Monday Afternoon Moto News - Speed Dating!

In our weekly bit from one of my favorite motorcycle rags, Road Racer X, we get our Speed Dating column. This week we have birthdays for Alex Debon, Noriyuki Haga, Kevin Atherton, Larry Maiers, Gianluca Vizziello, Alex Criville, Malcolm Smith, Joey Lombardo, Anthony Gobert, Ralph Bryans and Jonah Street. It is getting to the time of year that we also start to see anniversaries of the death of some great motorcycle racers in the line of duty; this week we lost Roger Reiman, Libero Liberati and Jimmy Adamo. This week also saw the beginning of the very first AMA Superbike race in 1976. This week last year was the first ever AMA night race - the 2009 Daytona 200. And, two years ago this Sunday was the day AMA Pro Racing was sold to Daytona Motorsports Group - maybe we should count that as a death as well???

http://tinyurl.com/y9kk7hj

More Morning Moto News - AMA Pro Racing, FB Corse & Ducati Motologic

AMA Pro Racing (part and parcel of the Daytona Motorsports Group) has now hired a Race Director - David McGrath. He has over 25 years of experience with motorcycle road racing; he was a racer, team manager and then went on to work with many motorcycle-related companies. McGrath is well-positioned for the new job and we hope that he brings some consistency and stability to the sport...and, maybe, cleans up some of the current mess.

http://tinyurl.com/yd8u74q

Future MotoGP competitor FB Corse has released the three-cylinder MotoGP machine which they hope to use in the series. It is called the FB01 and was designed and built by Italian company Oral Engineering. They do not yet know if they will be able to contest any of the 2010 events, but we should find out as testing continues.

http://tinyurl.com/ykgyx7c

The Australian Superbike Championship bound Ducati Motologic team unveiled their new livery and their new rider, Jordan Burgess, at Phillip Island this past Monday. Jamie Stauffer will also be racing with the team and he was also present for the testing. This is the first time that both riders have tested together. Where will they end up at season's end? No one can even remotely guess at this point...take the link and see for yourself.

http://tinyurl.com/ykotnqu

More Afternoon Moto News - Larry Pegram & WSBK

As if we did not expect this news, Larry Pegram will continue to ride a Ducati in the AMA Pro Racing American Superbike series. The good news that we just now learned is that Foremost Insurance has stepped up their support for the relative privateer (Ducati's factory is not supporting him, but Ducati North America is bending over backwards to assist his effort). With his finishes last season - fourth overall - he will have a real chance of taking the title in a field of what are essentially other privateers.

http://tinyurl.com/ydmqp7b

Want to know who will be sitting on the grid in the 2010 World Superbike Championship? If so, this link will help you. It has each team, each rider and some history on some of the racers in this year's series. Given the stacked grid, it will be an awesome racing season in 2010!

http://tinyurl.com/y8mkx5h

Friday Evening Moto News - Daytona Bike Week

First up under this category is the AMA's call to all AMA motorcycle racers to be getting ready for Daytona Bike Week. At the event, one of the largest in the world, there will be plenty of racing in almost every class excepting ice-racing, there will be bike shows, custom bike shows, partying, music, dance...just about anything you can find to entertain you. However, if you are there to race, you had better begin focusing on the work ahead - Daytona International Speedway is nasty to tires, so be ready!

http://tinyurl.com/yj84jsq

Also, it seems that the less-than-stellar powers-that-be at the Daytona Motorsports Group \ AMA Pro Racing have come to some sort of sense and are increasing the purses for the various series participating at Daytona Bike Week. Honestly, I think that they just do not want to look like idiots if only some 25 racers or so show up for the events; thus, they are buying some participation. The sad part, though, is that the payouts are still relatively low compared to many other similar series...and probably always will be at a for-profit race company.

http://tinyurl.com/ygj9fol

Remember that the festivities will run 27 February (my birthday, also Colin Edwards) through 7 March 2010.

