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No Factory Honda in AMA

When Wall St. .........s could no longer afford gold plated Mercedes - I could care less.
When morons earning $15,000.00 a year took out mortgages on two million dollar McMansions and lost their .... - I hardly flinched.

But when Honda pulls out of the paddock it is friggin' omininous.
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MigsAngel @ Dec 13 2008, 03:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>And Miguel Duhamel's as well....
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Duhamel was out at Honda,they had not signed him for 09.At least Hodgson will get payed,he had signed already.Like i said,expect Suzuki and Kawasaki to announce next.It looks like Josh Hayes will get a hollow Championship next year.
 
Everyone's going to find it harder to put teams together and find sponsorship. I'm guessing this is the first of many pullouts in different series.
 
Im almost hoping that Suzuki and Kawasaki follow suit and take next year to set up the alternate series they threatened DMG with to begin with.This whole thing is going to take a commitment from the fan himself. Will he simply eat what is being fed and be content,after all,its still a weekend away from the wife and its bike racing.OR,will he commit to shunning what is being fed and show his disgust for what is glorified club racing. Without factory Superbikes and riders,i would have to say that im more than likely not attending a AMA Superbike race next year.I can take the 3-4 grand a year i spend on race weekends and pay off some bills or whatever.That and i might be so broke by then it wont be an option to go anyway. Im in the boat business,commissioned only sales,and this is one hard way to make a buck at the moment.I can only hope the gas prices stay reasonable this coming summer.The high prices last year gut shot the industry and now the stock market crash has uppercut them while they were bent over. A lot of potential buyers have seen there portfolio disappear like a fart in a hurricane.Percentage wise,the boating industry is hurting worse than the Auto industry but it doesnt employee a 1000th as many people as the auto industry, so not much attention is being paid to it at the moment.
 
Good riddance.

The American distributors already destroyed the sport, that's why the AMA divested in it's own product.

Through self-love and egotism, the American distributors have convinced themselves they were actually saving American motorcycle racing. The MIC could easily have ponied the money to buy the promotion rights and then sold them to a company they preferred.

What they are doing is a joke.

The promoters have sided with DMG b/c the AMA as run by the American distributors was a joke. Edmonson is trying to change things in the U.S. The man is clearly an unlikeable, controversial lightning rod of a person, but DMG bought the rights.

NASCAR is also devoid of factory racing efforts. The manufacturers exist as a support group to the important private teams.

I'm disappointed the American distributors are short-sighted and unwilling to change. Especially, considering the path the AMA was on prior to DMG's arrival.
 
Help, could somebody please explain this whole AMA thing?

From what I understood the following happened:

DMG-Nascrap bought the rights to the AMA Supersport and Superbike series and then imposed a whole bunch of rule changes upon it. In response most teams have decided to not commit to the new series. I recall Mladin being rather outspoken about it.
Combine that with the economic crisis and it is making a great excuse for manufacturers to pull out all together. And from the looks of it the US will have limited or no road racing in 2009.

Yes?
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (povol @ Dec 15 2008, 09:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Im almost hoping that Suzuki and Kawasaki follow suit
I'm not sure why you said this three times; but, didn't they already announce they were not in the series for some time now?

Anyway, this .... is a mess. Honda are ....... lying. They are in the best shape to withstand this economic situation. I think they just didn't want to play under the DMG rules (though I don't understand why since they were in a position to get a pretty easy title). This was just the scapegoat. .... Honda.

As far as the AMA. Well it will be nice to see a bunch of privateers go for the title...(assuming Yamaha pulls out too). .... it, we might just get some good racing.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sally @ Dec 15 2008, 12:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Help, could somebody please explain this whole AMA thing?

From what I understood the following happened:

DMG-Nascrap bought the rights to the AMA Supersport and Superbike series and then imposed a whole bunch of rule changes upon it. In response most teams have decided to not commit to the new series. I recall Mladin being rather outspoken about it.
Combine that with the economic crisis and it is making a great excuse for manufacturers to pull out all together. And from the looks of it the US will have limited or no road racing in 2009.

Yes?
Pretty much spot on. Kawasaki and Suzuki announced they wouldn't go racing in the states in 2009 (although from what I've read, no one seems to believe either of them). Honda just pulled out this weekend even though they tested with Hodgson. Yamaha are committed to the series with Ben Bostrom and Josh Hayes riding Superbike and Josh Herrin and Tommy Aquino riding 600s. From what I've read, Yamaha are going racing no matter how many manufacturers/teams drop out.

