| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
Well; I guess it's much more exciting to go to a road race and be stuck watching one set of turns. And if you wait long enough, you might get to see somebody pass someone else. When at, say, the Springfield Mile, you can see the entire track, the lead will change seven or eight times per lap and riders will enter the turns three and four abreast. When I used to road race, it was the dirt trackers who would kick butt. Many Flat Trackers have gone on to become world champion road racers, but I have yet to see the converse. Troy Bayliss, a multi time WSBK champion, didn't make the main at any of the Miles he raced at in the US, and managed to fall down at Sacramento and break his leg. In dirt track, you have to be able to judge traction on varying types of dirt. Roadracers have a more consistent surface to ride on, so they don't develop that skill. Then again, you think that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a bad track. I rather enjoy it and I like the fact that I can see most of the race. Why go to a race if you can't see it? Why not just stay at home and watch it on the idiot box? | ||
| Jaimec |
I never said I thought IMS was a bad track. That was someone else here. From our grandstand seats, we could see quite a bit of the track, actually. For the parts we couldn't see, there was the Jumbotron right in front of us. Of course, not every track is set up like Indianapolis. Pittsburgh had a Jumbotron last time we were there, but NJMP has yet to do anything like that. In fact, NJMP probably fits your description of a road race venue the most closely. Sadly, it is also the most convenient one for me to get to. Oh well... I already have my tickets for Indianapolis next August! | ||
| Akbuell |
Both types of racing have their fans, thus different organizing bodies, tracks, and rules. Both also require equal levels of skill, but different skill sets. Dirt track champs have gone on to be world road race champions; I'm not familiar with riders doing it the other way around. The attraction of dirt track for me is that most money doesn't always win. A mid-packer who hits the set-up right and is having a good day can win over the factory guys/champions. For that to happen in road racing usually requires a (large) numbers of DNF's. As to the skill and competition, some years back the MotoGP guys stopped in to watch the Indy Mile. The look on Valentino Rossi's face as he watched pretty much says it all. | ||
| Akbuell |
Not exactly what I was looking for, but found one! YouTube - Kenny Roberts and the Indy Mile (2009). | ||
| Crusty |
Jaime; I wasn't replying to your post; I was replying to Fresno's. he has stated in pretty blunt terms, in the past that he didn't consider the IMS to be a good roadracing track. It wasn't a real road course. I've ridden a few "Real" road courses and paid money to stand at one location and see only a small portion of a race. Erik Buell and I stood outside turn five at Road America and watched the riders come down the hill, turn left and go up another hill toward turn six. (BTW, Anthony Gobert won that race on a Duck). Most of the "Real" road courses flat suck when it comes to spectating. I've ridden the track at IMS, and it's as challenging as any other paved track that I've ridden. It was challenging enough that in 2009, both Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi crashed out of the race. I've also had a seat at IMS in the Penthouse section next to the one you've been in (though at the time, I didn't know it). As to the Flat Track when King Kenny took the TZ 750 out for a "Parade Lap" After watching Roberts riding up by the haybales sideways, I remember Rossi declining the chance to take the bike out, and his comment was that Italy needed a track like that. At Springfield, this past Labor Day, the riders in the lead pack went into turn 3 on the last lap seven wide. That's seven bikes side by side without front brakes at close to 140 MPH in one turn. None of them crashed. That takes some mad skills and balls the size of grapefruit. And I could see the entire race from my seat. That's why I would travel 1200 miles each year to go to Springfield, but had to deliberate whether I would ride 200 miles to see a road race. I enjoy both types of races, but for my money, Flat Track has it all over the elitist Moto GP. | ||
| Jaimec |
First Attack Performance takes over the Yamaha team, and now this: https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motoamerica-t eam-hammer-named-suzukis-premier-race-team-for-202 0/ Big changes going on in MotoAmerica. It's going to be weird NOT seeing "Yoshimura Suzuki" in the paddock! | ||
| Steeleagle |
