JOHNSON: NO BIKE PARITY
Mon, 2008-09-15 16:28
Steve Johnson may be winning Pro Stock Motorcycle races, back-to-back as a matter of fact, but he’s not 
carrying a measure of dominance.
At least that’s how he sees it.
He may win with a Suzuki in a class dominated by Harley-Davidson and V-twin Buells but that’s on account of his riding talent.
Want to set him off? Steve Johnson may be winning Pro Stock Motorcycle races, back-to-back as a matter of fact, but he’s notcarrying a measure of dominance.
At least that’s how he sees it.
He may win with a Suzuki in a class dominated by Harley-Davidson and V-twin Buells but that’s on account of his riding talent.
Want to set him off?
Ask Johnson if he thinks his victories waters down the argument of a lack of parity for the class.
He’ll leave you wishing you’d never asked the question.
“[Nitro tuner] Lee Beard told me to take the rules and go get the money,” Johnson said. “We have to fight for money because our team is an expensive one to run. At the end of the day, you want to be able to tell a sponsor you can qualify No. 1. When you can do that, a sponsor has the feeling that your team can win. That’s not to mention the points, money or marketing ability.
“That facts are – one Suzuki, and it’s ridden by a girl, has qualified No. 1 this year,” Johnson continued. “In the last four races, the fastest Suzuki is .06 off of the No. 1 qualifying position. If I’m a sponsor looking to come in, Suzuki is the last place I’m going to look because they don’t have the performance.
“You have to tell that sponsor that we race good and they have to buy into that. That’s not a good deal for a marketing guy. That’s why I think it flat out blows.”
Johnson told the press corps after his recent NHRA Carolinas Nationals victory that one would have to go back to 2004 and 2007 that only 15 of the 60 races were led into race day by a Suzuki.
“They tell you that weight doesn’t matter and twelve of those fifteen times, the rider was Angelle Sampey, who is the lightest person in the class,” Johnson said. “Two of those times was Antron Brown and the other was Shawn Gann. It’s just not right.”
Johnson has a total of five victories to his credit in fourteen finals. The Concord victory represented his second in 2008 out of three final rounds.
carrying a measure of dominance. At least that’s how he sees it.
He may win with a Suzuki in a class dominated by Harley-Davidson and V-twin Buells but that’s on account of his riding talent.
Want to set him off? Steve Johnson may be winning Pro Stock Motorcycle races, back-to-back as a matter of fact, but he’s not
carrying a measure of dominance. At least that’s how he sees it.
He may win with a Suzuki in a class dominated by Harley-Davidson and V-twin Buells but that’s on account of his riding talent.
Want to set him off?
Ask Johnson if he thinks his victories waters down the argument of a lack of parity for the class.
He’ll leave you wishing you’d never asked the question.
“[Nitro tuner] Lee Beard told me to take the rules and go get the money,” Johnson said. “We have to fight for money because our team is an expensive one to run. At the end of the day, you want to be able to tell a sponsor you can qualify No. 1. When you can do that, a sponsor has the feeling that your team can win. That’s not to mention the points, money or marketing ability.
“That facts are – one Suzuki, and it’s ridden by a girl, has qualified No. 1 this year,” Johnson continued. “In the last four races, the fastest Suzuki is .06 off of the No. 1 qualifying position. If I’m a sponsor looking to come in, Suzuki is the last place I’m going to look because they don’t have the performance.
“You have to tell that sponsor that we race good and they have to buy into that. That’s not a good deal for a marketing guy. That’s why I think it flat out blows.”
Johnson told the press corps after his recent NHRA Carolinas Nationals victory that one would have to go back to 2004 and 2007 that only 15 of the 60 races were led into race day by a Suzuki.
“They tell you that weight doesn’t matter and twelve of those fifteen times, the rider was Angelle Sampey, who is the lightest person in the class,” Johnson said. “Two of those times was Antron Brown and the other was Shawn Gann. It’s just not right.”
Johnson has a total of five victories to his credit in fourteen finals. The Concord victory represented his second in 2008 out of three final rounds.
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