Ask Ping!
Friday, July 13, 2012 | 6:00 AM
ODI dates back to the 1980’s as the leader in grip manufacturing. Focusing primarily on the bmx and mountain bike industries through the 90’s and early 2000’s, ODI re-entered the motocross scene when they developed the patented lock-on grip system that eliminates wire and glue. Continuing to advance the way riders hold on to their bikes, ODI has worked closely with the teams they support such as Troy Lee Designs to create the product that is now being used by some of the top teams in the industry.
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PrintDear Ping,
I loved your answer to the question about Lars Ulrich last week, even though I had to Google him to figure out who he was. The question made it sound as if you were not successful in your motocross career though. I heard Tim Ferry say one time that Robbie Reynard was the fastest guy that never "made it." Reynard was my childhood hero dating back to the time he fell at Loretta's, took the time to shake the dirt out of his goggles, then went on a tear. Maybe he wasn't as successful in the big leagues as Ferry, but I know a lot of people that would have loved to have his career. You were able to pay the bills as a professional athlete. How cool is that??? My question, then, is how successful must you be to have a successful motocross career?
Thanks for what you have done in all of your careers.
DR14
No titles, no supercross wins. Did he make it?
The answer to that question is all about perspective. If you look at championships as the only measuring stick there are some great riders who never “made it.” Ryan Hughes, for example, never won a title. Erik Kehoe never won a championship. Damon Bradshaw and Kevin Windham “only” earned regional 125 championships. The truth is, the list of rider who actually have a number one plate mounted on their wall at home is quite short, even if you count 125/lites supercross titles. Check The Vault, right here at www.racerxonline if you don’t believe me. So, how do you determine whether or not someone “made it?” Is it qualifying for a national or a supercross main event? Finishing in the top ten? Finishing on the podium? Winning a race? The answer will likely be different for everyone. The bottom line is that you have to be content with whatever you accomplish in your racing career knowing that you gave it everything you had and exhausted every opportunity to succeed. I don’t have any regrets. And the only guys who can say they were more successful than I was during my ten years in motocross/supercross are the very best in the sport. I’m okay with that. So, I guess each of us have to make the call whether or not someone “made it.”
PING
Pingree,
I've never been much of an A$$ kisser and I'm not about to start now. Although your articles do humor me, I refuse to contribute to your ego getting any bigger. Anywho… my dad was a great racer back in the day and he always talks about a race down in Lake Sugartree, Kansas. He talks about this young kid named Gene McKay. How he could barely touch the ground on his 125 but hauled some serious tail. He always brags that the kid was the smoothest rider he had ever seen. He's always telling me the story saying, "I wonder what ever happened to that kid?" So, with your infinite knowledge, do you know what happened to this kid?
Sincerely,
Bob (that's bob spelled backwards)
Gene is now quite popular in midget tossing circles
First, allow my enormous ego and I to correct your story. There is no Lake Sugartree in Kansas. There is a facility by that name in Axton, Virginia and that is likely where your dad watched this very fast midget win dirt bike races. I hadn’t heard the story of “Little” Gene McKay before but I spoke with a guy who claims he knew him. His mother smoked unfiltered Camels and drank during her pregnancy and her habits stunted the growth of little Gene. Despite being just under five feet tall he loaded up on milk crates and set out to become the fastest little motocrosser in the world. He won local events in the Maryland racing scene and eventually larger regional events at Lake Sugartree. His victory there wasn’t without drama, however, as he sued track owner Gary Bailey for smacking him on the hand with a large stick during his races. They eventually settled out of court.
Just when it seemed like Little Gene was primed to slide into the pro scene under the radar, no pun intended, he got mixed up with some bad people. He started hanging out with a small person gang called the Locos Grandes. This motley crew was known for kicking innocent bystanders in the shins and also for using PCP. Little Gene’s drug habit and random violence towards the lower legs of others would be his downfall and his racing results started to suffer. Before long this little guy with the heart of a normal sized person was out of the motocross scene altogether and into drug rehab centers and a small-scale male prostitution ring. His story remains one of the primary cautionary tales in the sport today.
At least that’s what Eugene “Six Toes” McGee told me down at the methadone clinic. He was the only guy I could find who had actually heard of a short motocross rider named Gene McKay. I pretty sure he is a reliable source though.
