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I read 11 pages of this, and the one thing I don't get is that a 17 year old minor walked into an office with $17k to claim a bike.
In what world does this happen?
When I bought my first car when I was 16 I couldn't get it without a parent being involved.
Can a,17 year old even walk into a dealership and buy a new motorcycle without a parent?
What happens if they try to pay more than $10k in cash?
Hell, I am 58 and I can't even do that without it being a hassle.
What the hell is a kid doing walking around with $17k.
And what really cracks me up is so many of you wanting to make a big deal about the 17 year old being in there with 3 grown men. Either you are mature enough to do the claim and deal with adults, or you are not.
But in my book there is a reason a minor can't legally enter a contract in most states, and that is that they are not mature enough.
The number one thing the ama needs to do to begin with is restructure the entire process.
first, by requiring a guardian to be involved in the process and any necessary discussions if the claimer is under age. It wouldn't have to be a parent. How about whoever is authorized to sign the minor release for the rider and/or make medical decisions. This would keep trainers and engine builders with no real standing out of the matter unless they had been appointed to act as a guardian.
Secondly, the entire process needs to be streamlined and clarified.
The official handling any claims, if other than the event referee, should be introduced at the mandatory rider's meeting before the event and an impound procedure needs to be spelled out.
There should be an information sheet available at the office trailer with details on the procedure including who can, and must file it.
And finally,
Something needs to be done to eliminate the stigma and blackballing of those that take an opportunity to use a rule that has a real purpose in keeping the sport from being dominated by those with deep pockets or feel the need to just plain cheat.
THAT'S THE POINT OF THE RULE, you can bring a $100,000 bike but know that it can and will be claimed (if the industry lets that happen instead of strong arming kids, throwing ethics out the window).
Lastly, it's no ones fault other than Star that Star has internal parts with markings that they don't want getting out. It's not "cool" or "trick" that they have internal stuff that they can't have getting out to the world in the amateurs. Save that shit for the pro series where it is actually cool.
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I get that they don't want to be found out they are using XX for whatever, I would say it's becoming clear they are playing next level and Yes, this is CHEATING.
If you are going to call it Amateur Racing - Make it AMATEUR. Then make this class Pro-sport. let the heavy handed professional kids have it out. Its not fair at all that the B FUCKING class is filled with paid riders on pro level bikes.
.
Hands down the best thing that could come out of this is a more level playing field at AMATEUR races, not least in the damn B Class 🤦
Nobody is an angel, but Brennan got screwed, Walker is a slimy MF and I wish the AMA or MX Sports would get a handle on these $50k bikes built with unobtanium, racing agaisnt true amateurs.
In the Pro's trick stuff is sweeeet, in Am's trick stuff is a superdouche move.
A short deck 2 ring piston and a 3mm longer arm could conceivably be fitted for 6 mm total stroke increase plus the industry standard +3 mm big bore-up gives a handy 300cc and an easy 16:1 compression ratio.
I always wonder about the bassier tone of the Star Pro 250's.
Haha Just saying..
Something is still very UNCLEAR about this whole ordeal
Was it Matt Walker who contacted Chris Darrach (The dealer/kids sponsor) first about the claim?
If true it would clearly show Walker outright lied!
If Walker did not lie, then who in the hell contacted the dealer about the claim first, if indeed it wasn't anyone affiliated with Yamaha as Chris the dealer stated?
Was it the Deegan's or maybe someone from STAR, AMA or even MX-Sports?
The dealer worded his statement by saying "Yamaha" but he didn't exclude STAR,he just excluded Yamaha Motor corp.
Hopefully there's a part-4 to clear up the missing link in claimgate.
That mean's whatever was said between the dealer to Brennan + father, it came from a position of discontent with the claim being filed.
It's not a stretch to imagine that pressure was applied on schofield family by the dealer to drop the claim. It's highly probable.
I think it was the straw that broke the camel's back which lead to Brennan dropping the claim. Pressure from, Brian Deegan, then Tim Cotter, then Matt Walker, then Donnie Luce, then the dealership guy.
Was that pressure coordinated? to me that's the big question....were all those parties talking to each other? There's certainly conflict of interest due to their relationships....(apart from maybe Matt...who comes off as an idiot)
Few kids would be able to withstand that kind of pressure. Feel for him...
Thinking about it all, There seems to be something still very well hidden behind all this. The way the dealer handled the situation was very sketchy, as he came out of it in a bad view anyway. And he still did not speak, apart from a one sentence sent to ML. So my question is, was he, and he only, the pure reason while this all went sideways for Brennan and all the claim thing? We will never now, from that interview with Luce and all involved. But if I need to look at it from a bigger perspective, there seems to be something happening around this Matt Walker guy. Brennan mentioned that he and mainly his dad is still very pissed about him and what he has said and done, so there might be something still which will come out and was not mentioned. This Walker guy and the Dealer guy have more in common that it looks like. And the Yamaha I feel like are just by standers here. The Luce guy seems like a standard corporate guy (moving slowly, takes time to respond, looks like he digests the information/questions and then he answers like we hear politicians every day). I do not see him being that involved and pulling the triggers all that much and in timely manner.
