ZX12Girl
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posted June 27, 2004 10:06 AM
 Edited By: ZX12Girl on 27 Jun 2004 14:30
MadMike!! Thoughts on Prostar??
Mike,
I remember seeing a post a while ago that you went to an event. What did you think of the Prostar event?
Here is my thought. This was the first Prostar event that I have been and I am not so sure that I will return to race.
They start the S/ET so freaking early in the AM. You have to be in the lanes at 8:15am.....Me not being a morning person....I was just not ready to race that freaking early. Then I saw that big $200 pay out....You pay that just to drive to the parking lot!
It was really cool watching the Kawasaki crew, Berry, Spiderman and the SBS class. Next time...I think that I will just go to spectate!!
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MadMike
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posted June 27, 2004 11:43 AM
Edited By: MadMike on 27 Jun 2004 12:45
How are you doing?? heard there was some major stuff going on with protest?
I really should not say to much other then I seriously doubt I will ever race a prostar event again. I might go and watch?
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ZX12Girl
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posted June 27, 2004 11:53 AM
I only heard about the 1000 super sport class. About 4-5 of them go their bike taken apart.
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ZX12Girl
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posted June 27, 2004 12:00 PM
Well, for me it seems as if S/ET and P/ET are line fill. ET classes are there for the extra $$$$ to be able to pay out the "professional classes".
It is really cool to watch.....I think that I will be a "Professional Prostar" bench racer. 
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1bad12r
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posted June 27, 2004 12:13 PM
Edited By: 1bad12r on 27 Jun 2004 13:15
What ! MadMike never in a prostar race again ? Why ?
Yea, they definitly got alot of drama going on between a select few.
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Ra12r
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posted June 27, 2004 02:38 PM
MadMike, silence is exactly what Scooter wants from everyone. I quit racing Prostar after my first race. Too much money, too many rules and then treated like crap! If you don't speak up, then NOTHING will ever change because he will continue to screw the "heart and soul" of the race world....... The Street E.T. folks!!!
I understand what you are saying Angie. I now only "watch" the close races. Spending money to see an event organized like prostar is no longer worth it. Here in the south we have a couple of good series outside of Prostar. The number #1 is the Mir/Rock series. That weekend is MORE THAN WORTH the drive (6 hrs) for alot of street bike racing. I feel it was designed with the racer in mind. Plenty of T&T and then a full race schedule everyday, with more racing after the event on the track. Enough said.
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ZX12Girl
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posted June 27, 2004 05:30 PM
Edited By: ZX12Girl on 27 Jun 2004 18:31
quote:
The number #1 is the Mir/Rock series.
Hey,
Are you going to be at the July 10th and 11th event? We are going to Jason's test-n-tune track day on Friday and then staying for the Saturday race.
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VincentHill
Needs a life
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posted June 27, 2004 05:34 PM
Angie, did you read my article that was published in Speed and Sound Magazine in SA what happend at the ProStar "world" finals? Here it is!
Where do I begin? (Because I keep losing what I type, I am going to post and edit until I am finished).There are many things to write about so I will start with #1, Rickey Gadson! He is now #1 (The Champ) in the Street Bike Shootout Class! Rickey as good as that is, I think you are #1 in the Diplomatic class also! (The UN could learn a few things from you! Rickey put out more fires at Gainesville than a New York Fireman on 9/11. He was loved, cursed and had his health threatened for speaking up when things went wrong! Hold this thought and I promise to return to it later!
Now for what I saw. I got there on Thursday afternoon / evening and checked in to the Same Motel that Pierre (Owner of Bear Racing) was staying. A few hours later he returned from the track. We talked and here is what he said. They (Bear Racing) had contracted "Muzzys" to build them a "Street Bike Shootout" bike. From what I understand, he spent a good amount of money, but still in the range of what some of the Busa People that post here from time to time have spent! Take the Price of their Bikes they bought new, all of the trials and errors they have spent money on and what they have spent to date, and you are in the Ball park! Pierre sort of has a three year plan for racing here in the US. Remember the statement, "They came, they saw, and they Conquered"! Last year, they came over here and watched and then later brought a bike to test. This year after seeing what they needed, they built a bike to start the process and Next Year, they plan to be ready!
The Bike he had built is possibly the most serious non factory Drag Race Bike in the hands of Privateer! Just looking at the Bike, you must first decide if it is Art Work, Engineering Masterpiece or just a display of Mechanical Genius! This bike should have been on display at the museum in New York! It is also one piece of very serious Racing equipment!