PING
Ping,
What's up man? Big fan of the weekly "Ask Ping" column. Got a question for ya, completely unrelated to the field we all love...motocross. Back in high school I used to think that it sucked when people call me skinny. I was 6'1 140lbs soaking wet. It hurt man. So I decided to hit the weights and put on a few good pounds. I successfully did it. Today, I'm 35 and 185lbs. However, when people call me skinny I still get offended by it. Do you secretly get hurt when people call you chubby, or hey fatty?
Respectfully,
RS
Just a pole. With beans growing on it. That's all.
Genetics are a bitch, aren’t they? Check you out over there, all skin and bones guzzling down weight gainer shakes and forcing yourself to eat even when you aren’t hungry. And on the other end of the lunch table I’m sitting down counting calories and having a staring contest with a Hostess cupcake that will most likely win. I don’t know if it helps but on behalf of all of us fat kids I just want to apologize for calling you things like Skeletor, Shaggy, twig and beanpole. Pay no attention to the image beside this letter… that’s got nothing to do with you. It sounds like we’re both in a pretty good place right now so keep up the good work in the gym and don’t get talked into anything that has to be injected via hypodermic needle.
PING
Have a question for Ping? Email him at [email protected]
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Wow! Ping's up early today! Good Morning!!
I know a few of the guys young and old ther is a guy out there now hasnt scoreda single point this year but years ago was on the
Let me redo........I know a few guys young out there now..........Sorry computer problems still!!!! and older guys from years ago. The hint is he used to ride Subway bike not factory either has not scored a point some say he should retire now when he was with subway he made $375,000.00 a year riding around .So its a good gig if you can get it......Most blow all the money like rock stars ............Speaking of I know a few also........
Most I made in Early 80's was $27,000 that I declared on taxes !!!
The big question here is, was Little Gene's career a success?
@ BD25: Goodluck and have fun if you go today to Millville...Wish I could be there also.........Enjoy the Racing Hopefully the rains will not show!!!!!!!!! Mr-Mx
90°FHigh
AM Showers
Chance of rain:30%Wind: NW at 10 mph Humidity:54%
UV Index:8 -
Sunrise: 5:39 am Moonset: 5:15 pm
Chance of a shower or two during the morning, followed by partly cloudy skies in the afternoon.
High around 90F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
LOL always good stuff!!
Wow, I sure hope Gene McKay has a VERY forgiving sense of humor!
@BD25- You gonna make it up here? Anyone on here that goes to Millville, I will be in a golf cart. Has blue splash and black and white checkered flag on sides. Lift kit, wheels, etc. Please say hi and introduce yourself. MX Bob? I think it would be cool to meet some of you face to face! Come on people, it would make my day to meet even one of you guys. and Ping, if you are there, THAT would be epic...Yesterday I had this vehicle-can't even tell you what it was, but it had OAKLEY all over it, stop by my shop in ZF and ask where they could go tubing. Don't know who they were, but that rig was something else! Anyone/someone must know what it was. Bunch a nice guys in it. Gotta go domn to the park now and get some tickets. Enjoy the races, everyone!
Hey ping thats funny about Lars!!!!!!!!!!! My dad owned part of the Richfeild complex in cleveland. Mom was a debartollo maybe rings a bellI was prevy to the Belkin club my parents knew a lot in the day Mx --Rock-n-Roll, Belkin club got first dibbs on tickets before ticket master released to public for concerts. We had a loge at old Richfeild Colisium so I was in already style but wanted to be on the floor with all my school buddies, went to a lot of Concerts. The World Wide Blitz Tour was a 1981 Judas Priest comes to mine,school night Van Halen played to and some locals, big delay in show for the priest to set up new set for that years tour about 2 hrs it was worth it.........To this day my ears are ringing,we got out at 2:30 am and was at school by 7:15 am never slept till I got in class, Oh by the way I had a freied decades later replace band member name Tim Ripper Owens Akron Ohio true story most Rock Groups dig Motocross and SX...........Mr-Mx wel shall do a story some day!!!!!!!!!!! I have been around Mx since 1969 and was born in 1964 .still have Mx shirts from 70's!!!!!!!!
