The winds of change smell like poop
Tim Kreitz
these days. I've been purposely laying low as the obligatory rule
changes, rider swapping, factory antics, and schedule mutations
collectively hammer nail after nail into Superbike's teetering coffin,
edging it ever closer to its seemingly unavoidable plunge into the dark
chasm of fan apathy.
But alas, the time has come for me to offer my predictably cynical take
on all this nonsense, adhering closely to the dejected poster's
manifesto. Here goes:
MOVE ALONG, MR. MLADIN
Okay Mat, you've won six AMA Superbike championships in the last seven
years. Mission accomplished. Congratulations. Yes, you are a total
badass. Now have a little respect for both yourself and the AMA series,
and move along. You now need to take your talents to either World
Superbike or MotoGP and engage in the traditional cycle of progression
that is expected of every champion rider. You're starting to look like
the school bully who's been held back in 6th grade for 4 or 5 years.
Sure, you can beat up every other kid in your class, but it just isn't
impressive anymore. In fact, it's a downright predictable bore. Do us
all a favor and graduate yourself to the next level. After all, it'd be
fun to see if you can hang with the big dogs.
HEY, AMA! NEWSFLASH: YOU ONLY NEED TWO PREMIER ROADRACING CLASSES!
Want to race liter bikes? Cool. Your class should be AMA Superbike.
Want to race 600s? That's cool, too. Your class should be AMA
Supersport. 'F' Formula Xtreme. 'F' Superstock. Feel me? Let's get all
the factory and satellite teams actually competing with each another
again. And for the love of all that is good and true in this world,
redeem the Daytona 200 by getting FX bikes the hell out of it. I've
never done illicit drugs before, but watching last year's 200 had to be
the equivalent of being on a bad acid trip. While looking for a lost
contact lense. In a funhouse.
ERIC BOSTROM, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?
I fail to see how extracting yourself from Superbike is a good career
move. Hell, you could've stayed with Kawasaki and saved yourself two
years of anguish if all you intend to do was race a Superstock bike.
Honestly bro, I still love you and everything, but this is no way to do
business. It's time to fire your management company and align yourself
with an organization that can help you achieve your goal -- which, in
case you've forgotten, is to win a Superbike title.
UTAH? ERR, OKAY
When I first heard that the series was going to Utah in 2006, I was as
puzzled as I've ever been. Do the mormons even allow motorcycles up
there? Furthermore, isn't the population of the state, like, seven?
Someone fill me in, here. I mean, I admit my obvious bias, but Texas is
where the AMA should've come to replace its stop at the
soon-to-be-demolished PPIR. But hey, Utah, whatever.
AND SPEAKING OF THE PPIR TRAVESTY
You can thank the corporate vampires associated with NASCAR for
blackballing, dismantling, and otherwise liquidating a perfectly good
racetrack solely to eliminate it as competition for the great, undead
beast that is American stock car racing. Now, little rednecks, repeat
after me: "NASCAR is good. NASCAR is my friend. NASCAR cares about
motorsport." Now get to Wal-Mart and consume their cheap, Chinese goods
without any thought for the cummunist-fed monopolies you're supporting.
Cheers,
Tim Kreitz
2003 ZX7R
2000 ZX6R
DoD #2184
http://www.timkreitz.com
_Bob_Nixon
wrote:
[...] snip whining drivel.
>UTAH? ERR, OKAY
>When I first heard that the series was going to Utah in 2006, I was as
>puzzled as I've ever been. Do the mormons even allow motorcycles up
>there? Furthermore, isn't the population of the state, like, seven?
>Someone fill me in, here. I mean, I admit my obvious bias, but Texas is
>where the AMA should've come to replace its stop at the
>soon-to-be-demolished PPIR. But hey, Utah, whatever.
Ah the flat lander Texan speaks directly out of his ass;)
Why would anyone even buy a sportbike in TexASS?
Bob Nixon, Chandler AZ
01 Sprint ST "RED" 50K miles
http://bigrex.net/pictures
Greek Shipping Magnets
wrote:
>HEY, AMA! NEWSFLASH: YOU ONLY NEED TWO PREMIER ROADRACING CLASSES!
I am curious, have you ever raced? If you did one would assume you'd
understand why there's so many classes.
And if you've never raced I have to wonder where you get all these
funny ideas about other racers from...
Bryan
"_Bob_Nixon" <bi...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:d14vm11kqebgkg6ev...@4ax.com...
Tim,
I'm sorry you don't like Utah. You should have seen the sportbike turn out
for all things Millersportspark related. Close to half the people (over
3000 total) at the opening press conference /party were bike people. We
filled the area around the Delta Center with bikes. The crowd went nuts with
AMA announcment. 300 showed up for volunteer corner worker training (me
included) at least 100 were bike people.
