Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Eviffi"1 A MA Pro Racing chief executive oflicer AScott Hollinpwonh was ousted from his position last week after running the professional racing arm of the association since 1999. AHA public information director Tom Lindsay confirmed that Hollingswonh was gone in a phone .all to the AMA offices on lanuEi.y as - a day alter the news broke. Lindsay refused to 6ve details and would only read a short statement. "The AMA confirms that Scott HollinSswonh left the employment at the Al4A on lanuary 24, 2006," Lindsay said. "He had been chief executive of{icer of AMA Pro Racing, the AHAS professional competition subsidiary, since 1999. The AMA and AMA Pro Racing thank Mr, Hollingsworth for his cont butions and wish him well in his future endeavors." ln a follow-up phone corwersation with Lindsay a few days later, he said that no funher stafi chanSes had been announced. "lf there's a subsequent announcement, we'll make it" Lindsay said. "We're going to stick with that." As for who is currently running AMA Pro Racint, that falls to the AMAS executive vice president and chief exec- utive officer Patty DiPietm, according to Lindsay. DiPietro elected not to renrm Cycle News' phone calls directly, instead having Lindsay retum those calls to reherate tie original AMA statement regarding HollinSsworth. According to industry sources, the decision to fire Hollintsworth was made by an executve committee. AMA Pro RacinS board members learned of the firint in a l0 a.m. conference call on lanuary 24. When asked about the Hollintsworth firing at the San Francisco Supercross on January 75, AMA Pro RacinS supercross/motocross manager Steve Whitelock said: "Hy boss lHollintsworth] has left tfie company- lt is AHA policy not to discuss personnel matters. I don't know anFhing else. I was cauSht |oo-percent ofl guard, l'm surprised at the turn of events." Whitelock Responds To AMA Supercross Track Grumbling After witnessinS a close race between Makita Suzuki's Ricky Carmichael and Team Kawasaki's James Stewart at the Anaheim ll Supercross on January 21, AMA supercross/motocross manager Stwe Whitelock responded to chatter that the track. whiah was modified iust prior to the race, was too easy. "How could anyone fault the race_ track?" Whitelock said. "l had a cou- ple riders tell me that it was too easy, but it made for Sreat racinS. We had 45,050 people pay to see a motorcy- cle roce, and we gave them a motor- cycle race. They stood on their feet and watched the whole thing, so if we were wrong about that racetrack, end if we are wrong about any race- tracks in the future that do lhe same thing, then I'm sorry but we're not toing to change." Scott Rourreou o Hollinqsworth OUt Ai AMA Pro Racing Scott Hollingsworrh a ra a Rossi Says Pedrosa ls A Threat "For me now, my biggest rivals for the title will be Melandri and Pedrosa." World Champion Valentino Rossi and his ltalian MotoGP rival Marco Melandn have both said that young Spaniard Dani Pedrosa could emerge as their biSSest MotoGP World title threat in 2006. The world's top two riders in 2005 warned that the 2o-year-old will pose a serious ahallenge for the title itl his rookie season after yet another stunning ditPlay on board Honda's factory RCV at last weeks bit Sepang test in l"lalaysia Pedroaa ended the three-da),, test with the fourth-fartest time in only his third aPPearance on the RCV drawinS lavish praise from title favorite Rossi and world number two Melandri. "For me, now my biS8est rivals for the title will be Melandri and Pedrosa," Rossi said. "Nicky Hayden and lhe Ducatis will be there, bur Dani is very stronS l always think if a rider is a fast rider, he is fast with all types of bikes. He needs some more experience, but I think he will be one of the biggest rivals for next year, This year is difficult, because I have a lot of new rivals, very youn8; especially Pedrosa and Melandri and Hayden will try to beat me. we lost [Max] Bia88i and some of the old rivals, but we have new guys. and it's like s6rtint from zero, because I know exactl),, BiaSti or my old rivals. I need to understand Pedrosa and to race with him." Melandri, \/ho €nded the test in third place. iust four-tenths of a second in front of Pedrosa, also admit- ted that the Repsol Honda rider now had to be consid- ered a title threat as he quickly adapts to the brutal pow€r of the RCV The tyvo-time 250cc World Champion drew Prais€ from lYelandri, who said: "l followed Dani for a few lapr, and it looked to me like he'd been ridin8 these bikes for years. He is very fast and will be a contender for the title-" Pedrosa's growing army of fans also extended to a third ltatian; Loris Capirosti, who hartlols hoPes of a genuine World title tilt himself in 2006 after he finished the test in second place aboard fie impressive new Ducati Desmosedici (see separate story), - Vdentino Rossi "Valentino is stillthe EUy to beat,'' Capirossisaid. "But I think Pedrosa will be a serious contender, He has won three successive World Championships, which shows what a Sood rider he is. I think he will be there for the whole championship and not jutt at a few races. lt's true that his pace is only for five laps, but he is still veD/ {ast. He may be small, but he has a very big hean." The unflappable Pedrosa, however, was quick to dis- tance himself from talk of a genuine title challenge and refused to be drawn out on his personal viewPoint about his ambitions for 2006. "l don t care what they say; I don't think they are say- ing that seriously,' said Pedrosa. Motthew Bitt o o d o o 8 FEBRUARY 8, 2006 . CYCI'E NEl,Ys s r i r ? I t volentino Rossi soys Dsni Pedroro will b€ o throol lo toke the MotoGP World in hir rookie scqson, ,, .l / \ q 1 / I,

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