Team Hammer replacing Yoshimura

I think just one twin. Joe Blasius.

 

Dumas is killing it out in the CVMA Socal series as well. Kid looks comfortable as hell on the M4 bike(Jake Lewis old machine).

 

do u really think the avg fan can tell the diff btw SBK and STK1000? lap times arent visible at the track and the MA broadcast doesnt make them a focus. the only visible differences in the bikes are Ohlins forks, calipers, triple clamps, and a longer swingarm. noticing the nuance btw those parts and OEM is left to fanatics.

IMO, if moving to a cost effective premier class dramatically increased participation, it would easily be a net positive for the series. the number of fans lost due to not having "fire-breathing SBKs anymore" would be much smaller than those gained by all the good stuff a larger more competitive grid can bring.

but... thats a really big 'if'. as many have already brought up, all those teams that claim they will participate if XYZ changes won't actually do it - only a small number might. such a change is big risk that likely won't happen in the near future, especially with MA talking about freezing the regulations to help existing teams.

 

yep ^

im sure the distinction will be brought up on the broadcast a lot, mostly because the top SBK Cup riders are racing for a huge payout at the end of the year. but thats just an excuse to show other racers and other battles further back in the pack, which is a good thing that makes for a more exciting broadcast.

 

I suppose not. Like I said previously, it's hard for me to be objective or see it from any point of view other than a "fanatic" because that's what I've been since literally before I can remember. I honestly don't know what most fans pay attention to in that regard.

 

If I remember correctly, didn't this just result in roughly the same number of bikes on track that superbike has now, except only 5 of them were superbikes and 4 of those 5 were comprised of the two factory teams? At least now superbike still has a similar sized grid and superstock as a standalone class is even bigger. Twice the bikes gridding up each weekend can't be a bad thing.

 

So let's talk about this marketing and exposure MA as a series needs. Shit... not just MA needs it. The sport needs it as a whole all together. With the sales of sport bikes being down over the last 10 years how do you keep people interested in such a niche market and niche sport? Even if each of us put a MA pamphlet or flyer in every one of our local restaurants and bars is that enough? To be interested in motorcycle racing people have to be able to relate to it in a way. Traditionally the fans relate to the sport because they ride. Most of the dirtbike crowd could care less and most of the Harley crowd could care less. Those 2 groups right there are the majority of the people that are motorcycle enthusiasts. And you're right about next to nobody knowing about MA besides the die hards like us that club race or do trackdays. So where does that leave us? Each of us enthusiasts can continue to play our part with a positive attitude towards such a cool sport but on the local level we have to get new folks to the race track. Watching it on TV is not enough. You have to get people there to see, hear and touch the bikes and meet the riders. People need to feel like the sport is not so far out of touch and feel like maybe they can go and do that.

My personal first experience with the sport was at Road America in 1999. I'd never seen any shit like this before in my life. Never seen it on TV, never read about. My dad and I are walking through the paddock and my jaw is literally dragging on the ground with disbelief and amazement. He looks at me and says "You need to go do this!". I had no idea where to start but started asking around and found STT and CCS. The next spring my old man was killed in a motorcycle crash right in front of me. I decided from that day forward the right place to go ride was the track and that's what I did. I fulfilled that dream.

We all cannot deny that there is very elitist attitude in the sport of motorcycle road racing. Being part of it for so long a lot of people involved might not see that. But several people I have brought to the track have noticed that both at the club and pro level. Each and every one of us need to be accommodating as we can in our busy schedule at the track to talk to people who have absolutely no idea where to start or try it out.

 

Ignoring the realities? I live the realities everyday my man. 100% invested and committed is my home address. We invest a considerable sum each season with Team Hammer, Roadracing World Magazine, Wera, misc, rider support etc... because we believe in this sport.

Negativity is fucking cancer. When shit gets tough you have to stay positive and keep swinging if you want to find your way through it.

Sportbike sales are less than amazing right now and it will take some doing to sort that out. IMO we have lost nearly a full generation of potential riders with the millennials. They grew up in a time when technology was literally exploding with countless options for entertainment that center around said technology. To truly move forward we need the Post Millennials to show interest in riding and do things to help make that happen. While I am sure there are other factors that contribute to the current state of things I believe this is a significant portion.

MotoAmerica has delivered some excellent racing in 2019. Watching Fong and Gillim banging off each other was better than any MotoGP race I watched. I don't care if they are on 600's or Superbikes, that shit was entertaining. MotoAmerica has a good product which is where you need to start. Now they need to find a way to entertain the masses with it. The action is amazing and there are some great stories behind all of it. They need to use that shit to get people to form a connection to both motorcycles and roadracing.

 

Doing away with the SBK class could have further negative impact on attracting potential sponsors. Kind of like a Christmas tree with no star on top. Best case would be to sort this out while keeping the premier class intact.

 

This is a great fucking post! Sorry to hear about your Dad, can't even imagine what that would be like.

 

Oh no doubt MA had some good racing.
On a separate question how do you measure your ROI from supporting racing. Are there other metrics you employ to help quantify it beyond any social aspect etc. How do you know it’s helping you grow your own business etc.

 

There is no accurate way to measure it's immediate impact. With all of that shit I am looking down the road and trying to invest in things that will help keep the wheels turning. My focus is long term success and sustainability.

If I wanted an immediate return I would pull all of that support and increase my daily adwords spend.

I support racing because I love it and feel this industry needs it to move forward.

 

Disclaimer- I did not read 10 Pages,

But,

It's Hammer Time!

You Can't Touch This!

 

I know AMA Pro Racing had a sponsorship package of sorts that detailed viewership and participation by age and other demographics etc. It was a ten page maybe more) or so report with graphs and what not detailing AMA Pro exposure etc. Does MA have anything like this that is readily available to provide to prospective sponsors? Sadly my local motorcycle dealers don’t even know about MA.

 

Yes

 

You simply can’t see any of that shit on TV, or even from the stands. If you look real close, you might be able to see the gold fork tubes, maybe even the aftermarket wheels while they sit on the grid.

But aside from that, the bikes “look” the same. You can’t see the electronics, engine builds, etc. The lap times and speed differentials are negligible...and damn sure can’t be seen/realized when watching the racing live or in person.

175mph down the straight looks exactly like 180mph down the straight. A 1:26 lap time and a 1:28 lap time look exactly the same on TV or from the stands.

But you can damn sure see the difference between a 13 bike field and a 30 bike field.

Personally, I’d rather watch 30 guys battle it out on similar (stock-ish) bikes, than see a grid of only 13 bikes, with only 3-5 of those having a legit chance of winning.

 

no one is suggesting getting rid of the premier class, nor literbike racing.

it doesnt matter what spec literbike the premier class races, its prob always going to be called Superbike. I hope everyone learned from DMG trying to make DSB the premier class, haha.

 

Ugh, man that is brutal. I'm sorry you experienced that.

 

A good start for SBK is dummy the electronics way down. That would cut costs by a bunch and possibly even the field some as well. Even better bring in a couple entries . All the trick parts will get you a slight advantage but not as near as a good programmer.