Motorcycle.com

MOKE1K · 01-07-2010, 05:39 AM

Hacked Off
by dean adams
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Depending on how you look at it, Jamie Hacking's career is either a casualty of the current motorcycle industry economic crisis or was hammered flat by the DMG takeover of the AMA Superbike series.

Currently, Hacking sits at home in 2010 rideless and wondering what is in store for his racing career.

Kawasaki's recent announcement that they won't be racing the DMG series in 2010 put both Roger Lee Hayden and Hacking on the street and looking for rides.

For Hacking, 2009 was a tough pill to swallow after a pair of flat out amazing seasons in 2007-2008. In 2007, as new rider on the Kawasaki team, he finished on the podium five times and won two 600 Supersport races. Hacking's contributions that season helped Kawasaki revamp the ZX-10 streetbike and Superbike into a thinner, leaner faster 1000cc machine.

Page back to the Summer of 2008 and remember a time when Jamie Hacking was, arguably, the third-fastest rider in the US Superbike series. Hacking finished second in both Superbike races at Miller Motorsports Park, and finished on the podium an additional six times that year in Superbike. Also, Hacking tested the Kawasaki MotoGP bike, subbing for an injured John Hopkins in 2008. Additionally he raced it to an eleventh place finish at Laguna Seca (after finishing fourth in the Laguna AMA Superbike race that weekend).

Kawasaki quickly tired of the DMG political game and dropped out of Superbike for 2009, trimming their effort to just the Daytona Sport Bike class.

At Daytona, after the first riders meeting, it was clear that DMG were in full 'bully on the school bus' mode and no perceived offense would slip by without heavy-handed, autocratic reaction. Less than a month later, at Fontana, Hacking was suspended after a DMG official allegedly heard him swearing while talking to his wife after a press conference.

The era of the power-mad AMA ref circa 1970 had returned. It hearkened back to the probably untrue yet still very entertaining tracklore tale about an AMA referee (as they were known then) stopping a riders meeting at Daytona or Ontario and ordering Mike Hailwood to put a shirt on.

The way it worked in 2008 and 2009 was that everybody apologized to either Roger Edmondson or DMG but DMG apologized for nothing. The AMA's President started it in the press conference announcing the "sale" of AMA Pro Racing to DMG; and after Fontana, Hacking, pressured by his sponsors, was forced to appease in order to return to the lofty Daytona Sport Bike class. He finished fourth in the championship.

Hacking continues to train and hopes to return to racing.

At many points in 2008 Jamie Hacking was the sole rider who could either run with or keep Mat Mladin and Ben Spies in sight in Superbike. In '09, Spies went on to race and win the World Superbike championship in his first try. Mladin returned to the DMG series for a final year and won the US Superbike championship. And now, Hacking, who was closer than any other rider to beating that pair in 2008, has no ride.

seruzawa · 01-07-2010, 05:58 AM

Everyone likes to dump on DMG, but the AMA road racing series was one-foot-in-the-graveyard already under the old system that Kawasaki liked so much. And why not? Kawasaki had a guaranteed championship to put in their ads. Does anyone really think that Kawasaki would have pulled out in a huff if they had won the Supersport crown last year? Boo hoo for Kawasaki. The handwringing over DMG is an act.

Millions of people lost their jobs last year. Pro racers should be thankful that most of them are still riding.

Someone will pick up Hacking. He's too good not to get a ride.

trenttheuncatchable · 01-07-2010, 10:45 AM

There are some racing moments that I hope never to forget. One was the Jamie Hacking crash that didn't happen (second part of the video). The guy is freakin' awesome! MOTO-RACING - AMA DSB: Biggest Crash That Never Happened - SPEEDtv.com

MOKE1K · 01-07-2010, 10:53 AM

No Doubt On That One Trenttheuncatchable!

Almost as good as Wayne Gardener back in the day trying to tame the mighty NSR500. You know the pic Iam reffering to right?

MOKE1K · 02-01-2010, 10:09 AM

Young Rider Hangs Up His Leathers
by dean adams Superbikeplanet
Friday, January 29, 2010
With the US Superbike series reeling after a 'perfect storm' of bad management and a recession, one young star with a impressive record and pedigree has decided to return to school and give up his dream of a racing career.

