Ask Ping!
Friday, February 1, 2013 | 8:45 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 Mr. Pingree,
After reading some of the posts on RacerX online, can you explain how a track can make you crash? I thought it just lays there and does nothing. If it does make you crash, how does it know which rider to pick on?
This looks like a nice little track who wouldn’t hurt anybody.
Tracks are sneaky. You think they are just chilling there, all made out of dirt and stuff. But as any fan who has ever had their favorite rider go down knows, tracks are not cool. They will make you crash when you are doing everything right. Anaheim 1 screwed up Stewart’s knee in practice. That was so uncool. Phoenix just wanted to see Davalos do gymnastics in that heat race and stupid Anaheim 2 this year made Kevin Windham retire! I was so mad at that track. Honestly, the Anaheim track is just being a dick this year. I hope Dirt Wurxs makes some more congenial tracks in the next few weeks because right now these tracks are, like, total jerks.
PING
Hello Mr. Pingree,
As the smartest person in the moto industry, I thought I would see if you could shed some light on something that has been puzzling me for some time.
Over the years, we have heard a lot of criticism from riders over what obstacles are used by track designers in the first section after the start. Just a few examples would be a triple in the first section, a right turn, or in the case of the recent Oakland debacle, whoops right after the first turn. My question for you is, what should track builders use to make the starts less hazardous and keep more riders healthy?
Thanks!
Justin Johnson
Light the candles.
Way to slide in the completely over-the-top compliment at the beginning of the question. Total self-esteem booster…thanks.
In order to produce a safer course for the racers lets use my enormous brain and make a quick checklist of the obstacles that should NOT be built in the first couple of straights after a start.
1. Triples: No, no, no. Way too sketchy with twenty guys all bunched up, scrubbing and jacked on adrenaline.
2. Rhythm lane: Negatory. Really, you want to have guys going up and down in different patterns with other dudes all around them? Nice try but this will end badly.
3. Whoops: Absolutely not. After what I’m calling the ‘Turn Two Crash Fest of 2013’ last weekend I think it’s safe to assume that whoops are an awful idea out of turn one.
4. Sand: What is this, Belgium? Look, Hasselhoff, if it were safe on the beach we wouldn’t need lifeguards. Am I right? Seriously, am I? I’m not sure where I was going with that.
5. Finish Line Double: Don’t give Shaheen another reason to say, “Light the candles.” Please.
So, what does that leave us with? Flat straight, sweeper turn or quit racing and start competing in a new sport. So glad we solved this issue today.
PING
Dear Ping,
Saw where you almost made Vital melt down this week. Do you think Feld is really taking advantage of riders and teams or is it just a typical overreaction by fans of the sport?
Charles
Idea: Supercross but without any jumps. Safe or stupid? Or both?
In my quote I said that teams are “Being bled from every angle.” That was in reference to a team like MotoConcepts who have to buy bikes, buy their hauler, buy parts, hire staff, hire riders, get bonus insurance for their riders, pay entry fees, buy credentials, pay for travel, expenses, etc. It is crazy how much it costs to run a team.
Somebody took a comment I made on the Pulpmx Show and twisted it just enough to make it sound like I was taking a dig at Feld Entertainment. The truth is the guys at Feld, specifically Dave Prater, Todd Jendro and Michael Prince have always been incredibly receptive to input from riders, managers and team owners. Anybody in this industry will tell you the same thing. On the show we were having a discussion with Mike Genova about the struggles of running a race team. In his case he is paying for the vast majority of his effort out of his own pocket and he gets frustrated when his guys don’t get the credit they deserve on the television broadcast. He cited the Oakland round as an example where Mike finished well but was barely mentioned by the TV crew. Maybe he has a point but that frustration should be directed at the television staff, not those in charge of operations. While there are certainly things that could be better you have to tip your cap to the folks at Feld for where they’ve taken Supercross. The difference in the product from now to back in 1993 when I got started is incredible. From the medical support to the television coverage to the overall professionalism of the show it’s improved leaps and bounds. And that is all due to their hard work. This isn’t a butt-kissing session, just the truth.
PING
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Oh I love this kid.. Right to the point and correct in smart ass fashion.
Ping must get tired of the keyboard racing, people complaining week in and out about how THEY think pro racing is wrong. Riders crash, riders bang and block, riders try to win the race, and shi$ happens! Can't we just leave it at that?
