Rain @ Mid-Ohio?

[tstaff]

Looks like the guys are going to make a stand.

Pulled from Superbikeplanet.com

Mladin: I Won't Be Racing In the Rain

spies: me either

by dean adams

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

While it's far from certain that it will rain this weekend at Mid-Ohio--weather forecasts are still a bit on the ambiguous side--current Superbike champion Mat Mladin says he won't be racing in the rain there. And Ben Spies agrees with him.

Reached via cell phone and asked if he'd heard the news circulating through the industry today--that the AMA has told teams to be ready to race rain or shine at Mid-Ohio, Mladin said, "I won't be racing in the rain there. I'm not going to make Ben race in the rain at a track like Mid-Ohio. Ben (Spies) and I have agreed that we won't race in the rain. If it rains the championship is over."

Ben Spies said moments later on a different cell phone, "If that's the case then the AMA can have their finale without the two top riders in the championship. Mat and I agreed earlier in the season that we would not race in the rain on tracks that were not safe enough. Mid-Ohio isn't safe in the rain. Mat keeps telling me that I have a great future in front of me and not to risk that over something as stupid as racing in the rain at a questionable track."

"It just goes to show how inconsistent the AMA is," Spies said. "I mean, we were there just a few months ago and racing in the rain wasn't going to happen, Ron Barrick even said so. Now, because it's a championship shoot-out, suddenly the AMA wants us to race in the rain."

It bears mentioning that at this time rain at Mid-Ohio looks to be a possibility at times, but is not anywhere close to a certainty.

ENDS

 

[Warchild]

I hope it rains like hell this weekend.... :lol:

 

[OhioFJR1300]

I hope it rains like hell this weekend.... :lol:

I don't !!! The track is 50 miles from me and I'd like to see the race and stay dry :clapping:

 

[Randy]

Good for them. I think the line of non-riders behind them will be long. If all of the factory riders join in (I heard Jake also won't run), then the AMA will either bow to the riders or some privateer is going to have an AMA Superbike win on his resume (with a big, fat asterisk, I hope).

 

[JohnnySokkoFlyingFjr]

Ben Spies said moments later on a different cell phone, "If that's the case then the AMA can have their finale without the two top riders in the championship. Mat and I agreed earlier in the season that we would not race in the rain on tracks that were not safe enough. Mid-Ohio isn't safe in the rain. Mat keeps telling me that I have a great future in front of me and not to risk that over something as stupid as racing in the rain at a questionable track."

What a couple of whiners :dribble: ....I saw Miguel Duhamel win at Mid Ohio a few years ago in the rain. He was the only rider willing to compromise aerodynamics by wearing a rainsuit vs. leathers. I say race BOYS!, rain or shine....if you don't want to...I'll take your place! :blink:

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

The health and life of a rider is paramount. The top riders don't whine much publicly, and I think they are right in this case. Tracks and sanctioning bodies don't give a damn about riders when it bumps up against profits. Remember Kenny Roberts, Sr., back in the day, fighting for rider safety in GP racing?

Oh, and while I'm on a semi-rant......so much for the AMA reorganizing their racing bodies recently. They booted guys like Schwantz. Then (if true) they pull this. <_<

Good for Mladin and Spies.....

 

[tstaff]

Down to a 20% chance of rain, lets go racing!