by Aaron Hansel
250 Words: Pointing Out
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 | 10:30 AM
GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) is Yamaha’s performance and racing accessory brand. GYTR products are developed and tested to the highest standards by Yamaha’s in-house factory engineers. Used extensively by the Yamaha Race Teams, these factory parts are readily available to every Yamaha rider.
Tweet
Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Share
Comment
Email
Print
There seems to be a lot of confusion these days regarding the AMA’s system for bumping riders out of the Supercross Lites class. In fact, even Mitch Payton and the boys over at Pro Circuit didn’t immediately realize that Broc Tickle’s 2011 Western Regional Supercross Lites Championship title would prevent him from returning to the class in 2012. So, for this edition of 250 Words, we thought we’d explain the rules and clear this issue up.
Since the Lites class is meant to be a stepping-stone in AMA Supercross, the rules are written in such a way that it's meant to bump riders who excel without promoting riders that are not ready to make the jump. For example, bumping a rider who is only earning 40 or 50 points a year would not make sense. For this reason, only riders that exceed a set number of points in a season are eligible for promotion. Here is the passage from the AMA/FIM Supercross rulebook that addresses the issue:
Effective with the 2007 season points, riders earning at least 135 Supercross Lites Championship points in a nine-race season, 120 Supercross Lites Championship points in an eight-race season, or 105 Supercross Lites Championship points in a seven-race season, in three seasons of Supercross Lites competition will be ineligible for the Supercross Lites class.
Tickle's West Region Lites title triggered the third year rule, meaning Tickle has to move to the Supercross Class for 2012.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Confused? Here’s another way of looking at it. Since 2010 consisted of eight Lites class races per division, the 120-point threshold applies to that year. But 2011 had nine Lites races per division, meaning a 135-point minimum is in affect. Once a rider exceeds the points threshold in three separate seasons, he is no longer eligible to race AMA Supercross in the Lites class. (There is no advancement rule for outdoor motocross, as each division is considered a national championship class.) SX points earned in seasons prior to 2007 are not counted, which is why guys like Josh Hansen have been able to compete in the Lites class in recent years.
Winning a championship will also have a bearing on Lites eligibility. A rider who wins a Lites title is not allowed to spend more than three years in the class. In other words, if supercross rookie Eli Tomac had won the title in 2011, he would have a maximum of two more years left as an SX Lites racer. This policy is retroactive, which means that even if a rider wins the title in his third year, he is promoted. This is exactly what happened to Broc Tickle. The exception to this rule is back-to-back titles, which will earn a rider an immediate promotion.
Hopefully this has clarified some of the questions out there. For a complete look at the AMA Supercross rulebook, go HERE:
Did you like this article?
Check out ON TOUR
in our Latest issue of Racer X available now.
The Monster Energy Supercross tour is staffed by an intensely dedicated group of sponsors and support staffers. Here’s what life is like on the SX road. Page 136.
Look for the verified symbol 
Impulse Studios
Riders who have earned a world championship should have more restrictions on them. Yes, I know there's a big difference between Euro-mx and our SX, but riders like Langston spending 17 years in the tiddler class (yes, I know that's an exaggeration) is ridiculous. I think Rattray needs to move up, too. C'mon, Tyla, get on the big bike. (I think he will be on the 450 for outdoors.)
AMA needs to make the 250 sx a national class , no more east / west regions. This is PROFESSIONAL racing !
6th place! If you average a 6th place finish(15 points x 9 rounds = 135 points ) you have to move up????? That's a strong advancement system. The lites are where the contracts are. Of the 40 riders in the lights class there would be maybe 5 good enough to make all the 450 mains. The teams and riders can change the AMA rule if it would benefit all the teams.Stand up for your teams and let the AMA know who's series this is. If you don't fix this rule the teams go away... 3 years seems a little harsh. At the age of 19 you could be faced with the sx class. Put an age limit on the lights of 21-23 Years old. 1 year to defend the title. Let them make a good living for a few years then back to box van and privateer life.
I agree with the GP champioships should hold more bearing in the AMA, How many times does a guy who has several years of pro racing expierience from Europe come to the states and makes another 3 or 4 years racing the 250 class?? That is wrong, having 25 and 26 year old guys racing against rookies is just wrong.
@factory1--I feel the reason there is a east and west coast in the lites class is to allow more riders a chance to race supercross, with less travel for the new guys also. Otherwise it would be just the top 20 lites guys every week for the whole season. This way alot more young guys get a chance to break into supercross when thye are just starting out. And it gives a reason for the East-West Shootout.
I probably should have included this in the article, but MX1 Championship holders are not allowed to compete in the Supercross Lites Class, nor are premiere class MX or SX title holders.
It's a hard call bd200, The Euro's have little or no SX experience so what do you do with them?? Stick them on a 450 and have them get killed? I know where your coming from on the age thing but it really comes down to experience in the end I think. Outdoors your argument holds more water but in SX not so much.
