Mark N wrote:
> Will Hartung wrote:
>> When I heard that Mladin had taken #7 instead of sticking with #6, I
>> thought:
>>
>> "Man, what a cocky bastard. He picked seven because he 'knew' this
>> would be his 7th championship."
>>
>> I mean, I should know better than to underestimate Mladin, who well
>> has good reason to be cocky. Much like his little embedded 7 on his #6
>> graphic last year, he has a flair for marketing himself, but, wow, 7
>> on his bike basically rubs it in to the noses of everyone else, and
>> that's brazen even for him.
>>
>> But it's his last year, so, what does he have to lose.
>>
>> But then I learned that perhaps his number choice is not as sinister
>> as I thought.
>>
>> With reference to: http://superbikeplanet.com/2009/Jan/090129-2.htm
>>
>> Effectively, riders don't "own" their numbers any more. Rather the
>> TEAM owns the numbers. Mladin is taking #7 because he was really only
>> offered a choice of one of 3 or 4 numbers of which 7 had been one.
>
> I don't see where it's very clear in the stuff on the AMA website how
> this works. I see lots of stuff in the rulebook about style and
> placement of the number, but not how it is determined. The season app
> isn't entirely clear if it's for a team or a rider, but it must be
> signed by the rider, and the app asks for a competition number. Soup
> makes it sound like numbers are assigned to be used over all classes and
> not just each individual one, since Hacking and Bostrom aren't running
> in the same class. If so, doesn't sound like the #1 can be used by all
> class defending champions, right? They say Yamaha has taken 2, 4 and 6,
> but they have four riders, or two if this doesn't count Graves. So did
> they take #2 because Benny wanted that (unable to use #1 since DSB isn't
> exactly SSp), #4 because that's Hayes' number, and #6 only because it
> means Mladin can't run his number? Does someone now HAVE to run #6 for
> Yamaha this year? Will Herrin still run #46? What about Aquino?
>
> So it seems DMG has established a first come - first served system here,
> which may be in part a reward for those teams and riders who signed on
> early. That all may change down the road when things get less
> contentious (assuming they do). In any case, it now seems it's just more
> lack of respect and lack of real thinking on DMG's part...
Looking at the Daytona entry list, which should be final (Jan. 30 was
the deadline), there is no #6 in ASB, but Aquino is running it in DSB,
and Herrin is #8. And there is a #7 in DSB, some guy named Amantini, so
the numbers obviously don't get assigned across all classes. I also see
that Yates is listed as #23, Peris #10, May #54, Zemke #16. And no
listing for Hayden/Hacking/Attack at all.
Hmm...
>> When I heard that Mladin had taken #7 instead of sticking with #6, I
>> thought:
>>
>> "Man, what a cocky bastard. He picked seven because he 'knew' this
>> would be his 7th championship."
>>
>> I mean, I should know better than to underestimate Mladin, who well
>> has good reason to be cocky. Much like his little embedded 7 on his #6
>> graphic last year, he has a flair for marketing himself, but, wow, 7
>> on his bike basically rubs it in to the noses of everyone else, and
>> that's brazen even for him.
>>
>> But it's his last year, so, what does he have to lose.
>>
>> But then I learned that perhaps his number choice is not as sinister
>> as I thought.
>>
>> With reference to: http://superbikeplanet.com/2009/Jan/090129-2.htm
>>
>> Effectively, riders don't "own" their numbers any more. Rather the
>> TEAM owns the numbers. Mladin is taking #7 because he was really only
>> offered a choice of one of 3 or 4 numbers of which 7 had been one.
>
> I don't see where it's very clear in the stuff on the AMA website how
> this works. I see lots of stuff in the rulebook about style and
> placement of the number, but not how it is determined. The season app
> isn't entirely clear if it's for a team or a rider, but it must be
> signed by the rider, and the app asks for a competition number. Soup
> makes it sound like numbers are assigned to be used over all classes and
> not just each individual one, since Hacking and Bostrom aren't running
> in the same class. If so, doesn't sound like the #1 can be used by all
> class defending champions, right? They say Yamaha has taken 2, 4 and 6,
> but they have four riders, or two if this doesn't count Graves. So did
> they take #2 because Benny wanted that (unable to use #1 since DSB isn't
> exactly SSp), #4 because that's Hayes' number, and #6 only because it
> means Mladin can't run his number? Does someone now HAVE to run #6 for
> Yamaha this year? Will Herrin still run #46? What about Aquino?
>
> So it seems DMG has established a first come - first served system here,
> which may be in part a reward for those teams and riders who signed on
> early. That all may change down the road when things get less
> contentious (assuming they do). In any case, it now seems it's just more
> lack of respect and lack of real thinking on DMG's part...