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I counted 19 bikes on the grid for the first Superbike race, which is weak, but not nearly as weak as the 19 paying fans I could see in the sea of Daytona International Speedway grandstands. Remember when Daytona was a big deal?

surprised that you are surprised. is it really note worthy news that roadracing was never big in the USA and is actually shrinking further by the day?

a moto-journo friend in the NoCal tells me that club racing there is really dying and correy clough (member here) told me there where all of 4 starters total in the vintage class race in the AMF event at buttonwillow... vintage racing is supposed to be low cost...

That said, last week we had the kick off of the Italian National Cup series and the event has shrunk from three days to sunday only thing. no wonder, there where 50 starters in total for five classes (albeit more than 50 blokes in the gradnstands). I think its really like that all over the world these days.

it was a good final yesterday afternoon. Good to see the number "20" in the field.

turboguzzi wrote: surprised that you are surprised. is it really note worthy news that roadracing was never big in the USA and is actually shrinking further by the day?

I didn't say I was surprised. But while roadracing has never been big in the USA, compared to stick and ball sports, there was a time not that long ago when the Daytona 200 was important enough that international racers came to compete as a one-off. Remember people getting pissed off because Carl Fogarty said he hated Daytona? Well, we don't have to worry about things like that these days. No foreign rider would consider Daytona a must-race event and no manufacturer is going to force a World Superbike or other top-rank rider to. Instead, they'd probably discourage it. The AMA Superbike round used to be one of the two biggest events of the year at my local track, Mid-Ohio. Now it's on the verge of being cancelled for lack of interest.

motociclista wrote:

turboguzzi wrote: surprised that you are surprised. is it really note worthy news that roadracing was never big in the USA and is actually shrinking further by the day?

I didn't say I was surprised. But while roadracing has never been big in the USA, compared to stick and ball sports, there was a time not that long ago when the Daytona 200 was important enough that international racers came to compete as a one-off. Remember people getting pissed off because Carl Fogarty said he hated Daytona? Well, we don't have to worry about things like that these days. No foreign rider would consider Daytona a must-race event and no manufacturer is going to force a World Superbike or other top-rank rider to. Instead, they'd probably discourage it. The AMA Superbike round used to be one of the two biggest events of the year at my local track, Mid-Ohio. Now it's on the verge of being cancelled for lack of interest.

yup They used to race in loudon N.H, every june. Havent been here in years Its a shame

Interesting. I'm just sitting here watching Indy SX on speed and the announcer says speed WILL be covering motogp races... he even mentioned the American rounds by name ! However the pessimist in me says the announcer is an idiot and doesn't know what he's talking about. Wait and see.

i am getting FB posts about race 2 for superbike results...no coverage though today os speed?
?

trianglelaguna wrote: i am getting FB posts about race 2 for superbike results...no coverage though today os speed?
?

No coverage today but superbike, GNC short track and the 200 tomorrow. :woohoo:

But while road racing has never been big in the USA, compared to stick and ball sports, there was a time not that long ago when the Daytona 200 was important enough that international racers came to compete as a one-off.

not just daytona, go back in time and there were the transatlantic match races, imola 200, "Race of the year" (in UK ) and others....gone!

well, since GP's and WSBK grown into +15 events per year and riders held by contract to just one series, these fun mixed fields dont exist for more than 10 years. Until early 2000's some factories still brought people like valentino, colin, haga, etc to the Suzuka 8hrs , but that is not happening anymore either.

shame, but teams cant risk top rider's injuries in a one-off race for glory.
add to that fact that every series now is for different bike specs and dorna being so protective towards prototypes. what rules to run an international daytona these days? nobody is going to build and develop a bike for a one off event. sad but it's been true for many many years already.

AMA Pro Racing today at 9:00 pm ET on the Speed Channel. Superbike and Sportbike racing from Daytona. Also, Daytona special program at 1:30 pm ET on the Speed Channel.

I just got home from the track. I was there camping in the infield for a week. What a blast.

No one sits in the grand stands they are all infield, all 19 of us