mika
Still Wondering
Road Racing Splits in the US ÔÇô or the alphabet soup wars
In a press conference during this yearÔÇÖs Daytona Race Week the AMA announced it was turning over control of road racing in America to the DMG. Reactions were, at best, mixed.
Many have been frustrated with the stewardship of racing by the AMA for years. The upheavals in the AMA only served to exacerbate this long term undercurrent.
Enter DMG. The links to the France family racing promotion experience would seem to bode well yet there is a long history going back to Bill France being part of the reason it has taken years for MotoGP to return to the U.S.
While all of this was being digested the Motorcycle Industry Council acts as a legal place for some of the manufacturers to get together and talk about starting their own series. I some because it seems Ducati and BMW were not part of the discussions. Yamaha may have been part of the discussion but for right now is holding out and appears to be ready to stay in the AMA/DMG series.
Track and race promoters were called to talk with MIC about their plans and the reception was lukewarm. How could they put together a viable program in time for the next season? Were they serious or was this just a bargaining tactic as it has been in other forms of racing, F-1 comes quickly to mind.
This has been muddling along for months while the AMA race stewards have been sanctioning racing teams for a variety of infractions related to homologation of parts in winning race bikes. Post race tech inspections operate under seemingly arcane set of rules. As an outside observers you are left to wonder is this a last fit of due diligence on the part of the AMA or a case of sending a message to the manufacturers.
All of this and a bit more brings us to 10 September, 2008 and the formal announcement by the MIC that it is launching the USSB Championship for 2009.
If you are a fan of drama and conspiracy the next year could bring a race season for the ages. If you are a fan of racing it may well rank up there with an outbreak of the Black Plague.
America may be the largest market in the world for large capacity motorcycles. Racing in the U.S. needed to change hands. But can it really support two major race series?
Other sports have gone through start ups to see them join in the end. The NBA and the ABA joined. The NFL and the AFL joined. But those were truly cases of startups meeting excess demand resulting in a logical future merger.
The model we may be looking at is more like IRL/Cart. They split, divided a weakening fan base and now are coming back together. Life is not good however. The fan base was split and is weaker as a result. The teams are struggling with decreased revenues and increased expenses because of the split and changing rules.
Whatever the year brings it officially started with the following press information.
Motorcycle Industry Council To Launch The USSB Championship
IRVINE, Calif., Sep. 10, 2008 ÔÇô The Motorcycle Industry Council, the national trade association representing top motorcycle manufacturers and 300-plus other members, will launch a new professional road racing series next year in the United States.
The MIC has formally established USSB, Inc., and already is at work creating a national championship for 2009 that will take place at major racing facilities, feature factory superbike teams and rules similar to those now in place ÔÇô rules encouraging technological development that advances motorcycle engineering.
The USSBSM Championship is being designed to carry on AmericaÔÇÖs tradition, spanning more than two decades, of world-class superbike racing that showcases the nationÔÇÖs best riders on the best motorcycles in the country. The premier class, U.S. Super Bike, will invite teams running the highly developed, factory-backed, fan-favorite racing motorcycles (1,000cc fours and larger-displacement twins) that have long been the basis for superbike racing. The inaugural USSB series will include U.S. Sport Bike, a 600cc category similar to the World Supersport Championship and others.
ÔÇ£We initiated USSB because next year it will offer the only racing series in America for unrestrained factory superbikes and their teams, as well as those who aspire to join their ranks and compete with them,ÔÇØ said MIC President Tim Buche. ÔÇ£We recognize the strong support for this level of racing, among enthusiasts, among manufacturers and among riders. With the other series set to abandon superbikes as weÔÇÖve come to know them, USSB will fill that void.ÔÇØ
Buche said the MIC engaged in a development process for USSB that takes into consideration the various needs of industry members, manufacturers, track owners, sponsors, racing fans and riders, as well as the desire to grow the sport of road racing. In particular, there is a need to allow manufacturers to use road racing to advance research and development and improve future production motorcycles available to consumers. Buche said that the MIC possesses the resources, the capabilities, the access to talent, and the ability to contract with various groups and firms, to meet all of those needs and wishes.
