Size Of A Gnat

[OT_Ducati]

From Cycle News.

Could the AMA Superbike Championship return to New Hampshire International Speedway? It’s possible, according to Daytona Motorsports Group CEO Roger Edmondson.

"It's impossible not to address potentially a return to New Hampshire," Edmondson told the Union Leader of Manchester, New Hampshire in Saturday’s edition.

The AMA last raced at Loudon in 2001, the year that the top riders boycotted the 600cc Supersport race out of safety concerns on the wet track. Scott Greenwood won the race. Eric Bostrom won the final Superbike race for Kawasaki.

Track safety was an issue for years leading up to the boycott. Ten years ago, American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel shattered his femur when he hit an unprotected wall on a wet track. The career of Harley-Davidson factory rider Thomas Wilson ended at Loudon.

In the same article in the Union Leader, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mat Mladin said Mladin said, "It needs changes ... honestly the changes would have to be dramatic."

The track course, which is virtually unchanged since the AMA days, has a number of areas that would have to be addressed and would have to be so drastically altered as to be unrecognizable from the current configuration.

Mladin, long a safety advocate, was once fined $5000 for his comments critiquing a newspaper article during a Loudon news conference

In recent days, Edmondson has taken an aggressive approach toward wet racing. Last weekend's AMA edict that racing would take place at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, rain or shine, was followed with an open letter suggesting every track would be made suitable for any condition. Rider reaction was strong at Mid-Ohio, with Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Ben Spies saying that none of the factory riders would race in the rain a the Lexington facility.

Edmondson made it clear in the Union Leader that rider safety isn’t a priority.

“There's no more conservative group of people than motorcycle racers," the paper quoted him as saying when speaking of changes to AMA racing, including adding different venues. "They have a comfort zone the size of a gnat."

New Hampshire Motor Speedway's general manager Jerry Gappens told the Union Leader, "I'm willing to do what it takes within reason. There's a lot of pride and history involved with the event ... You can't create history and tradition overnight so I think that's one of the values of this great event. It kicks off Bike Week for Laconia and for this region. It brings in a lot of tourist dollars and people to our area."


WOW

[printman]

"They have a comfort zone the size of a gnat."

How could not killing yourself, be comfort zone the size of a gnat?

There are few other sports where motorists (riders) are open to the elements, and risk crashing without real safety protection surrounding them.
         I mean without the safety of a roll cage, or safety tub.

If NASCAR wasn't concerned  about safety then why did they go to the safer barriers and other safety gadgets used to protect them?

Where do they run (NASCAR) that they aren't safe, Infenion, watkins glen?


I would like to see the full article on that, because thats BS

[Pakhan]

How could not killing yourself, be comfort zone the size of a gnat?

It's easy when it's someone else's life and not your own.

Edmondson is a douche, if he wants good races that aren't rained out, with riders pushing themselves as far as possible he needs to make them feel safe doing so.  Fairly simple business practice if you ask me, employee comfort = better productivity.  All within reason of course.

I hope AMA returns to NHIS, I would go up there for that.   

[derby]

how can you say this:

It's easy when it's someone else's life and not your own.

Edmondson is a douche, if he wants good races that aren't rained out, with riders pushing themselves as far as possible he needs to make them feel safe doing so.  Fairly simple business practice if you ask me, employee comfort = better productivity.  All within reason of course.

and then follow it with this:

I hope AMA returns to NHIS, I would go up there for that.   

there are reasons why the ama no longer races there.

[Pakhan]

how can you say this:

and then follow it with this:

there are reasons why the ama no longer races there.

Sorry I guess I should've been more clear, I hope they improve track conditions and safety so the "AMA returns to NHIS, I would go up there for that."

Better? 


I have been to that track, but never rode it.  The surface seems a bit rough, there is a lack of run off and trees close to the track.  I can see that it would mean major changes to the layout, but it's not impossible.  Who knows, maybe even make it safe enough for GP.  Ok I know I dreaming, but I can dream can't I?

[ducpainter]

<snip>
I have been to that track, but never rode it.  The surface seems a bit rough, there is a lack of run off and trees close to the track.  I can see that it would mean major changes to the layout, but it's not impossible.  Who knows, maybe even make it safe enough for GP.  Ok I know I dreaming, but I can dream can't I?

I ride it regularly...

There are some scary places there and at the speeds the big kids are riding turn scary into death.

There is enough property at that track for a complete new road course. They could even build it to world class standards.

It won't happen. There isn't enough draw to pay for it.

On the original topic...Edmonson isn't making many friends with his tactics.

Who said DMG running AMA racing was a good thing?

[tufty]

Who said DMG running AMA racing was a good thing?

Hmmm! I wonder.

[Speeddog]

Perhaps Edmonson needs to go for a 2-up ride with Mamola and do a reality check.
Talk's cheap when it's someone else's life/career on the line.

[desmoquattro]

Perhaps Edmonson needs to go for a 2-up ride with Mamola and do a reality check.
Talk's cheap when it's someone else's life/career on the line.

...yeah, but that's only for important and/or charitable people 

Oh, and I wouldn't want to endanger Randy or that beautiful bike.

[darylbowden]

I gotta say I was originally on board with DMG taking over cause the AMA did nothing but make the beast with two backs up the racing property (roadracing at least).  However, now I just think the man is on a mission to burn every bridge in the land and piss off every rider worth watching. 

Thankfully for many of these riders, WSBK is a great spectacle and a lot of them will have a chance to go there and do some good stuff (Hayes, Zemke, etc).  Others like Jake Holden and Geoff May?  Prolly gonna be a rough couple a years...

[OT_Ducati]

the current front runners in ama will leave...

[derby]

the current front runners in ama will leave...

if you mean mladin and spies, yeah. ben is definitely going to be on the world stage and mat is going to retire...

everybody else is pretty much at the mercy of the world rider market.

[pennyrobber]

“There's no more conservative group of people than motorcycle racers," the paper quoted him as saying when speaking of changes to AMA racing, including adding different venues. "They have a comfort zone the size of a gnat."

Unbelievable! Well, it shouldn't be a total suprise. It took Nascar forever to start using the HANS device. Safety is obviously not a huge concern for these guys. They glorify crashes in Nascar which is disgusting if you ask me. Seeing cars get smashed up may please some people but when it is an actual person tumbling and hitting a wall, well, I hope they differentiate the two in their feeble minds.

[derby]

It took Nascar forever to start using the HANS device. Safety is obviously not a huge concern for these guys.

they mandated head and neck restraints in 2001, the same year formula 1 did...

[Speeddog]

they mandated head and neck restraints in 2001, the same year formula 1 did...

And the percentage of NASCAR drivers voluntarily using HANS prior to that vs. in F1?

NASCAR didn't get serious about safety until Earnhardt died.

F1 had been pretty serious about safety before Senna died, then they got *really* serious.