Posts
13153
Joined
8/16/2006
Location
Sacramento, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
1/24/2012 6:35am
From CN. I guess there's a lot of different ways to read this.
[url:14gw6kh3]http://www.cyclenews.com/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=11916[/url:14gw6kh3]
[quote:14gw6kh3]The AMA continues to cut its ties to the FIM.
The most recent to depart is Bill Amick, who, after a 30-year career at the AMA, worked as the AMA representative to the FIM Motocross Commission. His letter of resignation follows.
Amick joins four colleagues who formerly represented the AMA to the FIM, the worldwide governing body of motorcycling. All four either quit or were forced out of the their roles with the FIM since Jan. 2007
Former AMA Superbike manager Ron Barrick, who was let go by the AMA at the end of 2006, was the AMA rep to the CCR Road Race Commission. Former outside counsel Tim Owens, who was told his services were no longer needed in early December, was the AMA’s representative on the International Juridicial Panel. Sue Mason, the AMA’s FIM coordinator, is no longer the vice president of the Commission for Women in Motorcycling. And Greg Harrison, the AMA senior vice president of membership and marketing who was also dismissed in early December, no longer represents the AMA as the FIM vice president of the Commission for Leisure.
That leaves only two FIM members for the world's biggest motorcycle market with 16 rounds of the Supercross World Championship, two rounds of the MotoGP World Championship, and a round of the Superbike World Championship.
The two remaining AMA representatives to the FIM are Rob Rasor; vice president of the Management Council, and Ed Moreland; FIM vice president of the committee for Mobility, Transport, Road Safety and Public Policy.
The weakening of ties to the FIM contradicts the late December decision by AMA Pro Racing to combine the AMA and FIM World Supercross Championships. “The 2008 championship, for the first time ever, will combine both the AMA sanctioned Supercross Series and the FIM sanctioned World Supercross GP programs into a single, consolidated championship and will crown one supercross champion,” the AMA said in a press release announcing the coupling of the series.
That decision was met with universal derision by the American distributors of the four Japanese manufacturers, who have little or no interest in racing outside their borders.
To: Wolfgang Srb, FIM Motocross Commission
Rob Dingman, AMA CEO
Dirk de Neve, FIM Motocross Commission Secretary
From: Bill Amick, FIM Motocross Commission Member, 1986-2008
Re: FIM Motocross Commission
cc: Vito Ippolito, FIM President
Guy Maitre, FIM CEO
Giuseppe Luongo, Youthstream CEO Robert Rasor, Ranking AMA Representative to FIM Dear Friends,
It is with deep regret that I submit my resignation as the AMA's representative on the FIM Motocross Commission.
The immediate reason for my resignation is ongoing health problems that make it impossible for me to perform at the level that I expect of myself and that you deserve.
Equally important, I will be candid and acknowledge that I have become more and more disillusioned with the manner in which the AMA has been managed in recent years. Even if I was up to the work at hand, I can no longer muster enthusiasm for the task in the light of the association's misdirection by a scandal-ridden board with a track record of ruthless meddling with its human resources and for hiring incompetents.
I don't have the stomach to continue to represent an AMA which has no place for the likes of Ed Youngblood, Greg Harrison, and other quality leaders who have been fired or forced to resign so that a handful of small people can try in vain to fill a void in leadership with their inflated egos.
The AMA's influence as a key member of the international motorcycling community has trended downward since the retirement of Ed Youngblood. Three CEOs and one interim CEO later, the AMA ranks as the FIM's No. 1 inside joke rather than its most influential national federation.
It has been a privilege to serve on the FIM Motocross Commission, first under Tage Magnusson, and more recently under Wolfgang Srb, since 1986. Perhaps it is fitting that my tenure on the commission began just a year before America's first Motocross of Nations and comes to an end on the heels of the return of the Motocross of Nations to America 20 years later. I was honored to be entrusted with the promotional rights to the 2007 Motocross of Nations by Giuseppe Luongo and Youthstream, and I'm proud that awarding the event to Jonathan Beasley at Budds Creek Motocross Park resulted in such a great success for the FIM, Youthstream and American motocross.
I will be thinking of my friends and colleagues this week as you prepare for the 2008 conference meetings in Geneva, and wish you a prosperous 2008 season.
Sincerely,
Bill Amick
[/quote:14gw6kh3]
[url:14gw6kh3]http://www.cyclenews.com/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=11916[/url:14gw6kh3]
[quote:14gw6kh3]The AMA continues to cut its ties to the FIM.
