RC snubs fans!

[mcnut]

The following are emails sent to Suzuki Racing following Suzuki's rude and moronic treatment of fans at the Unadilla round of the AMA Motocross Series. I couldn't find any official RC site, so I sent the emails to Suzuki. Obviously they don't care. They didn't bother to respond to either email.

With the exception of a few, we found the MX guys to be a bunch of stuck-up prima donnas. On the other hand, all of the WEC guys were approachable, polite, and even seemed interested to talk with fans.

----- Original Message -----

From: Warner Family

To: press@suzuki-racing.com

Cc: editor@cyclenews.com

Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 7:33 AM

Subject: Fw: Fans are important!

I guess you guys just don't give a damn. I predict there will be no Suzukis in the Warner barn in the near future.

----- Original Message -----

From: Warner Family

To: press@suzuki-racing.com

Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 9:35 PM

Subject: Fans are important!

Perhaps Ricky Carmichael's "handler", whoever that is, should be reminded: Fans are important!

My 12 year-old son and I were fortunate to be able to attend the Unadilla round of the AMA Motocross Championship. We had pit passes and visited the Suzuki pits several times over the weekend. Once on Saturday Ricky came out of the trailer. While Ricky was looking over the bike and getting final adjustments made, nobody hollered out for an autograph. Everyone respected his time to get ready for practice even though we all wanted an autograph.

Sunday morning, I told my son the only way he would get an autograph was to stand in line for a ticket. So he did, for almost two hours in the hot morning sun. He missed a lot of action on the track because getting Ricky's autograph was that important to him. When the tickets were handed out, the two people ahead of my son in line along with the twenty or so behind him, were told "that's it." No more tickets. No chance for an autograph.

Now I might be able to understand the need to limit tickets if the line was snaking all around the pit area. It wasn't. Approximately 20 people were turned away. Why not just kick them in the shorts while they walk away? Is that how Suzuki treats its (potential) customers?

If Ricky doesn't know about this he should. If he does know about this, then shame on him too.

Former fans of #4

Jan & Jesse Warner

North Manchester IN

P.S. The next weekend we attended the FIM World Enduro Championship in Hancock NY. The entire Paddock was accessible to everyone. All of the riders were happy to sign autographs, pose for pictures and even chat with fans. That's the way it should be.

[CRFThumper]

The following are emails sent to Suzuki Racing following Suzuki's rude and moronic treatment of fans at the Unadilla round of the AMA Motocross Series. I couldn't find any official RC site, so I sent the emails to Suzuki. Obviously they don't care. They didn't bother to respond to either email.

With the exception of a few, we found the MX guys to be a bunch of stuck-up prima donnas. On the other hand, all of the WEC guys were approachable, polite, and even seemed interested to talk with fans.

----- Original Message -----

From: Warner Family

To: press@suzuki-racing.com

Cc: editor@cyclenews.com

Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 7:33 AM

Subject: Fw: Fans are important!

I guess you guys just don't give a damn. I predict there will be no Suzukis in the Warner barn in the near future.

----- Original Message -----

From: Warner Family

To: press@suzuki-racing.com

Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 9:35 PM

Subject: Fans are important!

Perhaps Ricky Carmichael's "handler", whoever that is, should be reminded: Fans are important!

My 12 year-old son and I were fortunate to be able to attend the Unadilla round of the AMA Motocross Championship. We had pit passes and visited the Suzuki pits several times over the weekend. Once on Saturday Ricky came out of the trailer. While Ricky was looking over the bike and getting final adjustments made, nobody hollered out for an autograph. Everyone respected his time to get ready for practice even though we all wanted an autograph.

Sunday morning, I told my son the only way he would get an autograph was to stand in line for a ticket. So he did, for almost two hours in the hot morning sun. He missed a lot of action on the track because getting Ricky's autograph was that important to him. When the tickets were handed out, the two people ahead of my son in line along with the twenty or so behind him, were told "that's it." No more tickets. No chance for an autograph.

Now I might be able to understand the need to limit tickets if the line was snaking all around the pit area. It wasn't. Approximately 20 people were turned away. Why not just kick them in the shorts while they walk away? Is that how Suzuki treats its (potential) customers?

If Ricky doesn't know about this he should. If he does know about this, then shame on him too.

Former fans of #4

Jan & Jesse Warner

North Manchester IN

P.S. The next weekend we attended the FIM World Enduro Championship in Hancock NY. The entire Paddock was accessible to everyone. All of the riders were happy to sign autographs, pose for pictures and even chat with fans. That's the way it should be.

