Dear Ping,
The news about Townley is beyond an exaggerated reaction. I'm a Townley fan and the frustration of a title candidate losing his chances repeatedly due to injuries makes you think what could be done. I keep reading "injuries are a part of our sport" and we just have to deal with it. There is no denying that injuries are a part of our sport but why isn't there more time for riders to heal before the next championship starts? Why can't there be a buffer period of say a month or two between Supercross and Motocross? I'm sure Townley, Reed, Dungey, Stewart, Tedesco, Hill, among countless others wouldn't mind right now. If the outdoor season ran further into the fall, the more northern tracks could be done during the warmest months and as fall closes in it could move towards the south. It might also give Stewart time to switch teams… there I said it. Anyway, just curious.
Lars
Madison, WI
Lars,
I’m not even sure what to say about the injuries this year. I’m crushed that Ben has yet another injury and I really feel bad for every single rider this year that has been put through the ringer. Injuries are a huge mental setback as well as a physical blow. The sad truth is that injuries are a part of our sport. So, why can’t there be a break between series? It comes down to scheduling, really. Booking stadiums for supercross events isn’t as easy as just calling them up and giving them a credit card number. There are very few weekends when stadium owners will allow trucks to dump massive amounts of dirt all over their baseball/football fields. Feld has worked out a nice little schedule that seems to fit into the stick-and-ball world pretty well. The nationals could, realistically, move another month or so into the fall but many of those promoters rely on holiday weekends to draw a big crowd (4th of July, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day). Three-day weekends definitely help turnout and those promoters don’t want to give up those days. You also have school starting back up in the fall and a very short break for the riders between MX and SX, especially if you push the end of the series back a month or so. The bottom line is that injuries suck. But changing the schedule around isn’t the answer here. Although it would give James more time to get adjusted to his new bike...
PING
Pinger,
Why doesn’t Reed or Kawasaki or one of these teams take a shot with Jason Lawrence? He’s still showing up and winning local off-road events. Obviously the guy still has talent. Why doesn’t he get another shot?
Jersey Mike
Mike,
Please check the Care-O-Meter.
PING
Ping,
I have a question about some of these injuries lately. I know racing means everything to these guys but do they think, or care, about the long-term consequences? Like, is Partridge’s foot ever going to be normal again? Will Morais ever recover 100%? Are Villopoto’s knees going to be clicking and popping like an African bushman every time he gets up to pee at night for the rest of his life? Do these guys even consider the very long life they have ahead of them after racing is long gone?
Petey P.
Petey,
In short, no, they don’t think much about it. I remember at one point early in my career actually going through the thought process of what would happen if I ever got seriously injured. I had a “Plan B.” It was poorly thought out and certainly not what I would want now but I made peace with that option and was able to just accept it. That’s how badly these guys want to win. They know full well the risks involved and they choose to compete anyway. Are Ryan’s knees going to click and pop? Yeah, but they’ll sound more like a pack of M-80’s going off in an underground parking garage. I haven’t heard the latest on Kyle’s foot but I hope this image isn’t his foot. Some of these guys you just want to sit down with and talk them out of getting back into the fray. My buddies BT and Morais come to mind. But that is a decision that each of them have to make in their own time. If they don’t make the call on their own terms they could regret it for the rest of their lives.
PING
