Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but Premium users receive great benefits. Premium benefits include:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
Doesn't the person or persons protesting have to pay a fee for each item protested? Does that mean since the bike was not torn down that they get there money back and did they?
Seems unfair the rider protested gets to say in essence " screw you I don't have to tear it down" and get away with it. Sure, he was DQ'd but What kind of precedence is being made here. Doesn't the AMA enforce the rules fairly or is it because of who he is that lets him pull this off. I thought the AMA was there at the track to perform these duties. If they make the rules they have to follow through with them no matter who the rider or team is.
Just my two cents
The crew chief is the one in trouble and shoulders the blame, Coopers Mechanic or team manager should do the same.
Cooper rides what they give him, thinking that the people in the know, know what should and shouldn't be on the bike.
Disqualify him from the race, that's fair. But don't suspend him and hold it over his head for the rest of his am career.
I think once you get caught you should have to pass a post race inspection at ever major race the following year. Random parts of the bike should be checked each time.
That would deter some of those folks from cheating to begin with and make them think twice before trying to cheat again after they were caught.
p. Refusing to submit a machine or component
(including fuel) for inspection, measurement or
testing. Such refusal will result in the forfeiture of all
points, prizes and rights at the race meet in question,
plus a fine and one-year suspension.
Curent protest fees (from the ama rulebook):
.1. Visual Protests that relate to motorcycles and components where
compliance or noncompliance can be confirmed visually. A $50
per item fee is required on all visual protests.
2. Technical Protests relate to motorcycles and components where
some type of measuring device or teardown procedure is needed
to confirm compliance or noncompliance with the rules. A $50
per item fee is required on any technical protests.
a. In addition to the protest fee(s), the following teardown fees
will apply for a technical protest requiring measurement or
teardown of an engine:
(1) 2-stroke engine: $100
(2) 4-stroke engines and all other 2-strokes: $250
(3) An additional $100 is required for measurement of any
engine that must be removed from the frame for inspection.
3. Administrative: All other protests will be defined as administrative
(e.g., rider eligibility, scoring, etc.). These protests require a $50
fee.
The protesting party gets all fees reunded if the protest is rules in their favor, I assume the same is true if the item is not made avaiable for inspection/teardown, From the rulebook:
12. If a protest is decided in favor of the protesting party, the
referee will refund the protest fee and teardown fee, if any,
and forward a report in writing to the AMA.
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
I'm sure Cooper is a good kid, but rules are rules regardless if you are ignorant of the rules or not. When you come to the races you're expected to know and follow the rules, it's just that simple. You can't claim..".We'll the kid didn't know and he's a great kid so therefore".
If Coopers dad didn't know about this...then he should be furious with the team for putting there career in jeopardy, Point Blank.
Besides if Cooper is as good as some same and could win on anything, then he should prove it and show up on a stock bike.
That being said, if it truly was the teams doing and the rider and riders dad didn't know, I feel bad for them.
Right now it was a carburration problem that doesn't meet the rules for the B class stock, it specifically has in the rulebook of the AMA rules that “under the B stock class a carburettor can not be modified” and right now it appears that the carburettor was modified. The sad thing is that I'm sure this is unbeknownst to Cooper (Webb), he's the rider and they say go ride this bike. That's the sad part about it, he's suffering the consequences of what somebody else did. And maybe they didn't do it with intent, maybe they just didn't take the time to get the rulebook and I believe that's what it's going to come down to. I can tell you that being involved with all these mechanics and all these team managers, they work their butts off to make sure they are above board and it's probably just somebody didn't stop and read the rulebook on what you can and can't do because it wasn't a huge problem with what was done, it just probably just slipped through the cracks. These guys spend way too much time and too much money to just blatantly just go out there and cheat.
Pit Row
You can't control it. Even if AMA or whatever only allow certain bikes with wired engines(like karting) someone will find a way of cheating. Even if a ton of parents or whatever try to protest about someones bike. It won't get stripped to prove the bike was bored out, or of unfair advantage they'll just load the bike up and leave. Much like Max Anstie back in the 65 days, when he was running 80 bore kits in his 65's.
Prior to racing, the AMA officials had arranged for a qualified professional engine builder to be available for handling any technical protest during the week. When Webb's bike was protested for a number of technical modifications to the motor, the bike was impounded and this individual attempted to inspect and measure the items in the protest. The Star group would not let the AMA designated person inspect or measure anything from the bike. The Star group decided they would send the bike to the AMA rather than follow the procedures for protests.
This is corroborated by the following tweet from Cooper Webb after the protest was lodged:
"I got protested in 250 B stk. My bike is being sent to AMA as of right now everything is legal and I won 250 B stk. Get your facts straight"
The issues with the carb did not require any special inspection or measuring by the AMA tech, and Webb was disqualified for those violations. There was no determination regarding the other items in the protest at Mill Creek.
The questions I would have would be:
Did Cooper’s bike made it to the AMA for inspection? If not, why not?
What possibly could be Star’s concern with the motor of the bike in the stock class being inspected?
Can anyone articulate one?
Why has Star and Webb been silent on the issues relating to the bike?
There are a lot of dads, granddads, uncles and even some moms out there that can somehow get their kids to the line at these AMA races on bikes that comply with the rules for the stock class. This is a full on race team, someone built that bike specifically to race the AMA stock class.
I think someone who is protested and someone who protests has every right to expect someone with no ties to either party tear the bike down. If the Star guys wanted Yamaha to determine it, I would expect the protesting party to object. If the engine builder chosen to tear it down had ties to the protesting party, I would expect an objection from the protested party. If an agreement by both parties as to who would tear it down could not be reached, sending it to the AMA for inspection would be a logical compromise.
This is true and was agreed to by the protesting party. It was his call and my understanding is that he agreed that a DQ for the float bowl was enough. I probably would have made them show everything, but the protesting party chose not to. At that point it was done.
No, see above for reason.
I can't make any comments on the legality of the motor because I didn't see it and would not know what it was even if I had. I am a four stroke idiot. If it were me, I would just want to make sure the party looking at the engine was impartial. If there was any question, I would have wanted it to go to the AMA. If they had been found illegal for something they thought was not right, it would have been boxed up and sent to the AMA for appeal anyway.
What do you expect him to say? They had a bad part, they got DQed. Not really much to say. I'm sure the team learned from it and moved on.
According to the rule book, the AMA is the director of the protest process. It doesn't give the protested in question a multiple choice as to who can perform the tear down, that discretion is up to the referee on site.
So if I understand this correctly, the protester called off the tear down part of the protest because he was satisfied with the DQ coming from the carb mod. I would sure like to hear from the protester to see if this is true. If this is correct, I think Cooper Webb and team should be thankful the bike wasn't found to be illegal after refusing the protest procedure and possibly losing his license to race for the one year period penalty that he would of received.
Post a reply to: Cooper Webb