How about the famous "over/under bridge" right after the start.
Motorcycle racing in general is a very unique business model. The sport has grown from guys buzzing around in a pasture in Europe to televised broadcasts from Texas stadium.
Either form a commission with a set number of teams/franchises like the NFL, NBA, or Baseball, or leave it alone.
None of the major sports can boast a "privateer" element, except motorcycle racing. Imagine if a football team from Australia, or Russia, or North Korea showed up and wanted to play for a Superbowl title. Sorry, not a part of the plan, guys.
Our sport is exciting and unique and unlike any other, and that is why it is so addicting to compete and compelling to watch.
Personally I think a deep sand section after the first turn (similar to the Joker lane at MEC) with a few small obstacles would help the riders find their positions after the start at much slower speeds.....after turn two.....unleash the awesome!
The whole start straight should be 3 foot deep whoops beginning 10 feet out from the gate.
If whoops after the first turn was actually a problem there would have been turn 2 carnage every race last weekend... there wasn't. Chad Reed just made a mistake and the bowl turn is really what made his problem turn into a pileup. That's it, no more bowl turns. Somebody get on the phone with the president so he can work on banning those too.
How about an 80ft sand triple right out of the first turn !!! with a huge ring of fire riders have to jump through right in the middle of the triple ?
How about an 80ft sand triple right out of the first turn !!! with a huge ring of fire riders have to jump through right in the middle of the triple ?
Getting rid of CBS would be a good start!
@Knobbywan--I have to say this season, I have had more issues with Speed than CBS... I dont see were CBS has done anything wrong--but Speed has already jumped the 250 races all over the schedule, from moving it for off-road racing and other car racing crap.. You cant hardly find when they will broadcast it.. Were CBS has actually shown the racing at the same time slot every week.. I'll take that, some consistancy with the time slot will bring some fans in if they know when it will be on every week..
Without JS any race on any track is safer!
I've come to appreciate obscurity rather than main stream. The more "big time" sponsors and "main stream" motocross becomes the more we have to endure podium drivel. Everyone has to turn their goggles just right for the camera wearing the right hat, holding the right energy drink and babbling on in a meaningless manner rather than providing insight. It renders any rider's podium comments useless in an anoying display of pretense.
Once "big money" gets involved, freedoms get compromised and the depth of passion for the sports morphs into a superficial commercial display. Keep the freedom and let the economics be what they are.
Too little racing and too much dead air for SX to ever get really big with the general public. LOORS and TORC may have a better chance.
CBS broadcasts the race in something other than HD, so they got that goin' for them.
Do away with the start straight and put a whoops section 10ft in front of the gate.
I just got off the phone with RD. He is petitioning to have dead engine starts.
How about at the holeshot line put some of those giant tractor tires from EX then follow them with the firewood pit. Except use monster cans.
@TD31...I agree with you. "Mainstream" does not always mean better. Anybody that listened to Metallica knows what I'm talking about.
I thought it was interesting after listening to the pulp show about the monopoly on sales. I noticed in the past that all you see is event shirts and such for sale. It never crossed my mind that it was controled by Feld. I would assume that people like RD5 and RV2 and a few others who are on the merch get kicks backs from that stuff being sold? It seems rather unfair that Feld does hold the keys to this. I think riders and teams should be able to sell stuff in the pits.
I really do hope that Feld and other big players are willing to look at issues and do things that are better for the sport even if it means they have to give a little more then take.
Lets start by taking four of the five California races away and have them somewhere else.
SINGLE FILE START
@Prime--dont know if I would go that far, but one race in Anaheim, on in San Diego, one in Oakland, seems fine to me.. Plus the Pheonix and Salt Lake and Seattle, the West coast has plenty of races...Syracuse would be a good spot, if the owners of the stadium would allow it.. I read they were approached once years ago and said "No way"!! Tough times now, they might be more open to it..
Seriously on track safety, I think input from the seasoned riders will do the most good- I think the tracks have been really good so far this year.
