Road Racerhead #44

The World Endurance series wraps up this weekend in Doha, Qatar, and the WERA West series is getting together in Las Vegas (where Dean McDermott, from Tori & Dean fame, will be racing), but it’s all got a tough act to follow to live up to last weekend, as Sunday was an incredible day in road racing. We’ll be talking here about Ben Spies winning the World Superbike title in his rookie season and Valentino Rossi taking his seventh premier-class Grand Prix crown—both incredible accomplishments for Yamaha—but first we have to touch briefly on the tuning-fork company withdrawing its factory racing effort from AMA Pro Road Racing.

The news came in a Tuesday press release this week that was only six sentences long, and that also announced that the manufacturer’s supercross/motocross operations will now be totally farmed out to existing satellite squads, headed up by L&M Racing. Similarly, Graves Racing—which this season handled the brand’s Daytona SportBike squad—“will now assume additional responsibilities” on the asphalt. Details were sparse (and none of the people involved seem willing to speak on the record yet), with no word about classes to be campaigned or riders

to be signed, but it was revealed that some positions in the internal race department have been eliminated. We’ve heard one rumor that erstwhile team manager Tom Halverson will be joining Spies’ crew for the Texan’s move to Tech3 Yamaha in MotoGP, but that’s still unconfirmed.

In the November/December issue of Road Racer X, my “Ignition” column talks about how Yamaha is on top of the sport of road racing, and although that was written before this news broke, I still think it holds true. In addition to the two titles mentioned above, the manufacturer took this year’s World Supersport and World Endurance championships, and it won the last four races in both of the main AMA Pro classes, giving it momentum heading into next year. It’s also worth noting that given the production-based rules platform, there’s less and less reason for OEMs to field in-house race efforts, as there’s relatively little opportunity to either develop technology for the racetrack or apply knowledge gained from the track to future production machinery. In this new reality, satellite teams really just make more sense, and the current economic problems only make that more true.

On the other hand, it’s undeniably bad news for the workers whose jobs were eliminated, and for the sport’s prestige—and if manufacturers aren’t spending the money to field teams, one doubts they’ll be investing in sponsorship of races or television packages. There’s been somewhat of an information vacuum in Daytona Beach lately (though there’s a general feeling that change could be in the air), and it will be interesting to see how AMA Pro Racing deals with this situation.

In the meantime, we can all celebrate Spies becoming America’s newest world champion, and the first since Nicky Hayden’s 2006 MotoGP title. This World SBK crown is the ninth for an American rider and the first since Colin Edwards (Spies’ future teammate) took the 2002 crown in a similarly dramatic last-round performance. The next-best country in the series is the UK, with seven championships, while Australia has five. It was also Yamaha’s first crown in the series.

The Euros were all gracious to Spies, but to me anyway, it seemed clear in the final weeks of the season that it was hoped that Noriyuki Haga would be the champ. There was a lot of talk about how Haga was robbed of precious points in the latter part of the season by his Ducati Xerox teammate Michel Fabrizio (check out this hilarious video compilation by Rumblestrip’s Eric Trytko) and while that’s true, you can’t deny that Spies had many, many points robbed by bad luck. And anyone who thinks Ben couldn’t have done better than fifth place in race two had that been required is just delusional.

Anyway, I suppose it’s normal to root for the guy who has been a part of your series for so long, and Nori (who has now finished the series three times as runner-up, with another four times in third place) is definitely deserving. It kind of hurts when the new guy shows up, takes all the marbles in his first try, and then moves on to bigger and better things, but that, as they say, is racing. The fact of the matter is that it was clear from Friday morning that Ben had shown up in Portugal with no intention of losing the title, and he and crew chief Tom Houseworth were very careful to make sure their setup was ready by the time they gridded for Race 1. Haga, unfortunately, seemed behind the eight-ball all weekend, despite the fact that he had a ten-point lead going in. Congratulations, Ben. You earned this.

Ben is still on Lake Como as he prepares for next weekend’s MotoGP finale, at which he’ll be making a wildcard ride to compile track time in preparation for next year. As has been mentioned many times, that’s a good move considering the lack of off-season testing time, though word is there might also be a special, rookies-only test this winter. He’s bringing Houseworth with him, which is a great move, and which presents a perfect opportunity for this week’s trivia question: How long have Spies and House worked together? If you know the answer, put it in an email and send it to letters@roadracerx.com (be sure to include your full name and address in the body, and to put “This Old House” in the subject line. We’ll select three correct answers at random and send them each a copy of Keith Code’s new A Twist of the Wrist II DVD.

And congratulations also to Rossi, who kept things interesting in Malaysia by going wide in Turn 1 and being passed by title rival Jorge Lorenzo, despite the fact that the Spaniard had started from the back of the grid following a last-minute bike switch. For a minute, it looked like the unsteady Rossi of Valencia 2006, where he crashed and gave up the title to Hayden, but Vale and crew chief Jeremy Burgess evidently chose a setup that worked well on a drying track. The Doctor threw caution to the wind and charged up to podium position, at which point he calmed down a bit, recognizing that Casey Stoner was simply untouchable that day (Dani Pedrosa seemed like he may have been within reach, but Rossi wisely played it safe at that point).

