Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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FEATURE MOTOAMERICA P96 around. In fact, they generally went unrecognized or dismissed. DMG lost the fight from the opening and proved incapable of recovering. Those same DMG's mistakes made for some easy-pickings in the public relations department for KRAVE. Firming and playing up ties to the world cham- pionship scene–mirroring regulations and class structures in effect in World Superbike, leveraging connections to both MotoGP and World Superbike, and even the MotoGP-like 'MotoAmerica' branding– may seem like no-brainers, but KRAVE's movement in that direction reverses the DMG-trend. Rolling starts, assigning numbers to teams rather than riders, and the nonsensical capitalization of let- ters mid-word despite decades of history that pre- viously cemented the proper spelling of the word 'Superbike' are not the sort of amateurish mistakes the series' new owners are likely to make. Some of its early PR victories are a result of who KRAVE is, and others are due more to who it is not. Each commonsense decision is made more popular by the simple fact they are being carried out by anyone but DMG. That name had been so tarnished in the minds of large segments of the sports' fandom (and stakehold- ers) that MotoAmerica's job has been made a bit easier purely as a result of a seemingly bot- tomless well of spite. Some will want to see KRAVE (or anyone really) succeed merely to un- derline DMG's failings. As a result, the lapsed fan base–particularly those still paying attention to MotoGP but no lon- ger as passionate about American Superbike rac- ing–figures to be every bit as large as the existing fan base and ripe for MotoAmerica's taking. If they come rushing back in substantial numbers, a ma- jor battle will have already been won. Such an accomplishment might even mark a re- turn of relevance in line with the 'good ole days.' Here's the problem with that. Those good days only qualify as such in comparison to the current state. Cries that incompetent management con- sistently squandered the sport's potential existed long prior to DMG's entrance onto the scene. In fact, the Daytona Motorsports Group too was hailed as a potential savior at one point. Superbike racing has never been anything close to a mainstream sport in the States, not really even in a second-tier motorsport sort of way. The return of the lapsed fans is imperative but still short of MotoAmerica's aims. Growing the fan base by attracting new followers is where things get especially tricky and a conundrum that has be- come more and more difficult to solve. The competition for potential fans' devotion and Two-time Grand Prix Champion Freddie Spencer (left) and World Superbike Champion Scott Russell (center) stand on top of the box with Steve Crevier (right) at Topeka in 1991.