Sparkplug 20

It's the Motocross Des Nations weekend, so the first thing I want to do is say “Go U.S.A.!” However, this week's Sparkplug is not about the most important single day race of the year; I will let others tackle that assignment for now. This week I want to revisit an idea I have mentioned before on this site: how to improve the outdoor Nationals.

In particular, I want to propose, again, a total revamping of the way the series works, just for the heck of it. Some may say “if it ain't broke, don't go trying to fix it”, but I'm of the opinion that it's safe to muse about seemingly ridiculous ideas... sometimes they turn out to be sheer genius.

Do any of you remember High School Motocross? (Steve Bauer remembers here!) I remember back in the late '70s while I still lived on the East Coast, one of the many things that made me jealous of California was the fact that some of their public high schools had actual motocross teams, and they actually held a championship race at the L.A. Coliseum! To an Atlantic Coast racer the concept was mind-boggling back in the day; even now, it seems too surreal to be true. What ever happened to those teams? I'm pretty sure that our modern, litigious society and the correspondingly high insurance rates had something to do with demise of this extra-curricular activity, but the truth is I don't know for sure. But wouldn't it be cool if we could get it to happen again? And in more high schools around the country?

Here's the thing I fantasize about (when I'm not daydreaming about playing footsie at dinner with LeeAnn Tweeden): amateur motocross competition fashioned after amateur football competition in this country. Imagine high school motocross leagues featuring Saturday afternoon, multi-school race meets; city and state high school motocross champions; college motocross scholarships and college motocross leagues racing on Friday nights, all feeding the big show: a Professional Motocross Racing League that holds weekly regional team races on Sunday afternoons from Spring to late Summer, with a big, Fall playoff series and a final, championship race in October. How awesome would that be?

I'm talking about a significant, exponential increase in the amount of PARTICIPATION in our sport, while everyone else with ideas for improving the Nationals seems to be concerned primarily with increasing spectator attendance. Which approach do you think the manufacturers will most likely support? The one that holds the highest potential for improving their revenues, of course.

I also realize that this dream of mine is far from reality. There are many obstacles, some financial, some political, some institutional that stand in the way. But the one challenge that we cannot afford to hinder us is our own ability to DREAM BIG. Ridicule my idea if you like, but you have to admit that it is a bigger vision than any that have been recently floated by the powers-that-be. Some people don't want to see motocross get any bigger; I think they are constrained by poor insight. I think they can only see our current headaches increasing in size along with the sport. But I believe that exponential growth in PARTICIPATION will help to mitigate many of the problems we face, problems like track closures and shrinking, overcrowded riding areas. There's strength in numbers, folks! If more taxpaying, wage-earning voters are riding dirtbikes, there will be more reasons for the politicians to work in our favor, and more market incentive to open more tracks. Legitimizing motocross competition as an amateur athletic endeavor to be pursued in conjunction with academic achievement will also go a long way towards reducing public antagonism towards the sport.

I may have forgot to mention that the minimum age for a professional racer in the Professional Racing League would be 18, and that some college course work would be mandatory as well, unless “hardship” could be proven for those rare cases. Why? To give these kids a better shot at a longer, more fulfilling career. It is pretty clear that while a young man or woman may be physically capable of racing at a professional level, two more years makes a big difference in their ability to make mature adult decisions, both on and off the race track. This year's Josh Grant/Josh Hansen/Mike Alessi antics are just some of the stories that give weight to my assertion.

There's a lot more to this idea of mine, and I will not be surprised to see some version of it implemented before I'm gone. Actually, I take that back... it would surprise the heck out of me! But that's what Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals are all about.

And in closing, I would just like to say... “Go U.S.A.!!!!”

Where is Sparkplug 20?

Sorry, it's not ready yet. Don't kill me. Instead, visit Wonder Warthog's site to see what the privateer champions are up to...

Sparkplug will go up later today. For now, gotta go make that cheddar...

Looks Like AMA Arenacross is in Good Hands

Here's a press release announcing that the new AMA National Arenacross series has hired High Profile PR (HPPR) to manage their public relations campaign for the 2005 - 2006 season.

HPPR is owned by Pat Schutte, a tireless fan of MX and a proven PR specialist. This is probably one of the best decisions the AMA has made in recent weeks. Good job, Pat!

Lord Alfred Returns From The Dead!

Jason "Blogandt" has an eccentric rich uncle, Lord Alfred Weigandt who is quite the motocross fan... although he clearly holds tremendous disdain for American racers. He's put his thoughts about the upcoming Motocross Des Nations together for this article at Racer X Online. Cheers!

Anti-fourstroke diatribe!

I gotta give props to Lee over at On The Pipe Racing for his funny-as-hell take on all those damn thumpers! Give 'em hell, Lee!

Sparkplug 19

Well, the American motocross and supercross championships are now finally over, and it's time for me to pay my respects to the greatest motocross racer this country has ever seen. If you are in any way allergic to heaping amounts of praise for Rick Carmichael, then this is one Sparkplug you would be well advised to avoid.

RC. Two letters that stand for motocross, much the same way as “MC” used to stand for supercross. What Rick Carmichael has accomplished in his short professional career is nothing short of completely remarkable, and mere words cannot accurately convey his utter dominance of this sport. I will let other writers and publications list all of his wins, championships, titles and records (In fact, check out what Davey Coombs wrote about him in last week's Racerhead column on Racer X Online)... I am just going to focus on the man. I will also let other writers and publications dig up his supposed shortcomings; I have no interest in that. Regardless of what they say, it is abundantly clear to even the casual motocross fan that Rick Carmichael is the greatest American racer of all time.

And what's really, really cool about this fact is that you don't have to rely on a record book or an old video tape to prove this point. All you have to do is go to a race and watch him put it down, lap after lap. He is sheer perfection on a motorcycle, and he has the proven capacity to handle any track, any condition, any component and any unforeseen eventuality. It is unreal, but it is actually real. The kid is mind-boggling.

I saw him at Glen Helen last weekend. There was a wicked downhill double that preceded the infamous “Flounder” straightaway. It was the type of double that shoots you straight up in the air, and the second jump had a steep, unforgiving face. Finally, the backside of the double led immediately into a tight lefthand turn. Basically, there was no room for error on this jump and it spooked a good number of the very fast pros on hand for this race. Of course, Carmichael had the jump wired and hit it in the same spot on every lap. On the first moto's white flag lap, he casually whipped his bike so flat that it would have placed him third in the X Games Big Air event. NO ONE ELSE had the balls to try it, nor had they earned the right to do so.

That was just one of many, many times that I have been flabbergasted by what the man can do on a motocross track. What I am trying to say is that he, more than any other American rider, embodies the sport itself. For not only is he the winningest rider ever, he has grown up to become the greatest ambassador of the sport to date, even eclipsing the great Jeremy McGrath. He has an untarnished reputation for having a good work ethic, for practicing good sportsmanship and for being open, honest and forthright. He is truly a good role model for your kids, a position that many of today's professional athletes have sadly relinquished. And it's easy to tell where RC got these wonderful traits: I have had the good fortune to meet his parents, and they are genuinely nice people whose love for the sport of motocross is only eclipsed by the love they have for their son.

I went back into my collection of old Racer X magazines and pulled out the May 2001 issue. Savvy motocross fans will remember that 2001 was the year that RC finally pulled the plug on Jeremy McGrath's string of supercross titles. In the magazine, Davey Coombs pulls double duty, penning an interview with Carmichael and also writing a short story about “that moment” at Anaheim 2 when the guard formally changed. It was during the opening ceremonies, during the “hot lap”, when Rick pulled up alongside the King and whipped his KX hard over the triple, blowing everyone's minds.... including McGrath. A poster of this later became a semi-famous advertisement. According to the story, David Bailey, announcing for ESPN at the time, said “I think Ricky just won this race.”

That seems so long ago, but it was only 4 short years ago. Back then, while RC's outdoor dominance was well established, it wasn't quite clear whether he was going to be the supercross superstar as well. By the end of that season, clarity was no longer a problem. RC owned supercross as well.

And then, during those 4 years, Carmichael somehow managed to redefine “dominance” with regards to outdoor motocross, by doing the unthinkable TWICE. The fact that he's still undefeated outdoors after that win by Windham back in '02? What more proof do you need?

Soon, RC will lead Team America in the Motocross des Nations, and all of us can rest assured that no matter what happens that day in France, Mr. Carmichael will proudly represent American motocross in a way that will make other nationalities feel good about Americans, even as he pummels their favorite riders mercilessly lap after lap.