You have to draw the line somewhere! what if there were 50 guys over the limit,just give them tickets also? how about 100?Sounds like your son tried,but

came up short! Maybe he should have got in line sooner! ?

[mcnut]

They didn't turn away 50 or 100 people. They sh*t on about twenty fans.

[COlucky7s]

I can understand why you are upset, but RC can only sign so many autographs. I realize that there were only 20 or so left in line, but im sure RC is on a tight schedule, especially on a race weekend, meaning that he only has so much time to sign. I can imagine that it gets hard for RC to make everyone happy, everyone wants a piece of him.

[DROB]

Mcnut, I have to agree that alot of the MX guys have "outgrown" or become too important in there own eye's to take care of the fans. If you haven't been to an outdoor national, understand that you pay extra for the opportunity to go into the pits. While RC and the other guys do need time to prepare for work, it seems to me he could take some time durring the week or earlier in the weekend to sign additional autograph stock and the folks at Suzuki could have made the day of all the people that payed extra and waited. I know that off-road and MX have a large difference in the amount of fans asking for an autograph, but I promise you this, my son Chris will never refuse anyone time or an autographas long as he races. He stood in those lines as a youngster and some people forget how much it means to a boy or girl to get recognition from someone they admire. The golden rule still works.

[ncj01]

sounds over-reactive to me...RC seems like the nicest most fan-friendly racer out there...classy guy.

I totally understand that it could be frustrating to go to a major event with you son (my son is 8 and is all into RC) all to just miss getting an autograph by a hair...but it doesn't mean the guy is a jerk or anything, just that you missed out, and it's a bummer. RC can't be all things to all people.

[mcnut]

I didn't say Ricky was a jerk. My beef is with the way his "handlers" treated fans. If Ricky condones this treatment, then he IS a jerk.

If you think I'm overreacting, you should talk to my son or the other twenty or so folks that were turned away.

[HondaRiderAX]

Signing 20 extra autographs could take up to 10-15 minutes extra. He is on a tight schedule and he needs that extra 10-15 minutes for practice, prep, etc. He can't please everyone. My friend and I are Ricky fanatics, and at washougal, she wanted his autograph, so she stood in line for a ticket. I told her that she wasn't going to get one even though the line wasn't extremely long. So I left her and went and checked out some other things. I came back and she was still standing there. About 10 minutes later, they ran out of tickets. That is just the way it goes.

It was funny though. A little later we were going back to the car for something and we stumbled upon him. He was standing right next to us doing a promo thing. She got to shake his hand and we got to talk to him. He is definitely one of the best fan friendly racers.

[radsdad]

I met Ricky once. We were at the Vegas Open and it was Friday. I'm walking around in the pits and I spot him standing in a corner, with a pen in his hand and a bunch of posters by his side. There was lots of people around, but nobody was talking to him. So I head over and shake his hand. Seemed like a really nice guy. I walked around for another hour and he stood there the whole time. Must of signed 50 posters. I never saw another rider outside the roped off area of the semis. I'm sure Ricky would have signed for you, if he could have. Also, my kid found Milsaps wallet there and returned it to him, with the contents intact. Most people would be grateful, but Milsaps grabbed it out of his hand and scurried into his trailer. He didn't earn too many points with us or the fans who saw it.

[Deskins87]

I can imagine it isn't easy to be on the top, If you don't get to rest before you race it could be the difference between winning and taking a dirt sample. Maybe if you head to one of the later rounds you can talk him out of racing to sign autographs since he doesn't even have to really be there to win his championship.

[wascal]

Rude and moronic?? You're a dork. RC is there to work, yes it is cool that riders give autographs and mingle with fans but his JOB is to be there and win races. I've seen RC's lines at supercrosses and they are always the longest of any rider (rivaling MC's line). He gives out tons of autographs every race, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, unfortunately for you they line was drawn before you got an autograph. I think you're moronic for not getting in line sooner if you knew your son was such a huge RC fan. You don't deserve an autograph from RC...

[Dodger]

The following are emails sent to Suzuki Racing following Suzuki's rude and moronic treatment of fans at the Unadilla round of the AMA Motocross Series. I couldn't find any official RC site, so I sent the emails to Suzuki. Obviously they don't care. They didn't bother to respond to either email.