On the other hand I can see Deegan being involved more than we think he is. I have tons of respect for him and his family. They are doing things right, they are successful and what's amazing, they are doing it all together as a family. I love that. But I think Brian is a little too much obsessed with them as a famous family. Sure there are obvious reasons, but sometimes from the videos I feel like they try to create some sort of image for themselves which I do not bite from some of his videos. But maybe its just me. He obviously wants to protect what he built and obviously wants to protect his kid, I would do the same, but I am just thinking if he is actually not doing the opposite... I have a feeling that he and Star has more to do, to this story. And he probably does that through this Walker guy, and then Walker starts all the mess. Yes its a speculation, but I think it makes the most sense. At the end of the day, Deegan knows Walker, right? They know each other. There was an article long time ago about him (Brian) being at Walkers or something like that no? Circle closed? hmm?
And then Deegan does this stupid move with some Snapchat stories from Brennan to Haiden, which also look sketchy screenshots tbh. If he would be on top of the things as he tries to look like, he would never do that... So it looks like he cares about this kid a little too much? Also the way he wanted to know who claimed the bike in a first place.. Did that matter that much? Why was everyone so interested in a Brennan guy from a get go? I feel like it was secondary to the whole thing no? And then pulling triggers through Walker and all. Its just not right IMO.
Anyway, I just feel sorry for Brennan, because it could be hell of a story and content if he would actually get the bike. And he had every right to take that bike on that (next) day!
AMA was going to allow the Claim. Dealer said he was never contacted by Yamaha. Dealer/Sponsor talked to kids Dad. Dad decided to rescind claim. End of story. Seems pretty simple. All the other stuff is minutia.
Pit Row
I do commend Tim Cotter for coming on and spending so much time talking about the situation. I think him and Burkeen talking about it was certainly good for them, makes them look better in my eyes than Deegan and the dealer.
I did catch (I believe) that Luce said Brennan did seem like he was encouraged to drop the claim (aka "if it was up to me I would be leaving with this bike"). I don't remember exactly how he worded it, but I believe Cotter denied that so I found that interesting. I don't recall what Burkeen's answer to that question was.
Mr. Burkeen clearly stated that there was no coercion in his interview, 1:55:00. Per ML's original post, "Burkeen states that the AMA rules relating to a claim will only penalize another party if they counter claim a bike to interfere or if a rider is directly threatened by the claimed party. Negotiating a deal to receive some level of support in return for dropping a claim is NOT against the rules."
That is the definition of coercing someone!
Definition of coerce
transitive verb
1: to compel to an act or choice
was coerced into agreeing
abusers who coerce their victims into silence
2: to achieve by force or threat
coerce compliance
coerce obedience
3: to restrain or dominate by force
religion in the past has tried to coerce the irreligious
— W. R. Inge
Per the 2022 AMA Rulebook......
Section 1.1 A - 12
12. Each rider is responsible for the actions of their family and pit
crew, and any detrimental action caused by these
individuals puts that rider at risk of disqualification.
Section 1.3 J - 7
7. Any rider deemed by the AMA to be complicit in
circumventing the claiming rule (i.e. placing a claim with
the intent of returning the motorcycle to the original owner),
will be subject to a 1-year suspension of competition
privileges.
@ 1:59:40 of the interview - Mr. Burkeen admits that he once offered to try and circumvent a claim on AC's cobra back in that day.
Now the really simple part.
1. Brennan made the claim (everyone agrees that he did every per the rules)
2. The AMA notifies the Deegan's.
3. Brian Deegan notifies Donnie at Yamaha and informs him that Matt Walker trains him.
4. Donnie meets up with Matt and Brennan shows up at the camp site.
5. Donnie offers two engines and an opportunity to ride a Star bike at the Goat Farm. (This was admitted and confirmed by Donnie)
Per the rules listed above, Brian Deegan and Yamaha is "complicit in circumventing the claiming rule" and Haiden is responsible. He should be DQ'd from the event and suspended from AMA events per the the rule. I understand that this will never happen because the AMA (Burkeen) takes part in such activities per his interview and statements.
It's important to note that Cotter specifically asked Brennan if he was pressured into retracting his claim, indicating that wasn't allowed.
Well which is it? Is bribing people to retract their claim to circumvent the rule allowed or not? If it is then they should state that in the rule book.
Let's be real though when it comes to Brennan's sponsor that allegedly got threatened. You really think he should've kissed his livelihood goodbye so some 17 year old kid could make Youtube videos shitting on the Deegans? That's crazy talk. The people saying that have absolutely no idea the years of hard work and money that goes into even getting a franchise like Yamaha. I would expect the guy to do exactly what he did which is talk the kid out of the claim, say very little publicly and cut all ties with the kid. You don't fuck with someone's livelihood, period.
Maybe the storm really took off from an initial call from the one with the most to lose, to his 'equal counterpart' on the 'other side'. I.e., Regan to Motoplex owner? Wouldn't that explain a lot of the talk and order of events that came after?
The 'arm' is the stroke length.
Increase the arm by 3 mm and the stroke increases 6 mm- 3 mm at each end.
Post a reply to: The Deegan Bike Claim Story - Part 1, 2, and 3 | UPDATE: Brennan's Sponsor Responds | Schofield, Cotter, Burkeen, Deegan, Luce, and Walker