Last weekend was not a good one for motocross. Trey Canard and Jake Weimer were knocked out for the rest of the supercross season after crashing together at the Detroit Supercross. Even worse, though, was what happened in Texas: Tyler Hoeft, a promising young man riding a 250F, crashed while trying to scrub the finish and landed hard on his head. His injuries proved fatal. He was 14 years old.
Is racing dirt bikes too dangerous? Has the potency of the equipment evolved too far, too quickly? Are the stakes higher and the riders more aggressive? Are there too many jumps, too many riders, not enough of them wearing all the protection available? Is there not enough oversight or not enough personal responsibility? Is the world just a smaller place because of social media and the internet and we just hear about every unfortunate incident? Are young riders seeing professionals doing remarkable things and trying too hard to emulate them? Are we sure we know what exactly happens in each crash and why?
What I do know is that there’s always time for a conversation about safety in motocross. We’ve been having an ongoing one with the OEMs, various promoters, track builders, race-team owners and managers, with pros, vets, parents, and kids and pretty much anyone else who has an opinion to offer. It’s never an easy conversation to have, because no one seems to have the same opinion, nor are we able to agree on what exactly the outcome would be or how the public or industry might react. Some are easy and obvious fixes, like the wheels-on-the-ground flags and mandatory ImPACT concussion testing, while other ideas are much more complicated.
For instance, some people feel that four-stroke motorcycles are the problem. Others point to track design. Some blame a particular four-stroke, others a particular maneuver. (In my personal opinion, the scrub has been as much a game-changer in motocross racing as the backflip was in freestyle, both for better and worse.) Some blame helmets, others neck braces (or lack thereof), others chest protectors (or lack thereof). Some blame big obstacles and track design. Neither of those crashes last weekend took place on particularly big jumps, but the combination of speed and impact was enough to have brutal, tragic consequences.
That’s the thing about racing dirt bikes: you get to choose your own equipment, your own speed, your own way across any obstacle, your own level of competitiveness. Winning is not mandatory, but the thrill of winning is a large part of why we have such a passion for racing. Motocross is a sport of personal responsibility, just like hunting, surfing, snowboarding, and more. Crashes always happen, even though we do our best to make sure they don’t. But how do you get inside someone’s helmet in the middle of a race and tell them to slow down or not jump something, remind them that the guy in front of them might be coming up short, or this pass or racing line might be too risky?
Do we get the manufacturers to dial the bikes back or add more technology so they handle, steer, and track better? Do we remove doubles and triples and rhythm sections and replace them with big, sweeping corners and smooth obstacles? Do we make more and better safety gear, and then make it mandatory? Do we run single-file starts, shorter starts to keep speeds down, or longer starts to sort the riders out before they get to the squish point? Do we add age or size restrictions to all sizes of motorcycles? Do we add more jumps to slow the bikes down or take some out wo we stay on the ground more? Do we smooth out the tracks or do we let them get rutted up and technical?
The one thing we can all agree on is physics: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Yet every crash—every tragedy—has its own particular set of factors that first trigger it and then define the ensuing impact and damage. Bikes seem to get better every year, the riders more talented, the stakes a little higher.
Unfortunately, gravity never evolves, nor do the physics of coming to a sudden stop from a point of speed while traveling on (or above) uneven terrain.
Motocross is a great challenge, and so is the question of how to make it a safer. That’s where we need to keep working, where we need to come up with our own solutions and smart suggestions. Because we all love motocross, but we hate this every time it happens, and we want it to stop.
There has been on ongoing conversation about safety—around the pits, racetracks, shops, campfires, OEM offices, riders’ meetings, board meetings, promoters’ meetings, and of course the internet. It will continue, and even gain momentum, because we are all in this together. There’s real concern that manufacturers won’t sell enough motorcycles in the future to stay in the market, dealerships won’t sell enough bikes to stay open, there won’t be enough racers to keep a track going, and the next generation won’t have enough passionate participants to keep the sport moving. We need to work together to make sure this doesn’t happen.
FINALLY (Jason Weigandt)
Eli Tomac had already won a Monster Energy Supercross race on a 450 before Detroit, but the frustration he'd experienced between win one and win two made this second triumph feel just as good. From the outside, it almost seemed like Eli was more thrilled with this Detroit win than he was in Phoenix. When Tomac won at round two, it signaled he was about to win a bunch and make a serious run at the championship. He wasn't quite as sharp at the next few races but still went 3-4-3 at them, which is fine. Eli told me he had struggled just a bit at those and needed to make some changes to his forks, as the tracks were getting bumpy and his test track setup wasn't quite perfect. He made those changes and liked his bike much better, and was just about to go on a run. Then came a series of puzzling crashes and mistakes. He's been fast all along, but those problems basically ended his chance at the title.