The most recent to depart is Bill Amick, who, after a 30-year career at the AMA, worked as the AMA representative to the FIM Motocross Commission. His letter of resignation follows.
Amick joins four colleagues who formerly represented the AMA to the FIM, the worldwide governing body of motorcycling. All four either quit or were forced out of the their roles with the FIM since Jan. 2007
Former AMA Superbike manager Ron Barrick, who was let go by the AMA at the end of 2006, was the AMA rep to the CCR Road Race Commission. Former outside counsel Tim Owens, who was told his services were no longer needed in early December, was the AMA’s representative on the International Juridicial Panel. Sue Mason, the AMA’s FIM coordinator, is no longer the vice president of the Commission for Women in Motorcycling. And Greg Harrison, the AMA senior vice president of membership and marketing who was also dismissed in early December, no longer represents the AMA as the FIM vice president of the Commission for Leisure.
That leaves only two FIM members for the world's biggest motorcycle market with 16 rounds of the Supercross World Championship, two rounds of the MotoGP World Championship, and a round of the Superbike World Championship.
The two remaining AMA representatives to the FIM are Rob Rasor; vice president of the Management Council, and Ed Moreland; FIM vice president of the committee for Mobility, Transport, Road Safety and Public Policy.
The weakening of ties to the FIM contradicts the late December decision by AMA Pro Racing to combine the AMA and FIM World Supercross Championships. “The 2008 championship, for the first time ever, will combine both the AMA sanctioned Supercross Series and the FIM sanctioned World Supercross GP programs into a single, consolidated championship and will crown one supercross champion,” the AMA said in a press release announcing the coupling of the series.
That decision was met with universal derision by the American distributors of the four Japanese manufacturers, who have little or no interest in racing outside their borders.
To: Wolfgang Srb, FIM Motocross Commission
Rob Dingman, AMA CEO
Dirk de Neve, FIM Motocross Commission Secretary
From: Bill Amick, FIM Motocross Commission Member, 1986-2008
Re: FIM Motocross Commission
cc: Vito Ippolito, FIM President
Guy Maitre, FIM CEO
Giuseppe Luongo, Youthstream CEO Robert Rasor, Ranking AMA Representative to FIM Dear Friends,
It is with deep regret that I submit my resignation as the AMA's representative on the FIM Motocross Commission.
The immediate reason for my resignation is ongoing health problems that make it impossible for me to perform at the level that I expect of myself and that you deserve.
Equally important, I will be candid and acknowledge that I have become more and more disillusioned with the manner in which the AMA has been managed in recent years. Even if I was up to the work at hand, I can no longer muster enthusiasm for the task in the light of the association's misdirection by a scandal-ridden board with a track record of ruthless meddling with its human resources and for hiring incompetents.
I don't have the stomach to continue to represent an AMA which has no place for the likes of Ed Youngblood, Greg Harrison, and other quality leaders who have been fired or forced to resign so that a handful of small people can try in vain to fill a void in leadership with their inflated egos.
The AMA's influence as a key member of the international motorcycling community has trended downward since the retirement of Ed Youngblood. Three CEOs and one interim CEO later, the AMA ranks as the FIM's No. 1 inside joke rather than its most influential national federation.
It has been a privilege to serve on the FIM Motocross Commission, first under Tage Magnusson, and more recently under Wolfgang Srb, since 1986. Perhaps it is fitting that my tenure on the commission began just a year before America's first Motocross of Nations and comes to an end on the heels of the return of the Motocross of Nations to America 20 years later. I was honored to be entrusted with the promotional rights to the 2007 Motocross of Nations by Giuseppe Luongo and Youthstream, and I'm proud that awarding the event to Jonathan Beasley at Budds Creek Motocross Park resulted in such a great success for the FIM, Youthstream and American motocross.
I will be thinking of my friends and colleagues this week as you prepare for the 2008 conference meetings in Geneva, and wish you a prosperous 2008 season.
Sincerely,
Bill Amick
[/quote:14gw6kh3]
I think that the fact that the top name on his list of addressees wasn't from the organization that he actually worked for might say a little something.....
I agree
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I agree[/quote:34h3of6p]
I heard his fallout was with the AMA and he just happened to be also on that FIM thing. It's not AMA vs FIM.
Is he talking about the years his friends were there? I don't know this guy from Adam, but if his boys were still there, I'm sure he wouldn't be leaving. Is this the guy they were going to investigate his expense account?
