Quote:AMA Pro Racing will cease to police traction control in the Superbike class starting with this weekendÔÇÖs fifth round of the AMA Superbike Championship, a source familiar with the decision said.

The action will be taken for the rest of this season, the source, who asked not to be identified, said. The decision on whether to continue to allow traction control in 2007 and beyond will be based on the outcome of the Superbike commission meeting in Rome early next week.

The immediate affect will be a boost to Parts Unlimited Ducati, which has used a Magneti Marelli traction-control system during tests, but isnÔÇÖt allowed to race it under the current AMA rules. The advantage in lap times is about a second to a second and a half, itÔÇÖs believed, depending on the track.

With the benefit of the system, Xerox DucatiÔÇÖs Troy Bayliss is running away with the World Superbike title and Airwaves Ducatis are one-two in the British Superbike series, which also allows traction control. ItÔÇÖs only in the U.S. that Ducati has struggled this year.

Parts Unlimited DucatiÔÇÖs Ben Bostrom said that heÔÇÖd rather see it banned completely, which would allow his dirt-tracking style to flourish.

ÔÇ£I really like sliding the bike,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£If everyone else didnÔÇÖt have it on already, it would be pretty nice. The bikes are sideways, smoking the tire.ÔÇØ

But he acknowledged there are places at Road America where it would be beneficial.

ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs not easy getting on some of the straightaways and itÔÇÖs definitely not easy coming around that Carousel,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£Coming off turn 14, that last corner, thereÔÇÖs tire wear to be saved.ÔÇØ

And he also said that there are a number of AMA tracks, including Barber Motorsports Park, where it would be helpful.

Kawasaki embarked on an entirely new Superbike project this year and the ZX10R is very much a work in progress. Allowing traction control, which means fitting a front-wheel sensor, means more work for the team.

Kawasaki team manager Mike Preston was less concerned with traction control than how it was implemented.

ÔÇ£My biggest concern is the AMA,ÔÇØ he said. ÔÇ£Again, their credibility is shot. I was told face to face thereÔÇÖd be no more rules changes, nothing would be happening until we get some new people running the AMA.ÔÇØ

The AMA announced on February 18 that the Pro Racing Board was being abolished and that it would be replaced by ÔÇ£a new rulemaking procedure for its professional-racing programs.ÔÇØ The Pro Racing Board would ÔÇ£be replaced by independent working committees that will propose equipment standards and rules for on-track competition. Proposed rules would then be ratified by the AMA Board of Directors.ÔÇØ

Since those committees have never been announced, and the manufacturers had no say in this rule change, the AMA has chosen to act unilaterally, without regard for the stakeholders.

ÔÇ£I was told by people very high above, until we get this under control, no rules changes,ÔÇØ Preston said.

Preston was among the race team members who attended last weekendÔÇÖs meeting at Infineon Raceway where traction control, among other things, was discussed. No decision was taken, he said, because of the impending Superbike commission meeting in Rome.

ÔÇ£Maybe they want to get rid of it,ÔÇØ Preston said. ÔÇ£We donÔÇÖt really have a rules committee.ÔÇØ

Messages left on the cell phones of the AMAÔÇÖs Director of Communication Kerry Graeber and Road Race Series Manager Ron Barrick, and on BarrickÔÇÖs home phone, werenÔÇÖt returned.

Quote:The following information is in response to recent media reports regarding the status of traction control rules in AMA Superbike.

AMA Pro Racing remains committed to the enforcement of all rules specified in the AMA Superbike Championship Rulebook.

As stated on page 36 of the 2006 rulebook, Telemetry and Traction Control are prohibited (Section E, General Equipment Standards, subsection 23). AMA Pro Racing technical staff will continue to perform routine pre- and post-race technical inspection of selected equipment. Any machine suspected of utilizing prohibited traction control devices is subject to impounding for further technical evaluation at AMA headquarters (Section C, Equipment Offenses and Penalties, subsection 2, page 61.)

