Dom Jones in the USA

**Shaun** · 21st August 2006, 10:44

Originally Posted by cowpoos

bloody hell he's doing fucking well!!!!

Mate, he is doing this all from his own money, Not one sponsor involved with him in any way! He does have a very good family support base but that is it,

A TRUE BLUE KIWI FROM THE OLD SCHOOL!

**Brian d marge** · 21st August 2006, 11:14

Originally Posted by Shaun

Young Dom in 16th place in the AMA Superbikes, who ever said Kiwi's can't do it

Kiwis/anyone can , you just have to ,,,eerrr do it. He must be though racking up a bit of a fuel bill, I hope a sponsor does take him under thier wing to offset some of the costs

Still at the end of the day , he can still say ....I did that ...

My little play in the mud, for 2 races one in the north and one in the south at the end of the day I was out of pocket 860 dollars ...now thats affordable excluding airfare ( I think)
So for those people who say it cant be done .....rubbish

16th in the standings of the Ama class is proof....

( just thinking and dont know the ins and outs , but If I was a NZ company , I would be supporting this fella just to break into the American market ...just thinking of that Vodka maker ...sub 41 or whoevver they are called ..)

Stephen

**Kickaha** · 21st August 2006, 16:00

It'll be interesting to see his pace on the local circuits when he returns

**Shaun** · 21st August 2006, 16:21

There is talk at the moment that Dom may not race here this season so as to come home and focus on working and getting money together to go back and work on what he has learnt this year!

Whilst I feel this totally show's the maturity of the guy, and fully respect his planning and commitment, arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Going to have to change that and get him on a well sponsored package for once!

**k14** · 21st August 2006, 16:29

Get him back in 125's!!!!

**Brian d marge** · 22nd August 2006, 00:26

never did like the whole advertising /marketing thing. As a consumer , I know what I want, I go I look at the item read on the back what its got , make a decition , pay go home

I never have chosen anything because of a signage telling me Washy X is best ...

Now back to bikes , I wish there was another way of funding a racing season without relying on the marketing budget of others. I mean, I go to work , I produce a product , Can a Racer genuinely produce a tangable increase in taking of the sponsor?

Some companies have it right, FCC clutches here in Japan do the clutches for moto Gp bikes and such like, they have a race program in place, which for them must be cheap and a rolling test bed ,,,so great value for money for them

Anyway, back to NZ wouldnt it be nice to see someone like Dom racing a fully funded bike where A, He is Fully funded and has quality equipment , and B, the company who sposors the whole thing gets awesome value and a clear tangable result...

Sorry bout the post but I was watching Imax Nascar , and was looking closely at the level these guy are at , I still saw the weak link being the sponsor, without which ....well

