Honda returning to American Road Racing?

motogrady
Posts
3931
Joined
1/27/2008
Location
WV US



Well, it's been maybe a decade since Big Red pulled the plug on American Road Racing.
Issues with DMG killed them from wanting to run AMA, so, they just packed up and left the scene.
After trying to run it themselves for years, Daytona Motorsports Group finally did what they did with motocross.
Sold the rights to run AMA roadracing to a group called MotoAmerica.
They run what's considered the top series, or Championship here in the States.
The MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.

Not a full factory effort, but factory backing, tech, parts and support, will go to the lucky guy above, Jake Gagne, and
Team Genuine Broaster Chicken.

A small step, for sure, but maybe the first move to bring American Roadracing back from the dark place it's been.

|
JPT
Posts
7210
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Cedar Falls, IA US
2/22/2017 12:07pm
Here's hoping.
AHRMA361
Posts
2472
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
NE, OH US
Fantasy
180th
2/22/2017 8:16pm Edited Date/Time 2/22/2017 8:19pm
I hope Honda is getting back involved to improve the US RR scene and not just cherry picking a failing series to get a Championship on the down low.

I really miss the old days when Mladin, Hayden, Bostrom Bros., Yates and other greats put on some awesome racing in the US.

Here's hoping this is a long term strategy that inspires the other manufacturers. Plus, bring back Mid-Ohio as a venue for US SBK racing!
tcannon521
Posts
2606
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
HI US
Fantasy
1398th
2/23/2017 10:34pm
AHRMA361 wrote:
I hope Honda is getting back involved to improve the US RR scene and not just cherry picking a failing series to get a Championship on...
I hope Honda is getting back involved to improve the US RR scene and not just cherry picking a failing series to get a Championship on the down low.

I really miss the old days when Mladin, Hayden, Bostrom Bros., Yates and other greats put on some awesome racing in the US.

Here's hoping this is a long term strategy that inspires the other manufacturers. Plus, bring back Mid-Ohio as a venue for US SBK racing!
I doubt there will be any cherry picking this series. I have a feeling the combination of Toni Elias and the all new GSXR1000 will be hard to beat.


http://www.motoamerica.com/toni-elias

The Shop

harescrambled
Posts
1893
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Warren, OH US
Fantasy
1992nd
2/26/2017 2:39pm
I'm glad Wayne Rainey was able to put together the group that is MotoAmerica...DMG tried to turn the only commercially successful AMA Pro Racing series (AMA Superbike...Supercross was licensed to ClearChannel/LiveNation/Feld prior to this) into NASCAR on two wheels. I said then that it wouldn't work, because the average SBK fan isn't the Average NASCAR fan....most of the SBK fans are motorcyclists...and a motorcyclist can go to his/her local dealer and purchase a machine which has about 95% of the capabilities of the race machine right off the showroom floor (years ago, Fred Merkel ran a Muzzy's ZXR-750 back to back with a showroom stock ZX-7R. He was 4 seconds a lap slower than the stock bike)..try that with a Monte Carlo. Not happening.
avidchimp
Posts
4557
Joined
7/9/2008
Location
Thousand Oaks, CA US
Fantasy
1250th
2/26/2017 3:36pm
motogrady wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/02/21/177595/s1200_image.jpg[/img] Well, it's been maybe a decade since Big Red pulled the plug on American Road Racing. Issues with DMG killed them from wanting to run...



Well, it's been maybe a decade since Big Red pulled the plug on American Road Racing.
Issues with DMG killed them from wanting to run AMA, so, they just packed up and left the scene.
After trying to run it themselves for years, Daytona Motorsports Group finally did what they did with motocross.
Sold the rights to run AMA roadracing to a group called MotoAmerica.
They run what's considered the top series, or Championship here in the States.
The MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.

Not a full factory effort, but factory backing, tech, parts and support, will go to the lucky guy above, Jake Gagne, and
Team Genuine Broaster Chicken.

A small step, for sure, but maybe the first move to bring American Roadracing back from the dark place it's been.

That kid can ride a bike for sure.

This just may be the re-birth of American Road Racing.
motogrady
Posts
3931
Joined
1/27/2008
Location
WV US
2/26/2017 5:20pm Edited Date/Time 2/26/2017 5:25pm
I tell you guys, trying to figure out American Roadracing yesterday gave me a headache.

Thinking about hitting the Daytona 200, I was kinda wondering if the Honda was going to be there.
Answer is, well, nope.

Apparently, the guys from MotoAmerica, which are AMA, are running a 9 or 10 race Championship Series.
And the Daytona 200 isn't in there.

Biggest road race, in the eyes of the world we here in The States run, and it's not a part of our National Championship.

The 200, with its $175,000 purse, is run by what's looks like an eastern regional group, ASRA.

How could the AMA let this happen?

MotoAmerica, kind of new to the scene, is AMA. ASRA has been around a while, but isn't AMA.
WERA, which may have been around longer than both, has been named as a kind of feeder series and been given AMA status to support MotoAmerica.

Huh?

Anyway, looking at the schedules, Daytona appears to be set for live coverage on FanSchoiceTV.
And MotoAmerica is running a round at Pittsberg International Raceway, an hours drive from my house.



Not a hard one to decide.

And yes, saw where Jake rides a Honda off road as part of his training. 2 - 45 minute motos on a 450 when he can.





Hey, how can you not like the guy?
JPT
Posts
7210
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Cedar Falls, IA US
2/27/2017 12:20am
The 200 hasn't been the same for a lot of years

Post a reply to: Honda returning to American Road Racing?

The Latest