Motorcycle Industry Council
Evaluating Issuance of Request for Proposal for U.S. Road
Racing Series
UPDATE:
September 10, 2008 -
MIC
Announces the USSB race series
IRVINE, Calif., June 26, 2008 -
Is this a bluff to get DMG to change its plans, or is it for
real?
The
Motorcycle
Industry Council, with headquarters in Irvine, California, is a not-for-profit, national trade
association representing more than 300 manufacturers and
distributors of motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/ATV parts
and accessories and members of allied trades.
The MIC announced that, on behalf of its
300-plus members, it is evaluating whether to issue a request
for proposal seeking
a series promoter and sanctioning body for a premier
professional road racing
series in the United States.
"Our members are better served
by having alternatives to the changes for the
AMA Superbike Championship that the Daytona Motorsports
Group has so far
described," said MIC President Tim Buche.
"We fully appreciate the
expertise,
hard work and connections the DMG may bring to motorcycling.
However, the independent interests of the manufacturers call
for a racing series that helps promote specific motorcycle
brands.
Historically, motorcycle makers
have boosted bike sales based on their success in racing.
It makes little sense for bike manufacturers to heavily
invest in any competition that highlights sponsors and teams
and downplays the machines themselves, as well as their
technological development.
"So we are obliged to
investigate alternatives that could do a better job of
meeting our members' respective marketing needs. This
is especially true given that it's now late June and there
is still uncertainty over the DMG's 2009 rules."
The MIC intends to consider
input from key industry stakeholders including racetrack
owners, riders, interested sponsors, and enthusiast and
trade media.
The MIC wants a racing series
that best promotes rider safety, competition, innovation,
racetrack attendance, television viewership and ridership.
The MIC also wants a championship that ultimately benefits
the consumer - an exciting, popular series that develops new
technology that finds its way to production motorcycles.
The series should be clearly
recognized as the top level of U.S. road racing, drawing
both world-class riders and upcoming stars.