Rick Carmichael, congratulations on your new 450F Championship and a heck of a year.

"Sorry if they upset you, but they’re our names - get over it!"

That quote is from AMA Pro Racing's Steve Whitelock. There's more of that at Racer X Online.

Another nail in the old-fashioned sanctioning body's coffin, if you ask me.

You Owe Us An Apology, Mike Alessi

Dude, this goes beyond the standard “What were you THINKING/SMOKING/DRINKING?” exclamation. By now, everyone has seen the video, and if not, they will when it’s finally aired on OLN. You were cold busted, Mike. Ain’t nothing left for you to say but “I’m sorry.”

Mike, you had a great season going! Your very first full professional series, and you were second in the points with an actual shot at the title in the final moto! It was an awesome year for you and it surely changed some peoples’ minds about you. And then you went and burned it all up in just a few seconds of stupidity. You owe the entire motocross world an apology for your actions on Sunday.

Hey man, it’s great that you have the eye of the tiger and all that, but you seem to have forgotten that honor and respect are important parts of motocross. Any honor and respect you had gained this year have been completely wiped out. Did you honestly think that tackling Tedesco in front of the scoring tower and grandstands would win you more friends? Did you seriously think that winning the title with such a move would actually count for anything? Did someone brainwash you into thinking that blatant cheating is an accepted tactic in motocross? Mike, when are you going to grow up?

If you care to peruse my archives, you’ll see, Mike, that I picked YOU as the favorite to win the 250F class this year. And you came mighty close, and for that you should be proud. Now, you have absolutely nothing to be proud of. Sure, you won a National and a few motos… too bad none of that counts anymore. Didn’t you learn anything from the Kobe Bryant story? Kobe had built his career not just on his stellar basketball playing, but also through his carefully cultivated good guy persona. That all went to shit when the real Kobe got his freak on in Colorado… and got cold busted, just like you. Now, you have to start with an apology to everyone, and hopefully, we’ll forgive you and move on.

Who is this? None other than Tony Alessi, watching his boys study the gate before they pick their spots for the first Motocross Lites moto. There's no way to tell from this shot what Alessi shenanigans are going to happen in just a few hours... 

Here's Kevin Windham's Factory Connection Honda CRF450R, wearing Sebastian Tortelli's number for some reason. Actually, #103 is Kevin's MXdN number, but Tortelli ran his number anyway, the only difference between the two being Kevin's yellow backgrounds. I love the way the AMA bends the rules when they want to. In this shot, Kdub's wrench is about to do a last minute silencer change. Now, I wonder if they sound-tested both silencers, or did Factory Connection pull a fast one in the pits? 

"Let Broc Bye" Here's a shot of former multi-time national champion Broc Glover, now hard at work for Dunlop tires. What's he doing? He's using his cell phone camera to take pics of the Dunlop logo on Tedesco's bike. Why? YOU ask him... 

I couldn't resist this shot of Yamaha of Troy team members Kelly Smith and Bret Metcalfe. I think their gear looks awesome. But man, were they ever outclassed on the track by the might Monster/Pro Circuit team! YOT was never in contention this year, indoors or out. 

Here's Ivan "Tabasco" Tedesco's race bike, outfitted in special Motocross des Nations colors. I guess that ends the speculation on which bike he'll use. This is the last time he'll ride a Kawasaki in 2005. These Monster/Pro Circuit bikes were the prettiest of all this year. Check out the trick Pro Circuit kick starter. 

New Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki hotshot Ryan Villapoto calmly waits to line up for the first moto at the Glen Helen season finale. This kid is gonna be a star! 

Glen Helen 2005: You Shoulda Been There.

Yeah, I was at Glen Helen for the final round of the AMA Outdoor National Motocross Championships, and it was a great day of racing. I will report on the 450F class later, because Sunday's biggest deal by far was the suspenseful 250F (ahem, the AMA Motocross Lites) class, and the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team had the hottest hand of all. With Ivan Tedesco enjoying the comfort of a 35 point lead over KTM's Mike Alessi in the championship standings, it looked like a sure bet that Mitch Payton would be adding yet another number 1 plate to his team's transporter. It only took half a lap of the first moto for that “sure bet” to disappear.

Tedesco was hit by Team Makita Suzuk's Broc Hepler in the back section whoops. Tedesco went over the bars and his chain derailed. He was able to put it back on, but it put him about a minute behind the next-to-last rider. Ivan put on a charge, but was unable to finish in the points. Meanwhile, Alessi finished second to Grant Langston in what looked like a replay of their titanic duel at Hangtown, but Langston was assessed a 5 second penalty for cutting the track, so Alessi got credit for the win... and 25 points. Tedesco's points lead was cut to ten. The stage was set for the second moto, the last race of the year.

At the start of moto 2, Tedesco's teammate Ryan Villapoto got the holeshot, followed by Jeff Alessi, of all people. Close behind was Tedesco, Mike Alessi and Andrew Short. Chaos again ensued on the first lap. Here's how Ivan described it at the post-race press conference: “I was in third, I believe. And going down that mud straightaway, that's what I call it, I don't know what they call it, that long straightaway into a right-hander, I was kind of in the middle, I think he went inside and starting clicking gears and never shut off and just aimed for me. Took us both down; I'm pretty sore from that. When I was trying to get up he was actually standing on top of my bike, you know, trying to keep me from getting my bike up. Trying to push me down and stuff. You know, it took every ounce of everything to try not to just hit that kid, uppercut his helmet. But I knew I didn't want to get disqualified or anything, I knew the points, so I had to hold back. Finally Walker came over and kind of helped me out. I got my bike up, got going and just kind of... not rode around but my bike was pretty beat up and I was beat up so I just cruised into twelfth and pulled off the championship.”

Meanwhile up front, young Villapoto looked as if he was going to take his first National moto win, until his teammate Langston passed him for the win and the overall. Villapoto, in only his third National, took second and second overall... his first podium finish. A remarkable performance for the 17-year-old.

I went to the Monster/Pro Circuit pits after the press conference just to get a feel for the vibe there. I was expecting a jubilant celebration, but instead it was a quiet, almost reverential atmosphere. I watched Team Suzuki chief Roger DeCoster come over to congratulate Pro Circuit owner/manager Mitch Payton, and it made me think about how far Payton and his company have come. I was wondering how Payton felt about getting kudos from a legend like DeCoster. I wonder if Mitch Payton realizes that he has become a legend in his own right. The side doors of the Monster/Pro Circuit transporter were open, and on those doors are a series of championship number plates for all of the many championships the team has won. This year, 2005, Mitch's team has absolutely dominated 250F (er, AMA Motocross/Supercross Lites) racing, winning every title available. And when you think about how many weekend warriors use Pro Circuit pipes and equipment, you understand the tremendous contribution this company has made to the sport of motocross in America.

While I was hanging out, pretty much by myself... no one really knows me in the pits... Ivan emerged from the transporter with a beer in his hand. He raised a toast to Mitch and they shared some words. I wasn't close enough to hear, and it was a private affair anyway. Then Mitch reached up and hugged Ivan. They talked some more and Mitch hugged him again. Call me a softy, but I was nearly moved to tears. These guys worked long and hard for this title; they earned it and now they'll go their separate ways, Tedesco to Team Suzuki while Payton will tackle another year of proving that his company is the best hop-up company in the sport, and that his team is the winningest non-factory team ever.

(For a full race report, check out what Steve Bruhn posted over at Racer X Online.)

They're Kidding, Right?

Here it is, the end of summer, and we get this April Fool's Day Joke from the AMA. The link takes you to a press release on Racer X Online, in which the AMA announces new names for the 125 and 250 classes.

Brace yourself.

The 125/250F class will be known, in AMA Supercross, as "AMA Supercross Lite."

The 250/450F class will be called, in AMA Supercross, "AMA Supercross."

The "naming convention", as they wistfully refer to it, will be echoed in motocross. "AMA Motocross" and "AMA Motocross Lite."

They couldn't even spell it correctly? And really, what's "Lite" about a modern 250 fourstroke? They're only a few pounds "liter" (see, that doesn't work at all!) than the 450s.

The kicker, though, are the quotes from AMA officials. Check this foolishness out...

“When I heard the new names I knew we had nailed it,” said Steve Whitelock, AMA Pro Racing SX/MX Series Manager. “The names perfectly communicate the two classes, remove the displacement confusion and fit within each overall championship. I couldn’t be happier and I’m looking forward to rolling them out with the 2006 racing season.”

AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth took the foolishness even further: "This direction accomplishes several objectives in terms of clarifying the classes, defining the hierarchy between the support and premier class and building on the inherent equity and awareness of the AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross brands." (emphasis mine)

Oh. So now it's a branding issue. Dang, I should have known.

One question, guys: how will these new class names translate to the amateur classes?

Sparkplug 18

I call this week's Sparkplug “A Tale of Two Racetracks” because I want to compare and contrast two famous motorsports facilities and the way they do business. One of the tracks is Glen Helen Raceway, host of this weekend's National motocross finale. The other track is NASCAR's California Speedway, which hosted a big Nextel Cup race just last weekend over the Labor Day holiday. Ironically, these facilities are within 50 miles of each other here in Southern California, so they both service the same large population center.

Clearly, comparing NASCAR to AMA Motocross is like comparing your favorite NFL team to your kid's high school squad. But I think the comparison is important because it gives us motocross fans a good idea of how big our sport could be if it were managed competently.

Let's look at the bottom line first: attendance. Last weekend, about 90,000 people attended the Nextel Cup event at the California Speedway. According to a cover story in last week's Fortune magazine, the average ticket price for a NASCAR event is $88. Doing the math, that equates to nearly $8 million at the box office. Last year's Glen Helen national drew a crowd of around 24,000 (just guessing here) and the average ticket price could not be higher than $30, but for the sake of argument, let's say it was $40. That comes out to a little less than $1 million. Big difference.

Of course, ticket sales are not the only means for generating revenue. NASCAR track owners get a split of the TV money. FOX, NBC and TNT currently pay the organization $543 million a year for the privilege of airing the stock car races. Of that, the track owners get $318 million. Let's look at those last two sentences again... three major media outlets are PAYING the sanctioning body more than a half a billion dollars A YEAR. Do you think their broadcasts ever get pre-empted? Compare that to what will pass for television coverage this weekend at Glen Helen. The Outdoor Life network (OLN) is great, but they are in no position to either pay or demand to be paid good money for airing our races. This particular point is so painful I'll just leave it at that.

With regards to sponsorship, NASCAR tracks are splitting some $94 million a year in sponsor fees. Divided by the 36 events, and that's only $2.6 million per event. Could this possibly be an area where Glen Helen can compete? Get real; AMA Pro Racing would probably sell title sponsorship of the entire National series for not much more than that.

Well then, how about the golden calf called Merchandising? In NASCAR, the tracks sell and profit from merchandise, the teams sell and profit from merchandise and the sanctioning body gets a cut from both. Win, win, win, baby! A total of some $320 million is divided among the parties. Back on the motocross side of the fence, AMA Pro Racing prohibits teams from selling merchandise at the races. There is a vendor's row, and businesses can sell all the stuff they want, just as long as the track and AMA Pro Racing get their cut. The teams are left out in the cold. And how much are they making? Sorry, I do not have that information, but I think it's safe to assume that it's much, much less than $320 million a year.

But it's not just about the cold hard cash, right? What about the sport itself? What about the racing experience for the fans? Well actually, this is the area where the California Speedway REALLY kicks Glen Helen's ass. The facility is built to handle over 100,000 fans in comfort, with bleacher seating, paved and lighted parking lots, real bathroom facilities, luxury suites for those with extra cash, state-of-the-art sound systems, comfortable press facilities with high-speed internet access, hardwired broadcast facilities, kitchens, garages, showers ... you name it, they've got it. Meanwhile, down the arroyo over by the penitentiary, Glen Helen DOES have some flushing toilets... only there's no roof over those toilets for some reason. Parking? Forget about it. Comfort? Are you kidding? Sound system? Only if you brought it yourself. Seriously, Glen Helen has a P.A. system... it's just not very good. Truthfully, the racetrack itself is Glen Helen's ace in the hole. It's a World Class circuit. Too bad it's surrounded by Third World accommodations.

I'm not going to beat this horse any further; I think my point was made. But here's the deal: last week at Steel City, I was able to watch the motos in air-conditioned comfort because the track owners had the foresight to build a few VIP viewing suites next to their announcer's tower. It also helped that the track was laid out in a manner that offered excellent viewing from almost anywhere in the park. This type of facility should be the bare minimum for a National motocross race, not the gold standard.

Ultimately what I would like is to be able to view a track with the characteristics of Glen Helen, but in the comfort of a facility like the California Speedway. It can be done; so who's going to be the first? I believe what they said in that movie is true: “If you build it, they will come.” Someday soon, someone will build our sport’s “Field of Dreams”… and I will go to every race they hold!

Missed Opportunity: Last Saturday at Steel City, Mike Brown's mechanic is shown here wearing the "old" version of the official MXdN t-shirt. I'm surprised he wasn't fined by the AMA for being "out of uniform" (maybe he was) In any case, Brown answered Sunday's first moto call in intimidating black gear, on a Honda that sounded strong, but he blew his chance to send a message to the AMA by failing to finish in the top ten. A weak motor can no longer be an excuse for Brown, since he's running his own team and has had ample time to resolve the matter. 

Steel City Notes

I was able to attend the penultimate round of the 2005 National Championship at Steel City, thanks to my friend Davey Coombs of Racer X Illustrated. It was a fantastic weekend, and I met so many great, great people that my head is still spinning. I'm so stoked that I'm not even mad that United Airlines lost my luggage on the way back...! But enough about that, here's some impressions that I picked up over the weekend... and if you want a full race report, check out Racer X's report by Jason Weigandt here.

1. Mike Alessi is a holeshot machine. And he's quite the gamester in practice, cutting the track and not really playing his full hand. When the first moto came around, he finally displayed the speed he was capable of... and it was very fast!

2. Newbie Ryan Villapoto rode more like a seasoned vet in what was his second pro racer ever! Fast, fearless kid.

3. Broc Hepler was a man on fire, "Iceman" nickname notwithstanding. He struggled the tiniest bit with traffic, but once he got into the lead, he was uncatchable.

4. All of the Monster/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team looked strong, although soon-to-be National Champion Ivan Tedesco, fast as he was, could not top the pace of Hepler and Alessi.

5. Davi Milsaps rode an inspired second moto, making the last few laps extremely exciting as he pressured Villapoto, Short and Tedesco.

6. Rick Carmichael was simply a joy to watch, even though we've all seen this story before. He did fall on the last lap of moto one, but he got up quickly and didn't even stall his Suzuki. Of course, his lead was never in jeopardy.

7. For a moment it looked as if Ryan Hughes would take third in the first 450 moto, but it just didn't happen.

8. Kdub had a masterful first moto, charging from next-to-last to second. It made everyone wonder "what if?" had he gotten a better start...

9. Sean Hamblin "looked" fast on his 250 Kawasaki, but he was never in contention for much of anything.

10. After the race, Carmichael gave an impressive podium speech, urging folks to pull together to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Then he donated his ultra-trick BBR-framed 110 mini to an auction for the hurricane relief effort! DC Shoes' boss Ken Block won the bidding for the bike, paying something like $16,000 for it! Good job!

Sparkplug 17

I hope that this is the only time I feel moved to write a Sparkplug about anything other than motocross. For even though I am currently preparing to head to Steel City to witness the amazing Rick Carmichael wrap up yet another championship, I am not feeling a lot of excitement for the sport I love right now. Right now, because of the tragic events that have unfolded in New Orleans, I am feeling a deep concern for the people I love, the citizens of America.

So I am taking this opportunity to appeal to all people to be positive. We have by now all seen the news footage and read the reports and have felt the deeply disturbing emotions that were dredged up by all that has happened. My appeal is simply this: it is time to stop pointing fingers, time to let go of blame and to embrace the fact that we’re all in this together, as Americans. Yes, there has been a lot of evil done. Yes, there has been a lot of grievous errors made. But all that counts now is that people are suffering, and we must do what we can to help.

Basically, it is “put up or shut up” time. Actually, it is “put us AND shut up” time. Until the hungry are fed, the ill cared for, the homeless sheltered and the hopeless given hope, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.

I gave blood on Tuesday and sent some clothes to Houston yesterday. I say that not to toot my own horn, but to simply say “I put up”. And now, on this subject, I will shut up.

I will end this piece, and this discussion, with the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. This quote is admittedly being taken out of its original context, but I think the meaning rings true for the situation we face today.

