http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=33044

All that glitters is not gold.

Not sure it's an 'expert' analysis. And it does sound like the writer is a bit of a cheerleader for DMG. If DMG has relented on their HP limits for the 1000cc bikes they've not brought that out anywhere I've heard. Does sound like the writer has some sour grapes with the MIC though.

Even if it doesn't come to fruition, the MIC threat is forcing DMG to step back from its hard-line stance - 1. Co-Feature class of 1000 and 600's 2. Dismissing this ridiculous notion of running at dangerous tracks, wet or dry. Bikes at Watkins Glen, that had to be the stupidest thing I'd ever heard.

X1TX - 28 June 2008 07:47 AM

Not sure it's an 'expert' analysis. And it does sound like the writer is a bit of a cheerleader for DMG. If DMG has relented on their HP limits for the 1000cc bikes they've not brought that out anywhere I've heard. Does sound like the writer has some sour grapes with the MIC though.

Agreed

I don't see why this is a bad thing though. This is great news! DMG is rethinking it's game plan, and it's for the better. The whole point of this may have been to send them a message and it seemed to have worked, although the article is a bit ambiguous about whether the changes came about because of the MIC proposal. It dosen't matter much though, just that something is changing.

How can this be a FIM santioned series if most of the tracks don't meet their safety standards? Are American riders lives less valuable???

Given Edmondson's comments Friday this makes him look even worse. He is making public statements holding the hard line but is working towards more acceptable rules in secret. dmg's statements about 'transparent rules enforcement' got thrown out before the rules are finished. What a disaster.

Wrong FNL.......The article mentions changes to the rules package that was made public. I have not seen the changes listed anywhere before so I don't know when these changes were introduced but it certainly appears that Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki working with the MIC are at least causing DMG to re-consider their ridiculous rules package. If that is indeed the case, then the MIC position is gold. It is disappointing though that Yamaha apparently declined to align themselves with the other 3 Japanese OEMS. Also unclear whether Ducati was even contacted to gage their interest in a possible MIC proposal.

Seems Ducati wasn't informed:

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=3305

I can't find any release saying the FIM is sanctioning the series next year like the article says. There isn't any conformation of these supposed rule changes either. This is the only place anyone has heard of them. With Kawasaki working with dmg from the beginning it seems very odd they would join with Suzuki and Honda. If these were actually the new proposed rules Kawasaki should be working on getting them into the series not seeking a proposal for a different one. This doesn't pass the smell test.

Link fixed from above....

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=33059

The more I think about it, the more I think it's just a ploy to get DMG to rethink some stuff. There really isn't enough time to start a whole new series for '09, as much as I'd like it to happen. Edmonson isn't THAT dumb, though. He knows that if the factories pull out then it is just club racing. Whether he likes it or not, he has to make the manufacturers happy or they'll go to the other sandbox.

I have a contact at one of the factory facilities in California and he tells me that the American Superbike rules have been under construction for at least three weeks and that his company was asked specific questions about the interface between their dashboard and the ecu. Any idea that the moves made in the Roadracing World article are the result of the MIC announcement are based on bias, not fact.

It seems to me that they have been attempting to construct a rule set that would work for the industry while still allowing them to follow their own vision. I don't see the problem. It looks like Daytona Superbike ends up as some sort of a cross between FX and Supersport. The little that has been revealed about American Superbike sounds like a cross between AMA and FIM Superstock and the old Superbike rules. Most important is the statement that the two classes will be "co-featured".

One thing is constant here and that is the lack of enthusiasm shown by Suzuki and Honda. Since Suzuki was kicking everyone's ass in Superbike, it is understandable why they would resist change. Honda, on the other hand, has no obvious reasons. Makes me wonder if this is a continuation of the AMA/Roger wars from back in the 90's. Suzuki and Honda's race heads are the same people who were on the AMA board and who were prominent in the episode that the AMA President has termed "unethical", and which led to a huge expense for the AMA. Between the judgement and legal fees, it is rumored to be in excess of $10,000,000.00. I suspect the public apology to Roger was not well received at either Suzuki or Honda. I could be wrong. It may not be relevant but it is food for thought.

