[Pilota_Scuro]

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/Jul/e/n090731e.htm

 

[Ducatista1]

yeah we know

 

[rcrob]

Good riddance.

 

[crashman]

Good riddance.

Ya, the racing is always better when the best rider leaves
As the talent bleeds out of the AMA.......

 

[rcrob]

Ya, the racing is always better when the best rider leaves
As the talent bleeds out of the AMA.......

Or you notice the other fish when the big fish leaves the small pond. If it where Rossi Racing the AMA I would say the same thing. Now I might give a crap if Mladin bothered to step up and face the best in the world, but he didn't so I won't miss him at all.

 

[AZ_Scott]

Ya, the racing is always better when the best rider leaves......

Heh.

I know you're being sarcastic, but the racing has actually been pretty good with Spies gone. Now that the 2nd best rider is leaving, too, maybe the racing will be even better!

 

[rcrob]

Heh.

I know you're being sarcastic, but the racing has actually been pretty good with Spies gone. Now that the 2nd best rider is leaving, too, maybe the racing will be even better!

And that is the point of a national level "feeder" series. The REALLY good ones move on, while the best of the rest stay. it's fine to prove you are the bestand move on, but there is something sad about staying around while the best move on.

 

[kingsnake1650]

hmmm I guess that is one way of looking at it.. I kinda think that the AMA should focus on being the best racing series that it could be which mean bringing in the best talent it can find. Sure world level series are going to pull the cream of the crop because its a bigger market with more money. I just dont think its the AMA's job to feed the bigger series.. Its thier job to promote racing in the US.

 

[whippersnapper]

Typical responses from the usual suspects, but the retirement of such an accomplished road racer is worth reflecting upon in my view.

Mladin won his first national championship in Australia in 1981 on the dirt (flat track). He followed that up with 3 motocross championships in a single year. His switch to road-racing marked him as a phenom since he began winning almost immediately taking the Australian 250 Production championship in 1991 and followed that up with the Australian Superbike championship the very next year on a Team Kawasaki Australia ZXR750. The following year he was a factory 500GP racer. Just pause for a second to absorb all that. Imagine you started road-racing this year and in 2011 you had a MotoGP ride racing with Valentino Rossi and company? I know, it’s almost inconceivable.

My full post on this retirement is here

 

[crashman]

And that is the point of a national level "feeder" series. The REALLY good ones move on, while the best of the rest stay. it's fine to prove you are the bestand move on, but there is something sad about staying around while the best move on.

So if some one offered you less money for a "promotion" you would take it? Alot of people forget that Mladin reached for the brass ring early and missed. As far as I can tell by the time other opportunities came about he was comfortable where he was and decided it wasnt worth the effort.
All that will happen without Mladin is the bar will be lower and young talent (like Spies) will have noone to gun for. The racing wont be better. Just slower and closer. Kinda like club racing.............

 

[AZ_Scott]

Maybe.

But what if the opening of some factory rides allows some new talent to develop? How many potential stars from the last 15 years never got the chance to show what they could do, because every factory seat in the US has been occupied by Mladin, DuHamel, the Bostroms, the Haydens, Hacking and Yates - year after year after year...

Ben Spies was that rare exception who was lucky enough to be discovered right when a factory seat happened to be available. How many others haven't been so lucky?

I'll be happy when the entire group of them has retired and made room in the sandbox for the new kids to play. This isn't to take anything away from those guys and what they've accomplished, but clearly none of them are moving on to bigger things, and we need to develop young talent. We need more Ben Spies and less Mat Mladin...

 

[crashman]

Maybe.

But what if the opening of some factory rides allows some new talent to develop? How many potential stars from the last 15 years never got the chance to show what they could do, because every factory seat in the US has been occupied by Mladin, DuHamel, the Bostroms, the Haydens, Hacking and Yates - year after year after year...

Ben Spies was that rare exception who was lucky enough to be discovered right when a factory seat happened to be available. How many others haven't been so lucky?

I'll be happy when the entire group of them has retired and made room in the sandbox for the new kids to play. This isn't to take anything away from those guys and what they've accomplished, but clearly none of them are moving on to bigger things, and we need to develop young talent. We need more Ben Spies and less Mat Mladin...

Different philosophies I guess. More Bens would be nice but there has not been anyone who has made enough of an impact in the last while for the factories to invest in them. Why replace a mediocre known quantity with a potentially mediocre prospect. I believe Spies would have risen to the top regardless if he was on a Yosh bike or a lower budget effort. The big thing is he showed huge ability and lived up to expectations through hard work and superior riding. That would have been apparent on any bike. I have trouble blaming the racers that have the factory rides as they showed more potential than any of the up and comers.

 

[rcrob]

So if some one offered you less money for a "promotion" you would take it? Alot of people forget that Mladin reached for the brass ring early and missed. As far as I can tell by the time other opportunities came about he was comfortable where he was and decided it wasnt worth the effort.
All that will happen without Mladin is the bar will be lower and young talent (like Spies) will have noone to gun for. The racing wont be better. Just slower and closer. Kinda like club racing.............

Curious. I wonder what you would be more proud of, one world championship or fifteen national championships? Who is the winningest rider in the BSB or Australian superbike championship? Do you know without googleing it, because I don't. At the end of the day racing is about being the best, not about how much money you accumulate. It doesn't say anything about you when you stay and race the same guys you always beat and those that are caplable of winning move on. I have so much more respect for guys like Spies and Hayden who won and moved on then I ever will Mladin, because at the end of the day they want to be the best.

