That big green kawasaki really was a rolling roadblock for Geoff on Saturday. Granted, racing is racing, but when you are watching the lead pack vanish in the distance, maybe it's time to stop driving defensively and just go all out and catch up, even if that means you get passed...
First, congrats to Erik Buell Racing and Geoff May for puttin a new bike on the track!!
From all the pre-race hopla and hype, I was certain a top 5 was attainable. 11th and 10th? According to Geoff's AMA profile, his average finish in 2011 is 11.5....
Maybe I was expecting a bit more... Or maybe I might ought to lay off the kool-aid.
10th on an almost stock bike as apposed to a highly modified bike seems like progress to me.
Amen to that! Looking at the race bike, and the "for sale" bike side by side in the hot pit row... when Geoff was gridded to start I was expecting to see him slapping his pockets to find the keys to the ignition while kicking up the side stand when the 1 minute horn blew...
One of the big reasons the inline fours are so dominant is that they have been learning about how to optimize the platforms for decade.
We have a lot of ground to cover, but at the end of the day the physics are on our side.
One of the big reasons the inline fours are so dominant is that they have been learning about how to optimize the platforms for decade.
So have Ducati. However the reason they don't race in AMA Superbike is that they feel the current rules put them at a big disadvantage against the 4 cylinder bikes. Nothing to do with development of one engine configuaration over another but purely a rules decision.
Take a look at WSB where Ducati is more than capable of running at the front against the factory 4 cylinder bikes, with a model that is positively antique by superbike standards. Their new 1199 will be a definite WSB front runner next year even in 'privateer' hands.
KTM doesn't race in WSB because their RC8R simply isn't quick or competitive enough in WSB format, but they think they can make it succesful in IDM (German Superbike) and AMA configuaration.
I think both Erik Buell Racing and KTM may struggle to break into the AMA Superbike top 5 (in dry conditions) with the weight penalty and lack of top speed compared to the 4's unfortunately, but we'll see.
>>>Being in the top 10 is just phenomenal imo. Especially for it's debut.
Subject to the qualifier that I am the LEAST objective opinion you can get . . . I feel the same way.
As I stood there and looked at the KTM transporter . . the 8 Suzuki trucks, the flown in chefs and wait staff in the air conditioned dining tents . . .all I could think of was Erik Buell with his yellow legal pad sitting at the kitchen table frantically scratching down ideas . . crossing off the "no ways" and circling the "may works".
The lure, again to my skewed perspective, has so little to do with winning a race and so much to do with watching the same folks who change their own oil, who hot rodded 57 Chevys and who spend silly amount to improve the brakes on their weekend race bikes. . .
My "Dream" is more about seeing Made in America" once again mean something important.
Funding an operation out of your hip pocket . . even getting a team on the grid is an amazing thing.
Then dicing it up with folks who could write a $10,000,000 check without calling the bank . . . and finishing (hell, even finishing is pretty cool) in the top 10 . . is, again just to me, simply amazing.
Oh definitely court. The Indian amounts to far more than the arrow, but still the arrow was far more capable in it's own right then what I had expected this last weekend.
If that makes sense. Perhaps I misinterpreted your post lol.
Think about it folks: Here is a "factory" with less than 20 people, designing a new bike, producing it, getting it certified to race, and going out taking on the biggest names in the business and finishing in the top 10 the FIRST time out of the box! AMAZING is the word that comes to mind.
Off topic, but anybody hear anything about Chris Paris? We were at the keyhole, I didn't see the start of the crash, but saw the end, and it looked like he highsided... and the way he moved afterwards was a lot like I was moving after I broke my pelvis...
Oh good... I saw the ambulance leave (presumably with him in it), and I saw he didn't start Sunday, so I figured it was more serious. Hope he is OK. It looked painful.
A bike from a manufacturer who's total staff is smaller than most factory race teams takes tenth on it's maiden race weekend. Even more amazing, it did so after being required to bolt on a 20 pound metal brick "just to make things fair".
What does that tell you about the design genius of a tiny company which has yet to celebrate it's two year anniversary?
I actually got to watch most of the race while waiting for my spousal unit to get ready. Great to see Erik Buell Racing mixing it up with the money-throwing companies.
I had a moment right after the start when the commentator said "And look at May up in 5th on the Buell! Boy did he get a great start!" But it wasn't really him....
Tbolt - I heard the same thing and thought "wow! I didnt see that on the live timing! thats awesome!" And like you was a bit let down when they realized their mistake.
Sucks cause the Jordan bike is similar in that its all white with rider in white leathers, makes it a bit more difficult to find him when its on TV and youre looking back through the pack