On Thursday, Fransie made some (2) shake down runs on the Bike! The times were not good (mid to High 8 second passes). I personally feel that it was the pressure of his family, friends, Pierre, the world watching and overload of instructions and information all at once! To say the least, Pierre was not pleased and worried! The question in his mind was had he done everything he could to be #1 and fell that short? No one was happy and everyone was worried about how things would turn out! The only thing everything could agree on was The rider needed more seat time!
Friday, we all go to the track for more testing and "Seat time". Fransie had 2 more runs and ran an 8.30 time on his 3rd run and on his 4th run, (a 1.35 60 foot time), the bike did not shift! (One of the things they found was no air in the tank. Remember, the crew handling the bike is also all new to it and Doug Meyer and Rob Muzzy are only there to assist!) The Bike is readied for Saturday qualifying! Everyone is in agreement that Fransie should just go out there and "Do his own thing" and enjoy the ride! On his first run of the day (Run #5) he qualifies #4 With a 7.80 run at 189 Mph. The Black Honda from Velocity Racing has run in the 7.55's and I think the Black Honda turned a 7.45. RG runs in the 7.60's and has either qualified 2nd or third with the red Honda taking the other spot! So we have in the top 4 2 Kawasaki's and 2 Honda's (Sorry, the Busses ran like their name sakes and were just slow)! The second run of the day (#6) was a slow 8.40 because the rubber hose that connected the pressure pipe from the turbo slipped off! (Remember, the people working on the bike are also "On the Job Training"! The bike is serviced and put away for Eliminations Sunday! Everyone is now breathing again and Pierre has a smile on his face that cannot be removed by a surgeon!
Sunday!!! What a Day! The Highest Highs and the Lowest lows by everyone! Ladies and Gentleman, the "DO do" really hit the fan on Sunday! Pro-Star should just learn the rules of fair play and then abide by them! The Bike is readied and the first round of eliminations! Fransie turns a 7.66 on his first round at over 190 Mph (Run #7)! Leaves on the other rider and fights 3 or 4 wheelies to run the 7.66! So we all know that there is a lot more in the bike! Service is preformed again, but this time, the Muzz man starts to makes a few adjustments on the Boost pressures (at least that is what I think he was doing) when the "DO do" hits the fan! Someone comes over and tells them that they are Disqualified The Pro-Star people report that Fransie did not go through "Tech" after the run! They stop work on the bike and find Fransie! He states that he "DID" go through tech and they measured the bike. They go back to the Tech person and he then claims that he does not remember seeing him. They point to the "Oil" on the ground that the bike had dripped while being teched! He still cannot remember, RG Speaks to him and he then states that he "May" have gone through but he is not certain! (What is stupid on Pro-Star's part is there is no positive way to prove or disprove anything! They do not put a sticker on the bike, sign a release, stick a tag on the bike, film it or anything! "Just their word for it"! SO then Pro-Star states that he may have gone through "Tech" but they are still disqualified because they had too many people at the Start line "4"!! Someone also tells me that they have "2" more ways to disqualify the bike if that does not work! But the problem is, that other people in the pit area "KNEW" the bike was going to be disqualified "BEFORE" The run ever took place! This is where Mr. RG Did what ever he does, but brought some sense to the maddness and they finally decided to let the bike run since they had no "Legal" reason to disqualify the bike!
What happens next really made me sick! An official came over, Mad as hell and looked all over the bike! He then told everyone that if he saw "1" Drop of oil anywhere near the bike, it would be disqualified! When the bike showed up at the start line, for round #2, would anyone believe that it was the only bike that had a "Personal" inspection by this same person?? Round #2, (his 8th ever run) he has some problems and "Only" runs 7.77 but gets the win light! I am now down at the inspection station filming everything that goes on there! SOme people are weighed with out their helmet, some missing pieces of their leathers. Then for this class, they are measured by the person operating the station "Until" Francie's run! This very same official shows up and personally measures Francies Bike while I record everything and shine the spot light on him! He states, they bike is OK and he can go! A person on a Suzuki says, you did not check the "Ground" clearance and he states that they are not checking this! Fransie returnes with the Bike and everyone starts working on the bike. A crowd stages itself in front of the Kawasaki Pit area and people are cursing Kawasaki, RG and everyone! This is where one person threatened RG and the Security is called in the break it up! Francie is up for the semi final round along with RG! The problem is a Busa has blown up at the Big end and has just smoked ou the place! The officials look at everything and state that there is no oil! Funny thing is I see them picking up parts and kicking things out of the way! Also funny is that this is the same lane that RG and Francie are to run in!
