MotoAmerica | 2024 | Silly Season

I’ve blabbed on endlessly that all MA needs to become a major attraction is cash and a lot of it. I think it could bounce back to 90s level but it’s going to take sports betting, energy drink and other vice money to get there so you can accept it or not but it’s coming.

I’m surprised that Bud Light hasn’t dumped in a million or two. It’s their target market and they can start getting some of the torch and pitchfork crowd to come back.

 

you know the sugar daddy brags about his grandpa being the mentor to the Koch bros…


Seriously… and he’s no doubt connected and even got a backdoor meeting at the Indy billionaire businessmen club… I’ll send you some pics…

 

hold up! Purse money hasn’t been paid to the premier entrants, or any racers, for the last round?

 

More than the last round. Our team is at least 2 rounds in arrears. Some big teams are owed a metric shit ton. That's as of last week, don't know if things have changed but I haven't heard anything different.

 

M A absolutely needs to do better on paying out. You can delay your entry fees. People are still waiting on payment.

 

Yikes. Not paying purses on time is a bad look. As much as I defend MA, that's a non-starter.

 

Absolutely. It's not a one sided contract. Not only a bad look, it erodes confidence in the organization to meet their obligations. Hope they get it sorted pronto.

 

that absolutely sucks ass! I was always paid timely from DMG and AMA Pro, everyone that has ever worked for me directly or a contractor has always been paid exactly as agreed… I hate that shit! I was hoping MA was at least taking care of their teams…

 

Unless it’s by design to weed out the ones that actually run it as a business… it doesn’t bother the rich guy playing business model… $100k a year won’t phase them…

 

I don't know the reason but realistically the paddock is full of smaller teams, there are only a handful of rich guys in the show. Many teams count on purse to make ends meet. The last thing they need is fewer entries.

 

Frank, honest question. You have rarely if ever posted anything positive about Moto America. Why continue to participate?

 

I pulled my Fortune 50 backed semi truck team and it’s four entries, that were all top 10, when DMG stopped paying real purse… that was only $20k per weekend but I made it work and nobody did it better with cross promotions and marketing… that’s what made it work… the team could run on the purse… the income came from my chiseling for Toyota and Dorna and Indy and Lucas and RockStar and and and…

when MotoAmerica came along it was more of the same model… when they started paying decent premier entrant money I was hoping for all y’all that it was going well…

 

Because on balance they're doing a better job than previous organizations. They're not perfect for sure and I have no problem calling them out when they mess up.

The purse situation is fact, just ask around.

I'm involved in racing to win, nothing else. The national series is the place to be if you want the best competition there is in the US.

 

only game in town? I don’t know the post history but open dialogue as a means for constructive criticism is crucial imo… and if teams aren’t getting paid that shit needs known so others don’t suffer too…

I wish the issues with the North American Talent Cup were out there as well… I don’t know any of the facts but was at Austin during some really high level meetings and it seemed Dorna wasn’t happy and then the shared event ended too…

I’ve explained why I never got involved and it was purely a lack of ethics that they were known for in the beginning…

and I’m not all negative and want them and everyone to succeed but when it goes from 3 US GPs a year to 1, when it’s exploding around the world with record attendances, with a partner like Dorna to help it grow it seems to point at the issue

 

I think everyone is referring to online sites / mobile betting like fanduel or mybookie.

I got the impression that was what this announcement was laying the ground work for

 

Wow the last race is in September, we are now in December, and you guys haven’t been paid yet? That’s a really bad look, I hate hearing stuff like this is happening. I can’t imagine the economy next year will be better than the past 2 years have been.

 

USA reality check for all.
Honda doesn't care about SBK or SS racing
Kawasaki doesn't care.
Suzuki kind of cares.
Yamaha switched everything to Attack.
Triumph nope.
Ducati kind-of.
Aprilia nope.
KTM nope.
Indian well not really.
Harley nope.
Some of these play in MotoGP and most don't.
The issue sadly isn't MA it's the American motorcycle market.

 

I appreciate you being so candid, just had to ask. Really hope you guys continue!!

 

Haeley, Indian and KTM have shown that they care about Hooligans and the baggers. Aprilia cares about Twins. Royal Enfield cares about the ladies.

 

it can’t depend on the motorcycle market… this isn’t the 90s…

racing is entertainment and has to be marketed as that not just an inside industry tour of products…

I’ve had factory support… even two manufacturers at the same time, in different series, and those times were great but my real value to them and my partners was the marketing with the passion that we had for racing… and that has value for anything a fan might buy from basic necessities to toys

this old pictorial is still up from before I retired as a rider in 09 but look at a few of the things I did at and away from races….

https://scottyvanhawk.wixsite.com/vip-ventures-inc