Motorcycle Forum / General / Racing / November 2008

Really rather amusing in some respects, and kind of sums up certain
aspects of where this whole thing has been, and may be going. A few (?)
snippets:

"I think Yamaha's commitment to racing has been there for an awfully
long time with the AMA."

But the least committed of the four Japanese factories, without much doubt.

"I'm not sure why suddenly we would want to change that because it
changed hands. So does that mean that we enjoyed every change that was
suggested at that time? I think, emphatically we weren't. But I don't
think that trashing them in the media really ever resolves anything. If
somebody started saying the things that were said about DMG and some of
the people, to me, I would be taken aback a little bit. It's kind of
like firing a shot over the bow. Some people might say all these things
were said because they wanted them to change direction... Yes, it's
late, and I don't think they envisioned it being this late without solid
rules and things. But I don't think that was their-- you can't fault
them, because everybody else created that mess. It could've been there a
lot smoother, but there was three months of nothing. So we are more than
three months behind, but I think there's a reason for it."

So McCarty takes pretty much a full shot at Harris (Suzuki) and Blank
(Honda) - I guess he won't be invited to the All-Japan OEM picnic next
summer...

"Right or wrong, our commitment was we wanted to go racing, we wanted to
have a voice and be able to talk about the things that were important,
and that's kind of what we've done all along... But as things came down
and we kept doing our due diligence with discussions with DMG and just
feeling our way through this like everybody else, and here we are."

Hard to know about behind the scenes, but the only visible contribution
of Yamaha to the process was the original American SB, a second SS-level
literbike class that was a major sticking point throughout the whole
process.

"So when I said our commitment, we knew we were going to go roadracing,
and we saw 600s, we saw 1000s, we wanted to be in both classes as we've
been the last few years."

But he only saw 1000s because of the stand Suzuki and the others took at
those first OEM meetings in LA. And let's recall when Yamaha's
commitment to 1000s was only in SS trim.

"It still has meaning, the Daytona 200, regardless of what everybody's
saying. It was the race to win in years past. I think somewhere in the
back of DMG's group, they'd like to regain that heritage, that people
come on out and race, and in order for them to get that, OEMs like
Yamaha and the other companies need to support that to get people to come."

Oh, what a shock - DMG, owned by France, wants Daytona, owned by France,
to regain its lost glory. If the OEMs are expected to support the 200,
why doesn't DMG run the bikes the OEMs want to run in that event? Why
don't they make the track safe enough? It's not like anyone is against a
big opening event, it's not like anyone is against tradition.

"I think parity in some areas is important. Spec tires, we're going to
spec tires in MotoGP. I think you can see when one company is so
dominant with their product that it really impacts all of the other
companies and the racing itself, which is essentially a show for the fan
and the spectator, it's very damaging to a series."

Eh, no. The problems in MotoGP the last couple years have been due to a
shitty tire rule and relative parity between the two tire manufacturers,
not dominance by one. Had Bridgestone achieved true dominance all the
top teams would be with them, no way Honda and Yamaha would have run
Michelins, it would have been like the situation prior to 2005. Then
Michelin was dominant and no one cared that Suzuki and Kawasaki and
whoever else was stuck on Bridgestones and Dunlops had no chance of
winning, they just assumed it was crappy bikes and riders. Order is what
got overturned in MotoGP the last two years.

"I think that engine configurations have proven not to be the sole
thing. MotoGP has a variety of engine configurations, and they don't
have horsepower restrictions."

Yeah, you've got 800cc inline fours and you've got 800cc vee fours,
and... uh...

"I think that there are some elements that are important to the
strategic parity that they've envisioned. The question about whether we
would race if there was horsepower [restriction], I don't know. We don't
have to make that decision, because there isn't."

Yes, and there isn't because Suzuki and Honda had some backbone and
stood up to DMG, and Kawasaki backed their play. Meanwhile Yamaha was
kissing Rog Ed's a.s...

"I think that my own personal opinion that Supersport racing in the
United States was the most exciting racing that we have, week in and
week out with more than one or two guys at the front. I said that from
the first time I went to a roadrace, and I'll say it again now. So
anything that helps us get to that type of racing, I'm not saying it's
600s, not making a statement about any of these technical things. I'm
making a statement about the ability to have five guys racing that have
a chance to win."

So says the guy who abandoned the AMA's premier class to race in the SS
classes for four years. Maybe he's right and maybe he's not, but there's
little question that the real issue at Yamaha is budget and lack of real
SB development in Japan. That and a microscopic nutsack...

Anyway, while I was very pleased to see Josh and Ben get these rides, it
must be noted that Yamaha went with two older guys who, for whatever
reason, haven't made the cut among factory SB riders the last few years.
And Herrin and Aquino aren't exactly established first-tier 600 riders
either, both of them eligible to run in age-restricted SS. Strikes me
that once again Yamaha has gone the low-budget route, although they've
probably done a very good job at that.

It will certainly be different, though, and freshness was in dire need
in this series. Overall that's probably the best thing about the way
things have turned out, at least it won't be the same old same old.
Well, at least as long as DMG can avoid f.cking up this week and
jeopardizing the participation of the other Japanese OEMs. Because so
far there's no real sign that Ducati, Buell, KTM, BMW are going to show
in any meaningful way, right?

It also should be mentioned that the 200 will be run with the most
stock, the least advanced racebikes (relatively) in as long as I've been
aware of that race. Yamaha will run it apparently with bikes built by
it's satellite team, Graves. "Massive commitment" my a.s - welcome to
the day after.

Now we wait for the next shoe to drop. Yet again.

add in a bit of delusion...