Unlike Texas, this is not the land of stuntas. We ride real canyons.
Go to UTAHSBA.COM post this missive. We are stoked.
Say what you want about Larry Miller (Jazz owner), but he puts his money
where his mouth is. This will be a world class facility.
Bryan
Tim Kreitz
> Why would anyone even buy a sportbike in TexASS?
See "Texas Hill Country" and "Big Bend" via your favorite search
engine, then report immediately back to this thread with your apology.
;-)
Tim Kreitz
> I'm sorry you don't like Utah.
No problem with Utah per se. I'm just puzzled at the rationale.
> You should have seen the sportbike turn out
> for all things Millersportspark related. Close to half the people (over
> 3000 total) at the opening press conference /party were bike people. We
> filled the area around the Delta Center with bikes. The crowd went nuts with
> AMA announcment. 300 showed up for volunteer corner worker training (me
> included) at least 100 were bike people.
That's certainly reassuring news. I suppose time will tell the ultimate
success or failure of what seems to me like a strange idea on the
surface.
> Unlike Texas, this is not the land of stuntas. We ride real canyons.
We definitely have a stunting problem out here. I'm doing everything I
can think of to send them your way. But we have plenty of canyons and
twisties in this state, as well. They're just spread out over a wider
area. :)
> Go to UTAHSBA.COM post this missive. We are stoked.
Utah has a sportbike association? Kewwl. Give my best to all nine
members.
Heh-heh. Kidding!
> Say what you want about Larry Miller (Jazz owner), but he puts his money
> where his mouth is. This will be a world class facility.
I hope you're right. We need more of those in the U.S.
Tim Kreitz
> I am curious, have you ever raced? If you did one would assume you'd
> understand why there's so many classes.
>
> And if you've never raced I have to wonder where you get all these
> funny ideas about other racers from...
There are plenty of other places in AMA roadracing for those divisions
OUTSIDE the premier classes. But when Yamaha and Kawasaki won't even
participate in Superbike because the rules are so slathered, something
needs to change. You can't really blame them, but my opinion is that
such dillusion of the classes makes for less-interesting racing from
the FAN perspective, which is arguably as important as the racer
perspective.
Bryan
"Tim Kreitz" <timk...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1131390658.9...@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Tim,
Aside from the Utah thing, I hear where you are coming from. Since I am
just a fan, with the occasional track day.
And why isn't there any 50/125 / 250 AMA sanctioned racing, you know to
develope young riders, like my grandkids.
Bryan
Tim Kreitz
> Aside from the Utah thing, I hear where you are coming from. Since I am
> just a fan, with the occasional track day.
That describes me, too (although I am currently drag racing at what is
basically club level).
> And why isn't there any 50/125 / 250 AMA sanctioned racing, you know to
> develope young riders, like my grandkids.
I agree. The thing with many U.S. roadracers, though, is that they tend
to come from MotoX and flattrack backgrounds. And I'd wager that the
AMA's interest in those types of racing tends derail it in promoting
junior roadracing classes. That's just a guess, mind you.
_Bob_Nixon
wrote:
>_Bob_Nixon wrote:
>> Why would anyone even buy a sportbike in TexASS?
>
>See "Texas Hill Country" and "Big Bend" via your favorite search
>engine, then report immediately back to this thread with your apology.
Hayabusa Sweepers not real twisties. See videos/photo below for REAL
twisties. Hell... even the 4 laner to Payson Az (87) has more curves
than your hill country. Look up highways 87/88 up on mapquest and zoom
in if the Video's below don't convince you. Also, 191 (old 666), 78,
180, 60-Salt River Canyon, 260 and 89a beat anything from the lone
star state.
Mapquest teaser above Scroll up or zoom in on 191 or 78:
And the video/photo below is just a local Phx Az road. No doubt Utah
has similar or better and I know California (NORCAL) & Colorado or NM,
has hundreds of twistie roads that make the "Hill Country" near San
Antonio look like a straight road;)
http://bigrex.net/pictures/Videos/GSXR1K3.wmv
http://bigrex.net/pictures/Videos/MOV00080.MPG
http://bigrex.net/pictures/Track-Day-11-06-05/Tech1&2.jpg
Sorry no apology. I've seen plenty of photos and even some videos of
the sad-sack "Hill-Country &Big Bend" in Texas.
Nothing like the Rocky Mnt. states in the US. And folks, I don't even
wanna hear about that grossly overrated 11 mile stretch of road called
the "dragon";)
Bryan
> On 7 Nov 2005 10:54:46 -0800, "Tim Kreitz" <timk...@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>>_Bob_Nixon wrote:
>>> Why would anyone even buy a sportbike in TexASS?