Clint Shobert, son of racer Bubba Shobert, will return to college and medical school and has decided to end his racing career.

"He just felt, you know, what's the use in spending a bunch of resources on trying to build a career right now?" said a man intimate with the Shobert family.

American Ben Spies, who predicted that DMG would damage motorcycle roadracing in America, said in his latest column regarding the fiasco that is US racing today This whole power trip could've cost four kids their future in racing, just because they missed that jump. It's pretty upsetting, just talking to people about it and seeing what's going on. I hate to say "I told you so," but there are a whole lot of people who were saying that if this kept going on like it's going, there wasn't going to be a series, or nobody racing. And right now, there's barely anybody racing.

acecycleins · 02-01-2010, 12:21 PM

Zemke is racing for Jordan this season. May is kicked to the curb. The circus continues.

longride · 02-01-2010, 01:08 PM

"American Ben Spies, who predicted that DMG would damage motorcycle roadracing in America,...."

Too bad Ben didn't predict the damage Mladin did.......for 10 years before he finally f*cking left. Can't blame DMG for trying to save a series that was on life support from the day they got it. I'll STILL go watch at least 2 road races this year to give them MY support. I suggest you all do the same.

MOKE1K · 02-02-2010, 09:07 AM

Yes sir! We all should.

01-07-2010, 05:39 AM	#1
MOKE1K Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kalapana, Big Island Posts: 3,956	Gett'in tough out there! Hacked Off by dean adams Wednesday, January 06, 2010 Depending on how you look at it, Jamie Hacking's career is either a casualty of the current motorcycle industry economic crisis or was hammered flat by the DMG takeover of the AMA Superbike series. Currently, Hacking sits at home in 2010 rideless and wondering what is in store for his racing career. Kawasaki's recent announcement that they won't be racing the DMG series in 2010 put both Roger Lee Hayden and Hacking on the street and looking for rides. For Hacking, 2009 was a tough pill to swallow after a pair of flat out amazing seasons in 2007-2008. In 2007, as new rider on the Kawasaki team, he finished on the podium five times and won two 600 Supersport races. Hacking's contributions that season helped Kawasaki revamp the ZX-10 streetbike and Superbike into a thinner, leaner faster 1000cc machine. Page back to the Summer of 2008 and remember a time when Jamie Hacking was, arguably, the third-fastest rider in the US Superbike series. Hacking finished second in both Superbike races at Miller Motorsports Park, and finished on the podium an additional six times that year in Superbike. Also, Hacking tested the Kawasaki MotoGP bike, subbing for an injured John Hopkins in 2008. Additionally he raced it to an eleventh place finish at Laguna Seca (after finishing fourth in the Laguna AMA Superbike race that weekend). Kawasaki quickly tired of the DMG political game and dropped out of Superbike for 2009, trimming their effort to just the Daytona Sport Bike class. At Daytona, after the first riders meeting, it was clear that DMG were in full 'bully on the school bus' mode and no perceived offense would slip by without heavy-handed, autocratic reaction. Less than a month later, at Fontana, Hacking was suspended after a DMG official allegedly heard him swearing while talking to his wife after a press conference. The era of the power-mad AMA ref circa 1970 had returned. It hearkened back to the probably untrue yet still very entertaining tracklore tale about an AMA referee (as they were known then) stopping a riders meeting at Daytona or Ontario and ordering Mike Hailwood to put a shirt on. The way it worked in 2008 and 2009 was that everybody apologized to either Roger Edmondson or DMG but DMG apologized for nothing. The AMA's President started it in the press conference announcing the "sale" of AMA Pro Racing to DMG; and after Fontana, Hacking, pressured by his sponsors, was forced to appease in order to return to the lofty Daytona Sport Bike class. He finished fourth in the championship. Hacking continues to train and hopes to return to racing. At many points in 2008 Jamie Hacking was the sole rider who could either run with or keep Mat Mladin and Ben Spies in sight in Superbike. In '09, Spies went on to race and win the World Superbike championship in his first try. Mladin returned to the DMG series for a final year and won the US Superbike championship. And now, Hacking, who was closer than any other rider to beating that pair in 2008, has no ride. __________________ "YOU CAN'T BOLT ON SKILL" "The only thing limiting your bike, is you" We survived Bush you'll survive Obama! "the most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive." --thomas sowell

