impossible for taxpayers to get ...... this way in western democracies, but it happens as the norm not the exception. Its not different with Dorna, nor for other European nations. They sell their people short here as they do across the pond.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/how-the-nfl-fleeces-taxpayers/309448/
For those of you interested in how sports league owners operate, here is a great article. Dorna are not that much different than what is described here, and the fact is that most local governments make sweet deals with league executives that are lucrative for the principle parties at the expense of ....... tax payers. As you read this article one might think its would be impossible for taxpayers to get ...... this way in western democracies, but it happens as the norm not the exception. Its not different with Dorna, nor for other European nations. They sell their people short here as they do across the pond.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/how-the-nfl-fleeces-taxpayers/309448/
Jumkie
Just come out and say it. The CPP.....Canadians.
Edit: On a serious note, that article is ...... up !!
Just come out and say it. The CPP.....Canadians.
Edit: On a serious note, that article is ...... up !!
Joined Oct 2006
25K Posts | 4K+
Your Mom's House
bluegreen
Taxpayers of the State of Indiana are footing the bill that Dorna has imposed. I bet most are not even aware their tax money goes straight into Carmelo's pocket. Same with Austin tax payers, unaware save for a few taxpayer watch dogs that are surely marginalized. That article is ...... up, and its made me see the NFL and sport leagues in general in a different light. We barely know our elected officials are negotiating against our interests. But they sell it as "job creation" and "revenues for the areas" yet when its all said and done, the region's coffers are worse off. Dorna being a private company is entitled to attempt to extort from tax payers, the officials representing us are supposed to negotiate on our behalf and impose safeguards. But as we know this system is extremely perverted. We are directly making Carmelo rich as we are making the NFL executives and investors rich beyond imagination. You know, initially I felt shock at the prospect of not going to a Laguna GP, as I have been going uninterrupted every year since Wsbk returned here in the late 90s. But having read the the new article announcing why Laguna was withdrawing, given the extortion fee of 800,000 for the event, I honestly don't feel so bad. A bit proud actually, knowing that there are at least a few local municipalities not desperately cutting deals with scoundrel sports executives promising "jobs and revenue" on the taxpayer dime.
Taxpayers of the State of Indiana are footing the bill that Dorna has imposed. I bet most are not even aware their tax money goes straight into Carmelo's pocket. Same with Austin tax payers, unaware save for a few taxpayer watch dogs that are surely marginalized. That article is ...... up, and its made me see the NFL and sport leagues in general in a different light. We barely know our elected officials are negotiating against our interests. But they sell it as "job creation" and "revenues for the areas" yet when its all said and done, the region's coffers are worse off. Dorna being a private company is entitled to attempt to extort from tax payers, the officials representing us are supposed to negotiate on our behalf and impose safeguards. But as we know this system is extremely perverted. We are directly making Carmelo rich as we are making the NFL executives and investors rich beyond imagination. You know, initially I felt shock at the prospect of not going to a Laguna GP, as I have been going uninterrupted every year since Wsbk returned here in the late 90s. But having read the the new article announcing why Laguna was withdrawing, given the extortion fee of 800,000 for the event, I honestly don't feel so bad. A bit proud actually, knowing that there are at least a few local municipalities not desperately cutting deals with scoundrel sports executives promising "jobs and revenue" on the taxpayer dime.
Joined Feb 2008
2K Posts | 0+
home
Jumkie
Tracks like Laguna make for great television, tracks like Indy do not. Just goes to show again that Dorna are stuck in short term profit maximization and have lost interest in the long term economic viability of motogp. Or that they believe that the (potential) fans care more about "close racing" (i.e. fairing bashing) than about exiting tracks. Which is not such a crazy belief actually, given the signals that the current fans are giving them.
stiefel
I've probably said this before. The first time I was aware that I was watching MotoGP was on youtube. It was Rossi vs Stoner at Laguna 08, I don't think that video would have the same effect on people if it was Indy...
As you say, very shortsighted of Dorna
I've probably said this before. The first time I was aware that I was watching MotoGP was on youtube. It was Rossi vs Stoner at Laguna 08, I don't think that video would have the same effect on people if it was Indy...
As you say, very shortsighted of Dorna
Joined Oct 2012
3K Posts | 725+
Crab Key
Phillip Island facilities are crap. So Yeah, Let's go back to a ...... circuit with powerlines instead of Bass Straight as a feature.
I want to watch racing on interesting circuits with history, I don't really care if the dunnies are ..... (boom-tish) or the poor riders have to put up with portacabins. Circuit first. Facilities second.
I want to watch racing on interesting circuits with history, I don't really care if the dunnies are ..... (boom-tish) or the poor riders have to put up with portacabins. Circuit first. Facilities second.
Joined Feb 2008
2K Posts | 0+
home
MigsAngel
I guess there are other tracks in the States that have far better facilities:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/schedule/tracks.html
Where does it say this has anything to do with the facilities? And haven't the facilities been good enough to run this race the past 9 times?
I guess there are other tracks in the States that have far better facilities:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/schedule/tracks.html
