Chris, 

You don't have to worry about KTM's fiscal well being. The only thing growing faster than Ryan Dungey's bank account is KTM's market share. Aside from that, most factory teams take out insurance policies against their top rider's race wins and championships. Ryan would have been a relatively good value this year too, because he hadn't won a supercross title in a while, and even his race-win record has been a little softer than some other riders the past few years. All that means is that KTM has to pay less out of pocket before Lloyd's of London (or whoever they have a policy through) starts shelling out the cash. If you want to feel bad for somebody, feel bad for them. Ryan has had a very good year, and he's showing no signs of slowing down. I wish I were on his Christmas list.

PING

Hey Ping. 

After recently watching Doug Henry's huge crash at Budds creek in 95' it got me wondering: Would any of the current top riders on the latest factory bikes have been able to ride away from that mishap? The stuff the guys are doing these days is obviously a testament to how far suspension technology has come in 20yrs. 

regards Paul

P.S. I have recently taken up golf after retirement from racing and it has filled the void left from racing and the bonus being that after a weekend of golf you can walk pain free on monday... 

Paul,

Suspension technology has improved since then, but I don't think it will ever progress to the point where it would keep someone safe in a crash like that. The video doesn't do the crash justice. If you stand on that hill and see how high it is and how far down the hill he jumped, you'll realize how severe the impact was. He basically jumped off an eight-story building and landed in mud. If Doug was somehow able to keep his butt from hitting the seat, he would have shattered ankles, legs, wrists—something had to give. If anything, a modern bike would have sent him even further off that jump if he got whiskey throttle on a factory 450. Anybody who got to see Doug Henry race witnessed a legend in the sport. Doug was all heart and determination on the track, and it was fun to watch.

I know a lot of guys who use golf to fill the void of racing. If it works for you, that's great. I still need a little more speed than walking from my cart to the tee box and back. And since they don't let you jump the carts, I think I'll keep riding, mountain biking, surfing, skiing, etc. 

PING

Hey Ping,

I am sure you're sick of all the suck ups, but really thank you for your column every Friday. It is the best way to start my day at work. Anyway, a buddy of mine showed me this nano tech/ Hydrophobic or Superhydrophopic coating spray to waterproof his phone. Me, always thinking of motocross, thought:"why not spray this on the goggles, jersey, bike, basically everything out there in the mud?" I thought I would wait to ask this after Budds Creek,to see if anyone else had my idea... But, all I saw were muddy bikes, jerseys, and Weigandt and Langston (myself included) struggling to tell all these guys apart. Thanks to Dungey for making it easier without his front fender.Have any teams thought of using this stuff? and if they haven't, why not? I have attached some videos, so you know exactly what I was talking about. 

Thanks again, David

Joe Hayes