ÔÇ£This is America, a big country with a big motorcycle market that deserves a world-class championship with full-on factory bikes raced by star riders,ÔÇØ said Ty van Hooydonk, USSB managing director. ÔÇ£The USSB Championship is our answer. We want to steer away from engine restrictors, away from mandated power-to-weight ratios, spec tires and spec ECUs. We want to set the stage for racing teams to compete, on the track, in the R&D shops, in the way they develop their bikes and help develop production bikes, in how they develop their engineering staffs and crews, and their riders, too. Let them do what they do best and go racing.ÔÇØ
Organization
The not-for-profit MIC has established USSB, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, to be the owner-operator of the series. As the sole shareholder for the subsidiary, the MIC board will appoint the USSB Board of Directors that will then function independently and guide the series.
To maintain the integrity of the competition, USSB, Inc. also will establish an affiliated, but independent sanctioning body, USSB Sanctioning, Inc., which will employ the series commissioner, a racing CEO who will have ultimate responsibility for all competition-related aspects of the series. USSB, Inc. will serve as the series promoter responsible for developing series sponsors, managing series communications and partnering with stakeholders and others to present the series.
Four stakeholder groups will each have a voice and participate in series governance: riders, manufacturers, sanctioning and promoters.
USSB will help establish a riders association that will then operate independently as it represents all of the on-track competitors in the series. Participating manufacturers will form their own committee through the MIC and represent factories. Sanctioning will oversee tech inspection, rules and regulations and will manage race organization and administration. Promoters will include individual promoters and a racetrack association in collaboration with USSB, Inc.
Marketing and Communication
ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre going to have a compelling story to share,ÔÇØ van Hooydonk said. ÔÇ£The USSB Championship will feature the nationÔÇÖs top level of motorcycle racing, with phenomenal riders capable of competing in any league, and high-tech superbikes that are among the fastest on Earth. We have a great deal of experience with marketing the story of motorcycling, and we will apply all of it to road racing.ÔÇØ USSB news and updates will be available 24/7 at USSBCHAMPIONSHIP.COM. The site will be live Friday September 12, 2008.
USSB, Inc. will establish a communications campaign to improve visibility and interest in road racing, include all types of media, and bring in new fans while maintaining its enthusiast base. For 20 years, the MIC has generated major mainstream media coverage through Discover TodayÔÇÖs Motorcycling. DTM promotes responsible riding by generating positive print, broadcast and online coverage, and through a responsive news bureau that annually fields thousands of inquiries from journalists nationwide.
DTM staff regularly work with national media, based in New York and other key markets, on dozens of motorcycle stories every year. Recent DTM placements include coverage with ÔÇ£Good Morning America,ÔÇØ the New York Times, USA Today, Popular Mechanics, Maxim, Playboy, and even La Opinion, the nationÔÇÖs largest Hispanic newspaper. DTM generated major media for the landmark ÔÇ£Art of the MotorcycleÔÇØ exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, and hosted its own ÔÇ£Rockefeller Center Motorcycle Shows,ÔÇØ seen by tens of thousands of visitors in Midtown Manhattan.
MIC Background
The MIC is a not-for-profit, national trade association with its executive office in Irvine, Calif., and a government relations office near Washington, D.C. The MIC preserves, protects and promotes motorcycling and the motorcycle industry. This is accomplished through government relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, and activities involving technical and regulatory issues.
The MIC also:
ÔÇó Conducts the ÔÇ£censusÔÇØ of motorcycling, the MIC Owner Survey, which is the most comprehensive demographic look at American motorcyclists.
ÔÇó Tracks new-unit sales through its Retail Sales Report.
ÔÇó Created Partners Standard Protocol (PSP) which defines industry standards allowing dealers to exchange business data with suppliers from within their dealership management system. PSP is currently implemented in powersports and other industries
ÔÇó Hosts the annual MIC Communications Symposium, bringing together MIC members and a variety of nationally renowned experts on the economy, new business opportunities and American psychographics.
