Hi Ping maybe you can use your connections to get this done. I was at the St. Louis race and watched Reed do that classy take out on Bubba and then #7 passed him back around lap 10 but James was pretty quiet afterward. Could you talk to James and have him talk trash like Muhammad Ali, something like, "I am the greatest, and I said that even before I knew I was!" Or, "If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize." These would work well.
Thanks Ping
Dear ?,
Will he bring the post-race dances back? photo: Steve Bruhn
I don’t talk to James. You have to set up an appointment with his agent to talk to him and not many people have that kind of time or care enough to go through those channels. Plus, he’s still mad about something I called him out on three years ago. I don’t know if he would start talking trash but maybe we can send him an email and get him to start doing his post-race dances again.
Actually, as long as he keeps winning—and his future looks very, very bright—I think he can keep taking that page out of Carmichael’s old playbook. That’s the one where he just points at the Diamondvision results and says “scoreboard.” His results are doing all the talking now, and the message is being delivered loud and clear!
PING
Racer X,
Why would you guys let that "Ping" dude write a column, or answer a question i should say, about the 30 second board girls. Who the hell is he to say whether or not someone is attractive or not??? Hes nobody thats who. Im fine with all of the ribbing he does to his fellow riders and all the jabs and comments that go back and forth between them, but to publicly comment on the look and shape of those PEOPLE and say that the last several rounds have been disappointing in that respect????? Sorry but that is ridiculous. His mouth needs to be taped shut sometimes and he needs to remember that just because he has his little column, he is still just another dude. No, im not a relative, friend, or in any way associated with any of those girls, just a guy in Iowa who reads your online website and wonders if anyone cares about how those girls, who are people, feel about that, because it does matter!!! I just dont think that one should have gotten through. SHALLOW!!!! Thanks for listening ( if you have)..........R.T.
Dear RT, The debate continues... photo: Simon Cudby
First of all, I never picked out one girl specifically. I got a letter asking why some of the 30- second board girls are bigger than others and I didn’t have an answer for him. Hey, if they are going to put on some hot pants and a tank top and stand out in the middle of the stadium and wiggle their butts, they have to have thick enough skin to take some criticism. This isn’t kindergarten where I have to tell your kid that she’s the next Pablo Picasso because she finger-painted a blue bunny rabbit. If she looks like Oprah Winfrey in spandex then she is going to take some heat. Those girls are performers, no different than the riders, and if they aren’t as good at what they do as others, they should be ready for a little criticism. Just like every rider in the main can’t be on the podium, some girls don’t look as good standing up there as others. Hey, they’re big girls—they can take it.
PING
Ping,
What is up w/ Travis Pastrana trying to race the MXoN for Puerto Rico? I’d figure that he would finally stick w/ racing rally cars since he is successful at it and NOT getting hurt in the process, unlike his injuries during MX/SX career. What gives? Would you do the same thing if you were in his shoes?
Harold Gray
Dear Harold,
Travis Pastrana at the 2000 MXdN photo: Racer X Archives
I think Travis just really wants to take part in one of the coolest races of the year, the Motocross of Nations. I was actually trying to sign up with team Puerto Rico but it turns out I’m not eligible just because I have two Puerto Rican dogs. Travis, on the other hand, is part-Puerto Rican. His father is part-Puerto Rican and this goes a long way towards explaining why he always has his shirt unbuttoned like Don Johnson on Miami Vice. I know that Travis is enjoying his new career as a rally car driver and he has a bright future there. Still, he has to miss motocross. Dirt bikes are where TP has his roots and he will always do as many events as possible on his motorcycle. Would I do the same if I were in his shoes? I would never, ever be in his shoes. But I will be cheering for him in Spanish at Budds Creek this fall.
Also, for what it’s worth, isn’t a Puerto Rican passport pretty much the same as having a U.S. passport? They are practically the 51st state.
PING
Have a question for Ping-a-ling? Email it to letters@racerxill.com.
