DARBY - 15 May 2008 05:48 PM

I rather enjoy watching the Grand Am rigs - far more than the roundy-round bumper cars, in fact. However, those are four-wheelers, DMG - not the same thing as motorcycles...get it??

DMG is doing a lot of the same things that they did when they took over Grand Am using the same rationale. Fans are responding in much the same way, except in this case the fans are reacting much more negatively than they did to Daytona Prototypes. You can't possibly say that is not relevant.

Sure they're not the same. Doesn't mean there aren't parallels to be drawn.

quote author="motoho" date="1210822849"]

Ducati Rules - 14 May 2008 05:54 PM

Thanks for the business 101 lesson. I'm quite clear on how a track plans to host an event.

You want to include Indy in this conversation? Great. It's probably the only track (except perhaps Daytona) in this country that you could stop someone on the street and they would know about it, whether or not they are motorsports fans. Also, I'm not sure if you've noticed but Indy is an OVAL. I'm going to just guess here, but they probably make most of their money on two little events- the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400. This conversation was talking about roadcourses, because oval racing is alive and well in this country.

I'm not arguing that the tracks that can afford to make the changes will get World Championship events. Of course that's the case. So, since this country can maybe support 4 events that's 4 tracks.

Barber and Miller are run by rich guys as their playground. Barber makes changes because it's a point of pride for him to have a great racetrack. That being said, they'd still have to spend millions to get it up to MotoGP standard.

The only point I was trying to make was you don't have to dumb down the equipment to race on dangerous tracks. If it is a big enough issue (turn 12 at Road Atlanta) then you ask for changes and if they can't be made you move the event.

As far as why Barber and Miller spend the money it doesn't really matter to me as a fan. All I know is I would rather pay to see an AHRMA race at Barber than the AMA event at Fontana.

MMsports54 - 15 May 2008 04:13 PM

...And keep in mind that Grand Am actually does have close racing and strong grids.

whoa! don't say it out loud

hi-zoot - 16 May 2008 01:12 AM

MMsports54 - 15 May 2008 04:13 PM

...And keep in mind that Grand Am actually does have close racing and strong grids.

whoa! don't say it out loud

Ah, any racing is close when 90% of the laps are under caution because of all the incidents from bonehead ride buyers playing racecar driver on the weekend.

swamp - 16 May 2008 06:50 AM

hi-zoot - 16 May 2008 01:12 AM

MMsports54 - 15 May 2008 04:13 PM

...And keep in mind that Grand Am actually does have close racing and strong grids.

whoa! don't say it out loud

Ah, any racing is close when 90% of the laps are under caution because of all the incidents from bonehead ride buyers playing racecar driver on the weekend.

And as was stated they have few fans - they apparently drove the die-hards out. You can find close classes in SCCA racing but there still is very little fan participation.