[racer69]

We had the MSMA side of things, now here is Flammini's:

Reinventing World Superbike

Flammini rocks the foundations of WSC with a new 'master plan'

by evan williams
Friday, July 18, 2003

"Here we are," said FG President Maurizio Flammini to begin a press conference held at Laguna Seca. Flammini and his brother Paolo -- the CEO of World Superbike's organizer FGSport -- answered questions after a whirlwind war of press releases last week. So where are we, really?

First, FGSport announced that the Superbike Permanent Bureau declared it would trash the air restrictor rules the manufacturers backed in favor of ones that required stock parts, much like the current AMA Superbike rules do. Then the MSMA -- the association of manufacturers -- announced they would, in turn, quit World Superbike en masse despite an agreement to return to the series several members had previously abandoned for 2004. FGSport countered with yet another release, refusing to back down and restating their aims of doing things their way.

The skirmish sent tremors through the motorcycle racing industry. The fight for power over the direction of Superbike racing -- and indirectly, the funding for the Superbike industry -- looked to be a white-knuckle ride, a revamp of the "chicken" scene from Rebel Without a Cause ... except using press releases instead of Chryslers. Observers noted that it is these types of conflicts that can kill racing series quicker than you can spell IMSA.

Flammini spoke of the 2001 accord that was to signify the return of the factories to World Superbike in 2004 under rules the MSMA had generated. "All the manufacturers (were to) be seen in 2004," Mr. Maurizio Flammini said at the Laguna Seca press conference. "After three years, at the last meeting of the MSMA, they said 'We can guarantee only one Japanese manufacturer'. Ducati had already confirmed (their participation)," he said. "So what (then)? In the end, the organizers must guarantee to the FIM, to the public, to the teams, to have motorcycles available and we can't do that. Because only two manufacturers (had committed for 2004), you can't guarantee that."

With only two manufacturer teams involved, FGSport felt the deal was off. "What we did was a restructure. You can't make a championship with four very good bikes, then nothing. We had to choose. Motorcycles that weren't available, some motorcycles that were eventually available for a very high price ... consequently, World Superbike for 2004 was not possible to be organized."

What resulted was an approach by FGSport that was not unlike NASCAR's in stock car racing, a dependence on dedicated race teams instead of factory-funded squads, a spec tire, a focus on limiting costs, and selling the personalities of the racers.

"We spoke with riders, teams, manufacturers, and other organizers like the AMA, UK, the Italian one, the German one. We very quickly formed an agreement. Motorcycles that are available in the market at an affordable price can be competitive. To give you some ideas of our technical direction, it will be similar to the AMA and UK ones. It won't be sophisticated, not expensive," he said.

A class with huge engine costs had to go if the organizers were to "restructure" the series for private teams to take the spotlight. "We accepted (the air restrictor rules) because the manufacturers said they are going to produce the bikes and for an affordable cost," Mr. Flammini claimed.

FGSport's plan promises to be aimed at providing a level playing field and reduced costs. "You can't have the teams spending too much ... on the bikes. We need them to have enough money for the bike, the riders, traveling, and marketing. Today, everyone is spending a fortune on the engine. Tomorrow, this cost will be one tenth." Too good to be true? We shall see.

For a series based on private teams, the air restrictor rules made little sense to FGSport. "We understood that were a number of problems and the costs were the first problem. The air restrictors are not the problem. You have full freedom in the engine. You can use very sophisticated technologies and you produce a lot of power and, in the end, you limit the power through the air restrictors," Mr. Flammini stated.

The main issue yet to be decided before the final rules are announced is what to do with the twin cylinder motorcycles. Ducati has always been the powerhouse of World Superbike and the rules must allow them to be competitive. Flammini said the question of how to do so should be answered when the new are confirmed, possibly before the end of the month.

Ah, yes. And the spec tire announcement ...

The real monkey wrench to many in the WSC paddock is the spec tire. Flammini was adamant that only one tire manufacturer would supply the field next year, stating it several times to the press at Laguna Seca. With sponsored teams traditionally getting the best rubber for free and the others paying for lesser tires, a spec tire is an unloved thing for the upper echelons of the paddock. "We like what Dunlop, Pirelli, and Michelin are doing now, " Flammini said. "Unfortunately, there are very different performances ... caused by the tires, not the motorcycles or riders. If you have an engine that is 20 horsepower better than the other, you can win two tenths, three tenths per lap over the others. But if you have a tire that is better, you can win one second. If you don't have that tire, you will never win."

"Some (tire) manufacturers supply only one or two teams," Flammini said. "Some teams have bad tires. They aren't competitive. We want World Superbike to be a championship for the manufacturers and riders, not the tires."

"We would like a fair condition for everyone," Flammini added, stating that his vision was much like Formula One car racing in the late 1980s when Goodyear supplied the entire grid with a choice of three or so different tires. "Each team would have the same possibility to win. You will remember three or four seasons ago, we had ten to fourteen riders within one second (of pole). We would like to go back to that."

Still, is a spec tire the answer? "It will solve big problems for the medium level and low level teams. (These teams) spend a lot of money on tires. Now they will spend a lot less." Flammini said that these teams should have a 50 percent less expenditure on their tire budgets next year.

But what about wild card riders, a main selling point of the confederation of Superbike organizers bandied about in the initial press release? There is no way that any tire manufacturer would allow their riders to compete in World Superbike on different branded tires because it opens up a potential marketing disaster. How does Flammini respond? He claims that problem will be tackled down the road. "The most important thing for the championship is to meet the goals of having competitive bikes," he said.

And just who will the spec tire maker be? It hasn't been decided yet according to FGSport, but paddock scuttlebutt says Italian tire maker Pirelli has the inside track. "There will be only one. Who it will be, we don't know, " he said.

Some feel that this whole series of events is just bluffing between the powers that be in motorcycle racing and eventually some compromise will come about. What is clear that the free-spending ways of MotoGP aren't for all of the manufacturers and World Superbike has always been a good place for them to make their mark with race fans without bankrupting the company. Infuriating the manufacturers -- many of whom might be more comfortable in WSC -- is a risky move since it is through their resources that most World Championship racing is funded.

But Flammini seems undeterred in the plan. "I believe what we are going to make is very good news for the Superbike family. We are enhancing the value of the championship, not lowering the value."

"We want to say once again, we have run this championship since 1988," Flammini said. "It has become quite an important championship. Sometimes, we have more (fans in attendance) than MotoGP and we are honored about that. I think this is because we have a very good atmosphere in World Superbike. It is an important factor. We have thousands and thousands of fans that are in touch with the riders. They go back home and say, 'I was shaking hands with (a rider). This is a good guy'. We will maintain this."