INTERVIEW
AMA PRO FLAT TRACK SENIOR DIRECTOR RONNIE JONES
P62
There was a national moto-
cross going on at Glen Helen,
and yet Keith McCarty [racing
division manager] from Yamaha
was [at Springfield] watching
the races, seeing what's going
on. That's important to us,
important to the sport.
We need money injected into
it. This is motorcycle racing, so
the people who stand to gain
the most, I think everybody
would agree, are motorcycle
companies. We need to sell
motorcycles for people in the
stands, people watching on
Fans Choice.
So, yes, there's all those
things going on, but we've got
to have those manufacturers
involved. I think at this point
somebody looking at us would
think, the OEMs aren't very
involved in the sport. If they're
not involved they don't really
need to give us a hard look.
If the OEMs are involved then
they feel like, well, those guys
see value in it. It's much easier
to get somebody outside the
industry if people inside the
industry are all in.
We know we've got to get
them first. The manufacturers
can help us grow as a sport,
too, and bring in some of those
other companies that we need
to turn this into a major league
sport. We're a professional
sports series, but we've got a
Could next
year's Daytona
Short Track
see twins under
the lights in the
GNC1 class?
"IF YOU GO TO A
SUPERCROSS AND
SOMEBODY GOES FOR
THE FIRST TIME AND
THEY ASK SOMEBODY
THAT TOOK THEM
WHO'S BEEN TO A LOT
OF THEM, 'EXPLAIN THE
SPORT TO ME?' AND
THEY SAY, 'THE HEROES
RIDE 250S BUT THE
GODS RIDE THE 450S.'"