Its not just the supercross season BILLC, those guys all run outdoors also, and run the 250 class forever. Tyla Rattrey is older than RV and Dungey, and Searle also, and Sipes, and Metcalfe ran that class forever. Its not just supercross, I know that is what this article referred too, but its the Nationals as well. And even if it is supercross, being a pro for 3 or 4 years helps a ton with preperation, physically and mentally, plus the body is so much more physically mature too, it all helps, even in supercross.
how is it that ryan sipes is still there?,,hasnt he been in that class for @least 6yrs??
so does that mean you need to score over or even to those points in 3 consecutive years? if a rider had an injury in the 2nd year does his pointing system start all over again?
i agree the some riders need bumped , some are better 250 riders not 450 . in the end guys lose rides, with fewer teams around we need better system in place
Loose02,, it has to be 3 consecutive years. If you miss a year or don't earn enough points in a year it starts over. Thats why some of the guys have skipped the last few races to make sure he didn't earn enough points to advance.
I think its a tough task to come up with a fair system. You do have the career lites riders, but if they are not winning races or have not won a title I don't think its fair to advance them up. I don't blame guys for not wanting to move up either, as it can be career ending move. I like Brock Tickle but I do not personally think he has what it takes to be a title contender, with a healthy field maybe top 10, and is only going to last a few years on a supported team in the 450 class. I see it if you win a title, you have 1 year to defend it, then you have to move up. Maybe if you get top for 3 years, then you also have to move up. But like someone else said its wrong you can point out getting 6th places every weekend.
As far as MX goes, its a national series and it doesn't matter who is out there. I remember the 80's and 90's when some of the 250 guys raced the 125 Nationals becasue their teams didnt make a 500, it didnt hurt the series. Also in sx you can't keep world champions out of the regional sx class, because like previously posted sx at this level is new to them. A lot of those guys even have a hard time staying healthy through the lites series, not to even think what would happen if you threw them out witht the big boys.
It will never happen but how great would it be to have a 125 class for true beginners to SX. They could make it a one or two year only class to prevent people from cherry-picking. I am a little off topic I know but I think it would give young guys a chance to learn and give us fans some more good racing. But I do believe the current rule needs to be amended to make it so that person does not point out because of a bunch of 5th or 6th places. Though I highly doubt anyone has actually pointed out this way because like someone said in an earlier post a rider can just skip the last few races if he needs to. I think it is a good system having the east and west because it does give more riders a chance to make main events. Also I think that riders who stay on little bikes get a bad rap, let them race what they like and feel safe on. Every rider who has won multiple outdoor titles ended up moving to big bikes, there have been I think four riders who have won three in a row but they all moved up after the third. I can't think of a rider who won even a single title who didn't eventually move up nor can I even think of a rider who finished in the top three for several years who didn't eventually try their hand in the premier class. The guys who ride little bikes their whole career are not the best of the best, there have been some career top ten guys but those guys would barely make the points if they got bumped up. As for World GP guys, it only makes sense that they are allowed to race little bikes in SX first because it would be unsafe for almost anybody to have to ride in the 450 SX class without having a chance to get their feet wet on a 250. I actually think that MX1 champions should be able to have one year on a 250 before riding a 450, tho I believe most of them would choose to ride the 450. But that would mean that one of them, and yea I talking about Tony Cairoli, would actually come over and test himself against the best in the world. I'm not hating on him but he is obviously much better than anyone in Europe so why not come over and see if he can hang with the big boys.
This is professional racing. There used to be no 125/250f class. Ron Lechien won a 250 SX race in his rookie year, didn't he? He didn't have any support class to dominate for a few years. I think the 125 SX class originally started because SX attendance (by racers) was so low. It was meant as a training ground for young, inexperienced guys before being thrown to the wolves. It wasn't meant to have factory teams dominating it, but that's what has happened. It also wasn't meant to have 27 year old guys languishing in it and collecting a paycheck. If that is the way it is, it should become a National class (no more regions).
No it is not 3 consecutive years. If you get hurt 1 point shy of pointing out in your 3rd year it does not go back to zero years. The next year you score enough points, you point out.
How about this 4 years you are out. 2 titles (regardless if earned in europe or the us)you are out.
The racing will be way more intense because no one will throw races to stay under the points threshhold - don't perform, career done...I don't even want to start naming the sandbaggers..we all know who they are.
I like simple plans - the AMA are perrenial retards.
It used to have to be in consecutive years, unless it has changed now, which it very well could have. It seems like they rewrite the rules every year.
Lets face it, riders are not going to move upby themselves. We wouldn't either if in their shoes. So until the AMA changes things around thats how its going to be.
BKR, a lot has changed over the years regarding SX. Its a whole diofferent animal now than it was back in the mid 80's beofre there was a 125 class. I see both sides as far as the regional vs. national debate goes.
BTW, Canoli has too much to lose by coming over here at this point in his career. It would take him too long to get comfortable in SX. Although it would be great to see him ride the Nationals.
The lites SX class is a Support class. The AMA gives no National Points for these east/west Supercross support classes.The outdoor MX classes are not .The lites and the MX class are equal in the outdoor nationals for points and payout.This gives the Pro riders a choice of class that fits them best so fans can see the fastest riders in each class.Most present day riders ride what they are contraced to ride but if James Stewart wanted to he could ride the mx-lites class he could. James would line every fence at every National if he wiped out a YZ125 and lined up.Stewart 125=what it looks like-------MOTO-CROSS