Several promoters from the Road Race Industry Council met with both Daytona Motorsports Group’s Roger Edmondson and with MIC President Tim Buche in separate meetings last week at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, to seek some resolution in what has become a rather tumultuous time in U.S. Superbike racing.
“We thought that it went well – some long but some good meetings,” Road America president George Bruggenthies said today. “Really it was best to meet face to face and to ask questions. We developed a real understanding of just all the offers and programs that Roger [Edmondson] had put together and offered the manufacturers and other interested parties. We also met with Tim Buche from the MIC to understand just what that organization is in relationship with the manufacturers and what is important to them.”
The ultimate goal for the promoters is to have the manufacturers involved at the level they are currently involved in the AMA Series as many of those promoters rely on sponsorship dollars from said OEMs.
“We, as the promoters, are still seeking to involve the manufacturers in whatever series there will be going forward,” Bruggenthies said. “That’s still our goal and we’re still hopeful for that. So there are still things in the works. That’s really all that I know and all I can report. I think progress was made.”
One of the problems, according to Bruggenthies, is knowing exactly what the manufacturers want as far as rules for next year’s series.
“We haven’t really been able to identify the specific issues that the manufacturers… and we don’t even know which manufacturers – and that’s another issue – and we left Tim Buche to identify the issues that need to be corrected to involve the manufacturers. The goalposts seem to keep moving. We all want the manufacturers to be involved and we’re going to try to make that happen.”
When asked if he could foresee that happening within Edmondson’s structure, Bruggenthies said: “I don’t know. I think it probably would have to get modified again, but I can’t speak to that. We really need to identify what the manufacturers want because, again, that has been a moving target. We’re hopeful.”
Bruggenthies said that they weren’t at the point of talking about schedules for next year.
“Until some solid decisions and some other talks are held, it’s a little too early for that,” Bruggenthies said. “Soon, real soon is our goal. Hopefully, this week.”