Stephen

**oyster** · 25th August 2006, 07:25

Yep, Hi there from Dom's old man. I'm not gonna tell his stories but can say few things. I came over after Luguna Seca. He was staying down in San Diego with some people he met. They have pet rattlesnakes. Dom always likes pets, not sure who he coped with these. He came and picked me up the off to Salt Lake City and Miller Motorsports. Stinkin hot thro Nevada / Las Vegas. Dom wouldn't turn the aircon on cos it cost too much extra petrol he says. I even offered to pay the $2.37 it would cost but no, he's the boss. Miller went well with good placings and a bank account top up to make it well worthwhile. Really funny, the commentator gave a really excited coverage until Dom led, cos hwe had bno idea who he was it went all silent. After a chat with Dom, on the Sunday when he led the first 4 laps he was as excited as ever "a foreigner leads OUR race!!" Off down and around south end of Colorado. Pretty interesting, the mountain passes are up high, one at 11 600 feet. That just short of the top of Mount Cook! Then about 27 hrs straight drive east thru Kansas (Dead flat) Shared driving, sleeping on top of all the stuff in the back of the old Chev Astro. Thru Indy home base for few hours and on to Columbus Ohio to stay. Up to Lexington and Mid Ohio track for AMA. Interesting weekend with a bit of drama but in the end a tidy result.
Then off up north thu Pennsylvania and around edges of Lake Eries, Ontario.
Stopped off at Niagara Falls for a look. Around top of New York state mountains etc and to NewHampshire Speedway. A really good weekend, camped at the circuit. He won his first 2 races, but the 2 local hotshots (one exAMA) gassed it up for the third, putting Dom back to 3rd. They were cool guys, came over later sayin they'd gone another second or two faster than usual. Dom had motivated them! Off up thru northern New Hampshire, across thru Maine and down South via Boston, New York. Above Boston it's really pretty country, neat little towns with the classic layout and architecture you's expect somewhere settled 200 years before us. Back west to Virginia International Raceway, New Danville Virginia. A stunning track, like Mid Ohio, a park setting in the forest with lots of hills and a tracked tortured in 3 dimensions. Dom found it hard at first, thought he was doing no good. But they were all struggling, and the truth came in a good qualifying and truly stunning last race performance. He rode like the some of the best, the lesser placings reflects his bike is only Superstock, not Superbike. The real factory bikes rev so hard they sound like 600's. They get get new motors put in pretty often to to stay tagether and producing that extra 30hp more that Dom's, who keeps the revs down and need his to last 25 race meetings! There's no doubt about it though, these new Suzukis are an amazingly good bike. Now we're in Minnisota, with a day off and a good computer for a bit of catchup. This week we're at Brainerd. Dom's looking forward to it. It has USA's fastest corner. Knee down at 260km/hr plus apparently. I come home then. Time for meeting with my Credit Card account...
Dom's then off to Road Atlanta in Georgia for anther AMA round. Then to the Toyota 200 endurance race at Willow Springs in California. Good money there so he's after a bit of that. Dom's eating habits: get a loaf of 50c bread, packed sliced ham, same of cheese and a lettuce. Put in chiller bin with cheap bottled water. Then a few times a day make up a sandwich, wash down with water. I don't want to see a cheese, lettuce and ham sandwich ever again.... maybe if he does well after Toyota 200 he might put a bit of tomato in. He complains I'm spoiling him by taking him to Burger King sometimes for a salad, miniwhopper and sprite. Total $3. He finds this waste hard..... After Toyota it's back to Mid Ohio for last AMA, then down to Nelson Ledges for Wera final, then to Daytona. All done by end of October and he'll store his stuff in Indy, on his way home to do a bit of butt kickin in the Buckets over the summer before going back in Feb.
That's about it. Plenty of other stories and things we've seen over here, when we're back if anybody's interested just ask a question. My real conclusion is after being here with Dom is that he has done exactly the right thing. He got himself up to a good level level in new Zealand, then just got on the road in USA where there is racing and money enough each weekend to keep going without going broke. I hope he is just the first of many young Kiwis who see the this model as the pathway to being a world class pro rider.
A BIG, BIG thanks to to Shaun Harris. He is the one who prepared Dom as a rider and presented him with this opportunity. Without Shaun, this would never have been possible. The MNZ High Performance Programme has been important too. I hope all MNZ members see the value of this programme. Look today, all 5 members are racing full time internationally. And one is a new World Champion!
Dom doesn't have any significant sponsors in USA, but there are people and companies who have been very good to him. A big thanks to Suzuki, Pirelli, Arai, Mirror Image, and Nan and Nev in Indy
As they say
Seeyaall

**Racey Rider** · 25th August 2006, 07:51

Thanks for writing all that. Was a Great read.

Go Dom! (No idea who Dom is, but it sounds like I and the rest of the world soon will).

What sort of prize money is on offer in these race days?
Might have to take Blue Thunder over there. (P/T)

**loosebruce** · 25th August 2006, 09:12

Yea second that, thanks for the read, some great results so far, hope better to come for him, there's some pretty big names in that feild, max respect to the effort and commitment he and others are putting in.

**Maido** · 25th August 2006, 12:25

Hey Pete, thanks for the great update,

I also hear a nasty rumor that he finally cut his hair to fit a new helmet!!!

At the moment the Hayden boys are a top feature in the AMA, they will have to make room for the Jones boys soon, I see cameron was going well at Levels.

**Shaun** · 25th August 2006, 13:40

Originally Posted by Maido

Hey Pete, thanks for the great update,

I also hear a nasty rumor that he finally cut his hair to fit a new helmet!!!

At the moment the Hayden boys are a top feature in the AMA, they will have to make room for the Jones boys soon, I see cameron was going well at Levels.

And there lies the future path!

**Two Smoker** · 25th August 2006, 19:32

Wicked Read Oyster... Glad to see Dom going so well... Gives me a possible idea in a couple of years if i prove to have the right stuff...

**madkeenandy** · 25th August 2006, 21:46

Awesome update thanks pete! Good to see Dominic up there, I hope he gets funded soon!

Whats this about kicking ass in buckets?! What bucket?! Gotta see that.

Cam is going well, gets beaten by Zac but thats it, and thats pretty amazing for a 14 year old!

Hope the good times continue,
Andy.

**oyster** · 29th August 2006, 04:44

Hi all
Dom went to Brainerd in Minnesota this weekend. Yep, pretty amazing first corner. A big long straight, tallest gearing he's ever run, it comes up 183mph on the speedo......... then remains flat out thru turn one, slight back off for turn 2.
Idea was to run low budget, try and beat all but one rider, who's the countries best privateer, and this his home track. So Sat race, not much practice, old tyres, pads worn out, pump fuel. A real battle with 2 locals, finally Dom was passed 2 corners to go to lose that 2nd place and the good money that comes with it. He wasn't too happy. On sunday, new pads, better (expensive) fuel and
better (still old) tyres and a good first race for a WIN. A no money race, but good practice. Then the final race, a new rear tyre and a top performance with a best lap only 1 second off the top guy, who was on his best pace. A tidy second, bills are paid, and another track sorted. Dom pretty happy and packing up to go south to Atlanta next weekend.
Peter