According to the press release that came out this morning, they are taking all the evidence of "unsubstantiated expenses reimbursed" to former AMA Board Chairman Dal Smilie and turning it over to law enforcement officials.
Basically, an internal review alerted the rest of the AMA Board that Dal Smilie had been claiming (therefore reimbursed for) all kinds of expenses on his paid business trips that he never spent the money on. So he's been stealing money from the pocket of every AMA member for who-knows-how-long.
When the board announced that there was something amiss in his file, the board members voted to have it investigated. Mr. Smilie obviously knew it would be bad news, and he thought he would fix it by turning in his official resignation. Of course his resignation was accepted, but the investigation continued.
According to the press release that came out this morning, they are taking all the evidence of "unsubstantiated expenses reimbursed" to former AMA Board Chairman Dal Smilie and turning it over to law enforcement officials.
Basically, an internal review alerted the rest of the AMA Board that Dal Smilie had been claiming (therefore reimbursed for) all kinds of expenses on his paid business trips that he never spent the money on. So he's been stealing money from the pocket of every AMA member for who-knows-how-long.
When the board announced that there was something amiss in his file, the board members voted to have it investigated. Mr. Smilie obviously knew it would be bad news, and he thought he would fix it by turning in his official resignation. Of course his resignation was accepted, but the investigation continued.[/quote:kq61e2wm]
Does the AMA give a yearly distribution of where membership dues go?
The AMA continues to cut its ties to the FIM.
Is this a sign that Youthstream maybe out of consideration for the "AMA" Nationals?
[/quote:3kp3bp33]
It may not be, BUT, it was ammick and razor who preached that FIM crap all the time. it was those two who undermined a bunch of things at congress a few years ago, ammick being the culprit of the demise of the technical committee being run like it should have been and not an oem think tank on how to make rules fit.
Isn't it funny how much we heard how we HAD to conform to FIM that they were the leaders blah blah blah........
anyway it's like Dingman said when he announced last year in congress, "proof is in the puddin" well not sure how long it takes for "puddin" to cure, but one thing he has prooved he can do. That is fire all the help that have been there a really long time, indicate that the board chairman is a crook, and after all this Jeff Smith resigns.........hope the baby didn't get tossed out to.
most of this will shake loose here this spring and summer, with the announcement of the nationals new "boss" or "partner".....I wonder how well those NPG fellars are going to like another hand in the cookie jar? seems to me there are plenty out there now??? Glad that's a pro problem hope it don't end up costing us members a ton of money.
GOOD LUCK!!!!! we as a district, and some individual members have asked this question relentlessly for the last what 5 years, we have been ignored, given a glossy overview that tells nothing but totals, and the question is out there again. Be nice to see the books, and by the way, just how many dam people have to be sent to FIM and for what? would one person be plenty, i mean dam is it a 5 day 40 hour job or something? Guess alot of talking needs more mouths.
[/b:3jn3ztce]
Yup
Get your regional on folks , it's the New Global
I agree[/quote:37ma6kn8]
I heard his fallout was with the AMA and he just happened to be also on that FIM thing. It's not AMA vs FIM.[/quote:37ma6kn8]
His resignation letter certainly makes it look a bit like an AMA vs FIM thing........
GOOD LUCK!!!!! we as a district, and some individual members have asked this question relentlessly for the last what 5 years, we have been ignored, given a glossy overview that tells nothing but totals, and the question is out there again. Be nice to see the books, and by the way, just how many dam people have to be sent to FIM and for what? would one person be plenty, i mean dam is it a 5 day 40 hour job or something? Guess alot of talking needs more mouths.[/quote:1elxb7hw]
AMA is nothing but a secretive bunch, just like NPG.
No AMA MX in NorCal locally since close to mid-80's when CMC/GFI came w/those contingencies from OEM's.
In our area, AMA/District only do CC, HS and Enduros. They get OEM contingency, but got beat to the punch by those above in MX.
Except Hangtown; one NPG member claims event makes no money....he tried to tell me that it costs them 250K just for the sand being trucked in(yeah tell someone thats drunk)....yet a Business Journal article from the '05 event says sand costs were 29K, insurance 19K, purse 60K, security which couldn't be more than 25K(even if its way more; doesn't matter) and the majority work as volunteers....yet collected 100K sponsorship dollars(not counting vendors), 27,000 paid attendance and other revenues(like huge amateur day racers)....prob at least a million, yet tell me you don't make a cent....I don't see no more than $250K expenses, yet collect a mil; maybe more??? I'd like to see the books opened on Hangtown myself....and what the AMA/NPG mades that wkend.