In Atlanta, I asked him if he was maybe just dealing with rookie-style mistakes since he'd missed so many races. He told me he didn't think so because he felt much better this year compared to last. His bike was better, and he felt less nervous and anxious at the races. He really couldn't chalk his crashes up to anything other than bad luck.
It had to be frustrating to have so much speed and potential every week and not be able to deliver. After Anaheim 1, which was a bad race for him, he only had to wait one week to put the pieces together. In Detroit, he was recovering from ten straight winless weekends.
"The golf game was a lot sweeter on Sunday," Tomac said this week in a GEICO PR. "I finally was able to go home and be happy on the plane. It was good."
"There are times when you get tired and beat down and you have to stop and maybe not ride that one day," Tomac said. "It's still a little bit of a learning curve for me. It is my second year, but this is my first year that I've been able to actually compete at every race and go through all the rounds and all the stadiums. I'm shooting for another win here."
The question now is: Has he finally put the crashes behind him? Is he about to go on the big run we expected to see after Pheonix? I say yes. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Tomac end the year on a big note; he's been fast enough to do it all along and was just a few details away from making it happen. The way he did it in Detroit provides a good road map, too. He didn't need the holeshot to win; he just needed a decent start, and then some patience to put himself in position. When the opportunity came, he took it and won—he let the race come to him. I bet a lot more are going to start coming his way during these next few weeks.
And here’s a reminder that you can watch the St. Louis Supercross live tomorrow night on Fox Sports 1 at 8:00 p.m Eastern Time, as well as Supercross Live! tomorrow afternoon on www.supercrosslive.com. Also check out Racer X Online, Twitter, and Instagram for info, updates, and photos all day long.
THE NUMBER: 3 x 250 (Andras Hegyi)
With Justin Bogle's win in Detroit it now means that three brands—KTM, Yamaha and Honda—have a win in both West and East Regions in the 250SX Class in 2015. This is the third time that at least three brands won a race on both coasts: In 2005 it was KTM, Suzuki, and Kawasaki that won both on coasts, and in 2013 Honda, KTM, and Suzuki got wins on both coasts.
The opposite of that of course is the dry spell in 2015 for Kawasaki, Suzuki, and now Husqvarna. The last time a Kawasaki rider won was Las Vegas '14, when Dean Wilson won the West Region main and Justin Hill won the East-West Shootout. The last time a Suzuki rider won was Salt Lake City '13, when Jason Anderson won. And the last time a Husqvarna won was way back at Houston '01, when it was Travis Preston on a 125!
PRO PERSPECTIVE (Jason Thomas and David Pingree)
JT: Injuries are the absolute worst part of this sport that we all love. It was the biggest reason I decided to retire when I did, to be honest. I was so nervous about hurting myself that it was hindering my ability to ride to my potential. There is no way to succeed when riding in that mindset. I think that is what impresses me the most about a guy like Trey Canard. Injury after injury, he still approaches his craft with fearless vigor.
For most, coming back with injuries is a mix of mental and physical recovery. Of course the bones, tendons, and ligaments all need to heal, but the mental side effects can take even longer to overcome. To race effectively, none of that fear or doubt can be in your mind. Racing is hard enough without second-guessing yourself or any level of hesitation. Most riders will take a bit of time to regain that mental clarity after a big injury. Logic says that everyone would be gun-shy after being hurt doing any activity. For pro racers, that timeframe needs to be quick if high-level results are desired. It's impossible to forget that crashes and injuries happen, but to do well at this level, it has to be left in the pits when it's time to go racing. That, as they say, is easier said than done.
PING: After watching Trey Canard and Jake Weimer go down last weekend it got me thinking back to the many times I had to dig out of that hole when I was racing. Of course there is the physical pain that goes along with being assaulted by your bike and/or the ground, but there is also very real psychological and emotional struggles involved, and often times those hurt the worst. The last big one I had was when I had a comfortable lead in the AMA Supermoto series and crashed while leading a main event in Oregon. I snapped both bones in my arm, and as I stood up I had to grab my arm to keep it from drooping lifelessly toward the ground. All I could think about was a title that was slipping away. The pain was legit but it didn’t hurt as bad as seeing that number one plate go away.