The MIC represents more than 300 manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/ATV parts and accessories and members of allied trades.
In a press conference during this yearÔÇÖs Daytona Race Week the AMA announced it was turning over control of road racing in America to the DMG. Reactions were, at best, mixed.
Many have been frustrated with the stewardship of racing by the AMA for years. The upheavals in the AMA only served to exacerbate this long term undercurrent.
Enter DMG. The links to the France family racing promotion experience would seem to bode well yet there is a long history going back to Bill France being part of the reason it has taken years for MotoGP to return to the U.S.
While all of this was being digested the Motorcycle Industry Council acts as a legal place for some of the manufacturers to get together and talk about starting their own series. I some because it seems Ducati and BMW were not part of the discussions. Yamaha may have been part of the discussion but for right now is holding out and appears to be ready to stay in the AMA/DMG series.
Track and race promoters were called to talk with MIC about their plans and the reception was lukewarm. How could they put together a viable program in time for the next season? Were they serious or was this just a bargaining tactic as it has been in other forms of racing, F-1 comes quickly to mind.
This has been muddling along for months while the AMA race stewards have been sanctioning racing teams for a variety of infractions related to homologation of parts in winning race bikes. Post race tech inspections operate under seemingly arcane set of rules. As an outside observers you are left to wonder is this a last fit of due diligence on the part of the AMA or a case of sending a message to the manufacturers.
All of this and a bit more brings us to 10 September, 2008 and the formal announcement by the MIC that it is launching the USSB Championship for 2009.
If you are a fan of drama and conspiracy the next year could bring a race season for the ages. If you are a fan of racing it may well rank up there with an outbreak of the Black Plague.
America may be the largest market in the world for large capacity motorcycles. Racing in the U.S. needed to change hands. But can it really support two major race series?
Other sports have gone through start ups to see them join in the end. The NBA and the ABA joined. The NFL and the AFL joined. But those were truly cases of startups meeting excess demand resulting in a logical future merger.
The model we may be looking at is more like IRL/Cart. They split, divided a weakening fan base and now are coming back together. Life is not good however. The fan base was split and is weaker as a result. The teams are struggling with decreased revenues and increased expenses because of the split and changing rules.
Whatever the year brings it officially started with the following press information.
Motorcycle Industry Council To Launch The USSB Championship
IRVINE, Calif., Sep. 10, 2008 ÔÇô The Motorcycle Industry Council, the national trade association representing top motorcycle manufacturers and 300-plus other members, will launch a new professional road racing series next year in the United States.
The MIC has formally established USSB, Inc., and already is at work creating a national championship for 2009 that will take place at major racing facilities, feature factory superbike teams and rules similar to those now in place ÔÇô rules encouraging technological development that advances motorcycle engineering.
The USSBSM Championship is being designed to carry on AmericaÔÇÖs tradition, spanning more than two decades, of world-class superbike racing that showcases the nationÔÇÖs best riders on the best motorcycles in the country. The premier class, U.S. Super Bike, will invite teams running the highly developed, factory-backed, fan-favorite racing motorcycles (1,000cc fours and larger-displacement twins) that have long been the basis for superbike racing. The inaugural USSB series will include U.S. Sport Bike, a 600cc category similar to the World Supersport Championship and others.
ÔÇ£We initiated USSB because next year it will offer the only racing series in America for unrestrained factory superbikes and their teams, as well as those who aspire to join their ranks and compete with them,ÔÇØ said MIC President Tim Buche. ÔÇ£We recognize the strong support for this level of racing, among enthusiasts, among manufacturers and among riders. With the other series set to abandon superbikes as weÔÇÖve come to know them, USSB will fill that void.ÔÇØ
Buche said the MIC engaged in a development process for USSB that takes into consideration the various needs of industry members, manufacturers, track owners, sponsors, racing fans and riders, as well as the desire to grow the sport of road racing. In particular, there is a need to allow manufacturers to use road racing to advance research and development and improve future production motorcycles available to consumers. Buche said that the MIC possesses the resources, the capabilities, the access to talent, and the ability to contract with various groups and firms, to meet all of those needs and wishes.