No wonder NPG is so wanting to keep their prized babys. Don't make as much as SX, but yet for one weekend a yr...Magoo brought up at a landclosure meeting for Foresthill to the Dist LAO, a Dirt Digger(NPG), why Hangtown uses State OHV money for the event....very quiet to say the least and Magoo got po'd and left.
Again, if you, NPG, make no money at one event, you can't make money at the others....
Guess that's why Youthstream, LN and others are bidding to make nothing on the Nationals...
I don't know the particulars of any one event. But usually if there is something to sell there is a profit invovled. Hell I don't care about specific tracks, or events, what my problem is we submit ten's of thousands of dollars in fees every year to a "MEMBERSHIP" organization which controls many things. In this age of buzz words that have been thrown around like "transpanency" i guess we need special glasses to "see". I think that our rough calculations puts total income around 25 mil. , where the hell does it all go?
GOOD LUCK!!!!! we as a district, and some individual members have asked this question relentlessly for the last what 5 years, we have been ignored, given a glossy overview that tells nothing but totals, and the question is out there again. Be nice to see the books, and by the way, just how many dam people have to be sent to FIM and for what? would one person be plenty, i mean dam is it a 5 day 40 hour job or something? Guess alot of talking needs more mouths.[/quote:vqcedlou]
AMA is nothing but a secretive bunch, just like NPG.
No AMA MX in NorCal locally since close to mid-80's when CMC/GFI came w/those contingencies from OEM's.
In our area, AMA/District only do CC, HS and Enduros. They get OEM contingency, but got beat to the punch by those above in MX.
Except Hangtown; one NPG member claims event makes no money....he tried to tell me that it costs them 250K just for the sand being trucked in(yeah tell someone thats drunk)....yet a Business Journal article from the '05 event says sand costs were 29K, insurance 19K, purse 60K, security which couldn't be more than 25K(even if its way more; doesn't matter) and the majority work as volunteers....yet collected 100K sponsorship dollars(not counting vendors), 27,000 paid attendance and other revenues(like huge amateur day racers)....prob at least a million, yet tell me you don't make a cent....I don't see no more than $250K expenses, yet collect a mil; maybe more??? I'd like to see the books opened on Hangtown myself....and what the AMA/NPG mades that wkend.
No wonder NPG is so wanting to keep their prized babys. Don't make as much as SX, but yet for one weekend a yr...Magoo brought up at a landclosure meeting for Foresthill to the Dist LAO, a Dirt Digger(NPG), why Hangtown uses State OHV money for the event....very quiet to say the least and Magoo got po'd and left.
Again, if you, NPG, make no money at one event, you can't make money at the others....
Guess that's why Youthstream, LN and others are bidding to make nothing on the Nationals...[/quote:vqcedlou]
I'm impressed. You should write global news.
1) I wouldn't try to reverse-engineer a budget like that, but you are asking the right questions.
2) You have touched on another key to understanding the AMA's mood that didn't make FTE's excellent novel, the "where does the money go?" thing. That's real too. (This is in general with the outdoors, not picking on one event.)
But as you mentioned, the "new vision" didn't say much about rider compensation, and the two entities we talk about as bidders, NPG and YS, either don't pay enough to riders from their sack of gold (according to conventional wisdom) or pay nothing at all.
So if another element of the AMA's disillusionment with NPG is "where does the money go?" it doesn't seem like a question they are asking with regard to the riders' interests, and if it was, then there isn't anything that has stopped the AMA from squeezing it out by mandating a bigger purse. It's not that complicated to do that.
Pit Row
But as you mentioned, the "new vision" didn't say much about rider compensation, and the two entities we talk about as bidders, NPG and YS, either don't pay enough to riders from their sack of gold (according to conventional wisdom) or pay nothing at all.
So if another element of the AMA's disillusionment with NPG is "where does the money go?" it doesn't seem like a question they are asking with regard to the riders' interests, and if it was, then there isn't anything that has stopped the AMA from squeezing it out by mandating a bigger purse. It's not that complicated to do that.[/quote:3l5als7b]
Why would they ask such questions with rider's interests in mind? It's just stuff that asked more privately and talked about less. But it's there and it's strong, so are the mechanisms to keep that kind of talk out of the public eye. Even you missed it!
If I were in business and I was losing money and/or not making enough for the headache then why keep doing it, why keep fighting for the nationals if they're losing money all the time?
