Why aren’t there Americans left in Motogp

9th in the points and 2 podiums. did good in the sprint races.
But he jumped on to the championship winning bike in 2020 and wasnt even in the picture.

Not sure why you are asking since he has never raced a production bike.

 

Exactly. The moto2 bikes were faster than the Moto america superbikes at cota last year. You cant race on a production bike then get thrown on a moto2 bike that is super adjusible and super stiff with guys riding them thier whole lives.

 

Not to mention the tires. The pirellis are said to be less stiff in the sidewalls but the jump from motoamerica dunlops to the Michelins is said to be huge. Pile on the chassis stiffness and the electronics. . .
I’m interested in how the moto2 riders at the front will adjust from the pirellis to the Michelins when they move up.

 

Yeah, its a huge jump. I was told the moto2 testers were way faster on the pirelis compared to the dunlops.

 

The state of things in the US showed today when arguably the best raw talent coming up, a multiple championship winner signed to drive a bagger. Driving a " Nascar" will never get you to F1. Same here. What a waste of amazing talent. Of course more will follow, diluting the talent pool from the traditional series. Along with potential sponsors and teams.

 

I have been to Spain as a guest at mutiple GP's and WSBK events. In Spain, the system is like no other. For starters, the RAAC organizing bodies and Dorna invested big in the feeder series. I mean ALL of them. Not only are they on the card for the big events which sells sponsors for them, they are heavily showcased. I can tell you it was like a main event watching 30 Moto 4 bikes with 13 year olds all flying down the main strait in Valencia. Huge support. In Spain there are also Govt incentives to sponsor and support sports, arts etc. So you see Banks, Insurance companies all over and they actually market the kids.

US is so different on so many levels. But I guess the powers that be have to decide. Do they care there are no US riders coming except for ones with parents who have huge $$$? Or are they willing to try something different and maybe learn something from the Spanish and Italians or the ....

 

Rocco on Why he’s not in SS.

 

Bring on the hate!

 

Okay, your face looks like it caught fire and someone tried putting it out with an ice pick.

 

Exactly. Truly sad. I have no doubt he would have contended for the championship on a strong package.

 

Powers that be?...(in the US?)

Is there such a thing? Doesn't this pretty much fall under 'The Market's Invisible Hand' folder?....

 

The comparison of salaries btw MA and SX/MX in the article is super weird IMO. It seems to be implying that a lack of factory salaries is driving kids away from road racing. The US has tons of riders looking for rides, teams, and support. And the talent level would be higher if all of them were able to compete while supported from a young age. The lack of factory salaries in RR is just another symptom, not a cause. It's an easy example of the overall lack of interest and money in road racing.

I do understand that getting talent to the pinnacle of a sport is a numbers game, and it would be cool to attract more riders that may have gone to dirt. But cmon, we already have some talent internationally with the minimal support that we have now. Imagine what we'd accomplish with the same talent but better support. Maybe the article just wants us to take over GP like Spain. Then maybe we'd need more support and more talent.

 

I don't know? AMA? FIM? MotoA? Most countries have sporting bodies. All of them have the will to send their best forward.

 

Good news, we have sporting bodies in the US, who are sending our best forward, as per the article so... what?

 

Orgs like the RAAC in Spain source funding for programs, top riders etc. It spreads from there. JR cup was a great step. But as you can see, Rocco was a two time champ there and Twins. Something like what happened to him would NEVER happen in Spain, or Italy etc. Their AMA for example would make sure of it.

Also, imagine how much more hype there could be for MotoA if one of their stars was winning in Europe? How many more Jr cup riders trying to emulate the latest US phenom would we see? BTW many other countries do this.

 

You keep ignoring the BIG difference between the US and all those countries:

In the US, motorcycles are a rich persons toy at best, or considered a devil's path to an early grave by many.

In Europe, a combination of economics and heavy handed restrictions on licensing mean that motorcycles are a necessity. As a result, they see them VERY differently than we do in the US, and we're not going to see the kind of wholesale forced lifestyle changes over generations required to shift that perception in that direction. Even at the peak of motorcycle racing popularity in the US it was never 'big'. A MotoA rider going and barnstorming over in Europe will have fuck all impact on the US population as a whole, it'll still just be a tiny niche that notice. We've got too many other distractions and sports that we dominate to make room for this one. That's why there isn't any money to 'source'.

Meanwhile, Moto America is growing, starting to draw in a wider range of US motorcyclist into following, and poor poor Rocco, he has to put up with a paid job racing in the premier, biggest money spent on class in the US, my heart weeps at the tragedy of it. Maybe he'll take some of his own findings to heart and work on being more marketable this year in addition to riding well, and become the full package so he can pick his ride once he fulfills this contract? Hell, update your website Rocco, you've done positive things since 2020, 2021 is no longer the upcoming season.

 

Mongo has single handedly killed road racing in America.

 

Want an American motogp champion? Give me an up front $6 million, 30 rich kids (parents, sponsors, Mexican “avocado” cartel - don’t care) between the ages of 12 and 14, space at WERA and moto America grid, a custom spec tire, 3 to 4 million a year and 6 to 7 years and I’ll give you 3 or 4 contenders for a moto2 championship. Afterwards, maybe 1 or 2 a year.
Moto3, I need more.

I’d need Marlboro levels of cash but, with kids involved, ain’t happening.

 

Yes…pleasure versus necessity.

 

Quadruple your budget for the insurance and the lawyers.