[bayrider]

http://www.cyclenews.com/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=7033

They give a chick a factory superbike.......what about Josh Hayes...or dare I say Eboz from last year.....

 

[roadracer98]

"her accomplishments include a ninth overall finish in the 2002 AMA Pro Thunder series and 31st overall in the 2004 AMA Superstock class."


I diddent think that thier were 9 racers in the Pro Thunder Class. :rolling:
This must be a favor to someone that matters. :applause:
I wish her luck !

 

[mofferman]

I think the key phrase is *select races* by which I anticipate you'll see her on a bike way below what Josh Hayes is riding in terms of performace parts at Road America and Brainard. Gotta admit....if your gonna use AMA to sell bikes to a specific audience (women in this case) what better way to boost your brand recognition amongst (in this case women)? Although, I wonder how this stacks up against the efforts to support Katja in, was it?, Gp 250????

And, the important thing to remember, is that with the select venues, Kawasaki's overall cost is very minimal with a potential for *HUGE* market share gains amongst women.

 

[indianaroadracer]

I don't know Jessica's story but good for her. Not every paid racer is the hardest working, most deserving...

I wouldn't mind having an "IN" with one of the factories or sports legends with a bank roll :smile:

 

[jay64]

I think saying that she has a full factory superbike is quite an over statement. She is a pretty good racer though. Granted, there are a ton of male racers who are better riders then she is, but she did get her name mentioned on TV before a LOT of guys that were on the track ahead of her. Racing for the most part is about getting people to notice your product, and she will get it noticed more than most riders will. It is actually a brilliant business move on their part. She is very competetive, she is a professional snowboarder where she has done quite well. She did pretty good at Road America this year, first time racing the AMA there and wicked it up in the last few laps of qualifying to make the field. After she outqualified a couple of guys they refused to take the field for the race, even though they made the grid. It was pretty damn funny.

 

[F4iHigh]

They're going to give her a bike in green livery so that people can see her competing in the Superbike class. It will not be anywhere near the level of Hayes' Attack Kwak bike. Marketing concerns outweighing actual accomplishments in racing are nothing new. Carlos Checa and Alex Barros have made careers of it in MOTOGP for heaven's sake. Honestly it seems a bit ridiculous at first, but it should eventually prove irrelevant anyway. She's a far better rider than I'll ever be, but you could probably put her on an RC211V and she wouldnt beat the regular factory riders. I'm not saying someday a woman could never do it. I'm sure it will happen eventually, just not this year. If Kawasaki had any intention of really putting a Superbike effort together, they have Tommy Hayden to do it with.

 

[KurtsSV]

[ QUOTE ]
jay64 said:
She did pretty good at Road America this year, first time racing the AMA there and wicked it up in the last few laps of qualifying to make the field. After she outqualified a couple of guys they refused to take the field for the race, even though they made the grid. It was pretty damn funny.

[/ QUOTE ]

She was on a 750, too. Those guys must have really small dicks.

If anyone thinks she's going to be on a full works ZX-10 in the few superbike races she's going to run, then you're as dumb as those guys who didn't want to race against her.

 

[jay64]

Actually, I'm pretty sure she had stepped up to the 1K that weekend, but I know she was very new to the bike and still made it work. For all the people who are believing that a woman can't race and all that, just think how impressed they will be with the Kawasaki as a racing machine when she starts beating a bunch of privateer guys. Kawasaki wins either way, they get props from women for giving a support ride to a woman regardless of how well she does, and more women are going to want to buy their bikes (ie sales) and if she does really well, then Kawasaki gets props from guys for building a good race bike and they want to buy it (ie sales.) I doubt that they are looking for her to beat the regular factory guys this year. Their goal is just to have her qualify. I guarantee that if she just qualifies for the race, she will be talked about and followed on tv during the race, and that is exposure for Kawasaki. I know how competetive she is and her personal goal is to start beating the other factory riders soon.

 

[KRG_Designs]

Dammit I'm gonna go grow some long hair so I can get a factory ride.....oh wait I pretty much have one....oh well good for her I say get it when you can.

