Johnny Rock Page

[glenngsxr]

Anyone who saw the "incident" knows what is going on. This is the video of the confrontation with Johnny and Al Ludington. As much as his antics confuse me, I still think that DMG was in the wrong here. What are everyone's thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C42W0dyBC8

[fairrpe86]

I agree that DMG is in the wrong on this one. They seemed to more concerned with spectator appeal rather than riders safety. Also in the AMA rulebook it states that a rider is to hold their race line when the blue flag is presented. I do not race but I have sat in for parts of the classroom portion of the race school and although the club doesnt have a flag for being passed, the instructors still instruct the riders to hold their race line and be predictable so that the faster rider has the opportunity to safely pass.

Just my $.02 from a non racer.

[James W]

WOW!!! He would be fired if it was up to me no questions asked. Then I would boot him in the ba??s

[loujr]

Wasn't very professional, and further more he was wrong. Racing is racing some people are faster than others, that is life. Johnny pays his money, makes the grid, and as long as he didn't do something harmful or dangerous then WTF?

[dave.gallant]

Not only should they immediately fire Al Luddington, they should make a half time show of it and allow JRP to get on the PA system and do it at "halftime".

AMA is already a complete donkey show now -- why not?

[ctb]

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=37432

Yeah, Al...I also want a written signed apology as a loyal motorcycle racing fan...Sheesh, what a tool.

[benfoxmra95]

The sound wasn't working when I played the video. But I can only imagine what ludington was saying.

This is of no surprise whatsover though, does anyone remeber the issues that rock page had with Miguel duhamel last year? There were articles and letters in rrw all about it. Guess who was duhamels crew chief.

A hatred can ben deep seeded and never forgotten amongst the fraternity of racers.

I was quite amused to see duhamel finish 20th or somehwere way in the back at the Dayton 200 this year getting lapped. He's always been hard on privateers, and then the tables were turned an he was the one looking for wal mart on the track.

[GNGSXR]

The sound wasn't working when I played the video. But I can only imagine what ludington was saying.

This is of no surprise whatsover though, does anyone remeber the issues that rock page had with Miguel duhamel last year? There were articles an letters in rrw all about it. Guess who was duhamels crew chief.

A hatred can deep seeded and never forgotten amongst the fraternity of racers.

I was quite amused to see duhamel finish 20th or somehwere way in the back at the Dayton 200 this year getting lapped. He's always been hard on privateers an then the tables were turned an he was the one looking for wal mart on the track.

now hes running nascar in canada haha

[benfoxmra95]

btw, I don't think the way ludington treated page was perfectly right, but, I don't think he should have been suspended either. that's a pretty harsh decsion. the apology letter seemed enough, to me.

Fact is, and if your a racer you know this: if your in a race where you clearly know your going to be lapped, you go in with a plan, whereas you have a estimate of what lap the leaders will be making their way around you. and when that time comes, you look back and see where they are and and when they might be coming round, you then run a pretty narrow line off the side of the corners so they have room to get by. wsbk lappers always get out of the way when the flags out, it's just courtesy.

I see both sides of this problem, ludington wants to put on a good show for people and here's some 28th place guy trying to dice it up with a leader for a corner to try and get air time and then causes a problem with the leaders. So this gets ludington's blood boiling because he's seen that 28th place guy is always parading around in the pits with cameras and an entorage like he's valentino rossi and he's "the big show", so ludington wants him to realize his place in the food chain on the track.

Page is known for acting like a superstar. I was down at cannery row for laguna 2 weeks ago and there was this crowd forming around this person who had camera men following him and filming for a reality show, I thought it might be rossi or bostrom, or someone like that and i get up there to take a look and it's page..... well... not quite autograph material like rossi.

Still a hero no doubt as anyone who races is hero in my book, but maybe a smaller one than mladin or hayden etc...

We'll see how much more it unfolds.

[dave.gallant]

Page pays his entires, makes the grid, and brings outside sponsorship to the AMA.

Lappers have been and always will be a part of racing. If Yates or whomever isn't a good enough racer to handle that, then Yates is a tool and should go back to racing WERA. If the AMA wants to eliminate backmarkers, then change the damn rulebook and percentage cut off. The AMA has complete control over the situation via the rulebook.

Until then, Al should be flipping burgers at a local Sonic instead of having anything to do with a "professional" organization.

Of course, this is just my opinion. 8)

[glenngsxr]

Page pays his entires, makes the grid, and brings outside sponsorship to the AMA.

