While Ducati North America didn't receive a visit from the Daytona Motorsports Group last week, you can bet that the execs in Cupertino are closely monitoring the situation regarding 2009 Superbike and or series rules.

"... the industry will have to do more than cite safety concerns if it wants to omit the liter-class bikes from the track. We have all spent decades promoting the full-bore sport bikes as an aspiration to the public and that assumption has become quite deep seated in the psyche of many motorcyclists." -- Ducati USA CEO Michael Lock

"We will be discussing the options and making our company's position clear during the talks due to be held at Barber later this week. However, it is probably no secret to anyone that Ducati would very much like to be participating in US-based road racing again from 2009 onwards," Ducati's CEO Michael Lock said late Tuesday.

"Our success in WSB and BSB shows that we are competitive and committed to the sport. With North America poised to become Ducati's number one market globally in 2008 we would like an opportunity to showcase our talents and pit ourselves against our competitors on the race tracks of the USA. We retain an open mind on the class proposals for 2009, although the industry will have to do more than cite safety concerns if it wants to omit the liter-class bikes from the track. We have all spent decades promoting the full-bore sport bikes as an aspiration to the public and that assumption has become quite deep seated in the psyche of many motorcyclists.

"We remain conscious that the immediate challenge for Roger and the DMG is to be able to turn around the commercial and entertainment fortunes of the series they are responsible for. The scarcity of big sponsors, the small crowds at many events and the weak TV coverage for road racing remain major challenges for a small company like Ducati, as we have to make a strong case internally in order to justify the large sums of money needed to be competitive."