ÔÇ£This is America, a big country with a big motorcycle market that deserves a world-class championship with full-on factory bikes raced by star riders,ÔÇØ said Ty van Hooydonk, USSB managing director. ÔÇ£The USSB Championship is our answer. We want to steer away from engine restrictors, away from mandated power-to-weight ratios, spec tires and spec ECUs. We want to set the stage for racing teams to compete, on the track, in the R&D shops, in the way they develop their bikes and help develop production bikes, in how they develop their engineering staffs and crews, and their riders, too. Let them do what they do best and go racing.ÔÇØ
Organization
The not-for-profit MIC has established USSB, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, to be the owner-operator of the series. As the sole shareholder for the subsidiary, the MIC board will appoint the USSB Board of Directors that will then function independently and guide the series.
To maintain the integrity of the competition, USSB, Inc. also will establish an affiliated, but independent sanctioning body, USSB Sanctioning, Inc., which will employ the series commissioner, a racing CEO who will have ultimate responsibility for all competition-related aspects of the series. USSB, Inc. will serve as the series promoter responsible for developing series sponsors, managing series communications and partnering with stakeholders and others to present the series.
Four stakeholder groups will each have a voice and participate in series governance: riders, manufacturers, sanctioning and promoters.
USSB will help establish a riders association that will then operate independently as it represents all of the on-track competitors in the series. Participating manufacturers will form their own committee through the MIC and represent factories. Sanctioning will oversee tech inspection, rules and regulations and will manage race organization and administration. Promoters will include individual promoters and a racetrack association in collaboration with USSB, Inc.
Marketing and Communication
ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre going to have a compelling story to share,ÔÇØ van Hooydonk said. ÔÇ£The USSB Championship will feature the nationÔÇÖs top level of motorcycle racing, with phenomenal riders capable of competing in any league, and high-tech superbikes that are among the fastest on Earth. We have a great deal of experience with marketing the story of motorcycling, and we will apply all of it to road racing.ÔÇØ USSB news and updates will be available 24/7 at USSBCHAMPIONSHIP.COM. The site will be live Friday September 12, 2008.
USSB, Inc. will establish a communications campaign to improve visibility and interest in road racing, include all types of media, and bring in new fans while maintaining its enthusiast base. For 20 years, the MIC has generated major mainstream media coverage through Discover TodayÔÇÖs Motorcycling. DTM promotes responsible riding by generating positive print, broadcast and online coverage, and through a responsive news bureau that annually fields thousands of inquiries from journalists nationwide.
DTM staff regularly work with national media, based in New York and other key markets, on dozens of motorcycle stories every year. Recent DTM placements include coverage with ÔÇ£Good Morning America,ÔÇØ the New York Times, USA Today, Popular Mechanics, Maxim, Playboy, and even La Opinion, the nationÔÇÖs largest Hispanic newspaper. DTM generated major media for the landmark ÔÇ£Art of the MotorcycleÔÇØ exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, and hosted its own ÔÇ£Rockefeller Center Motorcycle Shows,ÔÇØ seen by tens of thousands of visitors in Midtown Manhattan.
MIC Background
The MIC is a not-for-profit, national trade association with its executive office in Irvine, Calif., and a government relations office near Washington, D.C. The MIC preserves, protects and promotes motorcycling and the motorcycle industry. This is accomplished through government relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, and activities involving technical and regulatory issues.
The MIC also:
ÔÇó Conducts the ÔÇ£censusÔÇØ of motorcycling, the MIC Owner Survey, which is the most comprehensive demographic look at American motorcyclists.
ÔÇó Tracks new-unit sales through its Retail Sales Report.
ÔÇó Created Partners Standard Protocol (PSP) which defines industry standards allowing dealers to exchange business data with suppliers from within their dealership management system. PSP is currently implemented in powersports and other industries
ÔÇó Hosts the annual MIC Communications Symposium, bringing together MIC members and a variety of nationally renowned experts on the economy, new business opportunities and American psychographics.
The MIC represents more than 300 manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/ATV parts and accessories and members of allied trades.