@bd200...I believe the SU dome is being used now for things other then ball sports. I'm not sure if it would actually be big enough. I don't think SX will go there for one big reason, snow. Anybody that has dealt with lake effect understands. Could you imagine leaving the race and have a foot or more of new snow to deal with? I've heard Buffalo is thinking of building a new stadium, not sure if it will be a dome, as well as a domed stadium near NYC. That would be the best as far as weather concerns. People don't realize that besides SoCal and FL, NY has lots of tracks(30+) and racers.
how about a "Shotgun" start where all the riders start at different locations...? each rider draws a clothes pin for start location...and dare i say "Light The Candles!" and there off. Just imagine Jeff and Rickey trying to figure out who is in the lead... all the drama and suspence whos where? who needs to pass who. Light The Candles again and all riders stop like duck duck goose...and if you are in...say the whoop section, then those riders are disqaulified! The points race would go crazy every week. Just trying to think outside the box.
They could start the race with all the bikes in a pile, with the fastest qualifiers' bikes at the bottom of the pile, then do 100 laps. Gets the pileup out of the way, nobody gets hurt, and the fastest guy has plenty of time to get to the front, with plenty of passing along the way.
I read somewhere that TV spots were not revenue from CBS / Speed but purchased and broadcast like an infomercial ?
Ads were used to offset that expense...can someone shed some light on this ?
JimM
Pala374
Injuries also happen during the week at the practice tracks .
JimM
Pala374
I really don't think the obstacles or their placement is the problem. The track is just crowded. Why do you think a good start is top priority? Fro know's man! I don't know if less riders on the track would work or even a wider track with less lanes and more laps might help. Both are a logistical nightmares to think about. All I know is, as a racer and fan nothing sucks more than first or second turn pileups.
@bd200-I'd like to know the attendance at the second and third Anaheim races. I'll bet it's garbage. When you stay up until 1:30am eastern time tomorrow and watch the race, pay attention to see if they show any of the crowd on tv. That's a real good indication on the crowd size. Usually you won't see many crowd shots if half the place is empty.
james852: That is a really cool idea but if they did that, RC would have to preparate too much ;)
Prime: Agree. One thing is for sure, they don't have all those California races because of the crowds they draw...
I guess no one watches anything but SX. Watch MotoGP and watch the carnage after the first turn. The bigger crashes are usually in turn two from the guys who got bad starts and attempt to make it up in turn two. And those tracks are flat as pancakes. The entire first lap is a crap shoot. Sound familiar? The days of pacing yourself are long gone.
Its racing folks, riders are gonna do what riders are gonna do.
I'm fine with CBS. I can get CBS with a over the air antenna. But I have to admitt, SX has gotten boring.
BD200 how could next day hacked up commercial fest cut down coverage compared with the full show live...what..huh? Prime...love the west coast and ALL (6) the races we DO have and watching at 7:00 o'clock....sorry thats just how it is.....A1 (the so-called easy track)...great start great track and corners, great racing..less crashes less injurys....think about it.. RV1...7...41....kroc will now be trouble....
All problems would be solved by putting a dragons back 2 ft outta the gate followed by a quad into a whoop section.
tonewall...I'm not complaining so much about the west coast races, it's California having five rounds. F-that. Find some other stadiums, The stands are half full in Oakland and Anaheim. They took Jacksonville off the schedule for bad attendance. Do the same for 4 of the California rounds. Three of the first six rounds in the same stadium. How stupid is that?
The feud between Mickey Thompson and Mike Goodwin in regards to Anaheim stadium and who gets to run the race there. Goodwin and Thompson used to be partners.
Thompson won the right from the city of Anaheim to run his Ultracross series in the stadium while Goodwin has the AMA sanction to run supercrosses.
We now know that the first race at Anaheim was not AMA sanctioned but all the racers showed up anyways. We also know that Thompson was murdered shortly after this story came out and Goodwin was convicted of setting it up.. LOL !!
I think a 30 ft gator pit, have a ring of fire around it, and give the riders the option of which lap they'll push their bike thru, im betting everyone would push on lap 1. thank you, that was easy.
I had a problem with supercross ever since I tried to go thru the whoops in pontiac, Llike hannah did, I thought to myself, this shi*'s impossible. I'm a outdoor only type . My comment above may seem sarcastic to anyone that hasen't attacked a set of say,...1978 staium whoop section.
No one give a crap, this is just like twitter, myspace, all those dumb ass sites that we all think that what we write means anything to anyone. If you are hooked in to all this media, your also a dumb ass.
Any team member to Feld: What can we do to see that the average rider is paid more?
Feld: Go away.
And to answer question #2 about the obstacle, it's really, REALLY obvious: A windmill. Yes, just like on the putt-putt golf course, scaled up in size. Only one or two riders can get through between each blade. Simple, yet elegant. Some may not make it through, because the windmill has a very, very strong motor. Go big or go home.
