Interesting how the Yanks see NZ

[wharfy]

I guess Ford having a V8 before Mopar was his point - but a 340 is a mighty-fine little motor!

Actually the history of the V8 engine is quite interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V8_engine#History

Shame the credit has to go to those "red wine swilling, garlic eating, Renault driving, Rainbow Warrior sinking bastards" - I'm not bigoted honest

[slowpoke]

Jeezus, the ol' patriotic fervour strikes on both sides of the argument!

I've followed 'Soup and Dean Adams for years, he's a funny, irreverent and at times enlightening writer. But he's a one eyed patriot too, so anything "american vs rest of world" type stuff I take with a grain of salt. Pretty much like anything "Kiwi vs rest of world", that I read. Just check out some of the blatherings regarding the Britten story and the same fact vs fiction disconnect crops up. We're all guilty of it.

FYI, I was in Perth for some training a coupla weeks ago and went to the best motoring bookshop in Australasia, where I picked up amongst other things a DVD on the Can-Am series. Funny as fuck, 'cos the opening scene was a Can-Am race at Laguna Seca in 1970, viewed just a coupla days after the Laguna MotoGP race, 2012. Holy shit the place looked raggedy! Puke would have appeared much the same, back in the day. Trouble is Puke and most NZ tracks look much the same now, whereas any supposedly world class track has taken giant leaps forward.

Puke? A backwater? Realistically that doesn't sound too far from the mark. Tasman/Marlboro series or not, it's never been top of the pops for World Championship participation has it?

[Crasherfromwayback]

Jeezus, the ol' patriotic fervour strikes on both sides of the argument!

FFS man. This is Kiwibiker. Why do you insist on posting things that make sense and are well thought out?

You don't belong here.

[avgas]

Other than general ignorance than I will admit of my compatriots, it is also the case we simply don't give a fuck where places like NZ are. Unless we have to live here.
Speaking from the heart.

Fair call. People assume too much of the Americans. Its better to lower standards.

Besides NZ has this horrible mentality that we need to be on the world scale. I have been to McDonalds in Shanghai with a larger population than us. Fact of the matter is NZ is a little TINY country off the arse-end of the world. The fact that we can buy anything internationally is a miracle - let alone for the relatively low price we do get goods for.

[Crasherfromwayback]

it is also the case we simply don't give a fuck where places like NZ are. Unless we have to live here.

:

You don't HAVE to live here. You could fuck right off to where ever you think is best.

[merv]

I like America and love the humour on Soup and do find the people over there friendly, just I'd prefer they weren't in control of guns. I was there in Arizona when Gabby Giffords got shot and I'm just not impressed that those with a screw loose have such access to firearms, but then I had to change motels in Napier the day Molenaar went loose too (motel we booked ended up in the cordon), so perhaps its me that's always in the wrong place and its not just USA that's a problem.

[scumdog]

FFS man. This is Kiwibiker. Why do you insist on posting things that make sense and are well thought out?

You don't belong here.

True Pete, logic has no place on this site...

[Madness]

You don't HAVE to live here. You could fuck right off to where ever you think is best.

I reckon we shoud do a gool old fashoined Kiwi whip-round for the airfare (one-way, of course).

[scumdog]

I like America and love the humour on Soup and do find the people over there friendly, just I'd prefer they weren't in control of guns. I was there in Arizona when Gabby Giffords got shot and I'm just not impressed that those with a screw loose have such access to firearms, but then I had to change motels in Napier the day Molenaar went loose too (motel we booked ended up in the cordon), so perhaps its me that's always in the wrong place and its not just USA that's a problem.

'Dead' right Merv - our gun laws are draconian - but it still doesn't stop a fruit-loop going berserk...

[Dean Adams]

Hello

This is Dean Adams from Superbikeplanet.com. I was just sitting down to start writing a follow up to my Cal Rayborn story--written so many years ago--with help from Scott Brelsford who was in NZ that day-- when came across this forum and have read your wonderfully well thought out critiques.

I'd love to converse with anyone on the subject of Cal Rayborn and NZ and anything I have written on his death in NZ. I can be reached via the site's email address, hardscrabblemedia@earthlink.net.

