Who is the next great American rider

1. Jake Zemke (Suz GSX-R1000), 15 laps
2. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), -0.238 second
3. Larry Pegram (Duc 1098R), -0.259
4. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), -0.291
5. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R1000), -0.307
6. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), -27.398 seconds
7. Taylor Knapp (Suz GSX-R1000), -27.430
8. Shawn Higbee (Duc 1098), -54.870
9. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R1000), -64.275
10. Barrett Long (Duc 1098R), -71.242
11. Chris Clark (Yam YZF-R1), -72.034
12. Eric Haugo (Suz GSX-R1000), -72.526
13. Josh Hayes (Yam YZF-R1), -74.155
14. Johnny Rock Page (Suz GSX-R1000), -83.243
15. Eric Pinson (BMW S1000 RR), -103.187
16. Trent Gibson (Suz GSX-R1000), -103.262
17. Skip Salenius (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap
18. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap, 35.213 seconds
19. Jeff Tigert (Hon CBR1000RR), -6 laps, DNF, retired
20. Brett McCormick (Suz GSX-R1000), -10 laps, DNF, mechanical
21. David Anthony (Suz GSX-R1000), -14 laps, DNF
22. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), -14 laps, DNF
23. John Hopkins (Suz GSX-R1000), -14 laps, DNF, mechanical



1. Danny Eslick (Suz GSX-R600), 1:50.085
2. Martin Cardenas (Suz GSX-R600), 1:50.087, crash
3. Tommy Aquino (Yam YZF-R6), 1:50.166
4. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:50.294
5. Steve Rapp (Duc 848), 1:50.713
6. Dane Westby (Yam YZF-R6), 1:50.832
7. Josh Day (Yam YZF-R6), 1:51.184
8. Brett McCormick (Suz GSX-R600), 1:51.431
9. Cory West (Suz GSX-R600), 1:51.493
10. Kevin Coghlan (Yam YZF-R6), 1:51.820
11. Shawn Higbee (Buell 1125R), 1:52.305
12. Michael Barnes (Yam YZF-R6), 1:52.355
13. Bostjan Skubic (Yam YZF-R6), 1:52.652
14. ....... Seller (Yam YZF-R6), 1:52.883
15. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:52.939
16. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R600), 1:53.043
17. Eric Wood (Hon CBR600RR), 1:53.267
18. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600), 1:53.508
19. P.J. Jacobsen (Suz GSX-R600), 1:53.603
20. Russ Wikle (Suz GSX-R600), 1:53.705
21. Bobby Fong (Duc 848), 1:54.327
22. Taylor Knapp (Duc 848), 1:54.554
23. Kris Turner (Suz GSX-R600), 1:54.562
24. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:54.768
25. Mark Crozier (Duc 848), 1:54.913
26. A. Padovani (Duc 848), 1:55.250
27. Santiago Villa (Suz GSX-R600), 1:55.303
28. Melissa Paris (Yam YZF-R6), 1:55.494
29. Walt Sipp (Buell 1125R), 1:55.506
30. Alex Lazo (Yam YZF-R6), 1:55.830
31. Ricky Orlando (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:55.899
32. Paul James (Buell 1125R), 1:56.611
33. Dario Marchetti (Duc 848), 1:56.964
34. Robert Vargas (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:57.062
35. Reese Wacker (Suz GSX-R600), 1:57.385
36. Barrett Long (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:57.441
37. Mark McCormick (Yam YZF-R6), 1:57.663
38. John Ashmead (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:57.697
39. Eric Haugo (Yam YZF-R6), 1:57.751
40. Kyle Keesee (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:57.886
41. D. Dumain (Yam YZF-R6), 1:58.446
42. Craig Moodie (Yam YZF-R6), 1:59.678
43. Anthony Fania, Jr. (Suz GSX-R600), 1:59.811
44. Calvin Martinez (Duc 848), 2:03.027, Did Not Qualify
45. David McPherson (Yam YZF-R6), 2:03.386, Did Not Qualify

When i look at these lists,there is one young American talent, maybe 2, that is at the crossroads. This year will probably tell the tale on weather or not they ever makes the jump from promising star to be,or just another competitive rider in a .... series. Herrin in particular, needs to dominate the DSB this year.At the end of last season,he started showing flashes of his brilliance but we have seen his potential before,only for him to have a brain drain that keeps him in a funk for halves of seasons. Looking at the SB list is just sad, i see no one that is an up and comer,just a bunch of older riders at the end of their careers. I have been following road racing since the early 70's and i cant remember a time where there wasnt the next superstar just over the horizon. What Happened.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Mar 8 2010, 06:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>Ben Spies seems the best thing in the pipeline by far at the moment.
By far,but he is the current great rider from America. Im looking for the next great one and im not sure i see him .

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Mar 7 2010, 06:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I'm not so much worried about American talent as I'm worried about AMA talent. The AMA has lost a lot of important riders.

Just imagine if SBK had:
Zemke
Yates
T. Hayden
Young
Mladin
Hopkins
Hayes
Bostrom
R. Hayden
Hacking
Hodgson
Mladin
Davies
M. Laverty

That's a shark tank!