As someone with a large number of elderly Italian aunts, I immediately recognized the “Old hen makes good broth” motto on Valentino’s title-commemorating T-shirts, and the live chicken was a nice touch (though I think it may have been a rooster). The joke had special meaning for anyone who remembers Valentino’s Osvaldo Chicken sponsorship ruse a few years go and is yet another example of why Rossi is so popular with fans. I’m going on the record as the first to predict that, should he notch another crown next year, Valentino will take a page from Troy Bayliss’ 2+1 theme last year with a 4+6 to celebrate title number ten.

As I alluded to above, Stoner was in a class of his own in Malaysia, and with him having won two of three races since his return (and finished second in the other), one can’t help but wonder what would have been had he come into this season healthy. The Aussie seems likely to retain third in the points standings over Pedrosa, but the Spaniard was anything but disappointed with his first podium finish in the wet. Those conditions were once considered an Achilles’ heel for Pedrosa, but much like Rossi before him, he has improved greatly in the rain.

His Repsol Honda teammate, on the other hand, is struggling, as Andrea Dovizioso—currently working with a crew that is on its way out—crashed out when challenged by Rossi. Dovi is in danger of being overtaken for fifth in the standings by Colin at Valencia, as the Texas Tornado is just four points back. Also worthy of mention is Marco Melandri’s current seventh position in the points, a position to which he leaped from tenth following a eighth-place finish in Sepang.

Rossi’s ninth title equals the marks of Mike Hailwood and Carlo Ubbiali, though he still trails Giacomo Agostini’s fifteen and Angel Nieto’s thirteen. He has never missed a Grand Prix start since joining the series in 1996 (he has 226 successive starts—a record) and is one of only three riders to have won crowns in three classes (the others are Phil Read and Hailwood). He and Ago are the only riders to have won premier-class titles on both two- and four-stroke machinery, and there are too many other accomplishments to list.

How long will Vale keep going as he adds to that impressive collection? He obviously has his Yamaha contract next year, and he told Italian newspaper La Stampa this week that he can’t imagine stopping at that point, indicating he’ll most likely going until at least 2011 or 2012. There’s a lot of speculation about his post-2010 time being with Ducati, and Vale hasn’t done much to quell those rumors in the time since his arch-rival Lorenzo was re-signed. Some are taking the promotion of Vitto Guareschi from Ducati test rider to team manager as a sign of preparing a suitable scenario for Rossi’s arrival (Vitto was on the podium with Stoner in Malaytsia, where he and Rossi were chatting), and while that’s probably little better than speculation, Ducati and Marlboro would absolutely love to have the super-popular Italian rider on their roster.

Speaking of Ducati riders, full props to Nicky, not only for finishing fifth in Malaysia, but for going por fuera on “Por Fuera” at one point—not exactly a common sight!

In addition to the championships listed above, the AMA Flat Track crown was decided last weekend. I was in Pomona for the race, which was definitely a Southern California industry happening, but I’ll leave the details to dirt track insider Miriam Deitcher:

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Thanks, CJ. Ten years ago this month, I traveled to San Diego to attend my first-ever motorcycle race: the 1999 AMA Flat Track season finale, which took place at the Del Mar mile. The race, won by Scotty Parker, was an epic showdown between the veteran and the kid: Nicky Hayden, who was an 18-year-old pup at the time. While Hayden and Parker have moved on from flat track (one to MotoGP and a world championship, the other to running a bar & grill in Flint, Michigan), I have pretty much stayed in the same place. For better or worse, I still spend many weekends traveling to dusty tracks around the country, following the chase for the Grand National Championship.

Last Saturday night, exactly one decade after Del Mar, I headed to balmy Southern California once again, this time for the 2009 season finale at the L.A. County Fairplex in Pomona. Incredibly, the race marked the first time the AMA Flat Track series visited SoCal since my first race at Del Mar. There’s a whole new crop of racers now, as only three of the top ten from back then are still on the circuit: Chris Carr, Joe Kopp, and Bryan Bigelow. But the racing action is still every bit as exciting, and frankly, not much in the sport has changed.

In 1999, Carr ran away with the championship, finishing 65 points ahead of Rich King. The story was quite different this year as, heading into Pomona, six riders were in mathematical contention for the Grand National Championship: Sammy Halbert, Jared Mees (-1), Kopp (-4), JR Schnabel (-19), defending champ Kenny Coolbeth, (-24) and Jake Johnson (-24).

Although I consider Mees and others to be my good friends, I found myself secretly rooting for Halbert all season long. He’s just the kind of kid you want to see do well. His dad tunes his bikes, and he’s sponsored by his family. Off the track, he’s quiet, humble, and gracious. On the track, however, he’s ferocious and exciting as hell to watch. I often hear him described as a “racer’s racer” with a “win or die trying” attitude.