I don't know who GD66 is but I do not recall speaking with anyone on a forum about the day Rayborn died. This is the first forum I have joined in at least a decade, FWIW. Again if anyone in NZ would like to have a rational conversation I'm very open to any dialog.
Thanks and Merry Christmas
Dean

I have had a swing at him on this topic on other websites over a few years because of his poor research and assumptive, patronising treatment of those involved in the meeting and the series, describing the Marlboro Series' first foray to Pukekohe as "some insignificant club meet". I was involved in that meeting, and because we were so entranced with the idea of the great Cal Rayborn's involvement with the series, even though it was an extremely ad-hoc affair, that the unfolding terror of what happened in front of our eyes at the end of lap 1 will live with us forever.

[Dean Adams]

I think it has been the style of the Superbikeplanet.com web site to publish bylines in lower case since around 1998. We have published stories written by Julian Ryder, Kevin Schwantz and a host of others, all with bylines in lower case and until now no one has suggested we've done so .... because the authors lack respect.

Perhaps if any of the names mentioned on here are still alive, someone could present a fact list to SBKplanet to write another piece?

Did anyone else notice, that the author didn't even get capital letters for his name? Someone that unimportant shouldn't get published at all I'd have thought.

[Dean Adams]

I'd love to discuss my story with you, whoever you are. hardscrabblemedia@earthlink.net. -- Dean Adams

Soup website has a long history of Dean Adams' ramblings on it and this appalling piece of tripe is indicative of his dubious talents in the field of journalism. I have had a swing at him on this topic on other websites over a few years because of his poor research and assumptive, patronising treatment of those involved in the meeting and the series, describing the Marlboro Series' first foray to Pukekohe as "some insignificant club meet". I was involved in that meeting, and because we were so entranced with the idea of the great Cal Rayborn's involvement with the series, even though it was an extremely ad-hoc affair, that the unfolding terror of what happened in front of our eyes at the end of lap 1 will live with us forever. Yes, things went wrong on a number of levels, but Joe Lett has incorrectly been brought into question as a scapegoat by uninformed guesswork by many, and my recollection of the way things unfolded was that the crew, after mediocre practice performance from the bike, decided to convert to alcohol on the day, and without testing. But the chief protagonist was in fact Cal's stepfather and acting chief wrench Lou Kaiser. Cal didn't seem to fazed by the idea, but the idea of a more competitive bike held great appeal, and this I believe to be the root of the problem. The rest we know...

[Drew]

I think it has been the style of the Superbikeplanet.com web site to publish bylines in lower case since around 1998. We have published stories written by Julian Ryder, Kevin Schwantz and a host of others, all with bylines in lower case and until now no one has suggested we've done so .... because the authors lack respect.

It was tongue in cheek man, don't take it personal like.

On a less joking note, why the lower case?

drew.

[slowpoke]

Hello

This is Dean Adams from Superbikeplanet.com. I was just sitting down to start writing a follow up to my Cal Rayborn story--written so many years ago--with help from Scott Brelsford who was in NZ that day-- when came across this forum and have read your wonderfully well thought out critiques.

I'd love to converse with anyone on the subject of Cal Rayborn and NZ and anything I have written on his death in NZ. I can be reached via the site's email address, hardscrabblemedia@earthlink.net.

I don't know who GD66 is but I do not recall speaking with anyone on a forum about the day Rayborn died. This is the first forum I have joined in at least a decade, FWIW. Again if anyone in NZ would like to have a rational conversation I'm very open to any dialog.
Thanks and Merry Christmas
Dean

Bloody hell Dean I thought you were smarter than this, lol. 10 years off forums? Do yourself a favour and make it longer! I keep swearing myself off this one, find something that puts a burr under my saddle, relent/respond and next thing ya know it's all hissy fits and hyperventilating all over again.....don't do it!

Love your website by the way, it's a refreshing blend of insight and information all mixed up with a healthy dose of cynicism. Keep up the great work......now run while ya still can!

[Kickaha]

. Again if anyone in NZ would like to have a rational conversation I'm very open to any dialog.

You've come to the wrong place for that