"Made it"...what a joke. Do not consider yourself a success unless you left high-dollar contracts on the table to retire without the need to work again. Flailing around on a Communist Chinese POS bike made by slave labor, trying to squeeze every last dollar out of the sport......is failure. Doing something since the age of 4, then scrounging for a America killing union pension job........is failure. You people need to stop giving dirt-cycle riders god complexes for twisting a throttle in a back-burner sport.
Bucky Yes I will be leaving in a around 10 to head up there. You going to be at Zf for a cold one this evening...look for the 98 yellow Mustang out front...may be camping in it if I cant find a room..see ya soon
9lives I will take it easy, interstate all most all the way.. Just took the wife on a 1700 mile round trip last week end up into the Dakota's, so this one will be solo. Wish you could have made it up...may be next year...till next time ..moto on
lil scrubbles ...about the same length of time it takes for you to pull your head out of your as* and STFU.....in your case the genetics of a corn liquor drinking klans-man midget crossed with a meth snorting camel puffing hillbilly dna depository pole dancer has produced wa-la the "lil scrub..the stewart stalker....and self confessed genius (except for spelling and knowledge of motorcycles etc etc).....crawl back under that rock you rascist piece of scum...i love how theres always a few lines in between your sentences.scrubbles..must be when your hood falls down over your one good eye....you thought I was done ..today we will dance cornholer........sorry about that folks..... great column as always Mr Ping....
Does anyone else think pizzacorner is a miserable excuse for a human being?
I offer a free what ever anything to pizza man at Lucifers as a token to make peace and no response was given...........
http://www.luciferspizza.com/
@sef154 ....yes between the scrubstalker and handle bore and pizzacornholer they form the unholy trinity of rasicts and numbnuts spewing their vile or ridiculous drivel exactlly like what you see shooting out a cows a8s at the stockyards ...and stinking it up just as bad..... never real takes to do with moto just their own warped repetitive (endless) agenda of hate and igno"rants"....non racer ( and probably non rider) aholes....
@tonewall-
That's some good stuff right there. I'll admit, Nut-Scrubber has had a very small amount of "decent" posts pertaining to an article, but most are garbage. We get it, you don't like Stewart, Scrub. Everyone knows where you stand, no need to keep repeating the same drivel over and over.
So you're saying Mike Healey is a midget? ...sorry an El Pee.
Ah yes, the definition of a successful Pro, qQuite the grey area. I only know what ISN'T succesful; kids who race in the pro class, their parents funding everything to keep their ego's propped up, and they struggle to turn lap times of a good novice. This question is best answered with a few questions; Do you make enough money from your race winnings, and sponsors, (parents NOT included), to live on your own, and pay all of your bills? Were you able to avoid having to get a real job in this manner for at least a year? And, if a novice invades your local practice facility, can you stay in front of him, and look composed doing so? If you answered yes to those three questions, congratulations. (There's a couple of novices that really PISS ME OFF!!!)
McKay, I remember that little smurf he had his foot pegs mounted to the bottom of the tank and long extenders on his swept back handlebars. He use to work his way to the front by guys pulling over thinking someone was ghost riding into them. He had a thimble with cut out arm holes he used for a chest protector and high top baby shoes for boots. But that little fart was fast and after the races his long tall blonde girl friend would carry him around in her purse.
Okay, did a little more research and here is what DC had to say about the REAL Gene McKay:
"Total badass back in the day, hailing from Tennessee near Loretta Lynn's Ranch. He was every bit as good as Jeff Ward and Brian Myerscough. Raced a Noguchi Yamaha. One of the all-time great mini riders. The track in Kansas was in Pittstown or Pittsburg."
DC
There's the truth... no idea where he is now. Anybody know??
You got the name wrong I was great friends with Flyin Brian my dad was friends with his, name is Spelled McCay he from Lexington Tn. He was a bad joker .When I lived in Ohio I was around 12yrs old I saw him at some Nationals or at big pro races I seen him in a lot 125 Yamaha same as me he was a big mini guy also .
Mini's raced all over Southern California with organizations such as the CMC and AME at tracks like Saddleback, Carlsbad, Escape Country and Ascot, but the granddaddy organization of minicycle racing was National Minicycle Association or the NMA and was headed by Ron Hendrickson. (Today the NMA is now known as the National Motosport Association).