With the exception of a few, we found the MX guys to be a bunch of stuck-up prima donnas. On the other hand, all of the WEC guys were approachable, polite, and even seemed interested to talk with fans.

----- Original Message -----

From: Warner Family

To: press@suzuki-racing.com

Cc: editor@cyclenews.com

Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 7:33 AM

Subject: Fw: Fans are important!

I guess you guys just don't give a damn. I predict there will be no Suzukis in the Warner barn in the near future.

----- Original Message -----

From: Warner Family

To: press@suzuki-racing.com

Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 9:35 PM

Subject: Fans are important!

Perhaps Ricky Carmichael's "handler", whoever that is, should be reminded: Fans are important!

My 12 year-old son and I were fortunate to be able to attend the Unadilla round of the AMA Motocross Championship. We had pit passes and visited the Suzuki pits several times over the weekend. Once on Saturday Ricky came out of the trailer. While Ricky was looking over the bike and getting final adjustments made, nobody hollered out for an autograph. Everyone respected his time to get ready for practice even though we all wanted an autograph.

Sunday morning, I told my son the only way he would get an autograph was to stand in line for a ticket. So he did, for almost two hours in the hot morning sun. He missed a lot of action on the track because getting Ricky's autograph was that important to him. When the tickets were handed out, the two people ahead of my son in line along with the twenty or so behind him, were told "that's it." No more tickets. No chance for an autograph.

Now I might be able to understand the need to limit tickets if the line was snaking all around the pit area. It wasn't. Approximately 20 people were turned away. Why not just kick them in the shorts while they walk away? Is that how Suzuki treats its (potential) customers?

If Ricky doesn't know about this he should. If he does know about this, then shame on him too.

Former fans of #4

Jan & Jesse Warner

North Manchester IN

P.S. The next weekend we attended the FIM World Enduro Championship in Hancock NY. The entire Paddock was accessible to everyone. All of the riders were happy to sign autographs, pose for pictures and even chat with fans. That's the way it should be.

Oh for crying out loud, get over it. A line was drawn, and you were behind it, not the first time, not the last I sure.

[MXOldtimer]

You go there to admire his ability to race a motorcycle, NOT HIS PENMANSHIP! ?

.

[LowCo]

Too bad your not teaching your son some life moments, when you dont always win or get what you want.

Instead you are showing him poor traits, such as ME ME ME ME ME!

You should be ashamed of the way you percieve this as a POOR ME situation!

[chrisn6104]

You go there to admire his ability to race a motorcycle, NOT HIS PENMANSHIP!

.

Exactly ?

[-astroglide-]

RC needs to race also- Unadilla isn't a poster sighning convention. He has stuff to worry about also. If all he did was sign posters he would be back in the points with tyler evens..

[Dust_Devil]

Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! I didnt get an autograph!!!! Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

We are not going to buy any suzukis...Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

Give me a friggen break.

First of all I dont know why anyone would want an autograph from ANY rider or ANY celebrity, I have met many, many, celebs and riders and drivers and pro athletes over the years, and guess what...I have not asked for an autograph EVER.

They are just people like you and I.

WHen Ricky is at the races he's AT WORK! Would you like someone bothering you at work?? Not me.

I would bet his mind was on the race and the championship.

Get over it.

P.S. Consider your self lucky that you wont be buying any Suzukis......they pretty much suck ass.You should be thanking RC.

[dusk]

i agree with pretty much everone in this thread, i can see why youre upset, but they have to draw the line somewhere. if they make an exception for 20 people, then next race they have to do the same, and so on. 20 people are alot of people though if you think of it, to personally autograph 20 posters or shirts or whatever, it could take a bit of time, and autographs arent racers priority, the race is.

[Baron Von Beard]

It amazes me that you would go from super fan to dissing the guy simply because your son didn't get in line early enough to get a ticket for an autograph. Not as big of a fan as you thought, huh?

There's a limit on tickets for a reason. Like someone else stated before, teach your kid some humility, not this self important whining.

[JSanfilippo]

Rude and moronic?? You're a dork. RC is there to work, yes it is cool that riders give autographs and mingle with fans but his JOB is to be there and win races. I've seen RC's lines at supercrosses and they are always the longest of any rider (rivaling MC's line). He gives out tons of autographs every race, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, unfortunately for you they line was drawn before you got an autograph. I think you're moronic for not getting in line sooner if you knew your son was such a huge RC fan. You don't deserve an autograph from RC...

?

MCnut, quit your bitching