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AMA 2014 Superbike Schedule -SAD!

Joe Nardy

Joe Nardy

Forum Sage
Past Site Supporter
TGSR Superstar
As a fan of road racing and old enough to have seen a lot of the great American racers (Cooley, Lawson, Spencer, Rainey, Roberts, Merkel, etc.) in the 70's and 80's it is sad to see the state of AMA road racing today. The 2014 schedule was announced today..............just FIVE events! Pathetic!

I remember when AMA road racing racing was the premier motorcycle road racing series in the world outside of the World Championship 500/250/250 Grand Prix. 1025cc Superbikes ran along with 750cc two strokes in the Formula One and 250cc two strokes in 250 GP classes. Superbikes were true race bikes, not the lightly modified street bikes they are today. It is no wonder that the factories have all dropped out. I feel sorry for younger fans who never had the chance to see AMA road racing at its best.....:(

Okay, rant over......Thoughts?

Thanks,
Joe
 
The normal spectator can't tell the difference between the classes anymore. Their premier class is what now 600cc Daytona Sportbike. No more 1000cc Superbike as the premier class. Then take away the two stroke GP classes they used to have. All the AMA classes today look and sound the same to most spectators.

I miss the two stroke classes here and at the Moto GP level. Those Moto 3 bikes are the sickest sounding race bikes I have ever heard in my life!!! Give me back the buzz of a healthy two stroke any day. I don't even watch the AMA or the Moto GP races anymore. Most of today's classes all sound and look the same. I would rather watch an old tape of a '80's or 90's 500cc Grand Prix than any of todays racing.
 
The lack of TV deal and GEICO dropping their sponsorship of the series will mean a number of teams won't even bother with the series. Jordan Racing has already quit the AMA, that leaves Yamaha and Yoshimura as contenders and everyone else as also rans

The current managers have just run the series into the ground

Geez, nothing west of Wisconsin?

Really playing to their fan base
 
Its the same here in Canada. No money with the lackluster economy. Mopar is the title sponsor!!!! We should be thankful there is a series at all.
The first march with the Satellite dish newly installed i'd call in sick from
work and keep the phone off the hook to watch the 200!!! And many other
races!!

Miss the 500s to:(
 
Yeah, the perfect storm of the DMG takeover and their incredibly misguided "reforms", combined with the economy crashing in '09 basically killed the series. It's taken a while for the momentum and goodwill it had to be dissipated, but that's where we're at now. Very, very sad. :mad:
 
Some really good racing here. Highly suggest a trip to the Springfield Mile for locals and semi locals. Best racing ever. And the HD XR-750 does not rule the roost any longer :).

Complete 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule
1. March 13 - Daytona Flat Track I, Daytona Beach, Fla.
2. March 14 - Daytona Flat Track II, Daytona Beach, Fla.
3. May 25 - Springfield Mile I, Springfield, Ill.
4. June 15 - Knoxville Half-Mile, Knoxville, Iowa
5. June 28 - Lima Half-Mile, Lima, Ohio
6. July 5 - Hagerstown Half-Mile, Hagerstown, Md.
7. July 19 - Grays Harbor Half-Mile, Elma, Wash.
8. July 26 - Sacramento Mile, Sacramento, Calif.
9. August 2 - Castle Rock TT, Castle Rock, Wash.
10. August 5 - Sturgis Half-Mile, Rapid City, S.D.
11. August 8 - Indy Mile, Indianapolis, Ind.
12. August 17 - Peoria TT, Peoria, Ill.
13. August 23 - Colonial Downs Mile, New Kent, Va.
14. August 31 - Springfield Mile II, Springfield, Ill.
15. September 28 - Santa Rosa Mile, Santa Rosa, Calif.
16. October 11 - Flat Track Season Finale, Pomona, Calif.
 
It is kind of sad, but being the optimist that I am, I can see a bright side.

So I watch all sorts of racing: SX, MX, MotoGP, WSB, AMA, supermoto, flat track, Enduros, etc.

To be completely honest, I always fall asleep watching AMA. Literally. I watch racing at night after the kid goes to bed, and drool hits the couch cushion before I see the checkers when an AMA race is on. Not sure why, but it's like watching freeway traffic most of the time.

