After seeing a few of the World Supermoto events, it is clear that the racing facilities that the AMA guys raced on are very sub-par. Parking lots, streets, paint lines, badly deteriorating surfaces, man-hole covers, street signs, and lamp posts. If you throw in an alley or two and a few parked cars, you would have every obstacle that street riders encounter every day.
Why not have the events at actual road courses? There are many carting facilities around the country that would be great to hold a race at. Nashville was at a race track, but come on, they had a turn that exited by going up the banking, which really seemed to upset the suspension and looked pretty rough on the rider. The riders have enough to worry about when they are racing, why not let them race on a track where the paved surface is at least designed for racing. In Vegas, the one section was so badly deteriorated, that there was only one good line.
The Euros seem to be racing on tracks that are tight enough to provide good racing and fast enough to separate the men from the boys. I think the AMA should take a look at what they are doing in Europe and follow what they are doing.
Maybe once this sport really takes off and can stand on its own, the AMA will hold the races at venues that were designed for the business insted of these parking lot affairs. It has to be hard for the riders to get any practice when the riding style is so different from where they practice to where they race. Practice at a track, then go race in a parking lot where the surface is broken up and there are paint lines all over the place. I know that it is the same for everyone, but I would rather see who is the absolute fastest, insted of who can manuver around the road hazards the best. The same guys would probably still win, but they would be going lots faster and it would be more fun to watch.
In a perfect world I guess.
Later
Why not have the events at actual road courses? There are many carting facilities around the country that would be great to hold a race at. Nashville was at a race track, but come on, they had a turn that exited by going up the banking, which really seemed to upset the suspension and looked pretty rough on the rider. The riders have enough to worry about when they are racing, why not let them race on a track where the paved surface is at least designed for racing. In Vegas, the one section was so badly deteriorated, that there was only one good line.
The Euros seem to be racing on tracks that are tight enough to provide good racing and fast enough to separate the men from the boys. I think the AMA should take a look at what they are doing in Europe and follow what they are doing.
Maybe once this sport really takes off and can stand on its own, the AMA will hold the races at venues that were designed for the business insted of these parking lot affairs. It has to be hard for the riders to get any practice when the riding style is so different from where they practice to where they race. Practice at a track, then go race in a parking lot where the surface is broken up and there are paint lines all over the place. I know that it is the same for everyone, but I would rather see who is the absolute fastest, insted of who can manuver around the road hazards the best. The same guys would probably still win, but they would be going lots faster and it would be more fun to watch.
In a perfect world I guess.
Later