“We must use the weapon of love. We must have compassion and understanding for those who fear us. For though we stand in life at midnight, we are always on the threshold of a new dawn.”

You Say You Want A Revolution?

It looks like a few folks over at MotoNews have picked up on the concept of running the Nationals WITHOUT the AMA. Check out this thread, started by "MotoChic", who has some profound ideas of her own.

Here's another thought: it seems to me that the rider's agents are in a good position to lead the charge of putting together a consortium to take over motocross. What's holding them back? I'm sure some of the agents have developed a strong taste for that factory "butter" on their bread, but they have to see that the payday won't last forever. Who's going to step up to the plate?

Sebastian Tortelli Interview

How can you NOT like this French guy? Here's an interview and riding clip of the former World Champion getting some motos in at Glen Helen, courtesy of Transworld Motocross. In the clip, "Bashen Telly" talks about going to Europe next year to try to "beat Stefan" Everts. Good stuff.

And In This Corner: Mike Brown

Man, I thought this story was over, but I forgot that we hadn't heard both sides fully. Here's Mike Brown's open letter to the fans posted over at Racer X Online. Mike makes it very clear that he is not happy about the way things went down. Yowza.

In my mind, Mike was done wrong. Yes, he's struggling, but he was chosen. Yes, we want to send the best representatives, but Mike was already picked. At some point the AMA has to close the selection process and live with the decision. Apparently, that point is later in the year than we (the fans) knew about. And it looks like we aren't the only ones surprised by the change.

Sparkplug 16

Well this has been a rather stormy week in motocross, especially considering the fact that the National Championship series is taking another weekend off as it heads into the final two rounds. For this week's Sparkplug however, I am not going to address the Motocross Des Nations hoopla but instead focus on a hypothetical: what would happen to pro motocross if the factories got out of the game?

It's a sobering question, particularly when you consider the fact that the European and Japanese factories, for all intents and purposes, STARTED the American motocross championship series back in the 1970s. Edison Dye was the forward-thinking American motorcycle dealer who convinced some Euro grand prix stars to spend a few weeks in the Fall racing in America in the InterAm series, which later became the Trans AMA series. The factories were happy to be a part of it because they wanted to enter and nurture the nascent American dirt bike market. Races were won, heroes were made and legends were born.

Motocross blew up and the factories increased their participation, building large racing organizations which doubled as R & D labs and marketing machines. The factories continued racing through the '80s and '90s to this very day, ostensibly with the idea that racing sells. This may still be true, but does it mean that the factories still have to field racing teams? Can the Nationals survive if the factories limit their involvement to selling special parts to the so-called satellite teams and well-funded privateers? I believe they can, and I believe that this type of arrangement will be better for the sport, but it comes at a price.

It's fairly common knowledge that the Japanese factories have a lot of leverage with the AMA. I am not anti-AMA, nor anti-Japanese factory... there are a lot of very good people employed by both that have nothing but good intentions for our sport... but the end result is what really matters and there's no question that the status quo for outdoor motocross is pretty shaky right now. I am beginning to come to the conclusion that it might be better if the AMA get out of the business of motocross. Just let it go. The AMA has bigger fish to fry in protecting motorcyclist rights across the board than to worry about a sport that nearly no one wants to televise. And if motocross separates itself from the AMA, it will release itself from control by the Japanese factories.

I realize that this is heretical thinking. The fastest racers in the world, our very favorite riders, are currently employed by these factories and living quite large at that. The fastest of the fast and the richest of the rich, however, realize that they can make just as much money if not more WITHOUT a Japanese contract. But there has to be a series for them to race.

I'm talking total paradigm shift here. For as long as I've been a motocross fan, the “Holy Grail” for any racer able to fog a mirror has been the coveted “factory ride” (Don't believe me? Check out “Supercross: The Movie”. Er, on second thought, forget that!). It used to be that a factory rider got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride handmade prototype race bikes. They were called “works” bikes. Well, the AMA scratched all that anyway with the so-called “production” rule. But there is still plenty of perks for a “factory rider”, the biggest of which is that there's more money to go around, so they can afford the best mechanics and support staff and facilities. Yet there is nothing to keep a motivated satellite team owner from gathering enough sponsorship to rival the best factory effort in that regard. Well, there is the lack of media coverage... and whose fault is that? The AMA.

So going back to my original question: what would happen to pro motocross if the factories got out of the game? My answer is this: if it also means that the AMA gets out of motocross as well AND the sport gets picked up by someone with vision and a deep love for the sport, well... I believe motocross will become bigger than ever, and finally take it's place alongside other successful forms of motorsport, namely, NASCAR and Formula 1.

The companies that make the bikes do NOT have to control the series. The series should ultimately be under the care and supervision of people who have the sport's best interests at heart. Unless the only point of motocross is bike and equipment sales... and that's not true, right?

You Gotta Hear This: last nights DMXS radio show

I missed the show when it was live last night, but I caught the archived version and you can too. Here's a link to last night's DMXS radio show, which featured trainer extraordinaire Jeff Spencer, Sarah Voss on the Women's Motocross Foundation bowling fundraiser, and most entertainingly, Ryan Hughes, David Bailey and Roger DeCoster getting stuff off their chest.

David Bailey… wow! Talk about shooting straight from the hip. I’m not even gonna quote him… you have to listen for yourself. As a 5-time member of Team USA, he is quite qualified to voice his opinion about what’s happening this year, and I’ll tell you this… he ain't happy!

Ryno also got on and laid it on the line, about his switch to the 250, er, 450 class (which I TOLD him he should have done at the beginning of the season in my "Open Letter To Ryan Hughes" back in May!), about certain riders not earning their keep, etc.

But DeCoster really brought it all home. He made one thing very clear to me: they want to win the MXdN so bad that they feel like they’ll be in trouble if they don’t. And winning is the sole reason behind the replacement of Mike Brown by Ivan Tedesco, who, according to Roger, was already selected as the alternate back in July. I didn’t know that. In any case, Roger gives a great interview and you will be hurting yourself if you don’t go check it out.

Captain America Speaks

Wow, what a wild 24 hours it has been in the world of American motocross! After the fallout from the Brown announcement yesterday, the de facto captain of Team USA, Rick Carmichael, posted this open letter to his fans on Racer X Online. In the letter, Rick spells out that his friendship with Brown has never wavered, and he was as surprised by the tone of the Brown press release as anyone. Check it out.

Tedesco in for Brown; but what will he ride?

This press release just showed up on Racer X Online. Current 250F National points leader Ivan Tedesco will take Mike Brown's slot on Team USA.

I like Ivan, and I think he'll probably win the outdoor title and be a double champion this year. Going to the MXdN is a great thing for him, and I have faith that he'll do well. The only question now is what color bike will he ride? He has already announced that he'll switch to Suzuki for '06... but will he have time to prep an RM250F for the MXdN, or will Mitch Payton and Kawasaki support him with one of those rocket-fast Monster/Pro Circuit KX250Fs? Here's hoping he stays green for the time being.

My condolences go out to Mike Brown. They done you wrong, man.

Mike Brown Kicked Off MXdN Team; Unfair?

Oh man, this isn't good news. Here's a press release from Mike Brown's manager, posted over at Racer X Online. According to the copy, a joint decision reached by Rick Carmichael, Kevin Windham and the AMA's Steve Whitelock made after last Sunday's national at Broome-Tioga resulted in the removal of Mike Brown from Team USA. Read it and tell me what you think.

I think it's a shame, but not totally unreasonable. I'm on record for suggesting that the team be made up of the current points leaders at mid-season. Brown certainly qualified at the time, but as everyone knows, has been struggling to find the pace as of late. But is that reason enough to boot him off the team? Or are there other issues in play that the public will never hear of?

Supercross: The Movie - I almost walked out

I went to see “Supercross: The Movie” this afternoon. Why? Because I had to see it in order to give a credible critique of the film. Here it is.

First off, the title is a dead giveaway that zero creative brain cells were expended in the making of this “film”. It stands as a warning to all who seek cinematic entertainment or even a primer in the sport of supercross. That warning is “Stay Away. Nonsense Inside.”

The movie starts with a worthless title sequence that does nothing to introduce the plot or the characters, but does a lot to hype up supercross as it’s presented by Clear Channel. It also makes the viewer believe that the movie is actually about supercross. It’s not.

That may come as a surprise to you; it certainly surprised me. After all the hype and speculation, it turns out the movie is really about the “evil” factories versus the “righteous” privateers. Supercross barely figures into the movie at all, although they talk about it enough.