..and THIS!! https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.b ikesportnews.com%2Fnews%2Fnews-detail%2Fyoshimura- suzuki-withdraw-from-motoamerica-after-40-years%3F fbclid%3DIwAR1RzIld8WZPhsH4kgg-6kWXNoe1ZHY7G9pwTy- 0N35HkkN1tirKZHMZDuM&h=AT3WcEasNr83ebSMhvbXm91qr0w N3-k2m8axYV8MQa2_WnUYS83LsFZqZrs4eAowPS_uKgyUxeIkf pRgcNjyqhKRH2t_RBbxJoVcYakUhcoedqylhsIFERXQIUOY43o SOUydfw | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Many/most pro sports are better on TV than live...what's your point? I don't know about you, but the number of races I watch on TV far exceeds the number I attend live, so I am good with the TV coverage. I have seen many flat track races that are processional. It's ok. You can like flat track and I can like road courses. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Bye, bye factory teams. MA is in trouble. Lets hope Kawi fields a factory team like the rumors have indicated.... | ||
| Jaimec |
From what I can tell, both the Yamaha and Suzuki factories are still involved in MotoAmerica. What has changed is their title sponsors. Attack Performance replaces Graves, and Team Hammer replaces Yoshimura. And then there's this: https://motoamerica.com/2019/12/motoamerica-announ ces-record-numbers-for-2019-season/ | ||
| Jaimec |
It would appear that despite all of the doom and gloom I see here and at Asshats and Rubber (or whatever that site calls itself), the MotoAmerica Suzuki team is now more closely aligned with the factory than before. They can even boast a direct pointer to the MotoGP team: https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/ecstar-sponso ring-suzuki-motoamerica-road-racing-effort/ | ||
| Jaimec |
No surprise that Toni Sunglasses will be back this year! https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motoamerica-t oni-elias-joins-m4-ecstar-suzuki/ | ||
| Smoke |
we are on yamaha again this year in SB. Factory Yamaha, not Graves has switched to Attack running the race effort in MotoA. Graves was running the Supersport and Superstock class until the money dried up for last year. another team coming back to the grid! https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motoamerica-c eltic-hsbk-racing-running-ducati-panigale-v4-r-in- 2020/ we are taking the R6 to Daytona again this year for the 200. cheer Max 88 on! tim | ||
| Jaimec |
We'll see you in Indianapolis this year, Tim. Going to pass on Pittsburgh, then we'll see you again in Jersey. Good luck in 2020! | ||
| Jaimec |
Josh Herrin is unemployed (again). Looks like Bobby Fong is Toni Sunglasses' team mate this year. https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motoamerica-b obby-fong-racing-m4-ecstar-suzuki-superbike/ | ||
| Steeleagle |
I was wondering who would get the other Suzuki seat, and continue to wonder where Herrin will land. Proven, good rider, but maybe a little too much "personality"? Planning on Road America, Pitt Race and Indy. Others might be tossed in along the way. | ||
| Steeleagle |
Just occurred to me that Jake Lewis doesn't appear to have a Superbikes ride. The irony is that him getting hurt is what opened the door for Elias to get a ride with Yosh, and "healthy" Lewis then got the Supersport ride at Hammer. Obviously no squatter's rights! | ||
| Jaimec |
Looks like he'll be competing in the Daytona 200 on a Yamaha though: https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/daytona-200-j ake-lewis-racing-bobbleheadmoto-yamaha/ | ||
| Steeleagle |
Well, now we know!! https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motoamerica-j osh-herrin-riding-scheibe-racing-bmw-superbike/ | ||
| Jaimec |
So he got Gagne's seat when Jake went off to Yamaha to replace Gerloff? Musical chairs! | ||
| Steeleagle |
Ed Zachary!! | ||
| Jaimec |
19 Superbikes for 2020! And New Yorker PJ Jacobsen will be riding a Panigale V4 for Celtic Racing this year. Can't wait for the season to start now! | ||
| Steeleagle |
Tim and Thrashed Bike getting a new bike and sponsor for Max: https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motoamerica-f linders-returning-with-new-yamaha-superbike-sponso r/ See you at the races, Tim!! | ||
| Jaimec |
You beat me to it, Dennis! I was just about to post that same link... | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Let's see if Herrin can finish better than mid-pack. Eslick lost his ride to Gagne and neither could do any better than mid-pack. | ||
| Jaimec |
I'm hoping he has the updated S1000RR. I noticed last year Gagne was racing the older model... | ||
| Jaimec |
Looks like it's official. Since MotoGP will NOT be running at COTA this Spring, the first MotoAmerica round will be in Georgia: https://motoamerica.com/ | ||
| Jaimec |
This is actually kind of cool... and if they crash, it definitely won't hurt that much! https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motogp-virtua l-race-among-top-riders-organized-for-march-29/ | ||
| Jaimec |
Due to a conflict caused by the rescheduling of the Indianapolis 500 the MotoAmerica Round in Indianapolis will now be October 9 - 11. The MotoAmerica website has not yet been updated, but I got the announcement via E-Mail from MotoAmerica a minute ago. | ||
| Jaimec |
Josh Hayes reviews Max Flinders: https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/motoamerica-j osh-hayes-previews-superbike-p13-max-flinders/ |