Just my opinion, but I think the whole thing will be settled in the next two or three weeks and then people will get down to business finishing 2008 and preparing for 2009. Anyone taking bets on who will fold? Given the FIM connection, I'll place my money on DMG. MIC has no sporting history, no connections other than some disgruntled manufacturer personnel, no TV production history, no race staff, no insurance program, no rule book, no schedule, no relationship with the FIM (one to a country, thank you very much), no licensing procedure, etc., etc.

One more thing.....what about Motocross, Supercross, Supermoto, Flat track, and all the other stuff? Is MIC planning to do those things too? Would the factories stiff DMG on road racing and then attempt to run in the other DMG properties?

This is all very interesting and has a lot of moving parts.

fastnloose - 29 June 2008 07:50 AM

I have a contact at one of the factory facilities in California and he tells me that the American Superbike rules have been under construction for at least three weeks and that his company was asked specific questions about the interface between their dashboard and the ecu. Any idea that the moves made in the Roadracing World article are the result of the MIC announcement are based on bias, not fact.

It seems to me that they have been attempting to construct a rule set that would work for the industry while still allowing them to follow their own vision. I don't see the problem. It looks like Daytona Superbike ends up as some sort of a cross between FX and Supersport. The little that has been revealed about American Superbike sounds like a cross between AMA and FIM Superstock and the old Superbike rules. Most important is the statement that the two classes will be "co-featured".

One thing is constant here and that is the lack of enthusiasm shown by Suzuki and Honda. Since Suzuki was kicking everyone's ass in Superbike, it is understandable why they would resist change. Honda, on the other hand, has no obvious reasons. Makes me wonder if this is a continuation of the AMA/Roger wars from back in the 90's. Suzuki and Honda's race heads are the same people who were on the AMA board and who were prominent in the episode that the AMA President has termed "unethical", and which led to a huge expense for the AMA. Between the judgement and legal fees, it is rumored to be in excess of $10,000,000.00. I suspect the public apology to Roger was not well received at either Suzuki or Honda. I could be wrong. It may not be relevant but it is food for thought.

Just my opinion, but I think the whole thing will be settled in the next two or three weeks and then people will get down to business finishing 2008 and preparing for 2009. Anyone taking bets on who will fold? Given the FIM connection, I'll place my money on DMG. MIC has no sporting history, no connections other than some disgruntled manufacturer personnel, no TV production history, no race staff, no insurance program, no rule book, no schedule, no relationship with the FIM (one to a country, thank you very much), no licensing procedure, etc., etc.

One more thing.....what about Motocross, Supercross, Supermoto, Flat track, and all the other stuff? Is MIC planning to do those things too? Would the factories stiff DMG on road racing and then attempt to run in the other DMG properties?

This is all very interesting and has a lot of moving parts.

If you read any of the articles from American Honda they are not interested in the DMG series because it does not offer them a "payoff" in learning things about the bike to translate into production. By racing stock bikes with very limited changes there is no payoff to their effort other than what they might gain from marketing tags about race wins. Probably the same reason they are not in Nascar, why develop a pushrod V-8 when there is no production application and that development money could be spent on other projects.

Currently DMG doesn't own motocross or supercross so any of these manufacturers could run in those series an not "stiff" (as you say) DMG. I don't think there is or has been any japanese factory involvement with dirt track in quite a while so at this point there aren't many if any other properties that DMG owns that these manufacturers run in.

In the long run two series is not good for the sport here in the U.S., I am sure DMG will not fold and will go forward with their series. It doesn't mean that Suzuki or Honda will participate, in the long run DMG doesn't wan the factories to participate anyway so if I were a factory why would I want to pay all this money to help sponsor a series that I will get no benefit from in the long run?

fastnloose - 29 June 2008 07:50 AM

One more thing.....what about Motocross, Supercross, Supermoto, Flat track, and all the other stuff? Is MIC planning to do those things too? Would the factories stiff DMG on road racing and then attempt to run in the other DMG properties?.

whoa, hold on. how many of those series were purchased by DMG? i'm fairly certain they didn't get sx. how many did they get? GNC?