@SuperSXFanMan
You can bring your checkbook to the race and write a personal check to all of those you feel are underpaid. This is a free Country (well... sort of) and these guys choose this as their profession. If they don't feel like they are getting paid enough then stay off the gate and let the next guy take the spot. Tens of thousands of people pack these stadiums to see the action at the front of the pack, sorry. That's part of choosing to be a professional athlete. Anyone who thinks it's easy is a fool but it's a life not many get to live.
@supersxfan, yeah I like that, but I'd like to see it incorperate a gator pit, maybe smack dab in the middle of the pit,.......place a windmill? I think its genius.
RC is probably preparatin' right now...out at yard sales finding an even bitc*ener jacket. Hes still the GOAT.
Please Don't hate us... I LOVE YOU! I cant seem to get anyone to agree that its been boring the last few years. I think people close their eyes and say to themselves "god this sport is great" instead of facing the facts.
Maybe I'm wrong, I'm not being a pessimist.. but I truly don't think SX is that fun to watch. I like watching the nationals more these days but they got boring too.
I have an idea, but don't laugh.. remember when ricky Johnson was ashamed of the riders sandbagging while they tried a new format and he called them pussies?
Well I think were on to something. Make sure the riders try their hardest in heat races by awarding points for heats, just like snowcross. In the main, the heat winners get LAST pick on the gate. At least we would get to watch the fast guys come thru the pack and race.. it eliminates the open track and obstacle separation between the riders. They will be held up, run slower, and deal with traffic.
I bet it works. I love it when RV goes down in the first turn, its the same thing.
All joking aside, I keep expecting Feld to incorporate "rings of fire", "Le Mans" type starts or any other "circus" enviroment, to complete their total cosmetic change of SUPERCROSS. Yes I am "old school" and I can accept change to further the sport, but when the "Networks" start "Dumbing down" the sport, I quit. I can see the dog and pony show at the end of the tunnel.
Ping will be the shortest EMT Fire personnel in the history of the profession.
If you believe any of the following, congratulations. You have an honourary Ph.D. from the "Ping and Weege School of Reality":
1. Having whoops after the first turn wasn't a recipe for disaster last week.
2. The future of the sport lies in getting it "on the big networks". Great idea! Look what happened to the Nationals. You have to buy a new cable package just to see the Outdoors. Uhhhhhhh huh. And CBS sucks, with a long history of pre-empting SX shows for things they feel are more important, like golf, dog shows, and chicken wing eating contests.
3. J Law deserves another chance.
the future of the sport lies in having people race who really want it as bad as RV RD Barcia Canard Millsaps (this year) Tomac Roczen.....there used to be a full gate of these guys ...now....not so much....the days of getting eighth or tenth and still buying a 400,000 dollar house are gone.....I think we need a j-law vs Stroupe , old skool type half time "Trojan condoms presents the trophy dash for cash or weed show" on stock 250 2 strokes..with a full short track style first corner with a giant whoop/jump in the middle......hot locals , freestyle and half mile guys are always welcome ....$$$ + a guaranteed starting spot in the gladiator style anything goes main event at the final go round for a hundie packed mega bong signed by the wu tang clan and Vanilla ice......
How about an Enduro-Cross section right after the start.
How about an Enduro-Cross section right after the start.
wow was reading comments and almost thought id get through a page without someone bashing james, shit what was i thinking, they could post an article 50cc racers during intermission and some a-hole would find a way to bring up james, the popularity for james good or bad is going to keep this guy mainstream 10yrs after he has retired, the guy has the finacial means to retire know and live better than most of us only dream of for the rest of his life, he doesnt have to race motocross he would have success in anything with a motor in it. As far as the whole Reed thing what was his plan, the majority were running in the middle and outside to set up for the right hander, if he was going to creep to the inside and get what positions he could he would of been on the binders, theres was no spot run in a block pass they were single file, it was a stupid move probally out of desperation, it was either bad start or take out most of the front runners, if i was barcia, stewart or the rest of them id have a little something for him this weekend.
the 450 is way too fast..........ama needs to regulate sx to 100cc 2 strokes............ that will solve everything.
Phil 1st race in Anaheim WAS AMA sanctioned.1st race in LA WAS NOT.
I like the idea mentioned above. Have the teams sell their own merchandise.