Lappers have been and always will be a part of racing. If Yates or whomever isn't a good enough racer to handle that, then Yates is a tool and should go back to racing WERA. If the AMA wants to eliminate backmarkers, then change the damn rulebook and percentage cut off. The AMA has complete control over the situation via the rulebook.

Until then, Al should be flipping burgers at a local Sonic instead of having anything to do with a "professional" organization.

Of course, this is just my opinion. 8)

And a good opinion it is!

[DarkKnight]

Just to add fuel to the fire - what do you think about this comment from Mat Mladin on Twitter?

"You overwelmingly asked for my opinion on this one. Al Ludington's approach to "Johnny Dick Head" was mild. I would have head butted him!"

Mat is a great racer but apparantly he feels that the seas should part and all frontrunners just be let by.

[dave.gallant]

Just to add fuel to the fire - what do you think about this comment from Mat Mladin on Twitter?.

Matt is simply making sure he is getting attention even when he is not on the motorcycle. He is a movie star and is living up to his moniker.

[Bizerker27]

JRP, from what I can tell, held his line. That's what should be done when getting lapped. There is nothing worse than the lappers watching behind them for the leaders. I see this all the time

Pay attention, hold your line, don't look back, and let the fast guys find their own way around.

If you get lapped, did it ever occur to you that the guy that's coming through has spottted you 1/2 a lap a go and already has a plan to come through? If the answer was no, then please do.

For me, it never fails, the lapper takes a look behind, thinks he's doing good by moving out of the way and inevitably moves into me or I have to check up because they totally get off the gas. There is some pretty neat stuff in front of you...keep looking that way.

Im glad Yates was hosed. He is a dangerous rider and a deserves to get blocked every round. How many people does Yates have to take out before someone does something?

[vonconcepts.com]

I know I don't post much... but the JRP thing has had me fired up this whole week. Personally, JRP is a hero to me. Like someone said up top - there's cameras rolling, folks gathering, a big to do ... it's not Rossi, it's not Bostrom -- It's Page.

Think of how cool that really is. I think he is bringing a whole new coolness to the sport whereas a lot of others aren't. Take a cat like Mladin, as he was pointed out earlier. Try something positive instead of always being a negative Nancy. Someone with Mat's notariety could easily bring international media to the sport... but he chooses to bash on Twitter instead. Some people get lapped and are critical of themselves - some people realize they kick butt just for making the show. As JRP says "Dream Big - Anything is Possible".

As for the incident... until I saw the outburst of Luddington matched against the calm poise of JRP, I was on the fence a bit. But his behavior was WAY out of line. Suspension isn't good enough, especially if you consider the hickville sheriff way he is treating John Ulrich as well. Part of the fun is the traffic and how that plays out up front. If the AMA/DMG really thinks the fans want to watch unencumbered lapping of the top 5 -- then I guess they could put Al in charge.

[DarkKnight]

Here is Ulrich's editoial from Roadracing World. http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=37389
The whole operation seems more and more like a sideshow circus.

[RSV35]

Please keep in mind that there are two sides to every story. Unless you are a part of the travelling circus every weekend you only get half of the story. Right now everyone is hapy to jump on the bash the DMG bandwagon, but I have seen some of the best ontrack action with DSB and ASBK for the first time in years. As far as JRP, he was shown the blue flag for several corners before the pass happened. he was by himself and could have moved out of the way at any time. He did not need to "race" the leaders nor bostram further back in the front group.

[N1K]

+1 he wasn't racing anybody and he knew by the flags they were coming he could of got the fuck out the way.

[ctb]

I don't care who saw what flag...Al = Seriously unprofessional and embarrassing for the sport as a whole that the tirade is all over the internet. :oops:

[nwatkins176]

Get out of the way to where????? The rules say hold your line.

[PrillerGrrl]

now hes running nascar in canada haha


Hey....

Don't knock our Nascar Sheep Racing Series...

Katie
188

[froth]

Wow! What a tool. Guy holds his line, as he's supposed to and gets harassed for it. If it were me, the camera would be used for that tool's free colonoscopy.

[RSV35]

The rule states to "hold your line" it does not say stay in the race line. The intent is that the rider being passed doesn't start swerving or riding like a squid.

[dave.gallant]

The rule states to "hold your line" it does not say stay in the race line.

You have got to be effin kidding me.

[RSV35]

Read it: http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=37494

About the fifth paragraph down.

[polar x]

As there are NUMEROUS race lines around a course I read that as stay on "your" line and let the fast guys do there thing without worrying that you are going to go bonzaiing out of "your" line to make room for them.