The Great Rider Debate

The Great Rider Debate...Or Is It?

Even though its deep in to the ‘off season’ firm debates are still popping up all over the various social media networks, proving once again our passion for motorcycle racing is burning as bright as ever in these dark, cold and windy winter evenings.

The biggest debate by far is the on-going Stoner v Rossi one. I’m not about to open all that up again as far as the riders go as I’ve said my piece before in a previous blog and still stand by everything I said. My only issue with the whole debate is why it’s deemed necessary to make it personal against one rider over the other, all because one’s character is somewhat different. The fact that this occurs every time the debate is raised actually saddens me, we are race fans not psychologists or behavioural specialists (apologies if some of you actually are!) and I really couldn’t care less about ones character over another, I am a race fan pure and simple.

I’ve found more and more over recent months that certain areas of race fans are becoming a little like football fans – no other rider is any good other than the one they follow, in the same way that if you’re Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City or Chelsea then no respect is given to the other teams or their achievements other than your own. To me this is not the epitome of a bike racing fan, sure we have our favourite riders/teams but race fans share a true appreciation for all riders, regardless of character. And appreciation is the key word.

Through all the years of watching racing of course there have been times when I’ve wanted someone to win so badly - only to be beaten by the smallest of margins by their closest rival, but I still could accept the immense effort of both riders striving to achieve their goal even if, in my opinion, the wrong rider won.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that there seems to be a certain amount of disrespect creeping in to racing towards riders, certainly in the MotoGP class of late that is dividing fans. Is it really about who sells the most T-Shirts, who gives the best interviews or has the best sense of humour? Or is it, like it always has been, who’s the fastest on the day...?

Motorpoint Yamaha

As I posted recently all pointers were showing that Rob Mac and the Motorpoint Yamaha team probably wouldn’t be running in BSB next season. This was officially confirmed on Friday that Rob and the team would be taking a sabbatical from the series to return in 2013.

With the recent barren years that have befallen the team, the only surprise is that it hasn’t happened sooner. Every year the team has struggled to raise sponsorship, even taking the unprecedented step of not providing a hospitality unit for current sponsors to bring guests to and losing the ability to entice potential future sponsors to the team through financial constraints. You only have to look around the paddock to see what the other major teams in BSB are doing to raise their profile and hospitality plays as big a part as ever in these difficult economic times. Couple that with the apparent lack of potential of the Yamaha R1 in BSB Evo spec and it seems the only logical option for 2012 is to sit out.

The last few of seasons have been some of the most difficult in the history of the team with little or no results to speak of and a mass of rider changes, this lack of consistency has ultimately cost the team dear and most people will point the finger at the boss himself.

Rob, who is a vastly experienced racer and possibly the most experienced racer in the BSB paddock, has come in for plenty of criticism in recent seasons regarding rider choice and ultimately rider treatment –  the latter prompting one former British Champion to go public in his opinion over the alleged treatment of Dan Linfoot. I do not know the in’s and out’s of the rider issues but as a fan of the team have been disappointed when early season promise comes yet again to nothing.

We have Rob to thank for helping some of the best British talent on their way to success in recent years, Cal Crutchlow and Tommy Hill in particular through the R6 Cup, but the actual riders in his own squad have not quite hit the mark. Whether this comes down to the team not getting the best out of the machinery, which was evidently the case when they were being comprehensively beaten by other Yamaha teams week in week out or the team not getting the best out of the riders is open to debate. But either way it is not the level I expect the team to be running at. I want to see them back at the front and challenging.

There have been some talented riders pass through Rob’s stable who have gone on to prove that their talents merit a place on the BSB Grid when nurtured in the right way. Dan Linfoot, James Westmoreland and Graeme Gowland to name but three who have fallen foul of the machinery or the ability to get the best out of them, but hopefully will prove a point in 2013, Gowland especially as my dark horse for the title next season and Dan Linfoot showing his talent in the CEV Spanish Championship just a few weeks ago.

Either way I hope Rob and the team come back stronger in 2013 with a competitive motocycle and a hungry set of riders ready to take the team back where they belong.

Thanks for reading.