Monday Evening Moto News - AMA Response & Keith Heckles Has Died

A member of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) was trying to get information on the sale of all of the AMA Pro Racing properties to the Daytona Motorsports Group - this is before the interview with Rob Dingman revealing the truth - so he contacted the leadership of his organization and asked for the facts. The link will show you how the responded. Thankfully, we actually had some honesty from them recently and know most of what he was looking for now. (I wonder about those purse requirements - it seems DMG is breaking the contract.)

http://tinyurl.com/yeogv8j

23 January 2010 was the day Keith Heckles died unexpectedly of a massive heart attack. His funeral will be held tomorrow (2 February). Heckles was a racer during the 1960's and the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix - alongside Agostini and Surtees. But, he went on to do his full-time gig as a laboratory technician, which provided good steady income, in order to raise his family. A very good racer who lived life as he needed to do.

http://tinyurl.com/yclm5yj

Even More Afternoon Moto News - DMG/AMA Pro Racing

Where will AMA Pro Racing be tomorrow? Has the Daytona Motorsports Group killed American Superbike racing for all of us? Well, some would certainly agree that DMG has screwed things up pretty good, but other would argue that we have yet to give it enough time. Still, no Honda, no Ducati, no Yamaha, no Kawasaki will receive factory support in 2010, so what are we left with? Not much but private and some pseudo-factory teams. It should make for some interesting results, but at what cost? Will anyone even watch the sport in 2010? And, I suppose the most important question is will it ever improve, or can it be saved? Maybe the racers will find a way to save the sport we all know and love, but they have their work cut out for them...

http://tinyurl.com/y8sgbna

Big Moto News - AMA CEO Ron Dingman Interview!

Yep, Roadracingworld.com managed to get the interview of the year/decade in AMA Pro Racing circles, AMA CEO Ron Dingman. Why is this interview with the boat-rocking new AMA leader? Well, he finally explains the deal which let Daytona Motorsports Group take over their professional racing series. The short answer which everyone has been waiting for is as follows:

"...US$10,000,000...plus membership fees for AMA Pro Racing credential holders of about US$180,000 a year." Oddly, though, DMG is keeping lifetime membership fees for itself.

Check this out. It is only Part 1, so I will post Part II here when it is available.

http://tinyurl.com/yht9kd8

Part 2: http://tinyurl.com/yct2x7e

Part 3: http://tinyurl.com/yackysp

Some Thursday Afternoon Moto News - Ninja 250 Racing

Yep, the well-known beginner ride, the Kawasaki Ninja 250R, now has its own race series in California. They call it the Ninja 250 Cup races and they are held at Willow Springs raceway. It sees huge grids and only allows minimum modification to keep the racing very close. Turns out that this is very fun racing! As if you expected less...

http://tinyurl.com/yca7g75

We hear a terrible story about how Jamie Hacking is sitting at home in 2010 without a ride in any race series. After all of the work he did for Kawasaki, they simply stopped their racing program and left him (and teammate Roger Lee Hayden) high and dry. Such a talent, especially after his 2008 season, should not be wasted! Ultimately, it does boil down to being a part of the DMG takeover of AMA Pro Racing...there is much more to the article, so have a good read.

http://tinyurl.com/ybkhe9z

http://tinyurl.com/y8wb792 - Another interview with Hacking

Monday Afternoon Moto News - AMA Pro Racing & Roehr

Here is some so-so news from the DMG /AMA Pro Racing world - they will run their series at the 2010 USGP at Laguna Seca. This is certainly welcome news for the Laguna Seca circuit as they would have only had one series running there (MotoGP) if the AMA Pro Racing series were to skip the event. Politics in motorcycle racing, where would we be without it?

http://tinyurl.com/yjsmk4s

Roehr Motorcycles has announced that they are working on manufacturing both sport and racing electric motorcycles. That is very welcome news from them as it will work to make that segment of the motorcycle industry even larger - which is very good for those of us who want to purchase one. It was just 2009 when they received approval from the various government agencies to sell their H-D-powered 1250SC.

http://tinyurl.com/yagh5x9

Out of nowhere comes a very nice story about a 42-year-old Canadian, Patrick Trahan, competing in the Rally Dakar for his third Dakar challenge. He is a dedicated racer from the Great White North and will do just about anything to tackle this dangerous race event. His Honda CRX450X is very much prepared for what the South American landscape can do to a motorcycle. On the bottom of the article is a list of all the Canadians racing in the event.

