News 16 Feb 2012

Dack's factory Yamaha team unaffected by Super X collapse

Legendary team owner Craig Dack says that Global Action Sports' decision to axe Super X won't affect his team in 2012.

Despite being the defending Super X champions, Craig Dack says the collapse of the series won't affect CDR.

Legendary team owner Craig Dack says that Global Action Sports’ decision to axe the Super X, Australasian Supercross Championship, won’t affect his team in 2012.

Dack’s CDR Rockstar Energy Drink Yamaha team won the Super X series last year with Jay Marmont, however he has revealed to MotoOnline.com.au that the factory Yamaha team is largely structured around the MX Nationals series.

“It really doesn’t affect the CDR team, but I certainly do wonder how when other teams out there that signed riders and sponsors last year based on a certain amount of races and series, what they do?” Dack commented.

“I’m covered and have been around long enough to anticipate that kind of stuff. Maybe other people have too, I don’t know. But yeah, it can be quite a dilemma if you don’t keep on your toes.

“So I’m not affected at all. Fortunately for me, Yamaha being our biggest sponsor, Steven Cotterell has seen this all before. We’re always aware of it, so we leave plans in place and cater for it – it’s the art of anticipation.”

Dack, whose team is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2012, said its part of his team’s preparation to complete deals based on the MX Nationals, which commence on 1 April in Queensland before spanning 10 rounds.

“Some people have different opinions on [MX Nationals promoter] Kevin Williams, but the best thing Kevin Williams does is that you know where you are and he leaves you with plenty of time to get an understanding,” Dack continued.

“He might not be able to lock down exact venues, but he’ll lock down what state you have to be in, how many rounds, what dates – you know it’s all going to happen.”

A former multiple-time Australian champion as a rider himself, Dack said that he’s seen and experienced many different promoters since retiring from racing two decades ago. He’d like to see planning moved forward to assist teams in their preparation.

“It’s one of the things I’ve been talking about, literally for 20 years. This is no different than when CDR started in 1992,” he said. “Even Super X last year, the calendar wasn’t out until mid-year, and it’s really disrespectful to the teams I think.

“I hate to sound like a broken record, but it’s no different to the Supercross Masters era, to the SEL era, to the Global Action Sports era. It’s all been the same and the last consideration in all of it has been the teams – the entertainers.

“We go out on limbs and hire riders based on a certain amount of money for no races. There are a few teams out there this year that have gone out and spent a lot of money on riders. What happens there? Does that get deducted?

“I haven’t got a big problem because I have Josh Coppins on a motocross-only deal, while Lawson Bopping isn’t a problem because we can work something out with him. We were going to hire a second supercross rider from America, but fortunately I pushed the pause button on that.

“If you look at the last couple of years, I haven’t confirmed our second rider until we knew what was happening with Super X, for that very reason. We’re only one rider committed, not two. As I said, that’s the art of anticipation.”

This year will see Dack and the CDR squad fight for a fifth consecutive Pro Open (MX1) championship in the outdoors after clinching the past four with new Kawasaki signing Jay Marmont.

An Australian Supercross Championship is yet to be locked in by the sport’s governing body, Motorcycling Australia, but it is anticipated that the series will be contested either late in 2012, or early in 2013.

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