Cycle News

Cycle News 2013 Issue 13 April 2

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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CN III CARRUTHERS SAYS... P102 BY PAUL CARRUTHERS MESSING WITH TEXAS N o matter who you side with in the Kevin Schwantz vs. Circuit of The Americas debacle, you have to believe that instead of giving a deposition to lawyers on Wednesday in Austin, Schwantz' time and resources would be much better spent helping promote the first-ever Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. Let's see… Schwantz is one of six Americans to ever win a 500cc World Championship. And the last time I checked, he was the only one from the Lone Star State. He also lives less than 20 miles down the road from the immaculate new racetrack. But instead of being the face of the race, he's going to be faceless. As in not only will Schwantz not be promoting the first-ever GP in Texas, he won't even be on the premises. Imagine Switzerland without chocolate. Hugh Hefner without a bunny on his arm. Laguna Seca without Kenny Roberts. Las Vegas turning its back on Wayne Newton. It's the ultimate kiss without a hug. "Ironically, the day that I released the articles, I got my hard card and my car pass," Schwantz said on Monday from his Austin home. "I have the ability to go, but at the same time I think I will choose not to." The articles Schwantz refers to are copies of correspondence from Dorna, the rights holders of the MotoGP World Champion- ship, and from Susan Combs, the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The hard card he talks about is a seasonal credential issued by Dorna. Former World Champions get them automatically. Especially ones who have had their racing number retired. Even ones, apparently, who Dorna seem to have turned their back on. least in writing. "My guess is it will end up going to a jury and the jury is going to say, 'Well, Mr. Schwantz, they asked you to do this and they asked you to do that…' Yeah, there wasn't a written agreement, but in Texas a handshake is as good as a written contract. It will just take a couple of years and the bad part is, from my perspec- the swashbuckling ex"He's Champion from Texas. World CoTA? Well, in the eyes of the motorcycle road-racing fan, they are now simply big business. They are The Man. The documents, combined with a press release issued by the racetrack that talks about the 10year deal to run MotoGP at CoTA and includes Schwantz prominently throughout, seem pretty clear cut. Unless my reading and comprehension skills have failed me, it sure seems hard to argue after perusing the paperwork that Schwantz wasn't a rather large reason that the track got MotoGP in the first place. But there is that little thing called a contract and Schwantz admits that there isn't one – at " tive, is they [the track] will get the $5 million from the state – even though I'm doing my best right now to prove that they aren't really eligible for it because they didn't go through the last process to get it." When Schwantz was escorted from the premises during the recent Honda/Yamaha test at CoTA, the proverbial feces hit the windmill. And CoTA seems to be taking the worst of it. In the circuit's defense, not many people would allow someone who has filed a lawsuit against them to

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