New Series

[CBRBob]

From SuperbikePlanet.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Victoria's Racing School (877) OHH-BABY

BOMBSHELLS: UMBRELLA GIRLS TO START SUPERBIKE SERIES

By Ohlin Metzeler

LINGERIE, OH (VPI) Change. It is here. It is There. It is even Way Over There, underneath that SUV that has grown cobwebs from lack of use. Do not fear this change, oh no. Embrace this change. Embrace It!

And Gain Strength from the Embracing.

Hey, I am one of the few journalists out there who isn't completely vexed and confused by the sea of change that has hit like a Mississippi flood in every aspect of our weird little lives. Granted, these have been volatile times. Who would have thought at the beginning of this year that the NASCAR folks would take over the AMA juju, or that the magnificent Valentino would be back on top and sporting the coolest helmet ever, or that there would be serious disgruntlement among the OEMs and alleged rumorization of them starting their own damn series.

Ha! Silly OEMs.

I call them silly, but of course, I love them so. They build the motorcycles that make the whole world sing, after all. Ohlin must disclose: every motorcycle I've owned, nay, every motorcycle I've ever ridden, reviewed, coveted and interviewed (far more than you, gentle Soupling) has been built by an Original Equipment Manufacturer. Every one.

So, I pay attention to these guys. When they are grumpy I am concerned, and I can't Smile without them. Sure, they have their agendas, as do the guys with the NASCAR caps and billionaire buddies. Who's cuisine will reign supreme in the end, and be the Grand Masters of the races we all flock to?

I don't know and I don't care. Why? Because of change. I Embrace it, man! Totally. And sources (ones that I will be forever grateful to) have told me of another party that is thinking about starting their own damn series, and this is a party I can totally get behind, and, you know, party with.
Attend, my friends, and Gain Strength from the Attending.

You see, the women who compose the Loyal Order of the Eternal Shade (LOES, Let's Build Something Together) have been paying attention to developments (as they always do) and are going to takes Steps. And Measures. And they aim to end the controversy and set up a race series we can all live with. I used to call them just umbrella girls, and regard them as mere ornaments. Stunning, wonderful ornaments, true, but ornaments nevertheless. I have been foolish to do so.

"You see, so many tag the umbrella girls as mere ornaments, and they are foolish to do so," revealed Superbikeplanet.com's Utility Roofer and part-time Traction Control Flow Chart Interpreter, Lucious Structure. "If you had really been paying attention to what these incredible females have been up to, you would have noticed that they don't just provide protection from the evil rays of the sun, but have done many unseen things to help racers in need."

Lucious paused to briefly interpret a Traction Control Flow Chart supplied by an Original Equipment Manufacturer, slide some beads around on his abacus with breathless speed and dexterity, and then he continued.

"How many have observed the subtle machinations of these buxom, warrior umbrella artists? Who saw the subtle tweaking of Ben Spies' rear shock, the delicate adjustment to the fuel injection mapping of DiSalvo's Yamaha, the careful realignment of Neil Hodgeson's tear-off. All of these things were done on the grid, when punters thought these racing hotties were just standing there looking all sultry. Ha! It was all about change, and making the racing better. Unsung heroines, that's who they are, brother! I say put them in charge."

Indeed, they may indeed be the Agents of Change that we've all been searching for.

Sources (that swear that print magazines are going to thrive again one day) tell this reporter that there are plans afoot to rescue the AMA Superbike riders, teams, drivers and people with press credentials from the current conflict and lay down a totally rockin' Superbike series that will be the best ever. The Umbrella Girls are creating a race series that we all can live with, especially since there will be a Hooters in every paddock (with huge, flat screen TVs to watch the feed from the TV coverage) and plenty of vendors to sell exotic suntan lotion and pink paddock scooters. The racers themselves will set up the series in terms of points, along with all the technical rules which they will vote on as a group.

"Those guys know about the racing, so why not let them vote on the rules?" said Tiffany, a spandex-clad Umbrella Princess who is a spokesmodel for the proposed Ruling Body. "I mean, a lot of these guys are not only really cute but pretty smart, and if the racers themselves organize the racing, I mean, what's wrong with that? They take the risks, do the work, and deal with the motorcycle companies really closely. I mean, I don't let some third party pick my bras, so why should they?"

Damn straight, Tiffany. And here I just thought she was just another Goddess on the Grid; mere eye-candy. I never, ever let third parties pick my bras, either.

And neither should you. I say these ladies are the future, and should be embraced as firmly as we should embrace change itself. The lights have changed, so drop the clutch and go, amigos. Oh, and don't ever let anybody choose your bra. That way lies madness.


ENDS

[lateapex]

I loved that article.

Also I love how the factory teams say that the spectators will not watch the proposed DMG clasess.

Did anyone here get a call for the factory teams? I didn't.

[FDNYDANO18]

I won't be...


but I don't expect others will follow suit... most people will watch...most folks are used to accepting what they are given...