Bottom line; the numbers don't lie! Unless it rains, these track owners are making money and that's that! I am sick and tired of hearing about the losses, seriously. If you're losing so much dam money, then get out of the business.
"Loose" - not tight or ill-fitting
"Loose" - not tight or ill-fitting[/quote:a446u7v4]Thanks, friend! Sorry about the brain fart, lol.
1) I wouldn't try to reverse-engineer a budget like that, but you are asking the right questions.
2) You have touched on another key to understanding the AMA's mood that didn't make FTE's excellent novel, the "where does the money go?" thing. That's real too. (This is in general with the outdoors, not picking on one event.)
[/quote:wcg086b6]
no one wants to waste the amount of time we do asking questions that should be membership knowledge from the git go. if AMA would simply inform membership like they should, then people in our district organization would be able to put more effort in support of the national organization. "global news" comment from two seperate posters on the board is kinda funny, since post boards are mainly the same kind of deal as any kind of news. It's all speculation, some is just supported by facts.
Got it. Less concern for the fairness of the system and more "some of that money should be mine."
Nice healthy dynamic.
Got it. Less concern for the fairness of the system and more "some of that money should be mine."
Nice healthy dynamic.[/quote:2shwgylf]
Simmer until it comes to a slow boil.......
GOOD LUCK!!!!! we as a district, and some individual members have asked this question relentlessly for the last what 5 years, we have been ignored, given a glossy overview that tells nothing but totals, and the question is out there again. Be nice to see the books, and by the way, just how many dam people have to be sent to FIM and for what? would one person be plenty, i mean dam is it a 5 day 40 hour job or something? Guess alot of talking needs more mouths.[/quote:192qonuy]
AMA is nothing but a secretive bunch, just like NPG.
No AMA MX in NorCal locally since close to mid-80's when CMC/GFI came w/those contingencies from OEM's.
In our area, AMA/District only do CC, HS and Enduros. They get OEM contingency, but got beat to the punch by those above in MX.
Except Hangtown; one NPG member claims event makes no money....he tried to tell me that it costs them 250K just for the sand being trucked in(yeah tell someone thats drunk)....yet a Business Journal article from the '05 event says sand costs were 29K, insurance 19K, purse 60K, security which couldn't be more than 25K(even if its way more; doesn't matter) and the majority work as volunteers....yet collected 100K sponsorship dollars(not counting vendors), 27,000 paid attendance and other revenues(like huge amateur day racers)....prob at least a million, yet tell me you don't make a cent....I don't see no more than $250K expenses, yet collect a mil; maybe more??? I'd like to see the books opened on Hangtown myself....and what the AMA/NPG mades that wkend.
No wonder NPG is so wanting to keep their prized babys. Don't make as much as SX, but yet for one weekend a yr...Magoo brought up at a landclosure meeting for Foresthill to the Dist LAO, a Dirt Digger(NPG), why Hangtown uses State OHV money for the event....very quiet to say the least and Magoo got po'd and left.
Again, if you, NPG, make no money at one event, you can't make money at the others....
Guess that's why Youthstream, LN and others are bidding to make nothing on the Nationals...[/quote:192qonuy]
A few things overlooked. ( I run a business Not Mx related) How much did Hangtown spend on Advertising ,Guests (Press-riders-sponsors ama vip's 29,000 people ( how many paid?) site prep (dozers ,seats, fences, buildings , sani cans trash clean-up-some tracks must have to pay hired help-)How much was the Sanction fee? Some tracks must pay taxes or rent. If they recieved $100,000 from sponsors I am sure the AMA recieved half . wasn't that the year the new 5-6 yr contracts started and AMA took over sponsorship? I think the promoters take a big risk in this sport. Does the AMA promise all tracks that the Big name riders will appear? Attendence is based on who and what is in the show. Rnd 3 might not have the big names because of injury but they show for rnd 6 . What if the NPG signs with AMA for the next 5 yrs and Youthstream has a better series can the AMA make the teams ride the NPG series only? NO then nobody wins but the AMA . Its a very slippery slope and I think the AMA is put on the grease!!!I love the Nationals and have seen improvments . How come all these intrested people have not started there own series? How about a NASCAR Supercross series?
Only left turns!!! WOOHOO
Only left turns!!! WOOHOO
Alright, I wanna see NASCAR doing 65 foot triples in their cars. For that, I would go see a NASCAR race![/quote:3qd6u8w6]
Pastrana!!!
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