Semi Final round! RG ANd Francie both lose in the same lane! I watch Francie's run from the Big end and the bike is twitching the last 1/3 of the run after getting 3 bikes on the tree he loses. You can see the bike getting and loosing traction on the Big end, something it has not done before! He loses with a 7.70 run (I think to the Honda!)
SO that is basically it folks, with a total of 4 runs under their belt, Pierre and his crew qualify 4th and finish (I think because the final was not contested) runner up!)
If anyone here has either seen or read how the first Black Base Ball players (Jackie Robinson and others) were treated when they started playing in the major leagues, you would have thought it was happening all over again! When the Bear Racing team was on the line, the other racers were calling Francie every name they could think of, yelling at him trying to break his thought control, doing everything they could think of to ruine his run and stop him from getting a good light!
To me personally, it was the lowest form of sportsmanship I have ever seen. Here is a man that came from another country, built a bike to our rules and when he started being a threat, they did everything they could to stop him from racing, not try to beat him on the track! Last year they laughed at him! This year they lied, cheated and even threatened him when he showed up on the start line! I was treated like this back in the late 50's and early to mid 60's when I went to school or work! (I am sorry that I just cannot state this any other way! I am 60 years old and this just brought back the same terrible in the Gut feeling (which I thought were gone) as I did back then! Has America not changed in "40" Years? If we (as Americans) cannot win Fair and Square, is it still by "Any means necessary" (Legal or Not)?? Well that is how it looked to me! Shame on the AMA, Shame on PRO-Star! and Shame on some of the SBS Racers!! (You know who you are!)
I have now re-read what I wrote Please note that with the exception of RG, everyone involved was "White"! So this is and never was a "Color" Issue! It is only that the feelings which I had and have not felt in close to 40 years, I felt for the first time again at Gainesville!
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ZX12Girl
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posted June 27, 2004 06:13 PM
Vince,
I remember this issue. I did forget that this was at a Prostar event. That is just terrible sportsmanship. It does seem to be a really competative group in the top 5 and it doesn't seem to be a big deal until you are a threat.
At this event ...One of the 1000 super sport guys made a complaint about Keith Dennis. I think it was no oil cooler on the bike and something else....So then the next complaint came back and the Kawasaki guys were getting the front end taken off looking for added weights.
I did not find it to be a very positive atmosphere and I really DID not enjoy racing. I can be competative but racing for me is just a hobby that I spend alot of money on. There is no way I would spend alot of money and NOT have a good time.
I lasted to the 2nd round of S/ET then lined up with a really cool guy on a Busa. He was really nice and we joked about getting beat by each other....I had fun that race!!! He left first....we both had a pretty good light....then it felt like I was just not going to catch him....so, a little button action and I am right beside him. Well, we both broke but he won being closer to the dial.
I was really happy to go home! I had enough of the event!
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floyd
Novice Class
Posts: 70
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posted June 27, 2004 10:03 PM
Pro-Star treats Street ET like shit
first ones to get bumped out of a pass if there is an oil down,the pay out sux no points or contignency paid to Street ET
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wannabe
Pro
Posts: 1931
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posted June 27, 2004 11:51 PM
The NHRA has a great rule to keep the whining and protesting to a minimum. If you think someone else is cheating with their setup, you can make a formal protest. The thing is that you have to put up $1,000. Then, the officials take the other guy's vehicle apart. If you're right, you get your $1,000 back. If you're wrong, the person under protest gets to keep your money for the crap you just put him through.
Maybe Prostar aught to try adding that rule to their books.
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RAC4IT
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Bergie
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posted June 28, 2004 01:41 AM
Well it is called "Pro-Star" not "Amatuer-Star" I think they should just drop Street ET all together. They don't have enough time to do all those classes and do them all properly.
As far as the NHRA "Cheaters" rule, $1000 is reasonable considering time and effort involved in tearing your bike down. But the downside to this is that it opens up the class for cheating because it's significantly less likely that you will get caught, nobody wants to gamble $1000. This is similar to the rules at MIR/Rock, I have never ever seen anyone call another person out to the point where they put up the money for protest. They bitch and complain, but never put up the cash, therefore you never know who is right.
