MotoGP comes to Austin April 2013

**racerdell** · 03-20-2013

Well we are getting closer to Moto Gp in Austin. Time to get the bike ready and start thinking about what to bring and what to leave home. Have we figured out where to meet for dinner?
Dell

**stevegrab** · 03-21-2013

Wow apparently the folks at COTA and Kevin Schwantz have a big beef going. He showed up at the test to coach Blake Young and was escorted off the track by COTA security depsite having credintials from a team at the test. Haven't kept up on the whole thing, but sounds like the folks running COTA are being total pricks towards somebody that put a lot of effort into the early planning (and securing MotoGP interest) for that track. Blake Young is riding a CRT bike for Attack Performance as a wild card entry in the 3 US MotoGP rounds, and Scwhantz has been a mentor and trainer for him several years going back with his time on the Yoshimura Suzuki.

Scwhantz version http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Mar/13032034.htm

COTA version http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2013/Mar/130321a.htm

More background on COTA and the divide with Schwantz http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2012/...mber132012.htm

I wonder will they try to kick him out of he shows up for the race to help Young, or even as a spectator?

**Michael Snyder** · 03-21-2013

Been going on for months steve

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**96viffer** · 03-21-2013

Because of the lawsuit that Schwantz brought against COTA, I guess from a legal standpoint COTA was within their rights to kick Schwantz out, but it was a horrendously bad PR move IMO. What I don't understand is that Schwantz was at COTA several weeks back when the Attack team first tested there. COTA didn't seem to have an issue then, so why now?

**stevegrab** · 03-22-2013

Originally Posted by 96viffer

Because of the lawsuit that Schwantz brought against COTA, I guess from a legal standpoint COTA was within their rights to kick Schwantz out, but it was a horrendously bad PR move IMO. What I don't understand is that Schwantz was at COTA several weeks back when the Attack team first tested there. COTA didn't seem to have an issue then, so why now?

Them being within their legal rights would depend on what authority they have to decide who comes to the track to assist each team. Unless the team needed COTA approval on all team members present on the test, then they are just singling out Schwantz because of their troubles with him. Seems like petty childish behavior to me. Especially in light of your info that he was at the track weeks before that with the Attack team.

Their press release made it sound like every person in attendance at the test needed a written invitation from COTA, and Schwantz didn't have one. Yet presumably every other person there did (down to family members of the rider).

**96viffer** · 03-26-2013

Originally Posted by stevegrab

Them being within their legal rights would depend on what authority they have to decide who comes to the track to assist each team. Unless the team needed COTA approval on all team members present on the test, then they are just singling out Schwantz because of their troubles with him. Seems like petty childish behavior to me. Especially in light of your info that he was at the track weeks before that with the Attack team.

Their press release made it sound like every person in attendance at the test needed a written invitation from COTA, and Schwantz didn't have one. Yet presumably every other person there did (down to family members of the rider).

This is priceless....

Schwantz Invited To Laguna Seca USGP

**motodog650** · 03-28-2013

Here is the provisional schedule for the weekend:

http://circuitoftheamericas.com/imag...s/schedule.pdf

**stevegrab** · 03-28-2013

Based on that schedule and the SPEED online schedule, MotoGP will be live (Speed showing 2:30-4PM eastern, race is 3PM [2 Central]). SPEED schedule also shows MotoGP qualfiying on Saturday 9PM Eastern, Moto2 race Sunday 4:30PM Eastern.