Why does a movie about supercross start off with guys riding in the desert? Why, in a movie supposedly about supercross, is the first race a SUPERMOTO race? Why, in a movie that calls itself “Supercross: The Movie”, spend so much time on outdoor tracks like Glen Helen and Piru MX?

Last month’s Racer X Illustrated featured one of the many articles about this movie, this one penned by David Pingree, who was also in the movie and received payment from the producers for his role. The article states that the producer of the film is a motocross fan. If that truly is the case, then he must be one of those guys call themselves fans but don’t really know anything about the sport. I say that because of the movie’s schizophrenic focus; it doesn’t know if it wants to cater to the diehards or to the newbies. Ultimately it doesn’t matter, because the film fails miserably at both.

I’m not really going to get into details, I’ll leave that to the other reviewers. But my “favorite” part of the film was a sequence where the brothers were watching a televised report featuring the factory’s obnoxious star. The older brother said something like “This is stupid, I’m outta here.” And that was my feeling exactly… I was ready to walk out on this movie. But I stuck it out until the end, the Vegas supercross finale, and left as soon as the credits started to roll.

My verdict? It sucks, but your kids (10 and under) will probably dig it. It’s every bit as cheesy as those “supercross jerseys” that CCE sells at every supercross.

Here's a cool pic of me with Racer X's Davey Coombs (far left) and the great David Bailey (middle, as if you didn't know) at the Glen Helen charity golf tournament way back in 2000. This day represented a turning point for me, as I went from just another fan to being on a first name basis with some of the stars of the sport. I won the online auction to be the golf cart driver for some other current racer (whose name I now forget!), but when I showed up at the tournament, the organizers asked me if I would have any problems with driving Mr. Bailey around!

So imagine this scene: it's too early in the morning, it's cold and overcast and David Bailey is looking pretty grumpy... and I show up. He didn't look too stoked when I met him (probably was hoping some hottie was going to chauffeur him around), but I had brought along some photos I took of him at the 1986 500 Nationals at his old home track of Lake Sugar Tree and we hit it off after that. By the end of the day, he was introducing me to the other riders! And yes, as you can imagine, David Bailey is my favorite motocross hero!
 

Sparkplug #15

The future of motocross media is today's topic. There are a lot of people that think motocross is in trouble with regards to media coverage, and on the face of things, there is a lot of evidence supporting that position. Here it is, early in the 21st Century, and our sport STILL does not rate live television (or even radio!) coverage by any of the traditional media outlets and channels. Mainstream newspapers ignore us unless the event happens in their backyards and even then we won't get front page, above the fold articles.

This neglect, however, opened the door for enterprising motocross enthusiasts to implement alternative means of reporting race results. First, I believe, was that old call-in 900 number, where for a fee fans could call and get the latest race results. That was pretty cool back in its day. But the internet enabled a mini-revolution of sorts when Cycle News started it's “Virtual Grandstand” feature, which was basically a writer furiously typing away at the races, posting up-to-the-lap reports directly to the Cycle News website.

Text reporting soon gave way to live webcasts, and every Sunday afternoon (or Saturday evening during supercross season) thousands of motocross fans can be found huddled around their warm computers listening to the likes of Jason Weigandt and Jim Holley as they broadcast the races like old-time radio sports announcers. I've listened many times, and each time I do, I'm struck by how silly it all seems: big screen TVs are turned off, 120 cable or satellite channels with nothing on, and we're forced to pretend it's 1940... WHERE IS OUR LIVE TV COVERAGE??

Technology-wise, we are standing on the verge of new day in communications. The convergence of cheaper, faster computers and cheaper, faster internet access is rapidly leading to an situation in which any Joe Blow can be a broadcaster. Actually, we are already there: look at the success of the wonderful DMXS (Dead Motocrossers' Society) radio show, hosted by David Izer and Kevin Kelley and friends. There's also Pit Pass radio and others that I'm not even aware of. Video versions of these shows have already been started, and soon, “Podcasted” versions will be available as well (in the “Podcasting” model, instead of having to sit at your computer to enjoy the show, you download the latest copy of the show to your portable media player and watch/listen to it wherever you want). But all of this is almost old news, and not quite what I'm getting at.

Imagine this: for this year's Outdoor National Finale at Glen Helen, you log into your favorite MX website and you're able to see live feeds from EVERY major team in the pits. Multiple cameras that YOU choose from, so you can see who's in the autograph line, what type of tires Goose is mounting on RC's Suzuki, even who's schmoozing in the VIP section. Multiple on-track cameras, each sponsored by various industry and outside-the-industry companies, provide a wide selection of views that YOU select at your whim. And finally, the race itself is webcast live and you can tap into that, too. If you're like me, you'll have a bunch of browser windows open at one time, with the race feed in one, the AMA lap timer in another, a shot of mechanic's row in a third, and a chat window open so I can talk trash with my friends (“you SUCK, BobbyM!!”). Wouldn't that be cool? Isn't that what we really want?

Face it, the old broadcast model is dead. The broadcast networks and cable channels have already sent our sport a very clear message: they don't care. They certainly don't value motocross enough to pay for it; we've been buying our own airtime for years... and they still wouldn't run us in real-time. The old media believed, and rightly so, that they couldn't make enough advertising dollars off of our relatively small audiences. Fine, I say, let's defect to the internet and build our own economic model. MotoGP is already there, and I'm not saying that their way is the right way, but we need to be bringing the sport home ourselves here in America. We WILL need the cooperation of the phone companies, since they control the big pipes to the internet; maybe therein lies the key to the new model?

All I really know is this: it's time for a change. (And you don't really suck, BobbyM!!)

Would You Like To Ride Millville?

Here's something very cool: an on-bike view of a lap at Millville, courtesy Ryan Clark and Racer X. Dang, he makes it look easy!

Sparkplug #14

My apologies to those who were patiently waiting for my next “Sparkplug” column; time away from home made it difficult to maintain the same writing rhythm. In any case, here's the latest, and this time I think it's time to say something positive.

It's so easy to bitch and moan about things that tick us off, a heckuva lot easier doing that than pitching in and helping to make things right. Fortunately, it's just as easy to praise as it is to criticize, and my time off has made me aware of the fact that I need to balance my writing by focusing on good things every once in a while.

The truth of the matter is this: 2005 has turned out to be an utterly fantastic year for motocross in America. The year has been full of surprises from the very beginning. In fact, the shockers started late in 2004, when Rick Carmichael announced his signing with Team Suzuki, and continued when Carmichael failed to beat Chad Reed at the U.S. Open. The following is my short list of the great moments in motocross so far this year:

1) Rain at A1 – oh man, there were so many stories that came as a result of Mother Nature's capriciousness in January! The hyped up Carmichael/Stewart showdown was postponed as the best supercross racers in the world had to contend with ankle-deep mud. Despite the deluge, 45,000 diehard fans stood on their feet in the rain for the entire 250 main, flabbergasted at the spectacle. It was one of the most exciting races ever run in Anaheim Stadium!

2) Supercross practice got deadly serious – maybe I just didn't notice before, but this year seems like the first year that the very top racers decided that “winning” timed practice was the best way to intimidate their competition. As a spectator, if you missed seeded practice, you missed half the battle.

3) The return of Grant Langston – say what you will about the Zulu Warrior (and I've said plenty!), he did a great job taking the 125 East title and giving the fans their money's worth.

4) The Last (two-stroke) Dragon – Brett Metcalfe deserves a special award from Yamaha for being willing to sacrifice his season by campaigning the outgunned YZ125 in the “250F” class. Even if he doesn't get compensated by his employer, Brett can take comfort in the fact that he put a lot of smiles on a lot of faces by wringing that lil' tiddler's neck on those Saturday nights.

5) Chad Reed got pissed – and put a stop to the Carmichael party in Rick's home state, taking both Daytona (!) AND Orlando. Reed stepped up big time, especially after he was soundly whipped by RC at San Diego and Atlanta.

6) James Stewart figured out 250 Supercross – by winning 3 of the last 5 rounds, James ended his rookie year in the premier class with a thunderous bang. This is a positive column, so I won't mention what happened at the series finale in Vegas...

7) Watching Rick race outdoors – On any track, on any day, under any conditions... watching RC do his thing will never get old. The man is a malevolent maestro on a motorcycle, bending that yellow thumper to his will, and beating his opposition mercilessly. On any racing Sunday, Rick Carmichael can be found channeling the spirit of Lance Armstrong, who believed that success in racing was all about pain... pushing oneself so hard for so long that your opponents have no choice but to give up. No one has beat Rick straight up yet. There's a good chance that no one ever will.

