When ParkinGO MV Agusta team announced that they would be fielding Roberto Rolfo and Christian Iddon in the 2013 Supersport championship there were more than a lot of suprised fans who weren’t expecting this unusual line-up, but no one was more suprised and furious than a group of Luca Scassa fans who hit out against team owner Giuliano Rovelli for not chosing their idol.
In an interview with Italy’s Motociclismo.
it website, the Italian manager testily explained why he passed up on his former Supersport rider and his opinion on Scassa is stinging – while the Italian rider in a separate interview with Moto.
it said the deal didn’t go through because he couldn’t pay-to-ride.
Despite having down played his opportunities, Scassa had more than set his sights on riding one of the team’s future F3 675’s (even if they hadn’t signed any pre-contract).
Rovelli said what the Italian rider didn’t understand, was that he had to earn the ride with his results, and his results from the last two years – where only his Yamaha Supersportteam had actually given Scassa a real chance to emerge – was that after winning his first two races he became unfocused and ended up finishing 5th in the 2011 championship and 72 points behind Chaz Davies, despite having the same bike and one of the best crewchiefs in the business, and this year in BSB he finished 15th, while his team mate Ian Lowry finished 11th.
Rovelli also added that he did run Scassa’s name by his sponsors and even the team mechanics, but they weren’t convinced, but it was Scassa’s attitude during early negotiations that started him questioning whether the rider was right for his team.
Apparently it was during SIC Supermoto Day earlier this month that Rovelli became even more judgemental stating he didn’t like Scassa’s behaviour.
According to the ParkinGO team manager (who also competed in the event) Scassa turned up only late Saturday because he had been to busy the previous evening with his fan club, while he saw riders of the caliber of Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi already testing the day before, ready to give their best even if it was just a charity event.
Rovelli said that Scassa prefers to dedicate himself more to off-track activities intead of training like Rossi and Biaggi, who have the attitude and professionalism that you find in winning riders.
He was also particularly annoyed by several of Scassa snide comments, trying to pass him off as a bad and unfair guy with team owner citing why no one was questioning why the rider has changed five teams in the last five years, and no one ever decided to reconfirm him.
Italian drama and handbags, just enough to stave off the boredom of off-season.