You know what is most telling to me is the fact Mladin had opportunities to go to world superbike and didn't, I guess it is better to win by proxy based on Spies performance rather than actually having to prove yourself.

 

[Motard-Menace]

I think it is a fine line to walk when you discuss who should and shouldn't have a ride. There are so many variables involved. Even such things as parents with the motivation and the money to get their kid racing plays a major factor in developement. Racing is expensive as we all know. Sure sometimes a kid with special talent will overcome any obstacle but it sure helps with willing parents, some luck and who you know.

Mladin definetely has skill above and beyond most. If you put riders on a 1-10 scale with Rossi being 10 and me being a 1 then Matt in my opinion is an 8 maybe 8+ on a good day meaning on the right day with all the stars aligning he could race with the 9's and even maybe the #10. I think he decided a while back that the AMA has treated him good and he has made a comfortable living so why mess with it. Didn't have the drive to want more apparently but history will remember that and he will be known as a great AMA guy and thats it. Maybe he knew that he could not compete on the big stage so why waste the effort running 5th,6th,7th or worse all the time when you can run in first most of the time. It takes all walks I guess. Its kind of like being a Triple A baseball player and a major leaguer. Most folks could never even make it to Triple A and even less to the big show. Sometimes staying in your comfort zone is a good thing for some folks. He made the decision and will have to live with it.

Now if you are a manufacture such as Suzuki and your goal is to make money which is why they sell motorcycles in the first place and they race to advertise their product. It only makes sense to put the guy on the seat who will win the most races. It also helps when you (the manufacturer) are willing to pony up the best of everything to accomplish this such as Suzuki does in the AMA. This sells product which is the bottom line.

On the other hand I also see the point in getting to see new talent to make sure we are not missing anyone but I agree with someone's previous post and that is if someone was that great they will get discovered. There is something to be said for development too however. And if I was a manufacturer I would not continue to support guys who don't produce. I mean if you have been racing AMA for 4-5 years with big time rides and you have one win well thats enough said, but we see this happening with some of the likes that AZScott mentioned. I don't get that, hard to believe there is not some other talent in the pool deserves a chance.

Long rant I know but to close its I also think its unfortunate that the US RedBull series was closed because that was one of the only youth talent scouting programs available on a national level. Although maybe not the best setup it had the right idea. (I wasn't big into the whole contract thing they required.)

 

[ZDM]

I was perusing Superbike Planet yesterday to see how the guys made out at Topeka w/ qualifying an also to see if Mladin and Hacking decided not to bail for the weekend.....interesting reflections there.
Interesting comment from Pegram before yesterdays race 1 at Topeka. It's hard to respect somebody like Mladin despite his accomplishments. We may never see the likes of a "Mladin" again, but he should move on. Anyway threating to pop a kind soul such as Pegram because he disagreed w/ Matt was a bit childish....if you're goin' out why exit w/ all this negative BS. They both raced for Ferracci, anybody know if there's some kind of conflict going on between the two? Why Pegram and not Hayes or anybody else? I guess more to come after the weekend.
Pegrams facebook should be entertaining this week.

 

[angelo1000r]

So if some one offered you less money for a "promotion" you would take it? Alot of people forget that Mladin reached for the brass ring early and missed. As far as I can tell by the time other opportunities came about he was comfortable where he was and decided it wasnt worth the effort.
All that will happen without Mladin is the bar will be lower and young talent (like Spies) will have noone to gun for. The racing wont be better. Just slower and closer. Kinda like club racing.............

I agree with you 110%

 

[angelo1000r]

Curious. I wonder what you would be more proud of, one world championship or fifteen national championships? Who is the winningest rider in the BSB or Australian superbike championship? Do you know without googleing it, because I don't. At the end of the day racing is about being the best, not about how much money you accumulate. It doesn't say anything about you when you stay and race the same guys you always beat and those that are caplable of winning move on. I have so much more respect for guys like Spies and Hayden who won and moved on then I ever will Mladin, because at the end of the day they want to be the best.

You know what is most telling to me is the fact Mladin had opportunities to go to world superbike and didn't, I guess it is better to win by proxy based on Spies performance rather than actually having to prove yourself.

Dude, $$$$ talk, and bull shit walks "please don't be stupid here" Mladin received a Massive "$$$$" contract to stay with team Yosh, and i don't Blame him for staying in AMA, and dominating the class for the last 10 or so years. Racing at that level is all about money for the factory's and the riders!!! even now Mladin has a very high value if teams want to sign him he is not going to be cheep!!! 6 time U.S. Champ, and i'm sure he will be a 7 time champ at the end of the season!!

 

[angelo1000r]

Good riddance.

I see your a Hayden fan????

Yep, Nickey on a 1000cc bike barley beat Mladin on a 750!!!!!

What has Hayden done in Moto Gp, beside suck!!!!

He should have never won that championship, the only reason he won was do to Rossi, and Yamaha having "DNF" issue, but at least Rossi won a shit load of race's that year to Nickey's 1 or did he have 2, ????? he sure had a lot of 4th, 5th, ex...............

 

[angelo1000r]

Ya, the racing is always better when the best rider leaves
As the talent bleeds out of the AMA.......

I agree 120%

 

[angelo1000r]

hmmm I guess that is one way of looking at it.. I kinda think that the AMA should focus on being the best racing series that it could be which mean bringing in the best talent it can find. Sure world level series are going to pull the cream of the crop because its a bigger market with more money. I just dont think its the AMA's job to feed the bigger series.. Its thier job to promote racing in the US.

I agree with this guy 130%