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AMA SBK: Which Way, AMA? Part 2
Written by: Dennis Noyes   
01/06/2008
Borrego Springs, CA
 
(Photo: Brian J Nelson) » More Photos

This just in: On Thursday, January 3, a letter from Roger Edmondson on SunTrust MotoST letterhead and sent to MotoST teams has renewed rumors among the more observant watchers of the dawn horizon that the AMA roadracing rights may yet end up with a group headed by Jimmy France, a name that strikes as formidable a chord among factory racing team bosses and circuit owners as the name of Bernie Ecclestone in 1990 when he announced his intention to bid for the Motorcycle Grand Prix rights.

Rumors that France's interest in the AMA properties was waning were wrong, and Edmondson's cryptic letter, coming at a time when the AMA is moving closer to choosing a promoter for professional roadracing from among several bidders, seems to suggest so much more than it says.

Here is the relevant paragraph that has sent sleuths sleuthing and speculators speculating about whether Edmondson and the Grand-Am are referring here to matters related to the sale of AMA professional racing rights:

"I am quite sure that by now anxiety must be running high in our community, due to our going "off the air" for such an extended period of time. I can only apologize and ask you to maintain your confidence in us and our efforts to grow this sport into the property it can be. For several weeks now, we have been engaged in negotiations with a third party on a project that will dramatically change the face of our sport and elevate SunTrust MOTO-ST to the forefront of American motorcycle sports. All of this has taken longer than expected and all of this is covered by a nondisclosure agreement, which means I cannot tell you anything about it at this time."

MotoST is the endurance series for twin cylinder, production-based
motorcycles that is sanctioned by Professional Motorsports Productions (PMP) of Toronto, the same company that also runs the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. The MotoST series is organized by the Grand American Road Racing Association (Grand-Am), also organizers of the successful Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

Since Roger Edmondson, the man who sued the AMA for millions and won, is President of Grand-AM and also much more than a mere member of the MotoST advisory board, and since the address of Grand-Am is the rather familiar 1801 West International Speedway Blvd. in Daytona Beach, you don't need to look at the ownership papers to know that the France family is more than casually involved.

Jimmy France, who, I am reliably assured, raced flat trackers and, according to a family friend who requests anonymity, also took part anonymously in at least one of the old Battle of the Twins class races at Daytona on a Harley. He has a big place for motorcycle racing in his heart. He has, from the very beginning of talk of the AMA selling professional rights, been considered by many insiders as the favorite -- viewed as a savior by some and feared by others as a potential dictator bent on the 'NASCAR-ization' of motorcycle roadracing (actually 'NASCAR-ization' done by someone with the deep pockets necessary to build the sport and done with respect for the differences between the stock car and motorcycle racing cultures could be good for everyone, even the factories, although it would take them a few years to get it).

Maybe Edmondson's letter to the MotoST teams is only referring to some expansion of the endurance racing series but, given the timing, the author, and the association of MotoST with Grand-AM…
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