From the Johnny Rock Page Interview:

For many fans who were at Road America over the weekend, you may have noticed that Johnny Rock Page was not on the grid. Here's a letter from his website that will shed some light on his absence, as well as some other things that we as fans may not be immediately aware of...

Dear Senior Staff and Faculty of the AMA-PRO Organization,

I find myself in unfamiliar territory, however I feel like if I don’t stand up for myself and my fellow American Superbike racers that have been affected by your current misguided methods of running your organization, then one thing’s for sure, there will be no change at all. While I may be known as a back of the pack Superbike racer, I take a lot of pride doing the best I can each weekend and I go into each race putting the fans first. I wish I could finish in the top tier of every grid, however I am not as good as the majority of the field and yet that does not stop me from getting excited when I qualify for the American Superbike grid. I’m living the dream and loving every part of what Superbike racing has brought to me and my family; particularly the platform in which it has allowed me to connect my “Dream Big, Anything is Possible” message to thousands of amazing people.

This weekend I was prepared to go race in Wisconsin. As bad as I feel about not showing up for the fans, I feel that the AMA payout program is extremely unfair as it currently stands. Many of us [racers] have voiced our opinions via the traditional methods of writing letters to staff as well as talking to them about the issues at hand, ultimately to no avail. What we are hearing from your organization is “if you don’t like the payout, then don’t race”, or when our aforementioned letters continue to go unanswered we’re told to keep knocking. Can you hear me knocking now?

“If you don’t like the payout, then don’t race”… that is not a very respectful comment coming from an AMA staff member to a PRO Superbike racer. I guess it would apply if you thought we actually raced for the money, but please. We are here and willing to serve our desire to race and we conform to allowing the AMA to use us in their race events, which could be turned into a dynasty if marketed correctly. Sounds like synergistic dysfunction rather than synergistic energy.

Now that it’s clear that we both rely on one another in order to accomplish our common interest, let’s get to the heart of this issue and take a step closer to synergistic energy between the American Superbike racer and the AMA-PRO organization.

As an organization with the word “PRO” in the title, I believe the AMA-PRO should be able and willing to lead the way when it comes to anything related to the sport of professional superbike racing. At the PRO level, it is about building a better future for the love of the sport in itself. By doing so, with the first step being the Pro American Superbike racer, the AMA organization will get what they want as well.

We must first have to take a close hard look at the entertainment factor. I base my letter on the sole fact that anyone who makes the American Superbike grid should be paid. Keep in mind, that the fans, racers, and factory teams were all convinced by the media and press that the France family and current owner of NASCAR had great intensions to build this sport into a dynasty but held back because of the way the organization was structured prior. Do not give me your financial hardship. The amount of money that I am requesting to show respect for the racers that make this sport what it is is minimal at best. Maybe you can tell the last place racer finishing in each NASCAR and Superbike event that they will only receive $2,000. The $100,000 (minimum) that the last place finisher normally receives in a NASCAR race would have a huge positive affect on the world of superbike racing; allowing many participants to afford tires and gas money to get to their next race. As a sport where racers drag their knees on the pavement and have been called “the true gladiators of America” by the likes of UFC Champion Chuck Liddell, our requests are all to help the AMA Organization become bigger, better and stronger.

Solutions for a better future:

First, I do not believe that the NASCAR family is that tight on money. It is the American Idol of professional racing; people just cannot get enough. If things are in fact that bad, then pay you’re Simon Cowl of NASCAR a little less; they probably wouldn’t even notice it missing. Furthermore, if you are currently implementing economic cutbacks, they do not need to come from racers who finish 21st- 30th. I ask you to recall the basics of Philosophy 101. Your organization is only as good as the happiness of the people who are at the bottom of the payroll. Say there are 30 racers, you would have 10 people out of the top 20 each race that get zero. As a successful entrepreneur and businessman myself, that tells me that you do not respect one thing about those ten racers. While you claim to want a bigger grid for the fans to enjoy, you continue giving the lowest qualifying racers nothing. Do the 21st-30th placed racers not provide entertainment? They crash, they mix it up, they are the underdogs and American fans love the underdog.

Following are three solutions that I feel would provide both the AMA Organization and the Pro Superbike racers what they’re looking for, thus allowing for a better future of this currently underrated sport.

Solution 1: Pay for individual races in American Superbike 1-30th (or however many spots are available on the grid) for everyone from the first place to last place qualifying racers.

Solution 2: You’re doing a great job glorifying the racers prior to each start and love the autograph sessions for the fans; however you need to start giving the Superbike racers at least 5-10 free complimentary admission passes to each event. If your stars don’t get treated like stars, how can we become stars in the eyes of the public?

Solution 3: If you’re having a tough time with the minimal immediate changes that need to be made, get recommitted and stand for the racers in the way that you originally envisioned. This small step will allow huge change and immense growth in the popularity of American Superbike racing in America. We are a tight core family and we all love Superbike racing. Give us a reason to be proud and you will see loyalty blow up in a huge way. While we should already be your equal, as you own us and we are family, it’s time to start treating us as such.

Like so many, I bought into the France NASCAR family taking over American PRO Superbike racing, not to make it a better sport, but the BEST sport in America. I want the France family to follow through on that claim, blow this sport up and make it bigger than the NFL. America needs to know our Mladin, Bostrom, Hayes’s and anyone who rises up to be the superstar quarterbacks of our sport. As many of you know, I’m trying hard to contribute, do my part and get the sport of superbike racing known in mainstream culture though my reality TV show “My Daddy Johnny Rock Page Has Gone CRAZY”, which comes out this week, and I will continue to do my part for the love of the sport and the fans. It is because of them and their support that I’m able to voice my opinion and have the mental ability to endure at this level and I will never lose sight of that.

I am missing this race and by doing so say that I, Johnny Rock Page, believe in change and I hope that you, the AMA, will recognize this need and be open to handling it immediately.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

Johnny Rock Page, #269

Labels: AMA Superbike, Johnny Rock Page