thump chump
Member
- Jun 20, 2001
- 76
- 0
What amazes me about the whole AMA/CCE cat fight is that in the process, the AMA has also changed the rules regarding qualifying for the outdoor nationals. And in the process, has virtually eliminated any chance of an unknown name becoming a sucessful national pro racer. According to the rule changes I received with my pro lisence application, beginning with the 2002 season, only 100 riders will be allowed to attempt to qualify for a national. This, as I read it, means that the 40 will be chosen from 100, including seeded riders. Rider entries will be accepted in the following ranking:
1. Current two-digit riders
2. Riders with top ten finish/ranking from Loretta Lynn's
3. Riders who have earned national points, but not a two-digit number.
4. Riders who have qualified for a national program.
5. Riders who earn points at regional national qualifiers.
Think about it- how many three digit riders are there going to be riding nationals now? Most of these guys have already been through the amatuer national series. Now the AMA is essentially requiring them to go back there in order to earn points in hopes that they can get one of the few remaining qualifying spots left at a national? How many two-digit riders don't show up at virtually every national? Not many. Reality check, with these rules, how many 3-digit riders now truly have a chance to qualify for a national in order to earn national points? Buster, even though he was the 86' AMA rookie of the year, would be caught up in this as well.
And the reasoning behind the new rules is just as rediculous to me. According the AMA nazi Duke Finch (the nicest and most non-judgemental official in pro racing), there are too many "Pro" riders. In fact, according to him and other board members of the AMA, there are many riders holding a pro lisence that shouldn't have one at all. So, this is he remedy that the AMA has come up with. No mention has ever been made that it was the AMA that issued the lisences in the first place! And rather than review each current rider's qualifications and results, they are going to hit all the 3-digit riders with these rules. The other reason for the rule change is that some people are claiming that there are too many pro qualifiers that have to be run on Saturday. And this makes the track beat for the Sunday program and causes a time strain on those riders that have to qualify and make the cut for Sunday morning. But it honestly sounds like to me that promoters, namely the NPG, do not want to cut back on their amatuer races which make them much more money than the pro racing.
Me? I could care less. I tried qualifying for the nationals because I could. Do I think I could ever realistically make the national program? No. But I have made the Sunday program, which isn't an easy thing to do.
But what really gets me is that some of the 3-digit riders I ride with should be there, and deserve it. For one stupid reason or another, they just haven't had the breaks some of the other 3-digit riders have. And there never seems to anyone standing up for the working riders in this sport. They (AMA) expect the riders to act like this is NASCAR, while the purse amounts are still chump change.
There a zillion facets to this whole arguement, but the fact that I don't want to see lost in all of this is the plight of the grassroots pro racer. But I am afraid that I may be too late.
Needless to say, I will not be renewing my AMA membership this year.
1. Current two-digit riders
2. Riders with top ten finish/ranking from Loretta Lynn's
3. Riders who have earned national points, but not a two-digit number.
4. Riders who have qualified for a national program.
5. Riders who earn points at regional national qualifiers.
Think about it- how many three digit riders are there going to be riding nationals now? Most of these guys have already been through the amatuer national series. Now the AMA is essentially requiring them to go back there in order to earn points in hopes that they can get one of the few remaining qualifying spots left at a national? How many two-digit riders don't show up at virtually every national? Not many. Reality check, with these rules, how many 3-digit riders now truly have a chance to qualify for a national in order to earn national points? Buster, even though he was the 86' AMA rookie of the year, would be caught up in this as well.
And the reasoning behind the new rules is just as rediculous to me. According the AMA nazi Duke Finch (the nicest and most non-judgemental official in pro racing), there are too many "Pro" riders. In fact, according to him and other board members of the AMA, there are many riders holding a pro lisence that shouldn't have one at all. So, this is he remedy that the AMA has come up with. No mention has ever been made that it was the AMA that issued the lisences in the first place! And rather than review each current rider's qualifications and results, they are going to hit all the 3-digit riders with these rules. The other reason for the rule change is that some people are claiming that there are too many pro qualifiers that have to be run on Saturday. And this makes the track beat for the Sunday program and causes a time strain on those riders that have to qualify and make the cut for Sunday morning. But it honestly sounds like to me that promoters, namely the NPG, do not want to cut back on their amatuer races which make them much more money than the pro racing.
Me? I could care less. I tried qualifying for the nationals because I could. Do I think I could ever realistically make the national program? No. But I have made the Sunday program, which isn't an easy thing to do.
But what really gets me is that some of the 3-digit riders I ride with should be there, and deserve it. For one stupid reason or another, they just haven't had the breaks some of the other 3-digit riders have. And there never seems to anyone standing up for the working riders in this sport. They (AMA) expect the riders to act like this is NASCAR, while the purse amounts are still chump change.
There a zillion facets to this whole arguement, but the fact that I don't want to see lost in all of this is the plight of the grassroots pro racer. But I am afraid that I may be too late.
Needless to say, I will not be renewing my AMA membership this year.
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