DJ Nathan V

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/...6bombshell.htm




Mother of All Bombshells: Manufacturers Considering Rival Series
by staff
Thursday, June 26, 2008

This just in from the Motorcycle Industry Council, which encompasses all of the OEMS here in the United States:


Motorcycle Industry Council Evaluating Issuance of
Request for Proposal for U.S. Road Racing Series

IRVINE, Calif., June 26, 2008 - The Motorcycle Industry Council, on behalf of its 300-plus members, is evaluating whether to issue a request for proposal seeking a series promoter and sanctioning body for a premier professional road racing series in the United States.

"Our members are better served by having alternatives to the changes for the AMA Superbike Championship that the Daytona Motorsports Group has so far described," said MIC President Tim Buche. "We fully appreciate the expertise, hard work and connections the DMG may bring to motorcycling. However, the independent interests of the manufacturers call for a racing series that helps promote specific motorcycle brands. Historically, motorcycle makers have boosted bike sales based on their success in racing. It makes little sense for bike manufacturers to heavily invest in any competition that highlights sponsors and teams and downplays the machines themselves, as well as their technological development. So we are obliged to investigate alternatives that could do a better job of meeting our members' respective marketing needs. This is especially true given that it's now late June and there is still uncertainty over the DMG's 2009 rules."

The MIC intends to consider input from key industry stakeholders including racetrack owners, riders, interested sponsors, and enthusiast and trade media.

The MIC wants a racing series that best promotes rider safety, competition, innovation, racetrack attendance, television viewership and ridership. The MIC also wants a championship that ultimately benefits the consumer - an exciting, popular series that develops new technology that finds its way to production motorcycles. The series should be clearly recognized as the top level of U.S. road racing, drawing both world-class riders and upcoming stars.

ENDS

MichelinMan

Interesting.

DJ Nathan V

Mods: please change to DMG cause I can't spell.

Robusto

sounds good.

the AMA "plans" I have read about so far are the suck.

theJrod

I'm shocked. Shocked I tell you.




Well not that shocked.

wheezl

AMA needs to die so that American racing can live. NASCAR is a pox upon motor sport.

GixxerPete

Now the question is, will BMG rethink they're totally stupid proposed changes, or will they just let all the teams & talent defect to another series that will utterly and completely pummel theirs?

Motophotog

nathan you get a gold sticker

jwfzr

Kenny Roberts did this same thing during his early days in GP. He had a lot of commitmet from a lot of people. The FIM folded like a cheep suit. Hope it works that way here or not. Either way there is a chance there will still be real super bikes to watch.

DJ Nathan V

W00t.


I thought it was pretty interesting to see though. The new rules proposed suck so this could mean better rules or even a whole new series.

holypiston

"It makes little sense for bike manufacturers to heavily invest in any competition that highlights sponsors and teams and downplays the machines themselves."

Do you think they would go so far as only allow one brand of motorcycle? Reasoning being that all motors and bikes would be the same, so the racing would be closer and therefore (in their view?) more exciting?

Could this happen or am i daydreaming.

Look out for the Viagra motorcycle! Or the Tide machine! or how about the birth control pill machine (blood clot, heart attack & stroke...gee nice side effects).

privateers rule!

hello top ramen!

PeteN95

If you look at NASCAR or Grand Am, you'll see they have several different "brands" of cars, but the cars are all built to very, very similar specs. The NASCAR cars are actually all the same except for decals of the grill and tail lights. The Grand Am are slightly different, but still very close, still virtually a spec series. They want manufacturer participation, but they want total parity between machines even more.

Roberts also backed the FUSA series back in the early 90's when they tried to make an alternative to the AMA. He brought 500GP Yamahas to the US to race in the unlimited class against big bored GSXR1100s and FZR1000s. They raced at PR in '91.