Author Topic: No AMA races at Sonoma Raceway next year  (Read 1083 times)

Richard230

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No AMA races at Sonoma Raceway next year
« on: December 02, 2012, 10:52:12 AM »
According to a report in this month's issue of City Bike there will be no AMA racing next year at the Sonoma raceway (formerly Sears Point Raceway and then Infineon Raceway, but now Sonoma Raceway) in Northern California. Management was quoted as saying:  "track management feels the current conditions within the motorcycle industry and the economy in general doesn't give them the confidence to promote a race in 2013".

However the AMA races at Laguna Seca will be part of the Red Bull MotoGP on the weekend of July 19-21, 2013.  I assume that the electric motorcycle races will be part of the AMA's racing program at that venue.
current bikes: 2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 Classic, 2009 BMW F650GS, 2007 BMW R1200R, 2005 Triumph T-100 Bonneville, 2002 Yamaha FZ1 and a 1978 Honda Kick 'N Go Senior.

Brammofan

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Re: Re: No AMA races at Sonoma Raceway next year
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2012, 05:54:31 PM »
Thanks for posting this here, Richard. I am interested in hearing Azhar's opinion on how this affects the north American series.
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ttxgpfan

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Re: No AMA races at Sonoma Raceway next year
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2012, 01:27:08 AM »
I suspect this will have little affect on the TTXGP races.  The AMA charges the track to hold the event, and I heard attendance has been down and hasn't been making money.  If the TTXGP does it right it could still at Sonoma, and they may still put on the Moto Jam event, as the AMA races were only part of that event.  The bigger issue is how few bikes show up.  Laguna is a huge race and makes plenty of money.  I don't think there is strong a link between the AMA and TTXGP as some would suggest.

Brammo is good about showing up, so if they bring both GP bikes, and Shelina on the Empulse TTX, that's three.  Zero is sure to show with 4 Zeros like this year, that's 7.  Amarok should show, 8.  VT is 9.  Lightning making it again would be 11 with both bikes.  And, lets not hold our breaths, but I heard MotoCzysz are simply getting their ducks in a row for next season so should they decide to race they aren't scrambling last minute.  But, I don't think they'll attend any races before the TT.  You never know, though.  Plus whoever else decides to race their Zero or Empulse in eSuperStock.  It could be a good grid (an actual 10 bikes on the grid would go a LONG way in securing the Sonoma/TTXGP relationship), but they always seems to fall apart last minute.  I'd like to see Sonoma continue their support of alternative energy, but we'll see.

My 2 cents,
Rich

ttxgpfan

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Re: No AMA races at Sonoma Raceway next year
« Reply #3 on: December 17, 2012, 12:49:00 PM »
Thought I would update this.  The Moto Jam weekend seems to be gone, which for a second made me worry about the club racing there, but my fears were unfounded.  Looks like the AMA was too big a part of the Moto Jam weekend to keep it going.