Get ready for a rant...

Doug Chandler, a national treasure, and the most successful current AMA Superbike rider in existence (the way I see it).

January 16, 2002

Doug Chandler is the best current Superbike rider for these reasons:

o He's won 3 AMA Superbike titles
o He's won many dirt track races
o He's won the Peoria TT
o He's scored some very respectable finishes on a 500
o He almost never bitches
o He almost never crashes
o Riders were falling into line behind him at the World Superbike race to learn the track.
o He is truly a nice guy, always taking time out to sign autographs with me and
even chat for a minute. If you try to mention his accomplishments, he takes on
an "Aw, shucks" attitude and moves to something else.
o He was the REAL winner of the Pikes Peak '01 Superbike race

How can I say he won one of the last races of the year? He was sandbagging
to help Eric Bostrom score more points. Which is what he's supposed to do.
He was clearly faster in the backstretch than any other rider on the track.
He wasn't forcing himself past traffic like the two leaders (Nicky Hayden
and Eric Bostrom), but he would always come back up on them.

I think it goes without saying that he could have passed Bostrom on that day.
I think he would have given Nicky Hayden a really good run but who's to say
if he would have passed? After all, Nicky Hayden was doing the lord's work
that day by winning the race for his late friend, Will Davis. But Chandler was
on, and there's not many who would argue that it would have been a good race.
It's too bad that he ended up losing his ride for it.

Chandler was the fastest man through saturday's practice as well. He only
slipped back when everyone was going to qualifiers. That says something, he
was fast on race tires.

If there is any rider that should take any remaining factory superbike seats,
this is the man. It's a disgrace that nobody has picked him up. The thought
of Chandler on a Ducati or Aprilia whupping up on his former team makes
me salivate.

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