Ping,
(long sigh) What in the Sam Hell is going on with our beloved Team USA at the Motocross of nations? For the past three decades we have been a force on the world motocross scene and put together win streaks that will likely never be broken. So why is it that more recently we are getting our butts handed to us over there? We aren't even coming in a close second! As a patriotic American it really hurts to see us get beaten by france's "B" team and a country that is the same size as North Dakota.
Briggs
proud American motocross nut
Briggs,
I really want to say that we've had some bad luck recently, but a belief from one of my fictional heroes, Ron Swanson, prevents me from doing that. Ron believes that luck is a concept created by the weak to explain their failures. How do you argue with that? That same brilliant man also said this: "Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing." I think some of our issues can be explained with that theory. Since Ricky Carmichael left the sport, how many times has America sent our very best riders? James Stewart hasn't been on the team since he rode a Kawasaki, and Ryan Villopoto hasn't been since 2011. You could argue that we aren't sending our best team to the fight. However, we did just get beat by France who didn't send Marvin Musquin or Christophe Pourcel, so maybe that doesn't work. Honestly, if anybody has a legit theory, I'd like to hear it. It definitely seems like the GP riders have picked up the pace, and while they don't have the depth of talent in the field over there, they do have some quick guys up front. Regardless of the results, I have a ton of respect for Ryan Dungey, Eli Tomac, and Jeremy Martin for going over and representing us. It would be easy to blow it off and stay home to relax or prep for 2015. Thanks for the hard work, boys.
PING
DP,
Can you explain to those of us outside the industry why KTM would choose to shift the Rockstar Energy Racing team to Husky and move TLD into the KTM satellite team role? If I were Bobby Hewitt and had just won a Regional Supercross Championship in my first year with an OEM, i'd feel a bit slighted to be on their "new" brand. I understand that the bikes will, mechanically, be the same, but 3 OEM's in as many years can't be what any team wants, right? Is it that Troy himself came into the deal with enough clout? Did the Husqvarna racing effort get to throw a little more cash at the Rockstar team to sweeten the deal? Is the TLD amateur program what really drew KTM in?
Please enlighten us.
To make this a bit more fun, give us your hypothetical reality if the Rockstar Team had dug it's heals in and decided to fight to be the KTM satellite team.
Thanks,
Bentley Lignell
Bentley,
I don't know the reason things went the way they did, but there are some general facts that should clue us in: First, Rockstar had Jason Anderson under contract, and after winning his title he was moving to the 450 Class. KTM already has BTOSports as a 450 support team, so they don't need more 450 riders under their awning. If they wanted to keep Jason Anderson (and they did), they had to come up with something. Husky had a plan to jump into the racing scene in a big way, and the Rockstar Energy team was the perfect vehicle. They have already had success with Davi Millsaps and Anderson making them a proven squad. They would be Husky's only effort, so there would be no lack of support. And since the bike is essentially a KTM, the technical side of things won't change. The Troy Lee Designs team has been more focused on the 250 Class and finding young talent to bring into the pro ranks, even though they did have success with Ben Townley and Malcolm Stewart on the 450 at different times. That profile fit what KTM needed, and the partnership made sense from both sides. I think all three teams are happy with the situation, and KTM is continuing their march to be the most dominant brand in the sport.
PING
Hey Ping,
I just saw a picture of the trophies from the Indiana national this year and it made me wonder what the riders do with all those cool trophies. I can’t imagine they save every one. Wouldn't it be cool if they would auction them off for charity? I'm sure people would pay a lot of money for some of the more interesting ones. Just a thought.
Keep up the good work!
Thank you,
Stan Bruzgulis
Stan,
I can't speak for other riders, but I know that I really only kept trophies from races that I won, or that had some special meaning. Fortunately for me, that doesn't require too much space in my office. For guys like Villopoto, Chad Reed, Stewart, and others who win a bunch, I'm not sure what they do with all of them. I've seen Eli Tomac's trophy room in his house, and it's already pretty full. After a few years in the 450 Class, he'll need to buy a second home just to store his trophies. The problem is that track owners are making some really cool trophies now, so it isn't as easy to just give them to a sponsor or hand them off to a fan. In the 1990s, the trophies were literally just a small plaque made of wood with a small plastic motorcycle on them. I've thrown podium-finish trophies in the trash on the way back to the pits after the race before. I do really like your idea, though. If all the top riders signed their unwanted trophies and auctioned them off on eBay, they could probably raise a significant amount of money for charity, the Asterisk Medic Unit, or another good cause. I'd put a couple hundred up for one of those painted axes from Washougal right now. I'll see if I can get the ball rolling on this. Thanks, Stan.
PING
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