Efforts to get a US round of MotoGP

[KC]

With Americans Colin Edwards, Kenny Roberts Jr., Nicky Hayden, and John Hopkins all racing in MotoGP there has been an increasing demand for the motorcycle grand prix circus to come back to America for a round. Established circuits Homestead and Laguna Seca are bidding as well as a brand new facility in Birmingham, Alabama.

Eric and Ben Bostrom just tested their AMA Superbike mounts on the new track and gave it rave revues. Ben Bostrom easily rated it as the best track he has ever driven on, including the traditional venues he raced while in WSBK.

The Barber Motorsports Park is also the home of a World-Class 2.3 mile Road Course, which has been built to FIA and FIM standards. The facility, which is already being called the best in the nation, is 45 foot wide with 16 turns and has 80 feet of elevation change. The paved paddock is tiered so that all competitors have the perfect view. Probably the most unique factor of this facility is that from most points around the track, the spectator has at least 80 percent total visibility of the on track action.

I sincerely hope that Barber gets the race. It will be much closer to where I am than either Homestead or Laguna. Laguna would be an awesome venue and offers the Southern California weather and atmosphere. Homestead offers the great South Florida atmosphere, but MotoGP may not like racing around close-in hard barriers. Looking at the pics of Barber it looks beautiful. Long rolling green hills and a wide racing surface.




I would love to attand a MotoGP race, especially if it were close to home.

[x_dt]

How popular is MotoGP in the United States?

[KC]

I think that Speedvision's Bike Tuesday, where they show AMA Superbike, World Superbike, various Supersport, MotoGP, Flat Track and Speedway racing has definitely raised the awareness in the US. Just as they have done with WRC.

Motorcycle Racing is definitely low on the radar as far as mainstream sports go, but it has a solid and knowledgeable fan base.

[f1manoz]

Like with F1, you can't call it a world championship without a round in North America. And considering the number of American riders on the MotoGP grid this year, really there should an American round on the calender.

Why was Laguna taken off in the first place? I think it was safety issues, but perhaps it was just lack of a crowd and lack of American riders on the grid. For a few years there was only Kenny Jr. on the grid and he did nothing until 1999/2000.

[asha]

yeah lack of crowd and lack of money. Americans (obviously i'm speaking in general) have never been big motocycle fans and its hard to see that changing anytime soon (unfortuately).

I agree the track certainly does look pretty!



Just looking at this pic makes me wonder about safety (as you refered to yourself). Does something look wrong in this pic to you guys?
Shouldn't that guard rail be moved back to about where the date on the pic is. And it looks like there is only 30 foot kitty litter (i reckon i could jump it on my pushbike)!! Compare that to Valencia

http://images.motograndprix.com/mult...163/163802.jpg

Now thats what i call a run off area!!

Please do post more pics of the circult though! i'm interested.

Sorry asha, but pics are limited to 400x400. If you can reduce the picture to that, repost it.

Cheers Ben

[KC]

Motorcycles are seen as a sub-culture in the US. So many conjure images of Hell's Angels and nutjobs cutting through stop and go traffic between lanes on sport bikes when the word motorcycle is mentioned. There is also and "us against them" atttitude concerning motorcyclists and car drivers, and it goes both ways. But the crowd counts at big AMA events like the Big Kahuna and the Daytona 200 show that fans are out there.

[asha]

Sorry asha, but pics are limited to 400x400. If you can reduce the picture to that, repost it.
Cheers Ben

no prob