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AMA riders, when to hang it up?

4K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  Dunlop 
#1 ·
I know Mladin is one of the best riders on one of the best machines, but shouldn't he stop AMA and try MotoGP?

The best stock car racers move up to NASCAR, the best INDY or CART racers move up to Formula1, and the best AMA move up to World Superbike or MotoGP. So what is Mladin trying to prove here? It resembles some college basketball star not wanting to go into the NBA, cause he might fail, or the best Minor league player being scared of MLB. I don't get it.

How many consistent 6th place finishes by the other AMA guys before they should hang it up? I guess as long as these guys get in the top 10 the sponsors are happy and they keep their ride.

I'm not looking for any answer, just your opinion.

PS. didn't Mladin do GP like 15 years ago and suck ass?

Trevor
 
#3 ·
There's something else you're not considering: no one has offered him a ride in the other classes. After 1 Superbike title, Nicky was off to MotoGP and has been there since. They're actually building the team around he and Barros.

Mladin is good, but something is keeping the teams from other classes from luring him away. Maybe he pissed some people off? That can't be it, as ol' Kurtis Roberts got a GP ride last year, and he's known to be a prick in the paddock. Maybe Mat will get his turn soon. . .it would be good to see him run his mouth against the big boys.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Actually I believe that Matt w/all his bad manners is really striving to improve AMA SB Racing. I really think he had a large part to play in humilating Daytona into changing the track for the racers safety.... naturally it isn't good enough for him though.
Just like any sport though ... the higher the level of talent is it raises everyones level up.... Which gives us better racing to watch.I would like to see Rossi in AMA SB

When the water rises .... all boats float

Dlo
 
#6 ·
thompsonian said:
Yeah, but wasn't it on one of Daddy's machines? That he also managed to destroy a few of them?
Lol. . .I was wondering how long it would take someone to say something. :thumb: :D

Mladin wouldn't stand a chance against Rossi, and we all know that. There will never again be a rider like Rossi. To do what he did last year is amazing. . .just amazing.

And as for Daytona getting changed, I think Ben Spies (or was it one of the Gobert boys. . .can't remember) had more to do with that than anybody else (the 180 mph wreck in the banking). How that kid survived is beyond me. I'm just glad he did, though.
 
#7 ·
wheelie123 said:
There will never again be a rider like Rossi. To do what he did
last year is amazing. . .just amazing.
Don't mean to try and stir up a pile of:tp: , but I'm sure the same thing was said of other riders in their time. Not that I don't agree with you, I think that Rossi is a TREMENDOUS talent and WE may never see another rider like him. That's not to say our children won't;) Think of the likes of Rainey, Doohan, Spencer, Roberts, and the like. I'm sure people in that time thought that no rider would bbecome as great as they are/were.
 
#8 ·
thompsonian said:
Don't mean to try and stir up a pile of:tp: , but I'm sure the same thing was said of other riders in their time. Not that I don't agree with you, I think that Rossi is a TREMENDOUS talent and WE may never see another rider like him. That's not to say our children won't;) Think of the likes of Rainey, Doohan, Spencer, Roberts, and the like. I'm sure people in that time thought that no rider would bbecome as great as they are/were.
True. :thumb: :cool:
 
#9 ·
wheelie123 said:
And as for Daytona getting changed, I think Ben Spies (or was it one of the Gobert boys. . .can't remember) had more to do with that than anybody else (the 180 mph wreck in the banking). How that kid survived is beyond me. I'm just glad he did, though.
Gobert and Spies
True enough ..... but it was like that is what Matt had been raising so much of a fuss about... beforehand even to the point of making threats to boycott Daytona.

You are correct though in the fact that the accidents really did tilt the scales for Daytona to do something.

I saw Spies in the pit area at Road Atlanta and was very pleased to see how well he walks around.

I would still like to see Rossi in AMA SB
 
#10 ·
I guess Dlonam has a valid point. mladin probably does increase the level of competition, and being in his positon probably makes him try harder at not failing. Since steroids :confused: don't add any advantage for this sport, it can only be the team that succeeds.

I wonder how many AMA teams would be rearranging and terminating managers and riders, if there was a new champion each year instead of a dominating team. As though teams only give their rider 2 years to take the championship before they start again from square one. This impatient work ethic by team managers looks to an advatage to Mladin. An example is EricBostrom going from a solid performer, to a freak chance of winning because of changing teams and tires every other year. Yate is in the same boat as Mladin; being on the same team practically. The only person in his way is Mat. Yates is another example how a long relationship with one team is better. This is not true for your wife.
 
#11 ·
Mr.TrevorClever said:
.......An example is Eric Bostrom going from a solid performer, to a freak chance of winning because of changing teams and tires every other year.......

Now that is a whole other story..... I really hated to see Big K let EBOZ go when they had finally built the ZX10R.
Oh how the mighty have fallen!The first time I ever saw him ride was at Road Atlanta in the hair pin (turn 11 I think) It was awsome ... the bike would just boom as he threw the coal to it.Last year at Barbers it was pathetic.You could tell it was just a struggle for him to go around the track.
 
#13 ·
" Mat Mladin stated that he and American Suzuki are negotiating a possible three-year contract that would see the five-time US Superbike champion race in America through 2008."

cut n pasted from another site.

I hope not. I hope that overachieving f**k goes to GP, so we can really see what he is made of. I doubt it'll happen though. He probably knows there isn't as much travel in AMA (for his family) and he can win with ease. And don't give me that shit that he can't get a Factory GP ride, he just won't try bargaining. If he hardballed and asked for a Factory ride of else he going to another manufacturer, sponsors would listen.

As you can tell I root for the underdog. So F the Patriots, F the Yankees, F the Lakers..woops I guess they are done for. :twofinger ...and F the greedy NHL.
 
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