>>
So Bob, why do you dislike TX so much? I know why I do, both my parents
died there, the last few trips are memories of hospitals, doctors, nursing
homes and family conflict.
Oh, and San Antonio has the worst fuckin' freeways in America.
But there is a steak house in Hondo (south of San Antonio) built out of WWII
buildings that is just amazing.
Bryan
_Bob_Nixon
<nestleN...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>"_Bob_Nixon" <bi...@nospam.com> wrote in message
>news:2cavm1ttudoo3a5la...@4ax.com...
>> On 7 Nov 2005 10:54:46 -0800, "Tim Kreitz" <timk...@yahoo.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>_Bob_Nixon wrote:
>>>> Why would anyone even buy a sportbike in TexASS?
>>>
>
>So Bob, why do you dislike TX so much?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I don't really but they are an arrogant bunch or much like folks from
NYC or the SFBA who feel they live at the center of the known
universe.
>I know why I do, both my parents
>died there, the last few trips are memories of hospitals, doctors, nursing
>homes and family conflict.
That's too bad Bryan. My sympathies go with you.
>Oh, and San Antonio has the worst fuckin' freeways in America.
I was only there during basic training at Lackland AFB.
>But there is a steak house in Hondo (south of San Antonio) built out of WWII
>buildings that is just amazing.
No doubt. With all them cows, there's bound to be a few good steak
houses -:)
sadd...@aol.com
> On 7 Nov 2005 08:51:27 -0800, "Tim Kreitz" <timk...@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>>HEY, AMA! NEWSFLASH: YOU ONLY NEED TWO PREMIER ROADRACING CLASSES!
>
>
> I am curious, have you ever raced? If you did one would assume you'd
> understand why there's so many classes.
Why goofball? It's not about the "racers," it's about the fans. Racers
will be flipping burgers if no one pays to watch them do their trick.
Polarhound
> I've never done illicit drugs before, but watching last year's 200 had to be
> the equivalent of being on a bad acid trip. While looking for a lost
> contact lense. In a funhouse.
POTY
Tim Kreitz
Heh-heh. <Bows Humbly>
Bryan
Post of the year? Sheeesh, I had to look that up...
Like Linux, too much trivial syntax to keep track of.
Bryan
bsr...@my-deja.com
Greek Shipping Magnets wrote:
> On 7 Nov 2005 08:51:27 -0800, "Tim Kreitz" <timk...@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
> >HEY, AMA! NEWSFLASH: YOU ONLY NEED TWO PREMIER ROADRACING CLASSES!
>
> I am curious, have you ever raced? If you did one would assume you'd
> understand why there's so many classes.
I have raced, and I would go further than Tim and say there should only
be one "premier" class. The way it is now the factories are not
competing against each other. Each has staked out their own class and
own it without having to race aginst the other factories.
A second factory supported class (600 supersport) makes sense, but it
should be made clear that it is a support class. Beyond that should be
classes that exclude the factory teams. There needs to be a stepping
stone between being a class champ at the club level and the big time.
By all means have more classes. The Harley 883 class was always good
for some close racing. A twins class might work if no one team runs
away with it. There are ways that can be prevented. Bring back the
250's and/or 125's. There is enough interest in them that they have
started their own series without the AMA. Bring back sidecars! Not
that I have an axe to grind or anything ;)
http://users.adelphia.net/~kowfeathers/vintage3.jpg
The support classes may not have the big names, but they can still be
crowd pleasers, and that's what it is supposed to be about. As it is
right now it is about making ad copy for the factories. Ain't it great
that they can all win now? Want more races? We can just run the same
classes twice. zzzzzzzz
Bruce
Troy the Troll
> _Bob_Nixon wrote:
>> Why would anyone even buy a sportbike in TexASS?
>
> See "Texas Hill Country" and "Big Bend" via your favorite search
> engine, then report immediately back to this thread with your apology.
> ;-)
Been there. Seen it. And the nice roads were.....where exactly? I don't
doubt there ARE some....
Bryan
"Troy the Troll" <f4...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:O-GdnZpMN6-...@comcast.com...
Where exactly? Hehe. You KNOW where, sheeesh.
Bryan
Mike Nelson
> I don't really but they are an arrogant bunch or much like folks from
> NYC or the SFBA who feel they live at the center of the known
> universe.
Bob:
The SFBA must be "The Best Place on Earth".
That's why a little house here costs $1,000,000.
Heh.