This isn’t the first rodeo for Trey or Jake, though. In fact, if we are going with the cowboy analogy, Trey is the grizzled, Copenhagen-spitting, bowlegged, ten-gallon-hat-wearing bronc-buster of motocross injuries. Surgery is never fun but knowing that you are going to lose all your fitness is frustrating. On top of that you have the residual effects of whatever body part you smashed up, the time off the bike, the time away from racing, and your stock in the industry that has surely dropped from being injured. It's a long road back physically, but most riders enjoy hard work. You have to keep a positive attitude and try to make gains every day when you get out of bed (Trey has proven to be exceptionally sharp here). And you have to be able to line back up when the time comes up push the crashes, pain, surgery, and fear out of your head and do your job. When you are no longer able to do that it’s time to look for something else to do. This is the most brutal aspect of our sport, and I wish Trey and Jake the best of luck on their latest trek back up the mountain.
POINTS BATTLES (Weigandt)
Ryan Dungey, Marvin Musquin, and Cooper Webb control their own destinies—even if the second place riders win out, it won't matter as long as they don't throw it away.
There's one points fight that's worth watching, though. With second-place Trey Canard sadly now out of 450SX with a broken arm, Eli Tomac is likely to take over second. The current battle between Cole Seely and Chad Reed for fourth could become a fight for third. (Reed, fifth in points, would have to collect 34 points in five weeks to jump Canard. Seely is 10 points ahead of Reed, so he needs 24 to get past Trey.)
Battles for third are legit. Not sure about Reed's team bonus structure (for himself), but I'd bet Seely has a Honda bonus on the line—third is really impressive for a rookie. I'll check on that this weekend. Regardless, third would mean something for both. Reed's season started poorly and then really hit the skids with that infamous black flag. He's battled back and finishing third would give him some sort of satisfaction. Not sure if it's enough satisfaction to officially claim the black flag cost him a shot at the title, but finishing third sure sounds more legit than outside of the top ten, where he was after Anaheim 2.
Seely will end up being top rookie if he keeps this up, and even with Canard out, he and Tomac could still give Honda a 2-3 finish, which would look pretty good. Only 10 points stand between the rookie and the veteran with five races to go, so this could swing in either direction. Should be a good one to watch.
BELL’S MOTO 9 FLEX INTRO (Nick McCabe)
This past Wednesday, Bell Helmets launched the new Moto 9 Flex model. The event was held at the famous Castillo Ranch on California’s central coast, and conditions were primo.
The big news coming out of the launch is what Bell claims as radical new helmet technology—more specifically technology that is designed to protect around how motocross riders crash. The Bell staff made references to this helmet being more “market disruptive” and "revolutionary to helmet technology." The product is designed to challenge the 6D Helmet in better and stronger crash protection through technology (and extensive lab testing). It should be noted that Bell's technology is very different than that of the 6D, and while I am no engineer, the good news is that there is now another new product that is pointed at moving the needle forward in off-road helmet safety.
The timing of the launch was somewhat ironic, as the discussion of safety and improved helmet technology has been a hot button lately. But the Bell staff members were quick to point out that they have been working on this for nearly three years, and the product and technology have been in the works for a very long time.
The outer shell of the helmet is the traditional Moto 9 design, which has been a top seller for several years, but what Bell has developed is a special, all-new interior foam liner that literally “flexes” in the event of a crash. In simple terms, the helmet is designed specifically to protect against three types of impact—low speed, medium speed, and high speed. The Snell and DOT standard (which has been standard for years) protects primarily against a single high-speed shot. Motocross racers do not always crash in the manner, and this helmet is designed to absorb all sorts of hits, as well as rotational impacts, which are more common in off-road.
Look for an interview next week with Bell’s VP of product creation Mike Lowe and click here for more info on the product.
JD GIBBS (DC)
There was a report earlier this week on Yahoo Sports concerning JD Gibbs: The brother of JGR MX team owner Coy Gibbs and son of NFL and NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs was being treated for brain function-related issues that apparently stem from some kind of head injury earlier in his life.
JD Gibbs is 46 years old and, according to the story, is being treated for symptoms that began with "speech and processing issues." He played football growing up and continued at the collegiate level as a defensive back and quarterback for William & Mary. He also did a lot of adventure sports like mountain-biking and snowboarding. Many drivers affiliated with NASCAR in general offered their prayers and support, as did NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France.