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lonniemac
Expert Class
Posts: 225
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posted June 28, 2004 06:43 AM
vince i saw you at that race. i never formally met you. but as a bystander a saw the issue happen. it mad me sick as well. i am only half as old as you i cannot understand why prostar would be like that. have they noticed where a large majority of the spectators contributions come from. at the events i have attended, the stands are not full and the ones that are there are a majority minority. i dont care about sponsers without spectators it will not exist. i know me and my friends are about to stop supporting them just because the true colors shined in gainsville. vince keep doing what you do. you made history before, you know.
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NINJAFREEK2
Parking Attendant
Posts: 22
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posted June 28, 2004 07:45 AM
Did it twice and will never do another, Too much $$$$ for too little racing.
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VincentHill
Needs a life
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posted June 28, 2004 07:51 AM
quote:
vince i saw you at that race. i never formally met you. but as a bystander a saw the issue happen. it mad me sick as well. i am only half as old as you i cannot understand why prostar would be like that. have they noticed where a large majority of the spectators contributions come from. at the events i have attended, the stands are not full and the ones that are there are a majority minority. i dont care about sponsers without spectators it will not exist. i know me and my friends are about to stop supporting them just because the true colors shined in gainsville. vince keep doing what you do. you made history before, you know.
I really understood "Exactly" everything you just said and agree with every word period! I still have trouble believing what I saw there!
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ZX12Girl
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posted June 28, 2004 08:14 AM
quote:
Well it is called "Pro-Star" not "Amatuer-Star" I think they should just drop Street ET all together. They don't have enough time to do all those classes and do them all properly.
I do agree with that Bergie...But then where would they get $$$ and then who would fill the stands???
The Street ET and Pro ET made up the majority of the bikes / people.
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ZX12Girl
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posted June 28, 2004 08:25 AM
quote:
stop supporting them just because the true colors shined in gainsville.
But was this really a "Prostar" issue or just a few bad apples at a Prostar event??
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ZX12Girl
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posted June 28, 2004 08:27 AM
quote:
Did it twice and will never do another, Too much $$$$ for too little racing.
My thoughts exactly.
"Been there....Done that.....Next!!"
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VincentHill
Needs a life
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posted June 28, 2004 09:22 AM
quote:
quote:
stop supporting them just because the true colors shined in gainsville.
But was this really a "Prostar" issue or just a few bad apples at a Prostar event??
It was all of them! From the top on down! They treated Bear Racing like a Black man at a Klan Meeting! They lied about them going through tech, they claimed he was using Antifreeze (Actually Motul engine Oil). The head of ProStar personally checked JUST HIS bike in the pits, in Staging and at the line, then personally measured it after each run! Other competitors yelled at Fransie on the starting line to distract them. and how do I really know they were against them? I was told that they were going to be disqualified the day before it happened! It was almost a Riot with people yelling and threaten Rickey and others. They (The Republicans) treated Clinton Better!
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ZX12Girl
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posted June 28, 2004 10:48 AM
Edited By: ZX12Girl on 28 Jun 2004 11:49
Well, that is just terrible. I do not see how people can act like last and sleep at night.
So, Will they race again here in the US?
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VincentHill
Needs a life
Posts: 6520
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posted June 28, 2004 12:41 PM
quote:
Well, that is just terrible. I do not see how people can act like last and sleep at night.
So, Will they race again here in the US?
Yes, but I think they plan to be a "LOT" more serious than last time and they finished #2 last time! I think they are bringing "3" Bikes this time and all are faster than the last time they were here!
Here is a Small write up about the last meet in SA (Remember they are close to 6,000 feet of Altitude!)
Thank you Mr Muzzy ,Doug and Rickey for all the help and support
All this would not have happend if you did not help with the development of the bike and Rickey the development of our rider , even our Zx10 with 174 hp got a record
There are many who will claim Records but that is wishful thinking and not true due to SA Records can only be done at National events, Kawasaki Drag Racing did it in style at the 4th leg of the Nationals Championship
RECORDS BROKEN, NEWCOMERS WIN AT DRAG NATIONALS
16 June 2004
Bike and car records were broken at the fourth round of the SA Drag Nationals held at Tarlton International Raceway on Wednesday 16 June, with Boksburg bomber Fransie Englebrecht breaking his own SBS Class Bike SA record on his turbo-charged Kawasaki, bringing the new record to 8.12 seconds from 8.33.