I know it is depressing to see that the US is producing very few talented riders, but part of the problem is the AMA. Far too many people have been stuck riding junk equipment b/c the AMA rules allowed for two or three competitive bikes per class. Supersport was the exception, but even then, the tires were suspect.

If DMG will continue to bring in new money while maintaining COMPLETE parts homologation, the AMA will continue to grow stronger and stronger. People love a good scrap, and they really like to know that they are going to have competitive equipment. AMA is on the only national series in position to offer those things going forward. In other countries they lack a vibrant motorcycle market/culture or they can't provide enough competitive equipment.
It never stopped them from producing world class talent before,why now all of a sudden. The way it used to be,you took the sub par equipment, made people notice and then you got a big boy bike. Now,there is no aspire to rides since all the bikes are something a good mechanic can build in is backyard garage.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Mar 8 2010, 01:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>What world class talent has the US produced since Hayden or the 1000cc SBK era?

Spies................He was on one of the Yoshimura Suzukis.

Back in the days of the real factory racing programs (not the marketing gurus) good equipment was plentiful, and the factories weren't opposed to passing it around b/c they were funded by the motherships, not by the sponsors. In the days of the real factory race teams, the factories used to cultivate young talent b/c it was the future of their racing program. They shipped riders all over the world to various series in order to test their abilities and represent the company. Ducati was particularly notorious for mining all of the best riders out of Australia and sending them to the AMA.

But in the 1000cc era, it all fell apart. The factories withdrew. The business model changed. The rulebook to a wrong turn.

You can't put young, inexperienced riders with no commercial sense in charge of piloting several million dollars worth of equipment. It doesn't work unless a factory demands it as part of a plan for the future, but no one was demanding young talent b/c they were all trying to beat Mladin. It makes since that the team who already had Mladin would find the next great SBK champion.

You are way way way too hung up on the technical sophistication of the bikes. Technology has no correlation to anything. The best GP riders in the world grew up riding 250s. Fixed cylinder count, less horsepower than a supersport bike, tiny little tires Dunlop spec tires, no electronics to speak of besides a spark plug. Nearly every team is a privateer squad. Dorna helps certain riders more than others.

Do you see how the game works yet? It's all about the organizational structure and the league culture.
I hate to break it to you, but a 250 2 stroke that puts out less HP than a SS bike,is a prototype machine that cost probably 4-5 times as much as a SS bike. Not to mention they turn faster lap times.The front forks and rear suspension on a GP 250 probably costs as much as a SS bike.

Now let me get this straight, Spies is great because he was on a Yoshimura Suzuki. Or was he great because of the Yamaha Italia bike, or maybe he was great because of the American Suzuki bike he rode to the FX title.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mylexicon @ Mar 8 2010, 07:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>In the modern era of complicated 4-strokes, a 250 is hugely unsophisticated.

What do these kids learn about GP from riding a 250? They don't learn about electronics. They don't learn about the speed. They don't learn about the Bridgestones, which means they barely even learn how to set up a bike. They don't even learn about 4-stroke power. All they learn is body positioning, track layout, and how to race one another.

Dorna is in charge of hand selecting small market riders by giving teams money to pay young talent and lease decent equipment. Stoner would not be in GP if not for Dorna's support. Their meddling makes a difference.

Spies is great b/c he was in a 250 environment. He had a great team and equal equipment to the best rider in AMA SBK history. The intense competition honed his skills to a fine point. The same is true of Lawson, Schwantz, Rainey, Chandler, Merkel, Polen, Spencer, etc etc etc. They had decent equipment and the stacked field sharpened their skills to a very fine point.

Great riders are made by fierce competition not unobtanium SBK parts or factories or giant budgets.
2 stroke engines have been uncomplicated since there inception, but there is more to a race bike than a motor. As usual your dancing around the subject. You said 250 GP bikes were simple unsophisticated bikes compared to a SS.
It is an utterly ........ statement. A SS bike is a tuned streetbike that by the way, has no electronic rider aids that will help future GP riders. A 250 is a prototype RACE bike that has more technology in its front forks than a SS bike has in its entirety . Spies is great because of his 250 environment, are you serious. You said yourself that riding 250's in no way prepares a rider for a 1000cc 4 stroke,yet Spies greatness on a 1000cc Superbike is due to his 250 background. Amazing, absolutely amazing. Do you even read what you type, as usual,you arguing both sides of the fence,hard to wrong be when you use that strategy

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Tom @ Mar 8 2010, 10:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><div class='quotemain'>I agree with you on the basis that a 250cc protype bike on slicks will have FAR more setup parameters than ss bike, and as a result were a better technical training ground than anything else until the end. However both 250 and WSS bikes were using traction control in the last two years at LEAST.

I wouldnt doubt that WSS has some electronic rider aids but we were talking about the AMA, and Lex was trying to convince everyone that a SS bike out of the AMA was a more sophisticated race bike than a GP 250 machine. I called .........

Here is another statement

What do these kids learn about GP from riding a 250? They don't learn about electronics. They don't learn about the speed.

I about fell out of my ....... chair on that one. Corner speed IS GP racing, and what do you learn riding a 250, yea, you guessed it ,corner speed.