JD is the President of Joe Gibbs Racing, and I've been fortunate enough to visit with him a couple of times. He's a really good guy who strongly supports JGR's SX/MX team, and everyone at Racer X and next door at MX Sports wish the very best for JD and the whole Gibbs family.
We all are understanding the effects better of head trauma and concussions—both in the short term and the long term. There's a protocol in both Monster Energy Supercross and Lucas Oil Pro Motocross that athletes must go through, including baseline ImPACT testing before they can get their pro license and then after any crash that might cause trauma. It's partially a result of what we all learned in light of the agonizing stories about football players developing serious issues after their playing days, as well as personal experience with others who have suffered similar problems later in life, including motocross racers.
But I want to circle back around to the case of James Stewart. As we have reported before, he was taking Adderall per a doctor's orders for what was diagnosed as ADHD about three years ago. Adderall (which has parts of the banned drug amphetamine) is the same drug that football players have been known to take to help them following concussions and head trauma in order to help them focus and think with more clarity. The person who suggested that James have a doctor check him out for ADHD was Coy Gibbs, and the first doctor that Stewart saw was the JGR team doctor. In light of the Yahoo Sports report, it seems more obvious than ever to me that the concussions and ADHD were the reason Stewart was on Adderall, and not performance-enhancement or any other benefit that it may have. I don't know who James' lawyer is for this last appeal that's coming up, but I would make sure I took a copy of the report with me to the hearing.
MEL POCOCK UPDATE (Chase Stallo)
Last week, we told you about the horrific injury MX2 rider Mel Pocock sustained at the Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship at Hilton Park and the subsequent fall out. The ACU released a brief summary this week following an inquiry into the events. In the summary they announced they have amended race results in MX2, which has led to changes in championship standings. The summary also included that while medical coverage provided exceeded ACU’s minimum requirement, improvements will by made soon. The ACU also named Stuart Drummond acting series manager. You can read more on Dirt Bike Rider.
As for Pocock, he underwent another surgery on Monday and initial reports indicate everything turned out well. He released an update on social media today: “Well then Monday’s operation went to plan. I’ve got through over 30 hours op time with no hold ups what’s amazing. They took muscle and skin from my thigh and has taken well to my hand were I had none left. Got over 150 stitches in me arm. Off home today – that’s mint! The guys here have saved my hand. Got huge motivation to get back racing as what comes around goes around.”
The 2015 FIM World Championships will pick up again in Argentina this weekend, with practice and qualifying races on Saturday, then the main motos on Sunday. Will Ryan Villopoto back up his win in Thailand with another in South America? Will Tony Cairoli get up to speed and get his first overall win? You can check it out and watch it live on www.mxgp-tv.com beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. If you don't have the coin, stay tuned to Racer X for live updates.
SAFETY DANCE (Steve Matthes)
This just in: racing motorcycles is dangerous. It's always been that way and will always stay that way. We just saw evidence of this when Trey Canard and Jake Weimer crashed out of Detroit, and subsequently, the series. And it wasn’t some gnarly quad or something that Canard and Weimer decided to try; Jake made a mistake in a rhythm section and they both paid for it.
Afterwards the great Kevin Windham decided to share his thoughts on rider safety in a passionate post on Instagram, and I reached out to KW to invite him on the PulpMX Show to share his thoughts. Upon seeing KW post that he was coming on the show, Jeff Emig contacted me and wanted to come on to talk; then Ryan Hughes reached out and Sean Hilbert, the president of Cobra Motorcycles, also called to see if he could get in on the talk. So, for almost two hours this past Monday night, myself and co-hosts Tony Berluti and Jason Thomas were joined by these ex-riders and Hilbert, and had some intelligent real talk about where our sport is headed.
None of us had any real answers because it’s a massive undertaking from many levels, but the number of people who reached out to me, the number of listeners, and the number of phone calls we had indicate that Windham is not alone in thinking that we’re seeing more and more deaths or serious accidents in our sport. Emig thinks the jump from an 80 to a 250F is too much, Windham wants to see more information gathered in these fatalities to see if we can find a common link, Hilbert thinks the OEMs need to get together on bike displacements, and I believe it starts with pro racing and so on. We all have different ideas—none of them an absolute solution to be sure—but it was great to see so many people decide to talk.