http://tinyurl.com/yb7yluj

AMA Pro Racing News - Roger Edmondson Departs

In a weird way, this is his second time to leave behind an 'AMA' organization, but this time there may actually not be a lawsuit. Edmondson stated that his health is in need of attention so it would be better if he left. This means that one of the hardest workers on the Daytona Motorsports Group purchase of AMA Pro Racing (and other series) from the American Motorcyclist Association has stepped away from the work which remains. Maybe this will mean that the series will finally adopt racing rules which are used worldwide instead of the weird setup that exists now. Who knows...but this is certainly worth paying attention to if you are a race fan.

http://tinyurl.com/y9o6b43

There are some who feel that Edmondson is only pulling back from the AMA Pro Racing organizer to take up a role as a puppeteer - and he may very well do that as it is common in the racing world. Depending on how you feel, this opinion piece is a nice insight on the departure of Edmondson from someone who once knew the guy.

http://tinyurl.com/ylkfq6y

Now Official: Mat Mladin Not Joining World Superbike in 2010

It came from his Twitter account, and it makes mention that DMG as Obi-Wan? I think he is joking there as it is well-known that he is unhappy with the DMG group. But, it does explicitly say that he will not be in World Superbike anytime soon.

http://tinyurl.com/yacnmcq

More Great Suzuki News - Jordan to Stay with Suzuki for 2010

Even more solid news for Suzuki, who seems to be riding out this economy rather well (even though they were bought by VW; though, maybe that is why they are so well funded), will have Michael Jordan's team running their machines in the DMG / AMA Pro Racing series. No real details have been given, but the source is rather sure that Jordan Motorsports will be in the paddock in 2010.

http://tinyurl.com/ydl4unm

Kawasaki to Exit DMG/AMA Pro Racing for 2010

We sort of knew it was coming, but it is finally official. Kawasaki will not run a factory race team in any of the DMG / AMA Pro Racing series for 2010. They blame the economy - which makes perfect sense given their recent financial reports - but I am sure it is also the DMG rules situation. Anyway, another one bites the dust...

http://tinyurl.com/ydx69yk

Rumor: Ben Bostrom Signs with Pat Clark Motorsports

The rumor is that Bostrom has signed for the Yamaha-supported team of Pat Clark Motorsports to contend in the DMG/AMA Pro Racing American Superbike. The rumor continues with the possibility of both Jake Zemke and John Hopkins joining the same team for 2010. That would mean that Hopper will not be riding in World Superbike as he thought he might next year. Of course, this is only rumor for now, so who knows...

http://tinyurl.com/yhbkcwl

Purses Lowered Significantly for DMG/AMA Pro Racing Series

The economy is hitting AMA Pro Racing hard - and you can see that from this article. They have drastically reduced the amount of the purse in American Superbike - from US$73,500 to $6500. And, in the Daytona SportBike class, they have cut it more than half - from US$73,500 to $30,500. At least it demonstrates which series the organizers hope will become the premier class, even though the rules it uses are rather different than any other racing series in the world. This will reduce the privateer effort even more...

http://tinyurl.com/y8pmwkg

Yoshimura Suzuki Leaving Japanese MFJ National Championship

The Yoshimura team will move on to contend three or four World Superbike events, the Suzuka 300, and the Suzuka 8-Hours. This is in reaction to the Japanese MFJ National series moving towards rules like the DMG/AMA Pro racing series - as opposed to moving the regulations closer to World Superbike. No one wants to race in AMA anymore, so why would the MFJ series move that way? That's a good question, I hope someone asks them!

http://tinyurl.com/yc7zbcv

Know Much About The American Motorcyclist Association's Financials?

Well, probably not - unless you work there! The long awaited Form 990 document was filed, and the report was provided by the Guidestar site; they are a sort of non-profit watchdog. Nothing bad here, but also no direct information about how much was paid for AMA Pro Racing (essentially - it has had many names now) by DMG. Most are just curious, but some are truly interested. Well, it is left off of this form, but Paradama - so, this could be some indication. Anyway, if you are interested in your organization, go and take a look. I am not trying to offend the AMA in any way. I am just saying that this is public knowledge - nothing secret - and it is always good to make sure that your advocacy group is healthy. Interesting...

http://tinyurl.com/ykjgkvh