I will watch BSB,WSB,WSS,MotoGP....

[I Ride]

Mladin going superbike racing

http://www.cyclenews.com/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=12821

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Sep/080910ussb.htm

[carl_g]

wow.

[Xracer264]

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2008/Sep/080910ussb.htm

This just in from the MIC:

Motorcycle Industry Council
To Launch The USSB Championship

Factory Riders Offered a New National Series

IRVINE, Calif., Sep. 10, 2008 - The Motorcycle Industry Council, the national trade association representing top motorcycle manufacturers and 300-plus other members, will launch a new professional road racing series next year in the United States.

The MIC has formally established USSB, Inc., and already is at work creating a national championship for 2009 that will take place at major racing facilities, feature factory superbike teams and rules similar to those now in place - rules encouraging technological development that advances motorcycle engineering.

The USSBSM Championship is being designed to carry on America's tradition, spanning more than two decades, of world-class superbike racing that showcases the nation's best riders on the best motorcycles in the country. The premier class, U.S. Super Bike, will invite teams running the highly developed, factory-backed, fan-favorite racing motorcycles (1,000cc fours and larger-displacement twins) that have long been the basis for superbike racing. The inaugural USSB series will include U.S. Sport Bike, a 600cc category similar to the World Supersport Championship and others.

"We initiated USSB because next year it will offer the only racing series in America for unrestrained factory superbikes and their teams, as well as those who aspire to join their ranks and compete with them," said MIC President Tim Buche. "We recognize the strong support for this level of racing, among enthusiasts, among manufacturers and among riders. With the other series set to abandon superbikes as we've come to know them, USSB will fill that void."

Buche said the MIC engaged in a development process for USSB that takes into consideration the various needs of industry members, manufacturers, track owners, sponsors, racing fans and riders, as well as the desire to grow the sport of road racing. In particular, there is a need to allow manufacturers to use road racing to advance research and development and improve future production motorcycles available to consumers. Buche said that the MIC possesses the resources, the capabilities, the access to talent, and the ability to contract with various groups and firms, to meet all of those needs and wishes.

"This is America, a big country with a big motorcycle market that deserves a world-class championship with full-on factory bikes raced by star riders," said Ty van Hooydonk, USSB managing director. "The USSB Championship is our answer. We want to steer away from engine restrictors, away from mandated power-to-weight ratios, spec tires and spec ECUs. We want to set the stage for racing teams to compete, on the track, in the R&D shops, in the way they develop their bikes and help develop production bikes, in how they develop their engineering staffs and crews, and their riders, too. Let them do what they do best and go racing."

Organization
The not-for-profit MIC has established USSB, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary, to be the owner-operator of the series. As the sole shareholder for the subsidiary, the MIC board will appoint the USSB Board of Directors that will then function independently and guide the series.

To maintain the integrity of the competition, USSB, Inc. also will establish an affiliated, but independent sanctioning body, USSB Sanctioning, Inc., which will employ the series commissioner, a racing CEO who will have ultimate responsibility for all competition-related aspects of the series. USSB, Inc. will serve as the series promoter responsible for developing series sponsors, managing series communications and partnering with stakeholders and others to present the series.

Four stakeholder groups will each have a voice and participate in series governance: riders, manufacturers, sanctioning and promoters.

USSB will help establish a riders association that will then operate independently as it represents all of the on-track competitors in the series. Participating manufacturers will form their own committee through the MIC and represent factories. Sanctioning will oversee tech inspection, rules and regulations and will manage race organization and administration. Promoters will include individual promoters and a racetrack association in collaboration with USSB, Inc.

Marketing and Communication
"We're going to have a compelling story to share," van Hooydonk said. "The USSB Championship will feature the nation's top level of motorcycle racing, with phenomenal riders capable of competing in any league, and high-tech superbikes that are among the fastest on Earth. We have a great deal of experience with marketing the story of motorcycling, and we will apply all of it to road racing." USSB news and updates will be available 24/7 at USSBCHAMPIONSHIP.COM. The site will be live Friday September 12, 2008.

USSB, Inc. will establish a communications campaign to improve visibility and interest in road racing, include all types of media, and bring in new fans while maintaining its enthusiast base. For 20 years, the MIC has generated major mainstream media coverage through Discover Today's Motorcycling. DTM promotes responsible riding by generating positive print, broadcast and online coverage, and through a responsive news bureau that annually fields thousands of inquiries from journalists nationwide.

DTM staff regularly work with national media, based in New York and other key markets, on dozens of motorcycle stories every year. Recent DTM placements include coverage with "Good Morning America," the New York Times, USA Today, Popular Mechanics, Maxim, Playboy, and even La Opinion, the nation's largest Hispanic newspaper. DTM generated major media for the landmark "Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, and hosted its own "Rockefeller Center Motorcycle Shows," seen by tens of thousands of visitors in Midtown Manhattan.