KTM & Skip Barber.... Exciting Stuff....

[derby]

Honestly, you're surprising me. KTM is primairily known over here as a a supplier of off-road and Motard bikes but NOT sport bikes. If you were them and had a limited budget what would you push now?

honestly, if i had a choice between throwing money at a market i'm already well-established in or developing a growing market, i'd likely choose growth every time.

[gm2]

honestly, if i had a choice between throwing money at a market i'm already well-established in or developing a growing market, i'd likely choose growth every time.

exactly.  hence the RC8, the super duke, the rookie's cup..

Honestly, you're surprising me. KTM is primairily known over here as a a supplier of off-road and Motard bikes but NOT sport bikes. If you were them and had a limited budget what would you push now?

they just attempted to enter the sport bike arena in a big way with the RC8.  obviously they have made a decision as a company to go after that market.

more to the point, never make a movie about killing dogs or kids.  they promised a bunch of hopeful, talented young kids a chance to go racing... actually, a chance to have a real chance to really go racing.  it would endear them to the entire racing community, grow their brand here, create good will, put them on the tip of the tongue of all those parents and associated adults with wallets.  and get further in bed with red bull; not a bad move if you're interested in pursuing anything in motorsports.

you don't make that promise and then pull out in the eleventh hour.  then you really don't turn around and announce that you are sponsoring some other AMA series.. a move that prompts the media to make fun of you in your own press release.  and then you really really don't spend a ton of money on an advertising insert in a road racing mag that screams READY TO RACE.  an insert that's 90% about your road bikes.

smooth.

[Cider]

Got some information about the school: most of it is pretty generic, but it's $2600 for the two-day.  Registration opens 4/1/09.

One other thing--all of the dates are for Laguna Seca, but it says future locations will be announced later.

[Cider]

Official website is up: http://www.skipbarbersuperbikeschool.com/

Michael Czysz is listed as an instructor. 

Edit to add: They write "Powered by KTM" everywhere, and it reminds me of the "brought to you by Carl's Jr." line from Idiocracy.