Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

"ls leaded fuel Ie as long as it's run Buell XBRR?" gal rna I I The Fuel lssue Previously the AMA had two high-profile chances to correct their silly fuel rule. lgnoring mistakes usually leads to biSger mistakes. Now they have put a damper on the most exciting Supercross series in years. The manufacturers should fine the AMA. Reorganizing the Af4A is not enough. A complete house cleaning is needed. kt McDade vid lhe lnternet The Fuel lssue ll While I feel there is absolutely no malice on the AMAs part in enforcing the rules with a 25-point penalty to Ricky Carmichael, I also feel there is absolutely no underhanded intent on the part oI Team Suzuki or Ricky Carmichael. But that is not the issue at this point. How does the AMA deal with this now? lf the AMA grants clemency to Carmichael, then what about the riders who got penal- ized in the past? ls it fair to retroactively fix a faulty rule just because it finally snared a rider who is possibly the greatest and most popular motocrosser ever? Was Chad Reed not popular enough to garner clemency from the AMA for virtually the same infraction when this happened to him a couple of years ago? How would you give back the points penalized in the past? The answer is. you can't. The dynamics of that season are history. Strategies of all the competitors for that season were altered after the penalty was issued. You can put the points back, but you can't alter how racers and teams reacted at that time. Motocross/Supercross history is loaded with B.S. rules enforcement that affected .hampionships- Would anyone even notice if a ioumey- man Pro had been caught with bad fuel and would anyone call for the rule to be retroactively fixed or the penalr/ retracted for sajd journeyman Pro? We all know that "no" is the answer, ls the current fuel rule fair, well wrinen and logical? No, on all three counts. ls it fair to penalize Carmichael for this rulel No. Should the 2S-point penalty stay? I really, really, hate to say this, but yes. No mafter what happens, Carmichael will be the top guy in the eyes of most peo- ple- lf anybody else wins the 2006 SX title, it will always carry the pungent smell of an asterisk. Good luck, Rickyl And, oh yeah, fix the rule ASAP Vlorren Reid vio lhe tnternet The Fuel lssue lll ls the AMA now in the business of trying to influence the outcome of championships? It is obvious that the fuel situation was not an intentional act on the part of Suzuki or Ricky Carmichael, as he does not need an un{air advantage to win and he would most likely have finished in the same posi- tion regardless. For several years now I have waited to see a real mce and have looked forward to lames Stewart and Ricky competing in an exciting fight to the finish. This year the three top riders have made racing exciting a8ain, and the AMA wants to take that away from the race fans. Remembei it is not onb/ Ricky that the AMA is punishing, but every race fan and the riders themselves. You cannot tell me that Chad Reed or.lames Stewart could feel like a real champion if the championship is handed to them in such a way. They are proud athletes and I assume they would not want a meaningless trophy they did not earn and the stigma that would go with it - "Yeah, you are the champion but you did not beat Ricky-'' Give Chad and James a chance to earn a real championship and the race fans a com- petitive year. For an unintentional violation, issue an appropriate fine or take away a reasonable arnount of poidts. But 25 points for an unintentional act is not reasonable, it is deciding the outcome of a championship in adYance. Hopefully the AMA will reconsider. Deyoy Brunton yio the tnternet The Fuel lssue lV Everybody is supposed to be racing by the same rules, though sometimes it doesn't seem that way. lf a rule needs to be changed due to new technology or situa- tions, then so be it. But any system with rules and laws that has no provision for appeals is on the border of fascism. Even Saddam Hussein gets his day in court. By the way, if Chad Reed or lames Stewart win the 2006 Supercross title, it had better be at least a 26-point spread between him and Ricky Carmichael, or it will be a taihted €hampionship. Don