Ping,
Reed switched from Fox goggles to the Oakley Airbrake midway through the supercross season, and it looks like Roczen did the same during this MX season. Is the Airbrake that good? Is Fox okay with that? Also, if Baggett would have been wearing the Airbrake rather than his usual Scott goggles, do you think he could have avoided the eye injury?
Cool Rider
USA
Cool Rider,
I don't know why both of those riders switched goggle brands but I can tell you it likely had more to do with money than one goggle being that much better than the other. Perhaps Fox isn't interested in spending that much money to promote goggles? I'm not sure. Either way, there are certainly some safety advantages to the front-mounted lens. Dragon was actually the first goggle brand to bring this technology to the motocross market with their NFX goggle. By mounting the lens on the front of the frame it is virtually impossible for a stone to pop the lens out of the frame and have it cut/injure your face, which is what happened to Baggett. It is also easier to remove/replace the lens and tear-offs operate easier as well. There have been several cases of rocks popping lenses out of traditional goggles; Ricky Carmichael at Budds Creek years ago comes to mind. The front mounted lenses are a big innovation and they are worth a look.
PING
Hey Ping,
First off your articles make my Fridays even better. I wanted to know how shocked are you and others you have talked to about the start of the 250 series? Do you think it's just Martin and Webb over working the rest of the field, or do you think the new Yamaha is the missing link those riders have needed? Either way it has definitely got my attention.
Donald
Anchorage, AK
Donald,
Thanks for reading, Don. Although with as much daylight as you have up there this time of year you probably have all kinds of time to kill on the internet, right? I can't speak for any other members of the motocross media but I was scratching my head after the first couple of rounds this year. I expected the front to be filled with veterans like Wilson, Baggett, Pourcel and Musquin. Those guys were all struggling to find the pace early while Martin and Webb were just gone. I think, for whatever reason, those two just came into the series with a little more momentum, a better setup and ultimately more confidence than the rest of the pack. It seems like the others have started to find the pace and figure things out at this point, so the rest of the season could get really good. You can call Blake Baggett "Butter" right now because he is on a roll. [Thank you, I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress]. Chris Pourcel has been good so far but with this break he might just be able to find that next level and start posting some wins. Anderson just had his best finish and he is capable of being up there again as well. Still, the Martin/Webb duo isn't going anywhere. These two guys have been more rock-solid than an old man with a fresh Cialis prescription. It doesn't matter if they get the start or not they have been finding their way to the front. And you might as well add fifty points to Martin's total right now for the Millville round. If he doesn't clean house there I'll bend over and kiss my own ass.
To answer your question I think both riders really came on at the end of the supercross series [See Vegas results] and they've just continued to build. Their bikes are really good, which hasn't always been the case, and things are clicking for them. I think they have everyone's attention right now.
PING
Ping,
You knew this was coming… who is it? Which rider failed a drug test at the Seattle SX this year? The entire industry has been in a frenzy this week waiting to hear the news and still… nothing. Who is it and what substance was it?!!
John P. in Michigan
John,
You think I'm going to just dish out the goods because you took thirty seconds out of your Thursday afternoon to write me a letter? I'm a cheap date but I don't give it up that easy. You're wasting your time, pal. Why don't you go do something constructive, like solve a math problem? It's educational and fun! See if you can figure out the square root of 49, for starters. If you can't stay focused long enough to work out that long division in your head you could see a doctor and get a prescription for something. Adderall maybe? That has been shown to increase focus and mental clarity in folks with ADHD, though it has been widely abused by students and athletes over the years to give them focus and energy for tests or events. But if you have a prescription for it, that does complicate things. Maybe the people who did this test back in April should get on it to speed things up a bit....
Oh wait, Suzuki just issued a press release. This should get interesting, and probably ugly. Hopefully it came in the same gas can as Carmichael's fuel back in the day. That would really send this whole mess into the stratosphere. .
PING
