As a parent of a young motocrosser in public school, What do I say to a school teacher who insists motocross is an activity and not a sport?
Thank You
Eric Richard
Dear Eric,
Maybe you could start by arguing whether teaching at a public school is a job or some masochistic way of making up for her own lackluster parenting. Or maybe she’s trying to earn praise from her own father who clearly didn’t love her enough. Maybe she needs validation that she is, in fact, smarter than someone and grade schoolers are an easy target. I don’t know why someone would put up with the obvious torture and dismal paycheck that teachers are “rewarded” with but it is certainly suspect. If you don’t have her in tears by that point just tell her that peeing in the staff’s break room coffee pot is part of the new curriculum and your son is pretty sure he is an A student. She might not change her mind about motocross right away but she’ll be off the Joe for a while and maybe you can wear her down.
PING
Ping,
I'm not sure if you're capable of answering a serious question, but just in case you are, I've always wondered: when making turns, why do SuperMoto guys "split the crack" like a motocross rider instead of "hanging a cheek" like road racers do. I'd think that you'd ride like a road racer on the road instead of like a motocrosser, but I guess that shows what I know.
So, why?
--
Bryan "Subscriber" Kimsey
Dear Bryan, Ping demonstrates how to "split the crack." photo: Paul Buckley
Thanks for subscribing; and for giving yourself such a telling nickname. Let me see if I can do this without cracking wise. The reason most riders turn a supermoto bike like a motocross bike is because they are motocross bikes (and I didn’t say that with a sarcastic tone.. I promise). The geometry simply doesn’t work when you try to drop a knee like a road racer. With the exception of the wheels, tires and front brake, a supermoto bike is just a motocross bike that is geared to do 100 mph. When Wardy first started riding supermoto he tried using road race theory around faster, sweeping corners but found that he could go faster through turns using motocross-style with the seat “splitting his cheeks.” So, there you go. Totally serious. Not funny at all.
PING
Ping,
Happy New Year. I’m a long time fan.
With the condition of the AMA and the involvement of the FIM with our Supercross series. My question is this. What’s your take on the Supercross championship being combined, is the AMA losing control?
Thanks in advance,
Morgan Patteson
Boise, Idaho
P.S. Have you ever consider being or been asked to be a guest on Wind Tunnel? That would be quite entertaining, indeed.
Dear Morgan,
The idea of the AMA getting involved with the FIM was so that Supercross could go global. The AMA only regulates in the US so we would need a global organization to help sanction any events out of the country. They started with the Canadian rounds which were attended like a Slayer concert in a retirement home in Florida. Now, the Vancouver round is gone and the Toronto round is a points paying round of the FIM and AMA series. So, now that every team is committed to attending one international round, they can work on taking the series to other parts of the world.
The AMA is in a shambles right now. Dingman has fired more people in the last month than Donald Trump has in the past three seasons of “The Apprentice.” There is no plan for the future of road racing, supermoto, hillclimb or flat track and the rules that were adopted by the FIM have caused nothing but problems here in the US. Remember all the fuel issues with Reed, Carmichael and others? I’m not sitting in on the meetings over there at Live Nation but those guys seem to know how to promote events. They’ve done a good job with Supercross and it seems like they have a plan for the future. So, I guess my answer to that question is… I have no idea. Time will tell if the restructuring at the AMA was a good thing or not.
As far as the Wind Tunnel thing goes, well, I’ve never been asked. At first I thought that it was because I couldn’t grow a nice, full beard like Dave Despain. But now I realize that I just don’t have anything interesting to say. Happy New Year.
PING
Have a question for David? Email it to ping@racerxill.com.
