2021 MotoAmerica Silly Season

Can’t disagree with you on that, but I think there was always been a bit of churn. If I went back to when my son raced there are a whole bunch of 600 fast guys no longer racing, and I can’t even remember all the names but without looking and some of these guys moved on to bigger classes/Europe

Joey pasceralla
Dane westby
Benny Solis
Joe Roberts
Josh Herrin
Cameron Beaubier
Kris Turner
Danny Eslick
James rispoli
Justin Dominguez
Jake Gagne
Daytona Anderson
Michael Gilbert
Martin Cardenas
Aussie Dave rode a 600 1-2 years with M4

 

He's modeling for Hono's now.

 

Most of the fast Stock1000 guys already race the Superbike Cupp.

 

it doesn’t make me sad when rides move on and up (herrin, roberts, beaubier).. just when they run at the pointy end and then disappear

 

Phew. Glad there wasn't a typo there.

 

Last I heard Elias was coaching other riders this year

 

I'm still not convinced we won't see Elias out there in MA, World Endurance or some place racing. Can't believe he's retired retired.

 

You might be right, he posted this lovely poem yesterday

 

Looks like Andrew Lee is racing in 2021!

 

Lol wtf


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Sounds like TE been hangin w/ JRP...

 

Same. Especially with MA’s supersport class. That is by far my favorite class and the years I’ve watched it’s always delivered awesome racing. Escalante, SDK and Paasch were the reason I tuned in each weekend on Live+ last year. I wish Hayden Gilliam and PJ were still racing that class.

Somewhat related, I’m not sure what the answer is to the intermediate class moving forward with 600s kind of going away. I wonder if at some point manufacturers will just build track-only bikes. If KTM can sell a 450SX for $10-$12K, I’d have to imagine with the growing popularity of track riding and track-only riders that there is a market for a turnkey 600 from an OEM for, say, $15K. Dunno.

Oddly enough, the only new 600s I see around here are the new bodywork ZX-6R. That $10,000 price point seems to have been a winner, at least around here.

 

Andrew would make a nice addition to the grid. However, I wouldn't expect him to be competitive in Superbike.

 

I agree with that and I initially wondered if his years off meant he could come back into 1000SStk class again?

 

Has it really been *years* since he was in SStk1000? I thought it had just been one. They are starting to get away from me though....

 

Just one, if you don't count last years 1-2 rounds the poor guy got to turn laps in. He was STK Champ in '19, on the bench for '20.

 

I wondered the same thing. I am guessing that he is eligible, only because Jake Lewis wasnt allowed to run Stock1000 last year and is on the Altus team this year.

 

What makes you say that? Seems he's stronger on a liter bike than a 600 in recent years.

 

IMO the competition in the 1000SStk class is a bit lower vs the 600 class. If you look at the years Andrew won, he and Michael Gilbert, as well as some others won races. I don’t think they would have podiumed in the 600 class during those same years.

IMO they are very fast riders, but the 600 class was extremely competitive during those seasons. I remember thinking PJ was going to come back and put the hurting on our 600 guys, and instead they put the hurting on him.

 

A year off, a new bike, a new team. He's fast, but that's a lot working against you when you're hunting for tenths.

I would expect him to make leaps and bounds and *maybe* fight for a podium towards the end of the season.