Traction Control and the AMA

[Ginger]

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

We could mention the likes of Hodgson, Xaus, Bayliss and Shakey here (who were entries for both Ducati & Aprilia's debut years). I think team leaders learned their lesson about scouting for talent among the general winners crowd in WSBK after that round - seeing as how all the riders listed that made the jump had very short lived Top-Series Careers. Edwards deserves credit for having such good staying power, coming in at the same time, but he's had his share of difficulties and has had to completely reinvent his riding style to make a shot at being competitive.

AMA runner Hayden seems to be the exception among national winners, as far as competition in GP in concerned. 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. Yes, he's on a shite bike, but, as Julian Ryder pointed out: "the best riders will always win in the end. It may not be by so much, but they will find a way."

We could point out Mladin as a source of failure. Some folks might argue that that's an unfair comparison because he's such a well performing rider now. Unforunately it doesn't make a lick of difference to a GP team owner if you're competitive at thirty something if you're not by your mid 20's. They make a very large investment in the riders and want a return on them... if it takes years upon years they won't be happy folks. When guys like Pedrose can come in and be competitive in year one it doesn't make sense to sink 5 or 6 into somebody like Matt with hopes that he'll make it.

Maybe the solution, if we really want to see more American talent in GP, is to start sending our youngsters overseas for one-two-five...