8) Mike Brown: Back in the U.S.A. - Brownie's ability to put his early '05 European soap opera behind him and put together a privateer campaign for the U.S. 250F title on a shoestring budget was a great accomplishment in itself. The fact that he not only got the Honda 250 its first AMA moto win and overall win and was even leading the championship points race for a time is nothing short of phenomenal.

9) DMXS Radio – Good God, is there anything better than this crazy show? David Izer, Kevin Kelly and the rest of their crew have created a program that is simultaneously funny, entertaining, ground-breaking, profane, spirited, informative and outrageous. Sitting on computer listening to them interview the top riders and people in motocross, while engaging their rabid fans in the chat room is one of life's greatest pleasures... or maybe I just don't get out enough?

10) The Great Outdoors – I could say Hangtown was great, since I was there (and the 250F finish was epic); or I could say High Point was awesome because of the two-moto battle between RC and Stewart. Or I could go on and on and on about ALL of the rounds run so far, but that would be just going too far. As I mentioned at the start, 2005 has been a great year for motocross, with record attendance, a new track in Colorado, a fantastic battle in the 250F class and more. I can't wait for Glen Helen.

11) Way to go, OLN – I have to admit that I have yet to catch any of the races on OLN, but that's nothing new for me; I rarely watch motocross racing on TV simply because I cannot justify the cost of cable for the very few things that I want to watch. But I am glad that motocross has found a new home at a channel that seems to believe in the sport, and I look forward to good things happening in the upcoming years. And the return of David Bailey to the announcer's booth is the icing on the cake!

12) Look out World, Team America is coming! It seemed sort of anticlimactic at the time, but you can believe that the announcement of the U.S. team for the Motocross des Nations... Rick Carmichael, Kevin Windham and Mike Brown... sent a shockwave through the rest of the world. Those guys across the pond aren't stupid: they know that Carmichael is the Man, and that Windham and Brownie can haul the mail, too. Only a catastrophe can stop the inevitable American win... and we don't believe in catastrophes anymore.

Oh, there's more to be happy about, a lot more. But I want to stop here on a really high note: we are going to beat the best in the world this fall, because WE ARE the best in the world!

The X Games STILL Suck

Yeah, I watched the Supermoto race today. In fact, I almost watched the entire X Games presentation this afternoon, meaning I sat through the Sk8 Big Air craziness and the BMX Vert Big Trick contest, while waiting for the big Supermoto show. Was I disappointed? Very.

First off, I was always skeptical about the foolishness of adding a mandatory "pit stop" to a short motorcycle race. I never got how that made Supermoto more "extreme". If the "pit stop" resulted in making this race an improvement over last year's race, someone please explain it to me. To me, it violated the entire spirit of the X Games. The X Games were always about wild 'n crazy guys doing wild 'n crazy things, and INDIVIDUALISM was key. The fact that most of the top X Games events are creative endeavors that are scored by subjective judging only underscores that point. Adding a mandatory "pit stop" to the Supermoto race meant adding a "team" aspect to what was before a solitary athletic pursuit. And to top it all off, it was goofy.

I mean, why change a tire that doesn't need changing? Why limit the crews to non-powered "hand" tools and production wheel mounts? What other X Games event has equipment rules and limits?

But the "pit stop" silliness was just one of the many very bad things that happened during this race. Here are more:

- What was the point of having the AMA involved? Just so the racers would get to run their AMA numbers? Maybe to "enforce" the rules? Since when do the X Games have rules and referees?

- The announcing was beyond terrible. What was the point of having some of the world's best supermotard racers in the field if the announcers never even introduce them or talk to them?

- Why have a field of 20 racers, for that matter? Ten would have been plenty. As it was, there were just enough lappers in the way at the end to make the finish more confusing than it needed to be.

- Why have timed qualifying (or "seeding" as they called it) and then start everyone on a supercross gate in the dirt, instead of in rows on the pavement as they would at any other supermoto race on the planet? That was the only "extreme" part of the race... extremely goofy, that is.

- The coverage was spotty, to say the least. They were covering the race live, and still ended up going to commercial break just as key passes were being made. Eh, that's TV, right? Whatever.

By the time the checkered flag flew, I had enough. I didn't stick around for the post race foolishness, although I did watch Doug Henry stop to give one of his crew members a ride for the victory lap. Henry is a class act, and it was great to see him get the gold.

I know a lot of people were stoked about this race, and I was truly looking forward to it. But it could have been so much better, if only the X Games producers had truly cared.

The X Games Suck

I'm sorry if I'm hurting any feelings here, but after watching Thursday night's live coverage of the "Motocross" Big Trick competition, this is simply my conclusion: The X Games Suck.

How else to explain why Twitch won gold over my man Travis Pastrana? Twitch threw a no-footer backflip to one hander; Pastrana threw down a saran wrap backflip to NO hander... how did that score less? And to top it off, Pastrana's first run was a failed backflip BARSPIN using a custom fork (unfortunately, the fork broke off; check out the press release at Racer X Online). I understand that the fiasco put Travis behind in points, but he was robbed on his second jump.

And how about that clown Carothers? Last year he was the X Games cinderella man, winning the gold by pulling off the body varial, or "Carolla" as he later named it. One year later, you'd think he would have practiced that trick until he could do it in his sleep... that's the way the top dogs in FMX roll. But no, Chuck rode as if he hadn't turned a wheel in practice since the last X Games, and his aborted attempt in his first run and his spectacular crash in his second confirmed this. WTF?

I haven't checked out the Games since Thursday, and I have to admit that I am plain JEALOUS that they're able to get prime time coverage for these "sports". I will probably check out the madness that they've turned Supermoto into... friggin' pitstops?... just because I like bikes. But I've come to disrespect the X Games.

Why Can't/Won't AMA Pro Racing Get A Sponsor For The Nationals, Part 2

Here is one of the more intelligent conversations to take place over at MotoNews, dealing the issue of sponsorship of Arenacross vs. Motocross. Apparently, Mike Kidd's new arenacross series has landed energy drink manufacturer BooKoo as a sponsor, before the first race has even been run! Meanwhile, for some reason AMA Pro Racing has YET to find a sponsor for an Outdoor National Championship series that is more than halfway over.

Some major players represent in the post, including Mike Kidd himself. This thread is why venues like MotoNews exist. Good stuff!

Godspeed, Marcad57, Whoever You Were...

I was just reading the Rick Carmichael interview over at Racer X Online, and in it RC mentioned something that stunned me. He said that a guy that called himself "Marcad57" on the MotoDrive board passed away from heat stroke and a heart attack.

Now, I didn't know Marcad personally, and since I've been out of town and surfing the 'net through my parent's AOL account, I have been basically locked out of MotoDrive for some reason, so this is all news to me. But I want to say one thing: Marcad was one of the valued members of the MotoDrive community. I'm sure we didn't always see things eye-to-eye, but he was a good person as far as I could tell. My prayers go out to his family. Marcad, enjoy your new digs!

Sparkplug #14: on travel delay

I'm back in my hometown of Washington, D.C. this weekend on a trip to visit the folks. As such, I'm behind in my writing, so please accept my apologies for not posting a Sparkplug on time today. Check back later this weekend!

Guess Who's Got A New Site?

It's a bit different from his old website; there's no fan interaction at all, no message board or chat functionality. But it's all good anyway... here it is:James Stewart Online.

Meet Your 2005 U.S.A. Motocross des Nations Team!

Here's a shot of the team, courtesy Racer X Online. Looks like they were able to talk Kevin Windham into going... bet that's an interesting story.

So we have one factory supported rider (Rick Carmichael), one semi-factory rider (Windham), and one full-on privateer (Mike Brown). This must the the first time in the history of our participation in this event that we're sending a privateer. So who's going to pay his expenses?

James Explains It All

Here's something you don't see everyday: a letter to the fans from James Stewart. I guess Kawasaki's PR machine finally started and this is their first attempt to curb some of the damage from last weekend.

It's a good start, James. Keep it up. Er, by that I mean keep telling your story directly to the fans. They'll come around eventually.

Sparkplug #13

Ah, the ol’ lucky thirteen. I considered skipping this number for about 45 seconds… but it’s only a weblog, what’s the worst that could happen?

