Howdy Ping,
Thanks for making my Friday mornings tolerable with your column. What would you think about a race, like the Monster Energy Cup, where all the racers ride a completely stock bike and only allow the mechanics a certain amount of time to adjust the stock suspension the best they can? Do you think the results would change or are the top 5 racers truly the best. I would really like to see that race; to me that would be worth the $1,000,000 purse.
From the Big Sky,
Scott
Scott,
I’m not sure that would ever happen. There used to be a race called the Kawasaki Race of Champions, which ran in conjunction with the World Mini Grand Prix. It was for the best 80cc riders and they all competed on identical, stock KX80’s. It was a really cool event but I don’t know how riders who were sponsored by other brands were ever allowed to do it. As far as putting the top pros on a supercross track on stock bikes, that gets a little dangerous. You could get away with it on an outdoor track, perhaps, but riders still wouldn’t like it. Would you want to go back to stock suspension after dialing in works stuff all season that rides like a Cadillac? No, you wouldn’t. The results wouldn’t change… the best riders will still be the best riders. All of the bikes are close enough now that the gaps between them would all be the same as they are on race bikes. Besides, they all ride production-based bikes so that’s almost the same thing [rolled my eyes so hard just now I nearly blacked out].
PING
Ping,
I know motocross/supercross has been getting more and more recognition as the years pass, but I feel as if someone has to make that drastic move of proving that motocross/supercross is the most physically demanding sport and is a real sport like baseball, football, hockey, and soccer. I know they did a study long ago in the 80's proving that motocross racers are the most physically fit athletes but why not make a documentary of a new day and age study? Have 3 of the best in every sport and have pretty much a science experiment on proving what sport is the toughest physically, mentally, and off season training. And have it hosted on national television, because I am more than positive everyone who is for their sport is going to say that there sport is the toughest in all aspects. I feel this would attract a lot of attention from a ridiculous amount of people and just pure curiosity of what’s number 1. What do you think? Do you think this would help open the eyes of people and possibly new sponsors to build and expand the industry?
Eddie Izzy
Eddie,
I’ll get right on this. Let me just give LeBron James a jingle and see if he can meet me out here to run some tests. Then I’ll hit up Ryan Villopoto, Ricky Fowler, A-Rod (he doesn’t have a damn thing to do right now), Cam Newton and Jeff Gordon and have them come hang out for a while and get their asses kicked, during their season, of course, all in the name of proving to everyone that dirt bike riders are in really good shape. Look, I’m not trying to sound like a prick here but there is no exact science to determining which athlete is better. Football players are going to be stronger, boxers will be tougher, gymnasts are more flexible, basketball players will be able to jump higher and baseball players will be able to fit way more sunflower seeds in their mouth than anyone else. So, which thing is more important? The cool thing about motocross is that it takes some of all those qualities to be successful. Stop trying to convince the world that we are legitimate athletes because, honestly, I don’t think anyone cares. And professional bowlers are considered athletes so I don’t think WE should care. We know how tough this sport is and that is all that matters.
PING
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