Rodlouer vio lhe tnlernqa The AMA is trying to put butts in seats, lf the Harley gr-rys down on lYain Street in Daytona knew that a Buell had a shot at winning the 200, they might show up to a race that has had dwindling appeal. Let the Buells run. The Americans are tired of being Japan's bitch when it comes to motorcycle racing. Don McEwen Noshville, IN Legal ll? l, for one, applaud Buell for taking up the challenge to try and compete against the cookie-cutter inline-fours. Make no mis- take, trying to get an air-cooled, pushrod, V-twin that started life as a Sponster motor competitive in Formula Extreme is a tall order. I think that anyone with a race- engine tuning background will attest, that even with the liberties in rule interpretation condoned by the AMA to allow the Buell, it is a monumental task to brinS that lump alive ... even with the displacement allowed them. Not to mention the inherent prob- lems with its chassis. But, I say it will be cool to see a little variety in the class. I hope they do well. Racing is more than a contest between indi- vidual race6; it is a medium to reioice in me€hanical character and soundness of the different machines- So, I think it was a fair decision and a good business decision that will make the races more fun to watch. Croig Wright Voccville, CA Legal lll? For cripes sakes you guys! Step back and look at this picture: The bi8 four have mil- lions gf dollars invested refining their sport- bikes into "race bikes for the street" so Buell gets pummeled for building a "street- bike for the race tmck" with a fraction of the R&D time. With a stock frame, modified swingarm, race body work (like anyone out there is using the stock street body work) Ohlins suspension, bette. brakes, all the right com- ponents, for a privateer to buy, put num- bers on and be competitive in a very com- petitive class ... as a privateer, I cah say this will be a great bike because I don't have the time to take a 600 and strip it down; send the cases here, the crankshaft there; order wheels, brakes, body work; safety wire 800 fasteners; fit race body work; etc. I am anxiously awaiting my XBRR so I can stick my sponsor decals on it, my number, throw race fuel in it and be competitive! Like I said, Buell took a streetbike and is building special-edition ones with all the race modilications on it ready to race. Didn't someone else do this, too? Not a fac- tory but Graves Yamaha comes to mind. Send them an R and they send you back an Ohlins-suspensioned, hopped-up, race- ready bike... and ldon't think between buyinS a new R6 and a Graves kit you can be under $32,000. Brett Donohtte viq t te ,nteroet A Question? Question to the AMA RacinS board: ls lead- ed fuel legal as long as it's run in a Buell XBRR? Joe &ri.k ia the lntemet Legal? So what if the Formula Extreme Buell is bending the rules? lf the AMA says its legal, it must be leSall They are using stock engine cases. Just because they are taking stock cases and meltins them down, then reform- ing them into homeboy-exotica is no cause for alarm. When and if the Buells ever win anything other than an all-Buell race, then there should be concern from Kevin Erion- The AMA is the American Motorq/clist Association, not the Japanese Motorcyclist fusociation. lf the Buells need to fudge a lit- tle bit, so be it. The NHPA spots the V- Rods over a thousand cc's over the inline- four-cylinder Suzukis. lt makes for great racing. 6 MARCH r s, 2006 . CYCLE NEWS I Egclellews Yoluntc xLlll SLm CLrro. - Itd&rt lo6.n iLr*L - A,rlrh., AOVERTISING . WESTERN STATES (11lj t5t -7111 Tqn P.an - Nrtaal Ac.ortB M agcr il L Thom., F.ct }l.rahl. RFn H.rill - W.r..m J.,6 /Udqa.E Rnond. Cawfo.d - N qtiaol kt ani n, C@ra no.or &hl.bh Xbir -rrir.d,!r ADVERTISING. EASTER STATES (770)1r94W cz,.t AIb. - oll.. ,n@oe* & N rrtd,8c@dhwr.t Sh.rl tutsll, SIEL Srith - Ednen 5dL, /tideFa ]'IARKETING . PRO]'IOTION l,,let Thoc - odde For6t H.Frhi - M@d!v CLA5SIFIEO ADS 6RAPHICS. Pf,ODUCTION KrthlEn lnwL. - P,odEtld Ald.8? Slniq KwoI, Roh.'t h.^i., Chrinina t1.nd6n - GEPrri. ^.tiEJ AD]TII NISTXATION Fim Xl.in - IdminitdiE llrinrd CIRCULATION Ati, &,erh@ - Cirdndbn $8o8q Ce.l ti{aio - P,*sna C6r

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