There’s no doubt that Feld Motor Sports, MX Sports, the AMA, the FIM, the OEMs, and every track promoter out there want the sport to be safer, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone actually looking at the sport, the bikes themselves, or safety equipment as a whole to see what, if anything, we can do different. I hope that changes in the future and we can see the powers-that-be all get on the same page and at least start the conversation on how we can be safer racing dirt bikes. Whatever happens, I can vouch for the fact that some people really care about this sport. I heard that loud and clear this past Monday.
Click HERE to listen to the show (the safety part starts around an hour in) or get it on iTunes, Stitcher, or the Pulpmx App.
PULPMX LINKS (Matthes)
Privateer hero Adam Enticknap had never heard of the 1980s MX classic Winners Take All movie. So we made him watch it, he had some questions, and JT was more than happy to answer them HERE.
David Vuillemin offers up his take on the Detroit SX HERE.
Weege talks about safety in the sport, and JT talks about Chad Reed in this Fly Racing Moto:60 Show HERE.
Our man Moser did some real, actual text journalism this week on Pulp and contacted the owner of Slater Skins to talk about the future of advertising on a dirt bike HERE.
HEY, WATCH IT!
Keep an eye on RacerTV.com this weekend for the first live broadcast of the Australian Nationals—this one came together late so fingers crossed that it all works out. And since the race at Horsham in Victoria starts at 10:40 a.m. local time on Sunday, which means 7:40 p.m. Saturday night here, you can keep it on your computer while watching the St. Louis Supercross on Fox Sports 1! Check out our mate Alex Goberts’ series preview right here.
Honda has spent decades building a winning rep for both two and four wheeled products for a long time, but we rarely see the brand tie their motocross success into its car advertising. That's what makes this new Honda Dream Garage ad pretty special. It's a commercial for a Honda Civic, but they show the CRF450R more than the car! "Honda, the only brand to win both the Indy 500 and a Supercross Racing Championship." Pretty cool exposure for the sport. We also like the viewer comment below:
"Makes me want the motorcross [sic] instead. Mix messages."
Glen Helen Raceway is making some upgrades for the upcoming 2015 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and the USGP. Tom White takes you on a video tour right here.
MX Geoff forwarded us this gem, which we had somehow never seen before: the 1967 Hopetown Classic, with the legendary Jim McKay of ABC's Wide World of Sports doing the TV coverage, and Bruce Brown of On Any Sunday fame doing the talking over it about American motocross in its infancy. It's an astonishing snapshot of the way we were. It's pre-pro motocross in America, pre-banners, pre-performance, pre-jumps, pre-everything! It's worth thirty-eight of your minutes this weekend.
And speaking of MX Geoff, he and his son Joeri is now helping out with http://britishmx.com, which was spun off www.mxlarge.com. That makes three generations of Meyer men in the motorsports media business: Geoff's father worked in IndyCar and NASCAR, with the likes of Richard Petty and AJ Foyt. Good luck to Joeri, see you at the races!
Ricky Carmichael and Fox Brigade rider Austin Forkner recently took a road trip to La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica.
THINGS YOU COULDN’T GET AWAY WITH TODAY
RANDOM NOTES
Heading to St. Louis for the thirteenth round of Monster Energy Supercross this weekend? Stop by the Racer X booth—located in the Party in the Pits—to pick up a free copy of Racer X Illustrated. You can also sign up or renew for just $20 (60 percent off the cover price) to get a one-year subscription, a FREE pair of Racer X socks, and an extra issue!
Scott, Boyesen, and Evan’s Cooling are sponsoring the St. Louis round of Racer X MotoDynasty Fantasy Supercross and will be giving out prizes to the winners of the 250 and 450 classes. Click HERE for a chance to win.
Check out the trophy awarded to overall winners at this weekend's FMF Steele Creek GNCC in Morganton, NC. You can catch coverage on RacerTV.com starting at 1pm ET on both Saturday and Sunday.
In all of the discussion going on right now with safety, our longtime friend and contributor Michael "FTE" Stusiak posted this helpful link for an app called Concussion Coach, Check it out.
For more from Canada, check out DMX Frid'Eh Update #12
Today marks 50 Days until the 2015 Pro Motocross season opener at the GoPro Hangtown Motocross Classic. Get your tickets at http://www.promotocross.com/mx/tickets
Thanks for reading Racerhead, see you at the races.