_Bob_Nixon
^^^^
Yeah, last time I stayed in Silicon Valley for a week, the news was
quoting a startup 1500 Sq. foot house, needing roof work, on the
Peninsula for $1.1Million. Don't get me wrong I still love SFO but
after my divorce I couldn't find another affordable house within 50
miles of work. And I know about the xenophobia 1st hand, having lived
there for so long. It's like the rest of the world only existed on the
periphery of NORCAL. LA didn't even get much coverage on the TV news
and places like Portland, Seattle, SDO, PHX, SLC & Denver didn't exist
in the minds of us "so-called" worldly cosmopolitan BA residents;)
Don't repeat this but I was mad when they started doing metro-census
that included DC-Baltimore and robbed the >Bay-Area of that #4 spot in
size. But still NORCAL is huge at around 10 million if you take in
Sacto & the Monterey / Salinas Area like they do down in SOCAL with
San Berdu, Riverside & out to Indio. I look at the Bay Area as
extending from Santa Rosa to Salinas in the NS direction and from the
coast to Stockton, and Sacto to the East. If you watch the local news,
that's now it's reported anyway.
I "used" to have Direct TV & one of those ummm…cards, so I could get
the local channels from all over the country. I'd check in on the Bay
Area news channels on a regular basis. I also have an old FM radio
"KBLX "tape that I listen to (8 hrs VHS Hi-Fi) when I feel the need.
Phoenix is nice, new, relatively cheap and still growing with great
weather from Mid-Oct to Mid- May but its pretty white bread and lacks
much history & culture as one might expect. Traffic here is so easy
compared to California & we still extend about 70 miles in any
direction from the center. The Freeways are all new, with constant
expansion or the sort of the overkill you used to see around
Sacramento.
entropy_magnet
> HEY, AMA! NEWSFLASH: YOU ONLY NEED TWO PREMIER ROADRACING CLASSES!
> Want to race liter bikes? Cool. Your class should be AMA Superbike.
> Want to race 600s? That's cool, too. Your class should be AMA
> Supersport. 'F' Formula Xtreme. 'F' Superstock. Feel me? Let's get all
> the factory and satellite teams actually competing with each another
> again.
I kind of like the oddball classes, where else are you going to see Buells
and trumpets racing?
Greek Shipping Magnets
>Why goofball? It's not about the "racers," it's about the fans. Racers
>will be flipping burgers if no one pays to watch them do their trick.
So you're telling me all the club racers doing it on any Sunday need a
stadium full of spectators? Otherwise they suddenly find themselves
working minimum wage in a burger joint intead of their usual job at
say, Adobe?
Interesting. Methinks you wouldn't know your asshole from a tire truck
if I let you loose in any racing venue.
Polarhound
The POTY acronym serves an actual purpose, however. At the end of the
year it is used as a search term to find the submissions for everyone to
vote on.
sadd...@aol.com
We are talking about the AMA NOT the wannabes. The amateurs can race as
many classes as they like since nobody except their spouses shows up
anyway. The AMA is a carnival show and should try and make the damn
thing succinct and to the point. Two 600 classes with Honda owning one,
pahleeze.
Vito
> We are talking about the AMA NOT the wannabes. The amateurs can race as
> many classes as they like since nobody except their spouses shows up
> anyway. The AMA is a carnival show and should try and make the damn
> thing succinct and to the point. Two 600 classes with Honda owning one,
> pahleeze.
Hey - he's right! That' s the attitude that made NASCAR what it is today.
Limit the classes and if one manufacturer or team wins too much slap a
restrictor on them!
Of course if you prefer real racing instead of NASCAR, YMMV.
sadd...@aol.com
> <sadd...@aol.com> wrote
>
>>We are talking about the AMA NOT the wannabes. The amateurs can race as
>>many classes as they like since nobody except their spouses shows up
>>anyway. The AMA is a carnival show and should try and make the damn
>>thing succinct and to the point. Two 600 classes with Honda owning one,
>>pahleeze.
>
>
> Hey - he's right! That' s the attitude that made NASCAR what it is today.
> Limit the classes and if one manufacturer or team wins too much slap a
> restrictor on them!
So you'd rather have a Chevy class, a Ford class, and a Mopar class?
Vito
> Vito wrote:
> > <sadd...@aol.com> wrote
> >
> >>We are talking about the AMA NOT the wannabes. .....
> >
> > Hey - he's right! That' s the attitude that made NASCAR what it is
today.
> > Limit the classes and if one manufacturer or team wins too much slap a
> > restrictor on them!
>
> So you'd rather have a Chevy class, a Ford class, and a Mopar class?
Whatever fills the stands. Doesn't matter what I'd rather see - I'll be
watching F2 or better yet F3 from Europe. Bad handling stock cars/bikes
don't interest me.