I'm not sure the prospect of watching Ben Bostrom essentially ride by himself at Road America will be worth the six hour drive it takes to get there for me. I guess I'll wait until the manufacturers start their series or until WSBK gets wise and starts coming to RA.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Austin @ Dec 15 2008, 08:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Pretty much spot on.

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Guess we will wait and see then. I also heard some rumours about Speed not being willing to air AMA (if it happens) next year so in my case that will then probably be not see
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sally @ Dec 15 2008, 10:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Help, could somebody please explain this whole AMA thing?

From what I understood the following happened:

DMG-Nascrap bought the rights to the AMA Supersport and Superbike series and then imposed a whole bunch of rule changes upon it. In response most teams have decided to not commit to the new series. I recall Mladin being rather outspoken about it.
Combine that with the economic crisis and it is making a great excuse for manufacturers to pull out all together. And from the looks of it the US will have limited or no road racing in 2009.

Yes?

Obviously, any situation this messy is full of economic & political intrigue.

You could write a novel about the AMA's transition over the last half decade.

Even though the story is long, the plot is simple. Edmonson once promoted moto racing in the United States. He was screwed out of some of his racing properties and a long court battle ensued. Many of the people he was fighting back then are still part of American motorcycle racing today. All of them have declared a truce, but in reality there is probably still quite a bit of friction.

DMG holds all the cards and the American distributors are behaving like teenagers who don't want to cooperate but who can't leave. DMG have the prize money, the track owners, the TV networks, the privateers, and a vast majority of the riders (but not the superstar talent).

DMG are all about privateer racing and equipment parity. The American distributors hate DMG b/c they stand for brand marketing (not product marketing). Furthermore, equipment parity makes it more difficult for factory teams to capture a majority of the sponsorship money.

Advertising = racing. The end. The manufacturers don't have millions to spend on development without major companies paying the day to day expenses. DMG wants to expand, the American distributors want the old AMA. Expansion and the old AMA have proved to be mutually exclusive.
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To my knowledge,Suzuki nor Kawasaki has released an official statement saying they are not racing.There has been a lot said that would lead us to believe that is what is going to happen but nothing official.
 
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Lex, help? I thought I got it but after your post I am all confused again. Who exactly are the distributors you are talking about? Do you mean the factories?
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sally @ Dec 15 2008, 01:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>
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Lex, help? I thought I got it but after your post I am all confused again. Who exactly are the distributors you are talking about? Do you mean the factories?


Sort of. The AMA doesn't have direct factory support. American Honda is the distribution network, it is in no way affiliated with HRC racing teams.

However, American Honda is like HRC except it operates only in America and it has a much weaker relationship with the major bosses back in Japan. I think the American distributors probably get their racing budget from the Japanese parent, but they decide how to use it autonomously. They promote the products they want to promote. They claim the developments they make in the U.S. create different US spec products from the Japanese factories.
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From what I can tell, the American distributors have only managed to obtain a smaller product lineup than is available in Europe. Then they go about the business of cramming high margin sportsbikes into everyone's garages while usable everyday bikes like motards, nakeds, and dual sports sit in the showrooms and rot.

In many ways their AMA racing philosophy and their sales philosophy are identical---market high margin products to a tiny market segment with stiff competition. It isn't working.

Edmonson is unlikeable but he has a new vision for the sport.
 
Lexi
You always seem to have well thought out well written posts.


But I don't get how you can keep on defending this nimrod Edmonson and this silly amadmgnascar approach to racing. I don't like honda anymore then you but for a different reason. That would be their lack of support for riders that get crippled racing for them, but that is another argument.
You stated,some posts ago, that to suggest that a conspiracy could happen within ama was just paranoia.

Were you around when the British bikes were trying to race dirt track in the U.S.? Or when ama went to bat for harley to get the prices on jap bikes up to what a pos harley cost through tariffs? Conspiracies indeed by what ever name you want to call them.

Edmonson and the whatever you want to call it organization had racing in the U.S. on the ropes. The economy threw the knock out punch. The only thing left of the ama is the silly how far can you fly indoors series and outdoor mx. The outdoor series will be killed next year with their dumb ..., nobody does it, the world is laughing, one moto format.
 

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