AMA Pro Racing also remains committed to the proactive governance of new and emerging technology as it relates to its racing disciplines. The newly formed AMA Racing Standing Committee will evaluate such technology on an ongoing basis and provide strategic counsel to the AMA Board of Directors. Additionally, as part of AMA Pro RacingÔÇÖs new rulesmaking procedures announced in February, all new rules and changes to existing rules will be scrutinized by discipline-specific rulesmaking committees before being forwarded to the AMA Board of Directors for ratification. Any changes to traction control regulations fall under this procedure.

Quote:There has been a bit going on lately in regards to traction control. Can somebody please tell me why we shouldn't be using traction control? The whole idea of racing in the first place is to develop tomorrow's street bikes for the consumer

.RJ Wrote:http://www.speedtv.com/articles/moto/motogp/26146/ - and part III of the speed news story....

.RJ Wrote:Our traction control was kinda how much your last crash was still hurting you - Kevin Schwantz, on the 500cc GP bikes

G.Irish Wrote:

.RJ Wrote:Our traction control was kinda how much your last crash was still hurting you - Kevin Schwantz, on the 500cc GP bikes

That's my favorite quote from the article. Colin Edwards said something about that awhile back. He was saying that he really didn't think he'd be racing past the age of 32 but now that the bikes (the 4 stroke 990's) aren't launching people 20 feet in the air like the 500cc 2-strokes did he could probably last longer.

G.Irish Wrote:A pertinent video: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7395159739247032972&q=superbike">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... =superbike</a><!-- m -->

Quote:AMA Release On Traction Control
AMA Tech Director: "...traction control on production motorcycles is imminent."
by staff
Monday, July 17, 2006
This just in from the AMA:

AMA ROAD RACE RULES COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES RULE CHANGE


PICKERINGTON, Ohio (July 17, 2006) -- AMA Pro Racing announced today that the newly-formed Road Race Rules Committee unanimously approved a change to the rule regarding traction control in the AMA Superbike Championship.


The rule change, announced this morning via an AMA Pro Racing Competition Bulletin, reads as follows:


Effectively immediately replace E.23A, pg 36 with:
a. For Superstock and Supersport, any form of engine control system that can actively change the performance/acceleration of the engine using input from any sensors that are not OEM on the motorcycle, to create a situation of better traction at the rear wheel at any time while the motorcycle is being ridden is prohibited.


The rule change effectively legalizes the use of traction control devices in the AMA Superbike and AMA Formula Xtreme classes while limiting the application of such devices in the AMA Supersport and AMA Superstock classes.

"It is our belief, and one that was echoed by each member of the rules committee, is that we should continue to limit the use of traction control devices in the stock classes but open it up in the modified classes," said AMA Pro Racing Director of Technical Development, Kevin Crowther. "This rule change is consistent with the spirit of our class rules and objectively recognizes the current state of development of this emerging technology."


Crowther pointed out that OEM application of traction control on production motorcycles is imminent.

Under new AMA Pro Racing rules making guidelines, rules are proposed by a discipline-specific rules committee then forwarded to the AMA Board of Directors for ratification. The Road Race Rules Committee held its inaugural meeting last Thursday at AMA headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio where the committee voted to not only approve this specific rule but also that the board approve its immediate implementation.

"Everyone agreed that this rule change was important enough to have it implemented immediately," confirmed Crowther. "We're happy that the committee acted quickly and was supported decisively by the board."

.RJ Wrote:What a disaster.. How do you spell "waffle" ? I bet it starts with a... m... a...

Moto GP teams dont even look at America for talent anymore. Maybe if the AMA wasnt a joke.......

G.Irish Wrote:Moto GP will pull from WSBK when there's someone who's young and exceptionally talented like Vermeulen but he's pretty much the only young gun from WSBK in recent years

asteele2 Wrote:You could say that Hopkins is also an exception, also coming from the AMA, but his career has been pretty much a flop thus far.

G.Irish Wrote:Notice I said "young" guns.