NoH2Oh,
I happen to think your suggestion is more than just that. All things must die, it's the circle of life. And everything repeats. Flat track was the beginning of American motorcycle racing; it only makes sense that it resembles the rebirth of the sport.

What I like about FT is that it's more about the rider than the money. You can't give an average racer massive HP (or $$) and expect him to win. Skill rules the roost. It's fun, it's a good spectator sport, and it's grass roots.

I'll be tuning into more FT racing this year, and I'll make the Castle Rock TT for sure. It's just up the road from me, less than 45 min away.

-Kevin
 
NoH2Oh said:
Some really good racing here. Highly suggest a trip to the Springfield Mile for locals and semi locals. Best racing ever....
Click to expand...

No matter where you live, you ought to see the Springfield mile at least once in your life. :)
 
NoH2Oh said:
Some really good racing here. Highly suggest a trip to the Springfield Mile for locals and semi locals. Best racing ever. And the HD XR-750 does not rule the roost any longer :).
Click to expand...

RichDesmond said:
No matter where you live, you ought to see the Springfield mile at least once in your life. :)
Click to expand...

Yes, I agree that Flat Track racing is probably the best spectator motorcycle racing around. The Springfield Mile is fantastic. The Peoria TT is great as well. One rgeat thing about Flat Track racing is that the racers are very fan friendly. everyone is allowed into the pits after the races and just about all the racers are out autographing posters and having pictures taken.

I am (again old enough to have seen some of the Flat Track greats in their prime - Scotty Parker, Jay Springsteen, Bubba Shobert, Ricky Graham (best ever, in my opinion), Nicky Hayden,and even Kenny Roberts (after retirement, just playing around). I haven't been to a race for a year or two, need to correct that this year......

Thanks,
Joe
 
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Best thing about mile racing is when they pitch'em sideways at the end of the straight!!!

I remember back at the Indy Mile when Keener and Leafspring were playing handtag down the straights, and all of a sudden out of nowhere on the last lap came this howling yellow rocket ship!!!

All hail The King, Long live The King
 
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An XR on a well groomed half mile is poetry in motion in my book.

I just hope all of today's technology have not made half and mile flat track races a one groove affair.
 
Wester Cooley said:
An XR on a well groomed half mile is poetry in motion in my book.

I just hope all of today's technology have not made half and mile flat track races a one groove affair.
Click to expand...

Today's flat track bikes don't slide as much as in the old days, particularly on tracks like Springfield which are so well groomed that they become more like pavement. These also tend to be one groove tracks in the corners. Looser tracks tend to be mulit-groove tracks. On short tracks and TT's they lean and slide like crazy. I saw a pic of Henry Wiles a couple years ago leaned so far over in a corner that I couldn't believe he didn't crash.

Joe
 
Joe Nardy said:
Ricky Graham (best ever, in my opinion).
Click to expand...

RichDesmond said:
Amen brother...
Click to expand...

Yes, Graham was the best natural rider I've ever seen. Despite his personal problems he was always able to adapt to any track or bike setup. I saw him win the Springfield Mile from the last row which is unheard of. His true ability showed through in '93 when he was sober and set a record of 12 wins. He was just incredible that year.

Thanks,
Joe
 
Joe Nardy said:
Yes, Graham was the best natural rider I've ever seen. Despite his personal problems he was always able to adapt to any track or bike setup. I saw him win the Springfield Mile from the last row which is unheard of. His true ability showed through in '93 when he was sober and set a record of 12 wins. He was just incredible that year.

Thanks,
Joe
Click to expand...

Yep, and his battles with Bubba Shobert in the 80s may have been the best racing, of any type, ever. Incredible stuff.
Be the 16th anniversary of his passing next week. :(

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=6
 
Joe Nardy said:
Today's flat track bikes don't slide as much as in the old days, On short tracks and TT's they lean and slide like crazy. I saw a pic of Henry Wiles a couple years ago leaned so far over in a corner that I couldn't believe he didn't crash.

Joe
Click to expand...

Like this? National number 91 Mikey Martin on his home track

 
I think Joe and I think the "old days" were when flat track bikes didn't have brakes. There normally wasn't a blue groove on the track and the racers scrubbed speed with the slide. You rarely saw the freight trains going through the turns like you see now at Springfield or Indy.
 
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