01-07-2010, 05:58 AM	#2
seruzawa Robby Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: 8501 ft. Posts: 16,803	Everyone likes to dump on DMG, but the AMA road racing series was one-foot-in-the-graveyard already under the old system that Kawasaki liked so much. And why not? Kawasaki had a guaranteed championship to put in their ads. Does anyone really think that Kawasaki would have pulled out in a huff if they had won the Supersport crown last year? Boo hoo for Kawasaki. The handwringing over DMG is an act. Millions of people lost their jobs last year. Pro racers should be thankful that most of them are still riding. Someone will pick up Hacking. He's too good not to get a ride. __________________ I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tanhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain.

01-07-2010, 10:53 AM	#4
MOKE1K Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kalapana, Big Island Posts: 3,956	No Doubt On That One Trenttheuncatchable! Almost as good as Wayne Gardener back in the day trying to tame the mighty NSR500. You know the pic Iam reffering to right? __________________ "YOU CAN'T BOLT ON SKILL" "The only thing limiting your bike, is you" We survived Bush you'll survive Obama! "the most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive." --thomas sowell

02-01-2010, 10:09 AM	#5
MOKE1K Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kalapana, Big Island Posts: 3,956	Shobert is hanging up his leathers,.... Young Rider Hangs Up His Leathers by dean adams Superbikeplanet Friday, January 29, 2010 With the US Superbike series reeling after a 'perfect storm' of bad management and a recession, one young star with a impressive record and pedigree has decided to return to school and give up his dream of a racing career. Clint Shobert, son of racer Bubba Shobert, will return to college and medical school and has decided to end his racing career. "He just felt, you know, what's the use in spending a bunch of resources on trying to build a career right now?" said a man intimate with the Shobert family. American Ben Spies, who predicted that DMG would damage motorcycle roadracing in America, said in his latest column regarding the fiasco that is US racing today This whole power trip could've cost four kids their future in racing, just because they missed that jump. It's pretty upsetting, just talking to people about it and seeing what's going on. I hate to say "I told you so," but there are a whole lot of people who were saying that if this kept going on like it's going, there wasn't going to be a series, or nobody racing. And right now, there's barely anybody racing. __________________ "YOU CAN'T BOLT ON SKILL" "The only thing limiting your bike, is you" We survived Bush you'll survive Obama! "the most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive." --thomas sowell

02-01-2010, 12:21 PM	#6
acecycleins Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Georgia Posts: 4,125	Zemke is racing for Jordan this season. May is kicked to the curb. The circus continues. __________________ "Slack" - a state of being in which everything flows smoothly.....a frame of mind so at ease that the universe naturally cooperates.

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01-07-2010, 10:45 AM	#3
trenttheuncatchable Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 834	There are some racing moments that I hope never to forget. One was the Jamie Hacking crash that didn't happen (second part of the video). The guy is freakin' awesome! MOTO-RACING - AMA DSB: Biggest Crash That Never Happened - SPEEDtv.com

02-01-2010, 01:08 PM	#7
longride Super Duper Mod Man Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Anywhere they let me Posts: 10,484	"American Ben Spies, who predicted that DMG would damage motorcycle roadracing in America,...." Too bad Ben didn't predict the damage Mladin did.......for 10 years before he finally f*cking left. Can't blame DMG for trying to save a series that was on life support from the day they got it. I'll STILL go watch at least 2 road races this year to give them MY support. I suggest you all do the same. __________________ I'm a knucklehead

02-02-2010, 09:07 AM	#8
MOKE1K Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kalapana, Big Island Posts: 3,956	Yes sir! We all should. __________________ "YOU CAN'T BOLT ON SKILL" "The only thing limiting your bike, is you" We survived Bush you'll survive Obama! "the most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive." --thomas sowell