Last week I touched on the lack of television coverage for motocross. This week, I want to get into a closely-related matter, sponsorship, and that sad fact that our beloved National Motocross championship does not have a title sponsor this year.

Okay, that’s not entirely true. The magnificent and beneficent Donny Emler of the Flying Machine Factory stepped up to the plate for the “presented by” sponsorship, and that’s a great thing. But a Chevy Trucks they are not. I suspect that FMF is only paying a small fraction of what Chevy used to pony up for the title sponsorship. And I also suspect that without that money, the AMA and AMA Pro Racing budget books aren’t looking too good. But that’s all speculation on my part.

However, you don’t have to be an AMA insider to know that the series is in dire need of a big money sponsor, if not to pay the bills than to lend much needed prestige and visibility to a sport that has lost both… in a big way.

So, how does one sell motocross anyway? I’m no sports marketing specialist, but I have a few ideas:

1) Stop comparing the sport to NASCAR. The stock car series has got a huge audience that it has successfully converted into cubic dollars via literally hundreds of major sponsorships. Motocross may have similar elements, but it will NEVER deliver that magnitude of viewership and attendance. Sell our sport on quality of the market, not quantity.

2) Stop acting like the ugly girl waiting for a date to the prom. We have a great sport with dynamic personalities, and our audience is made up of affluent family-oriented people. We are a great catch for the right company; we don’t need to sell out to the sponsors that have image problems (beer, alcohol, tobacco, military).

3) Foster competition. Makita is looking pretty smart right now, so why wouldn’t other hand tool companies (Milwaukee, Black & Decker, Craftsman) want to get a piece of the action as well? I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I have heard that the AMA favors exclusive sponsorships. If it is true, it should stop. There’s no way that we should limit paying sponsors (unless they have image problems; see above).

4) Play to our strengths. Motocross is cool; there aren’t too many sports that are cooler. Our audience has money and they like to spend it on cool stuff. People into cool tend to be trend setters and market influencers.

5) Think outside the box. Go after big sponsors that don’t traditionally sponsor motorsports… or at least don’t sponsor NASCAR already. Computer companies, consulting companies, electronics manufacturers, pharmaceuticals.

6) Finally, don’t expect them to go for the same old, same old. Develop unique, multi-faceted, multimedia sponsorship programs. Signage is not enough. Repeating the sponsor’s name over and over at events is not enough. Be aggressive and be creative, but get their name out there in new ways. Streaming video, celebrity testimonials, stunts, concerts, whatever. Make it big and make it FUN for the sponsor to be involved.

That’s all I’ve got for now. What do you think?

James Stewart Out For Thunder Valley

Get well soon, James. James Stewart Out For Thunder Valley

Best Description of the RC/JS Incident Ever

Andy Bowyer over at Racer X Online knocks one outta the park with his weekly One Industries Rev Up. Andy pens a thrilling description of what happened during the first moto at Unadilla. Just go read it!

Is James Okay? According To This: Yes

I was prompted to visit the Motocross Action website to read a silly story about a silly altercation between Chad Reed and up-and-comer Jason Lawrence, when I found this article about James Stewart. It appears that he's got a black eye as a result of the Unadilla crash, but he's cleared to race in Colorado this weekend. Interesting...

Unadilla Underdogs

Well it’s Tuesday, three days after the Unadilla National, and the internet motoworld is finally starting to calm down. Yes, much was said… TOO much, in fact, about the Carmichael/Stewart incident in the first moto. But not nearly enough was said about some of the other prime players who put in sterling performances at the storied track. Well, that’s about to change right now.

Broc Hepler – going 1-1 on the day, this was the Broc Hepler that started this outdoor season off with a resounding first moto win at Hangtown. Where’s he been? Check out his interview over at Racer X Online.

Kevin Windham – fought through a bad stomach illness to get second overall (he was certainly aided somewhat by James Stewart’s untimely DNF/DNS), and took over second place in the points.

Ivan Tedesco – his third place podium finish puts him within challenging distance of current points leader Mike Brown. Smart money USED to say that Langston was the Pro Circuit title contender… smart money may be changing it’s mind right about now.

Matt Walker – came out of hiding to score a top 5 finisher. “Sky” Walker might not be in the running for the title, but if he continues to improve there’s no reason he can’t finish the season in the top 5.

Michael Byrne – his 6th place was about as well as could be expected, and he did the two-stroke contingent proud. He might have been beaten by Ernesto Fonseca, but he held off Travis Preston in the second moto.

Throwing up some kind of sideways peace sign beside me is "Tha Kid P" (Paul Fleming) from MotoDrive. Paul, Leonard and I got in a few hot laps at Leonard's top secret testing facility yesterday. My arms are STILL pumped up. Oh yeah, I need to lose a few pounds, eh? 

Here I am (in the blue Thor gear) with "Big Lenny" (Leonard Chinault) from MotoDrive at his super-secret testing facility in south Los Angeles. Notice the railroad tracks; not sure if we were on the "wrong" side or not! Check out Lenny's pristine 2002 CR250... man, Honda needs to give him a job setting up bikes! 

Sparkplug #12

I woke up this morning wondering what subject I was going to tackle for this week’s Sparkplug. Earlier this week, I thought I would talk about the National Amateur Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn’s, since that wonderful event is about to get underway. But this morning, sometime between hitting the snooze button and drying off after the shower, it hit me that I have some thoughts about television coverage of motocross that I want to share.

Television is a very powerful communications medium, probably the most influential tool for reaching a mass audience ever devised. I’m not going to get into the psycho-biological aspects of sitting in front of a screen that’s flashing at a rate undetectable by the naked eye; suffice it to say that there’s a reason TV executives can charge millions of dollars for mere seconds of advertisement time. I will state the reason TV exists as it does: to generate a mass audience for advertisers. That reason is the SOLE reason why motocross has historically had a tough time getting on TV.

Motocross is a niche sport. Even if every American motocross fan that ever existed, dead or alive, were somehow able to watch the same program and get measured by those mysterious Nielsen ratings machines, our viewership numbers would still look puny in comparison to a weekday baseball/basketball/football game. That’s why the only way we can get motocross broadcast is by buying the airtime outright. And even then, it takes a very sympathetic broadcaster/cable channel to carve out the time to sell to us. We’ve all seen what happens then: our shows are likely to get “time-shifted” at will, in order to accommodate programs that have larger audiences.

So, what do we do? Do we figure out a way to make our sport more attractive to a larger audience? Or do we just face reality and deal with it? Here’s my suggestion: we need our own cable channel. A 24-hour channel DEDICATED to motocross. Not “motorcycles”. Not “off-road-style events”. Not “extreme sports”. Just motocross in all it’s forms: supercross, arenacross, freestyle and amateur events. How do we pull it off? Well, it has to be completely viewer funded. That’s right, it’s time for us to come out of our pockets again.

Look at it like this: how much would YOU pay for the complete Supercross “package”, live, non-stop coverage of every supercross event of the year? That’s 16 events, right? Would you pay the same as a good ticket at the event? That’s $30 to $45 per race, and it saves you the other ancillary costs of attending an event (parking fees, overpriced food and drinks, etc.) What if you could get a package deal for the whole year of racing, Supercross, outdoor Nationals and Arenacross… and they throw in LIVE coverage of Loretta Lynn’s to boot? What would THAT be worth to you?

Supercross has experimented with pay-per-view in the past. I think it’s still a viable idea. Just today, over at Racer X Online, a company called MediaZone is offering a clearance deal on some Extreme Sports PPVs. Pay-per-view is one way of dealing with it, but I really think a dedicated cable channel is the way for now. And with the rapid changes underway in Internet broadcasting, pretty soon we’ll be able to do it all online, cutting the cable companies out completely.

What do you think?

My Parents and Motocross

I got some feedback the other day from a guy called “bmf”. He left a link to his website, which is mostly about music, but it also has a few pages and photos chronicling his adventures in motocross. One of the stories is a moving tribute to his father, a great guy who did all he could to support his son's involvement in the sport.

That essay triggered some memories of my own parents, and I'd like to share them with you now.

Most of us know motocross as a family sport, a wonderful opportunity for parents to bond deeply with their children as they learn new things, meet new people, travel perhaps, encounter and overcome obstacles both literal and figurative. However, for some of us that wasn't the case. Our families choose NOT to be involved with the sport we love, so we had to go at it alone until we could establish bonds with other racers in a sort of “extended” family.