Engelbrecht also broke the S Bike record, which was broken three times at Tarlton, firstly by Wayne Heasman (9.827), then by Brad Anassis (9.738) who defected from Suzuki to the Kawasaki team, and finally by Engelbrecht with his time of 9,564 seconds.
The Kawasaki Flamingo team are currently leading the championship in the top street bike with a 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th and 8th place out of the 16 bike field
In the Stock class above 1000cc 1st and 4th place
In the stock class below 1000cc 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th and 12th even with not riding in the first two legs of the championship
The team riders hold all the current SA bike Drag Records and African Records:
Street bike Shootout (Top Street bikes) Fransie Engelbrecht 8.12 ET
Stock bikes over 1000cc Brad Anassis 9.51 ET
Stock bikes under 1000cc Fransie Engelbrecht 9.56 ET
This team is surely the most professional team in SA and their results speak for them self, The team will return to the World finals 2004 in the USA after the world class performance off the young Fransie Engelbrecht at this event in 2003 where he ended up as 2nd runner-up and the 2nd best time at the event (7.66@310kph), this has never been done before for a foreign country the end in the final 5.
With Special Thanks to:
HP
Flamingo
Tarsus
AM TUBE bending
Club House Kawasaki
Dyno JET
Kawasaki SA
Day Racing
PDP
Anassis Racing
Tarlton Raceway
Wesbank Raceway
AMS oil
MUZZY
Rickey Gadson
The HP as in Hewlet Packard!
Like I said, they are really going to be serious this time and also remember that the track they race had grip like an American track for only about the first 60 feet, then it is spin City!
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DR JOE
Expert Class
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posted June 28, 2004 06:34 PM
VincentHill
I would like to say Thank You!! For telling it like it really is and being there to record this man troubles with ProStar. But like every thing else it all comes down to the $$Money$$ and the sponsors who put up the money. They all want to win and I'm sure that there were promises made that were broken and now all hell has broken lose for it. Thank you for standing up for this man in his time of need.
As far as getting rid of Street E/T and Pro E/T that won't ever happen, it's the cash cow of the group and that's what pays the big money pay outs for all the big bikes.Plus the people come to see 6.0 @ 200 mph passes You don't see 50 Funny bikes or even 25 Top Fuel bike hell they can't even get enough to fill half (8) of the 16 place ladder for the class. So who do you think pays for that class??? That's right we do the guy at the bottom, who do the grunt work. The worst thing is you don't even have a points system or a big pay out for you guys.
Will you see your self on T.V.??? Hell No!!!
Now I race PMRA and we have rules and we stick by them. Also we treat every one of our racers like they are Top Fuel and we do have a points system and a pay out for every class, yes it's small but we have a smaller bike count also. We average about 100 bike per event, and our events are done in about 8 to 10 hours from the time the gates open till the final round. So if you Don't like ProStar don't go!!! Support a local races and All motorcycle bike drags and tell the guys that you buy parts from that you don't attend this or that race because of???
The point is;
It's good to share your pain and displeasure here on the Internet but if you want to make a difference hit them where it hurt's in the pocket book$$$. Tell them your not going to attend anymore events because of what happened at Gainsville. That's how you change things for the better.
Just My 2 cents...
DR JOE
P.S. Vincent I would like to meet you some time. You remind me of a local racer Fred Johnson you two are part of a time when racing was about having a good time and helping your fellow racer.
Also Rickey G. is a diplomat for all of Dragracing.
He gets my Vote for racer of the year..
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VincentHill
Needs a life
Posts: 6520
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posted June 28, 2004 09:08 PM
Amem about Rickey I could not do what he does "EVER"! No matter what kind of money I would tell them what is what and get fired by everybody!
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Made History @ Daytona and still one fast old man!!
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Ra12r
Zone Head
Posts: 919
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posted June 29, 2004 07:13 AM
Vincent, look at how things have changed for Rickey. What do you think "THEY" are getting ready to do? "THEY" have a new star now and as soon as they feel they can, they will. As good of a rider as Rickey is, he is ONLY racing in SBS. They will not blame the outcome on a obviously slower bike.
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1bad12r
Zone Head
Posts: 567
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posted June 29, 2004 09:19 AM
It would be nice 2 be paid the $$$ that Ricky G. gets but, I'm like you Vincent, not gonna suck a dick for no one.
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