Halbert’s championship hopes almost came to an end during the Pomona main event, when he pummeled into Stevie Bonsey’s bike after the former MotoGP 125cc rider crashed. “His bike slid right in front of me, and I went up and over at high speed,” Halbert wrote in his post-race report. The crash, which catapulted Sammy ten or more feet into the air upon impact, was so scary it would’ve sent most riders packing. But not Sammy. “It looked like it was all over,” he said. “I felt like my leg might have been broken. After a few minutes, I stood up and luckily the bike wasn’t too damaged to continue.” Not only did Halbert join the single-file restart in dead last, he then proceeded to finish on the podium. All that, with a leg so messed up he could hardly walk the next day.

Halbert’s third-place finish at Pomona was just enough to edge out Kopp by one point and Mees by three to win the Grand National Championship, making 2009 the closest top-three Grand National Champion finish in AMA Flat Track history. You have to go all the way back to 1963 for the next closest, when Dick Mann, George Roeder, and Ralph White ended the season ten points apart.

The feat puts Sammy in the elite Grand National Champion club with legendary riders like Parker, Carr, Ricky Graham, and Bubba Shobert. Or does it? In 2006, AMA Pro Racing stopped recognizing the Grand National Champion. Instead, they honor the winners of the Twins and Singles series individually, but not the all-around champ. At the AMA Flat Track end-of-the-year banquet the night after Pomona, Sammy’s Grand National Championship went unmentioned.

Like Halbert did this year, Coolbeth won the unrecognized Grand National Championship during the three prior seasons (2006-2008). What makes this year unique is that while Halbert won the overall, he won neither the Twins nor the Singles series. Coolbeth, on the other hand, won at least one of the two recognized championships in each of those previous three years: the Twins series all three years, as well as the Singles in 2007. The individual series wins provided Coolbeth with the opportunity to sport the coveted #1 plate during the years following his championships. Halbert will have no choice but to ride with #43 on his bike next year.

Fully recognized at the banquet were the winners of the Twins and Singles Championships: Mees and Henry Wiles, respectively. Both racers had phenomenal seasons, capturing their first championships. Mees won the Twins series by nine points, while Wiles was so dominant in the Singles series, he won four of five races. Also recognized was Aussie Mick Kirkness, series Rookie of the Year. Congratulations to Sammy, Jared, Henry, and Mick!

Proving he’s fast on big bikes too, Wiles landed on top of the box at Pomona, which earned him a 12th place finish in the Twins series. Wiles most likely would’ve finished higher in the Twins series had he not broken both wrists in May after falling off a barn roof, causing him to miss many Twins rounds. The timing of the injury was such that he didn’t miss any of the Singles races.

Since championships were at stake and the Pomona race was not televised, I decided to provide live lap-by-lap play-by-play on www.miriamsdirt.com, a temporary site built at the eleventh hour. It was fun to provide flat track fans who weren’t able to make the trek out west with a means to follow the action. In addition to Pomona coverage, the site features some cool photos from my personal collection from the 2002 season, when the Hayden Brothers often came out to play.

It had been thirteen years since AMA Flat Track had visited Pomona. The race drew a huge crowd that included many members of the motorcycle industry, which can’t be a bad thing for the sport. The 2010 schedule has yet to be released, but I’ll be surprised if the season doesn’t once again come to a close in Pomona. If this happens, you can bet I’ll be there, as I never pass up an opportunity to head to SoCal. Fabulous racing. Great weather. In N Out Burgers. Dust in my hair. What more could a girl ask for?

Now back to CJ:

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Thanks, Miriam, and congrats also to John Kocinski, who was racing at Pomona and came out on top of a great (and symbolic) battle with JD Beach.

Jim Race sent me a note that episodes 200 and 201 of MotoGPod are both posted for your listening pleasure. The former is a review of the Philip Island MotoGP, 250 and 125 races, including the major gaffe by Lorenzo that helped land Vale his latest title, and features a return visit by MotoGPod founder Bob Hayes. The latter is a review of the amazing races at Sepang and

Portimão, a look at what it will take to crown a 250cc GP champion at Valencia and the significance of the final winner, and a talk about the MotoGP engine-sealing rules and how that might (or might not) apply to wildcards like Spies. Check them out at www.motogpod.com or on iTunes.

Meanwhile, Rumblestrip’s Eric Trytko (who has a story on Canadian racers Jordan Szoke and Brett McCormick in the new issue of Road Racer X) dropped me a line that Pirelli got McCormick a chance to ride all of the World Superbike machines for the media day. Brett said he borrowed Ruben Xaus’ gear and that it fit perfectly. Look for McCormick to appear on an upcoming podcast from Rumblestrip.

Bob Starr just sent me a note that Colin Edwards will be on Dave Despain’s Wind Tunnel on Sunday night, speaking about his hopes for a fifth in the series and his new teammate for 2010 season.

Oh, and be sure to check out Mitch Boehm’s new issue of Moto Retro, which features stories on Eddie Lawson and the KZ1000R, Yamaha’s fist monoshock motocrosser, Route 66, Tom White’s motocross museum, and more.

That’s it from me. Thanks for reading, and have a great Halloween.