Dear Ping:
Motocross and Supercross do not have a “Most Popular” rider as voted on by the fans. Till he retired I would suspect that K-Dub would have won that award, had they had one to win. If the powers that be were to begin such an award, who would be on your podium or in your top 5 and why?
Ole #46
Ole #46,
If you are talking about all time I think the list would have to include guys like McGrath, Bradshaw, Carmichael, Henry, Windham, Johnson and Hannah. That is your Mt. Rushmore of motocross fan favorites.
However, since most of those guys have rounded out with age there might not be enough granite in the Dakota hills to craft such a monument. Just kidding, fellas.
For current riders the list is a little more difficult to draw up. Ryan Dungey is well-liked by almost the entire industry. He is hard-working, polite and always open for interviews and press functions. Chad Reed would have to be on the list. Reedy has completely changed his outlook on fans and the media in the last five or six years and it has garnered him a significant following. And I would be remiss if I left Brazilian star Jean Carlos Ramos off the list. His work in major motion picture action films has brought fans to their feet at movie theatres worldwide. Just the mention of his name perks fans’ ears up. I have seen a lot of professional motocross racers in my time and Jean Carlos Ramos is one of them.
PING
Dear Ping,
I have a question about hydration and bike inspections. I read an article called The Breakdown: No Time To Waste and was wondering what the rules are for IV's of saline to rehydrate between moto's? Seems like that would be the way to go but is that giving an unfair advantage to the riders who don't have a traveling trainer/doctor in the rig/van?
Also, after they complete bike inspection they get the little AMA sticker on their front plate saying they passed or whatever, but when they have a mechanical failure or a bad crash in moto 1 and they change a motor or exhaust or something major in between, do they get re-inspected or not?
Thanks,
Wesley
Wesley,
The rule about intravenous fluids is that if you get an IV you are done riding for the day. The rule was created when Doug Henry was competing for a championship and was getting IV fluids between motos. He had some type of illness and the fluids allowed him to stay on the track. Obviously when you have a limited time to recover and rehydrate between motos the intravenous route is an advantage. If it were legal riders would flood the Asterisk rig all day. If Asterisk stopped offering them factory riders would bring medics or doctors who could administer them, leaving privateers another step behind. It’s a good rule put in place for a good reason. If a rider legitimately needs fluids the Asterisk team will provide them, but that rider won’t race again that day.
Inspection of the bikes is geared towards the frame and chassis. Motors can be replaced without going back through tech inspection. There are some pieces that must be re-inspected, such as the muffler. The point of that rule is to enforce the production rule put in place years ago.
PING
So David,
With Loretta’s right around the corner, I have a couple questions you may be able to answer (or maybe not).
Say an old washed up Montana guy wants to scratch off a bucket list item and try his hand at making it to LL’s next year. Any idea on what a trip like that will cost? I have heard anywhere from $5000 to $15,000. Not counting the cost of bikes. And…can you please make sure you get rid of the humidity if/when I get down there? I do better in a “dry” heat.
Thanks man!
+40 guy from MT
+40 Guy,
I suggest you start harvesting your wheat or selling cattle or whatever you do to make money up there right now. There are a couple things I can guarantee you about making the trip to Loretta’s. First, you are going to have a great time. The event has a special vibe that is a mix of intense competition between the world’s best amateur riders and good times at the beer tent/creek/someone’s motorhome. It will be an experience you won’t ever forget. Second, you are going to spend a boatload of money. You will have to get through regional and area qualifiers, both of which will likely be a drive for you in Montana. Fuel for your rig from Montana to Tennessee will set you back some cash for sure. Who knows what it will cost per gallon by then but you can bet that the price isn’t going down. Once there you have to pay parking fees, entry fees, camping fees, facility fees, fee fees, and probably some others fee’s along the way. You’ll need food and drinks for a week and if you crash or blow your bike up you will need to cover repairs. After the fuel home and the time off work the cost to go attend the biggest amateur race in the world is enough to put your finances deep in the red. I can’t give you a specific number because there are many different ways to make the trip. You could stay in a hotel, rent a motorhome or sleep in the back of your truck in a pop-up tent. You could eat bologna and cheese sandwiches all week or you could buy filets and prawns and hire an off-duty flagger to grill them for you on your barbeque. There are lots of ways to skin this cat. Good luck, have fun and don’t be bummed when Robbie Reynard blows by you like you are tied to a tree.
PING
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