If you didn't regularly race with the NMA you had no idea how competitive minicycle racing really was. The NMA was the AMA and the FIM all rolled into one. NMA races were regularly held at Indian Dunes on Friday evenings and they also ran the NMA Grand National Championship circuit and the NMA World Mini Grand Prix. Many of the well known rider's at this time included Jeff Ward, Brian Myerscough, Flying Mike Brown, Bobby Jones, Gene McCay, AJ Whiting, Shaun and Kelly Moran, Bobby Tocco, Lance King, Brad Roberts, Renee Payne, Kurty Hendrickson, Zack Barrett, Mike Koemans, and Lance Moorewood. Minicycle racing was as serious as the big guys and many of these kids went on to national and international prominence when they grew older. I'll check I think he just past not to long ago...........I'll look into it ........
Thanks for the real answer on Gene. I do remember Noguchi Yamaha and Gene always having Jap mechanics helping him out. I'm pretty sure he raced Mark Barnett down at Lake Sugartree on 125s....
Ha ha ha. Wow, am I embarrassed. A couple of times on here, I have commented on some of what I perceived to be backwards-thinking comments made by Scrub-This because I thought they were hateful or racist. I can clearly see now, by the comments he's made above, that he is just stark-raving nuts. My apologies.
@pizza corner. Anyone who made any kind of descent money for any amount of time in motocross is succesful in my opinion. As far as a back burner sport, go find some mainstream sport then. As far as I'm concerned motocross is the best sport, and I'd hate to see a bunch of mainstream retards mucking it up.
"shes gone, oh my, better learn how to take it , shes gone....what went wrong.....hahaha. almost to easy......
@ tonewall
Check out the Bagget Video, but put your ear plugs inor have them on stand by. Enjoy the movie!!
Hall and Oats Classic
I think scrubnuts is Gene McKay, because he is so short, that is why he is angry all the time.
I started riding at 7, started racing at 11, got my 1st job when I was 12, to keep racing, I guess I was a failure. When I was 15 I got offered a KTM shop ride from Jay Jarbones * dad. Promptly shattered a shoulder the next week. Motocross is the toughest thing Ive ever done, been a marine, worked at sawmills,bailed hay,bagged grocerys,welded, Nothing was as tough as red bud at 100 degrees on a 250 at 15. Even though I feel I failed, those are the best memorys I have, after 50 yrs of life.
@BD 25 Darn it! Shoulda came back here yesterday. It is 6:30 Sat. am and I'm goin' downtown to look for that Mustang. Gonna wake you up if I find ya, and buy ya breakfast! Was up on top of the hill last night entertaining Canadians, so I missed ya!
@ bucky394
He should have a camera with him . He said something about an old EXTREME hat with flaps on side I think the bill is cut back for photo taking......Hat may be used for all of us guys that are a little light on the hair on head also!!!!!!
Hey guys, I asked The Professor if he remembered McCay last night at dinner, said yes, that kid was "stupid fast on a 125." Said he raced at Lake Sugartree just as David was starting to get fast. Said David could tell you all about McCay. Said he didn't know where McCay was now, but definitely remembered him.
Hey
MxLaw did you ask him about the law suit................I'm looking into gene from the above post......Enjoy the race........... Let me guess AArbys for dinner !!!!!!!
@Ping, not sure where Gene is now but ask Jeff Ward(XR75 days) about him. I knew Davey and Tim would remember him. McKay rode a YZ80 for Yamaha with the Noguchi motor kit and spanked all of us back in the prehistoric era. Post mini days he rode a couple 125 Nationals and then vanished like a fart in the wind. Thanks, Ray
@MrMX Hey man, got to meet BD25!! Real nice guy. Does a little writing for a paper in OK. That would explain his posts. As in spelling, grammer, length, etc. He hopped on my cart with us and we cruised around until we found a nice cool spot and watched some of the rough stuff BB12 was talking about. But it was him putting a narly pass on ET 1 that we saw! Next lap, he was no longer there! Had a great day, and meeting someone from here, was the best part!
oops, that would be ET 17! sorry Eli!
@ bucky394 Congrats I guess we all arnt bad!!!!!!!!!