 

[KurtsSV]

[ QUOTE ]
jay64 said:
Actually, I'm pretty sure she had stepped up to the 1K that weekend,

[/ QUOTE ]

Uh, where'd you get your info from? Unless she was riding someone else's GSXR-1000, she was on her 750. The commentators made a point of saying she was on a 750. In both the RRW and RRX interviews of her she talked about getting a 1000 "next year".

Anway, I think sponsors are seeing women racers as a nitch. Even at WSMC there is a woman racer, who is real good though has yet to win a race, who was given an SV650 superbike to ride the last couple of rounds on, and next year she is being given a Ducati 999 to ride. Getting sponsors is all about marketing yourself.

 

[jay64]

My information came from me looking at her bike during the weekend. But then again, I have had some head injuries so maybe my memory fails me. I do know that a lot of times the announcers just read off the sheet of what the person signed up to ride, like months before. But I totally could be wrong.

 

[KurtsSV]

[ QUOTE ]
jay64 said:
My information came from me looking at her bike during the weekend.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's what I figured.
[ QUOTE ]
I do know that a lot of times the announcers just read off the sheet of what the person signed up to ride, like months before.

[/ QUOTE ]
Figured that, too.

Last year she only did the two round up there in MN and WI. I wonder if Kawi will have her do more than just those two? Having her come out to the Laguna Seca round would give them/her a lot of exposure.

 

[7272]

Hello!

Thanks for all the nice comments. A friend of mine had told me to check out the forum here. I also recognized a few friends of mine from out East, wsup!!

Last year at Roadamerica and Brainerd for Superstock, I was on GSRX 750. If you saw me on the straights with the big 1000's, you would know, they left me! I didn't do as many rounds being I had my wedding to plan for in September 04 and hubby would have been pissed if I was on crutches :rolling:

I will be racing at least 4 or possibly 5 rounds of AMA in 2005. I will mostly race Superstock and FX with one round of Superbike. I will only race Superbike at Brainerd, where I know I will qualify no problem (you must qualify within 110 instead of 112%) and be competitive. Last year at Brainerd, I could have qualified for Superbike with my times on my 750, but rules are you must have a 1000 and I didn't feel I was ready for that.

Anyhow, cool to see all the racing and riding folks on here. I am super excited about Kawi's!

Hope to see you guys at track somewhere.

Jessica Z

 

[KRG_Designs]

Welcome Jessica hope all goes well and good for you for going out and getting support for yourself. In this day and age its not often sponsors start knockin on your door. Hope you like it here and keep us posted on how you are doing.

 

[netf4orce]

Welcome Jessica and good luck! Hope you will continue to contribute to our small but extremely dedicated and passionate forum. It now appears that Jay64 is no longer the only AMA celebrity on the site :lol:.

 

[indianaroadracer]

Welcome Jessica, like net said this forum is full of RR enthuiasts :809028-ridin: :waytogo:.
Have a look around and please feel free to chime in. Although, you might not want to brag about beating guys too much :lol: :grin:
[ QUOTE ]
netf4orce said:
It now appears that Jay64 is no longer the only AMA celebrity on the site :lol:.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well Jay is the only regular. I am positive there are others lurking. :coolgleamA:

roadracinggirl.com

 

[south]

[ QUOTE ]
7272 said:
I will only race Superbike at Brainerd

[/ QUOTE ]

I just hope that there is a round at Brainerd in '05--there seems to be some uncertainty, what with the track being up for sale. Whatever plays out, best of luck to you. :waytogo:

 

[klwheat]

Welcome to the forum Jessica....and good luck!
Have some fun out there for the rest of us!

 

[jay64]

Hey Jessica, welcome to the site. Ok, my bad, I guess I was wrong, good work on the 750. Didn't you also go out to PPIR in '03?

 

[7272]

You all seem to be alot of fun! I don't like to brag, I would rather goof around with those I race with.

Thanks Jay!

I am very hopeful about the AMA at BIR and it is beginning to look more likely, at least just for this summer.

I was at Pikes Peak in 02 and 03 for AMA. In 2002, I had a blast there on my Ducati, but in 2003, I was fighting my new bike, at the time, Suz gsxr 750. It took me a long time to make the transition to the "big pig," coming from a Ducati 748 and Yamaha R6. I am definately looking forward to going to Pikes this summer!! Very fun track. If anyone is from there, I may be doing the club race the weekend prior to the AMA there, let's go race!

Jessica