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View Full Version : Daytona/AMA Followup



RickO
03-23-2008, 09:30 AM
In a previous thread, KZDon expressed some concerns over the rumoured takeover of the Daytona 200 race by the Daytona track owners. The well-founded concern is that these people would know little to nothing about bikes and would turn the 200 into a NASCAR-style, peas-in-a-soup-bowl bore.

A piece in yesterday's Toronto Star -- "Toronto's Fraser to run U.S. series" -- caught my attention.

Apparently Canada's Colin Fraser -- a one-time contributor to Cycle Canada and all-around motorcycle guy who has been running the Parts Canada Superbike series -- has been appointed competition director of the AMA Superbike series. Fraser has been involved with motorcycle competition for decades. He helped create the RACE series at Shannonville.

Daytona Motorsports Group will be running not just the 200 race, but all AMA motorcycle race series except for the stadium and arena Supercross series. This includes all the road races, the dirt track races and the outdoor motocross races. Here is a link to the official announcement on the AMA's website:

http://www.amadirectlink.com/news/2008/AMARacing.asp

It remains to be seen how things will work out for the AMA farming out the management of all its sanctioned racing. Perhaps it will give them time to focus on their real reason for existence, which is as a lobby group for the rights of motorcyclists and as a campaigner for fair laws and insurance practices for motorcyclists.

Maybe this is a model that the CMA should look at for getting back to its own roots as a rider organization. They have stood by while Canadian bikers have been screwed over by insurance companies, government no-fault insurance edicts and street-racing laws, and unfair pricing practices by manufacturers and instead have wasted time and resources trying to quash competing race organizers and taking magazine journalists to court.

KZDon
03-23-2008, 02:20 PM
I think the best part about this news is that Colin Fraser comes across as a complete hoser (that's a compliment). I wonder how the Americans will take him. I thought all Nascar types had to have that southern drawl to be understood by the NasRedNecks.

Dirtybill
03-24-2008, 12:04 PM
I think it's a good move by the AMA. Let them sanction the races but leave the advertising etc to a different company. I think it was AMP who really took Supercross out of the back woods and promoted it to where it is today.

I'm no fan of NASCAR either but you have to give them credit for making a boring sport into a popular one.

Smiley
03-24-2008, 02:26 PM
I

I'm no fan of NASCAR either but you have to give them credit for making a boring sport into a popular one.

They also provide us with great humour: look at all the silly twits running around wearing the NASCAR replica jackets. No doubt they spend an outrageous amount of money to wear goofy jackets advertising products for free.

NASCAR; white trash heaven on earth.

Paddy
03-26-2008, 09:33 AM
According to the Star article, Fraser was "in the hot seat" directing the 200 when DuHamel got a bogus ruling that he could use his back-up bike when in fact he couldn't and had to pull out. Who's fault was that I wonder?!!!:eek: