Ask Ping!
December 19, 2008 12:24pm | by: David Pingree
Ping,
I don't quite understand why sponsors go to all the "BIG" races and sponsor "MONEY". There seems to be no chance for kids that have little money. They could be just as good or even better than some kids who ride year round, train, etc. I know of some people that have money and travel to the south to train 8 months out of the year that just got a sponsor. I know another guy who is struggling to keep his 3 kids riding and racing in the summer months and they could be great if the had all those benefits.
John
Dear John,
Life sucks, John, and it’s just not fair. I guess that’s the only real answer here. Some families are willing and able to make huge commitments, for better or worse, so that their kid can race dirt bikes. There are a lot of great young riders in this country and around the world. But only a limited few will ever get the chance to make a living racing. By the time you factor in injuries, racing costs and that little bit of luck that can make all the difference there just aren’t many guys that make it. And sponsors get involved in this sport for one thing: exposure. They will always go with the kid that is getting them the most exposure. Maybe your friend should just pick his favorite kid and spend all his money on him. Tell the other two to get jobs. Personally, I’m all for new legislation that puts a cap on how many children people can have. Two seems about right to me. If you knock your wife up with a third they just lop your penis off with a scimitar. I think China currently enforces that policy. Anyway, wish I had a better answer for you.
PING
Dear Ping,
I heard ticket sales for supercross are way down this year. My friend, who works in the industry, also said that they might cancel some rounds. Is that true? Good luck with your team.
Ryan B.
Dear Ryan,
I actually heard the same rumor about a week ago. I was told that retro night was being pulled and that A3 was being cancelled. A call to the Feld offices confirmed that retro night is not happening but I was also assured that there would be no race cancellations. Maybe ticket pre-sales are down but I’m guessing that people will show up when the races come around. Why wouldn’t they? You’ll have Reed and Stewart going toe-to-toe, Villopoto thrown into the class, Windham back on a bike, free Jagermeister in the pits and all the 30-second board girls you can shake a really short skirt at. And what about the Lites class? Dungey and Lawrence picking up their rivalry, Weimer at Pro Circuit with a ton of pressure to win, the East coast champ (Canard) thrown into the mix, our latest cover boy Justin Brayton representing the unfairly taxed KTM guys, Morias at PC, Dan Reardon in his sophomore year, Jimmy Albertson, Chris Blose, the Motosport Outlet guys, the Star Racing guys, the Moto Concepts guys… it’s going to be ridiculous! Plus, free Jagermeister in the pits. See you at A1, 2 and 3.
PING
Ping-a-ling,
Are you guys doing the flag football tournament again this year? I was trying to get on a team last time and I was too late. What’s up?
Ron
Dear Ron,
We’re working on it. Red Bull is helping to find a good field near the stadium and the tentative date is Sunday, January 4th. I know it’s coming up soon but that’s just the way it is. If you know Jimmy McGuire (Team Truth), Danny Dobey (The Cougar Hunters) or Michael LaPaglia (The Temecula Bros) you can try getting in touch with one of them. They are all team captains. As soon as I know more I will post it on racerxonline.com. I will advise you to bring some anti-inflamatories, a knee brace, a neck brace and possibly some vicoden. Last year it got pretty rough for a flag football game and the following day everyone that played was limping through the pits like they just got mugged and beat down in the parking lot. Should be more of the same this year.
PING
Do you have a question for Ping? Or maybe you just want to give him a piece of your mind. Whichever it is, you can email him at ping@racerxonline.com. He'll surely have something nice to say in response.
I don't quite understand why sponsors go to all the "BIG" races and sponsor "MONEY". There seems to be no chance for kids that have little money. They could be just as good or even better than some kids who ride year round, train, etc. I know of some people that have money and travel to the south to train 8 months out of the year that just got a sponsor. I know another guy who is struggling to keep his 3 kids riding and racing in the summer months and they could be great if the had all those benefits.
John
Dear John,
Life sucks, John, and it’s just not fair. I guess that’s the only real answer here. Some families are willing and able to make huge commitments, for better or worse, so that their kid can race dirt bikes. There are a lot of great young riders in this country and around the world. But only a limited few will ever get the chance to make a living racing. By the time you factor in injuries, racing costs and that little bit of luck that can make all the difference there just aren’t many guys that make it. And sponsors get involved in this sport for one thing: exposure. They will always go with the kid that is getting them the most exposure. Maybe your friend should just pick his favorite kid and spend all his money on him. Tell the other two to get jobs. Personally, I’m all for new legislation that puts a cap on how many children people can have. Two seems about right to me. If you knock your wife up with a third they just lop your penis off with a scimitar. I think China currently enforces that policy. Anyway, wish I had a better answer for you.
PING
Dear Ping,
I heard ticket sales for supercross are way down this year. My friend, who works in the industry, also said that they might cancel some rounds. Is that true? Good luck with your team.
Ryan B.
Dear Ryan,
I actually heard the same rumor about a week ago. I was told that retro night was being pulled and that A3 was being cancelled. A call to the Feld offices confirmed that retro night is not happening but I was also assured that there would be no race cancellations. Maybe ticket pre-sales are down but I’m guessing that people will show up when the races come around. Why wouldn’t they? You’ll have Reed and Stewart going toe-to-toe, Villopoto thrown into the class, Windham back on a bike, free Jagermeister in the pits and all the 30-second board girls you can shake a really short skirt at. And what about the Lites class? Dungey and Lawrence picking up their rivalry, Weimer at Pro Circuit with a ton of pressure to win, the East coast champ (Canard) thrown into the mix, our latest cover boy Justin Brayton representing the unfairly taxed KTM guys, Morias at PC, Dan Reardon in his sophomore year, Jimmy Albertson, Chris Blose, the Motosport Outlet guys, the Star Racing guys, the Moto Concepts guys… it’s going to be ridiculous! Plus, free Jagermeister in the pits. See you at A1, 2 and 3.
PING
Ping-a-ling,
Are you guys doing the flag football tournament again this year? I was trying to get on a team last time and I was too late. What’s up?
Ron
Dear Ron,
We’re working on it. Red Bull is helping to find a good field near the stadium and the tentative date is Sunday, January 4th. I know it’s coming up soon but that’s just the way it is. If you know Jimmy McGuire (Team Truth), Danny Dobey (The Cougar Hunters) or Michael LaPaglia (The Temecula Bros) you can try getting in touch with one of them. They are all team captains. As soon as I know more I will post it on racerxonline.com. I will advise you to bring some anti-inflamatories, a knee brace, a neck brace and possibly some vicoden. Last year it got pretty rough for a flag football game and the following day everyone that played was limping through the pits like they just got mugged and beat down in the parking lot. Should be more of the same this year.
PING
Do you have a question for Ping? Or maybe you just want to give him a piece of your mind. Whichever it is, you can email him at ping@racerxonline.com. He'll surely have something nice to say in response.