That's the way it was with my parents. They were not at all motorcycle fans when I somehow got the bug, and they had to be begged, prodded and otherwise cajoled to get them to do anything motocross-related. To this day, I'm still unclear as to why they relented and bought a minicycle for my 15th birthday, but I'm extremely grateful, that's for sure!

I guess they actually believed I would be happy doing endless laps around our medium-sized backyard. And for a good while, I was. I also had the pleasure of sometimes being joined by my good friend Mark Butler, who was just as motocross-crazy as me. Together we would take turns thrashing my XR75 as we learned such esoteric knowledge as how to get moving by slipping the clutch.

Occasionally, my father would take me out to my uncle's house in Beltsville, Maryland, where I could blast around wide open on deserted gravel backroads. My father had absolutely no interest in riding, though, or even in watching me ride. He would help me unload the bike and then disappear in his brother-in-law's house to drink beer and watch sports on TV. That was perfectly okay for me then, as all I wanted to do was ride. Yes, there were moments when I would perfect a new technique and want to show it to him, but I quickly learned to stop bothering him about it.

My father rode my minicycle exactly one time, and the resulting loop-out slammed the door shut on any further attempts.

Despite this, I was somehow able to talk my parents into letting me ride in an actual race. My mother was very upset that I even wanted to race; she tried to get me to promise that I wouldn't actually try to compete, but that I would just ride around “for fun”. What was interesting was that when race day arrived, my father was somehow “unavailable” to take me to the race, so my mother did! It was her first ever motocross race, and I have no idea what she was expecting, but she quickly found some other racer's moms to relate to, so she didn't do too bad that day.

When my father finally took me to a race, an interesting thing happened: he got involved. He started talking to other fathers and the next thing I new, he had negotiated the purchase of a used Honda CR125. I was 16 at the time and clearly too big for my XR75, but I didn't really care, since it was all I had and I was racing. But suddenly I owned a real motocross bike and I could barely believe it. To say I was ecstatic doesn't really capture the joy that I felt! And on a less conscious level, I was elated because it seemed that my father and I were beginning to bond over this motocross thing.

Once we got the 125 home, though, reality set in. This was a serious piece of machinery and there was no way that I could ride it in the backyard or on the roads around Beltsville. The new bike required a commitment that my parents weren't sure they were prepared to make... but it was too late for them to back out. The purchase of the CR did have a hidden benefit for my friend Mark. For some reason, his parents decided to buy him a brand new Honda 125, so we could race together. It was his very first motorcycle.

The “magic” of motocross began to work its charms on our respective families. Our fathers would get together and take us to practice sessions at tracks like Budds Creek, and our mothers would likewise get together to take us to races when our fathers weren't inclined to do so. Transportation was pretty much the extent of their involvement, however. There was no discussion of training issues, racing strategies or any of that stuff. All of the wrenching was my responsibility; my father was a professional mechanical engineer, and his job had him designing and testing missile parts. He was literally a rocket scientist of sorts, but he couldn't tell you what to do if a sparkplug fouled. It didn't matter to me anyway, because all I wanted to do was race, and that's what they were helping me to do. Once my mother broke out the old Super 8 home movie camera and filmed one of my races. When we reviewed the footage, I pointed out that my bike was pogo-ing over a rough section and needed some suspension work. To their credit, they bought me a fork kit the next week!

We didn't get to ride on a regular basis, mind you. Once a week was completely out of the question; once a month was even questionable. Once every six weeks was usually when we would get out to the track and try to come to terms with the bikes and the obstacles. To make up for the lack of seat time, I would memorize every off-road riding tip published in every dirt-oriented magazine, and study photos of top riders to try to analyze their techniques. Riding lessons? We couldn't afford them.

By that point in my life I was a senior in high school, and I was in pretty good shape. I played varsity soccer on a championship-winning team and was captain of the wrestling squad. But my heart was in motocross and I started having that all too familiar dream of becoming a top pro racer. Considering the fact that I was a back-of-the-pack novice, I knew that I had a lot of ground to make up. Yet I felt that if I could devote the same amount of time and energy to improving my racing skills that I had to my mainstream sports, I would at least have a chance. And that was where my parents drew the line.

My parents believed in the American dream, but they believed that the only road to achievement and financial stability was through higher education and traditional employment. They would not even permit a conversation about alternatives. As far as my father was concerned, if the sport could not at least provide the opportunity for a college scholarship, then the sport was not legitimate, and certainly nothing on which to pin one's future. Their message to me was crystal clear: after graduation it will be time to put the toys away and get to work.

The little support that my parents provided for my racing dried up completely that spring, though, as I suffered a concussion from a fairly hard crash. Unfortunately for my mother, it was one of those races that she had drawn transportation duty for, so she was the one behind the wheel rushing me to the hospital as I repeated the same two sentences over and over and over... The incident soured her on motocross forever; that would be the last race she would ever attend. While I didn't suffer any broken bones, my CR was pretty mangled, and my parents had zero interest in paying for repairs. My racing days as a minor were over.

So I started college, turned 18, and began to grow up. And yet, I still entertained dreams of becoming a late blooming pro racer. Although my parents made it clear that they were out of the racing hobby, I made it equally clear to them that I wasn't finished with the sport. I had a part-time job as a lot porter for a new car dealership, and I convinced my folks that I could race during the summer (while paying my own expenses) and still do well in school the rest of the year. They co-signed a loan for a new bike, a 250 Honda, they paid for my safety gear (that was an easy sell), and they let me use their car as a tow vehicle. But that was the extent of their involvement. Sometimes when I got home from the races my father would ask me how I did, but it seemed to be more out of courtesy than genuine interest. All my mother wanted to know was if I was okay and not hurt. If they ever brought up the subject of motocross, it was usually to express their desire that I stop racing.

20-some years later and 3,000-odd miles away, I had very mixed emotions about informing my parents about my choice to return to racing. In fact, I kept the information away from them for months, believing that they would be happier not knowing, so they wouldn't have to worry about me. But eventually I told them what I was up to, realizing that I am entitled to live my life as I see fit, and that there was no need for me to compromise my integrity in order to protect them from the truth: I unashamedly love motocross.

And so for you very lucky mothers and fathers out there who are enjoying the times of your lives with your children by taking them riding and racing, I salute you. You may think you know, but you really have no idea of the lasting effect your love and enthusiasm is having on your kids. And for those very fortunate racers that are basking in the devotion and support of your parents, please... thank them often. Don't take them for granted. Thank them for me and for others like me who wish we had what you have.

"Yamaboy" over at MotoDrive hooked this up. He took a quote from my "Motocross" essay and photoshopped it over a pic from TWMX. I love it! 

This is my friend Kenard Lipscomb, a very fast Vet Intermediate, loading up after a practice session at Cahuilla Creek. Kenard has been a Suzuki man as long as I've know him... he swears his '05 RM250 is as fast as any 450 four-stroke... and he has the holeshots to prove it! 

I Love This Guy!

The greatest writer in motocross, Eric Johnson, has posted a "whatcha been up to?" interview with Travis Pastrana at Racer X Online. You gotta read it.

Pastrana is, in my opinion, bigger than motocross. He's such a likable person, always friendly, always upfront and honest. He has suffered more injuries in his amateur and professional racing days than a full gate of riders, but he still loves the sport. But he's now mature enough to know when it's time to sit on the sidelines and heal for a bit. It's sad that we won't get to see his unmistakable riding style for at least a year, probably two, but that's okay. He'll still be Travis, and that's fine with me.

Go get 'em, TP!

U.S. MotoGP Winner Roosts!

You may not think MotoGP has anything to do with motocross, and you would normally be correct... but then I found this photo of U.S. Grand Prix winner Nicky Hayden roosting on a CR, taken by Transworld Motocross' Steve Giberson. The kid has some skills, eh?

Congrats on the big roadrace win, Nicky!

Check out this cool evolution-era Husky I snapped at Cahuilla Creek a few weeks back. Yes, that's my finger in the frame, dammit... 

"thunderchicken" over at MotoDrive hooked me up with this alternative, Industry-insider-only "Fox Sticker"... it's tight! 

Sparkplug #11

2005 will certainly go down in moto-history as the year that the two-stoke died. Even though the writing was clearly on the wall as early as 2003, this year the evidence is overwhelming, particularly in the 125 class. The fact that even the name of the division will soon be changed to reflect the takeover by the 250c.c. four-strokes is yet another nail in the coffin of the oil-burners. So what will happen to the tiddlers?

There have been some great suggestions offered, most notably by Racer X's Davey Coombs, to form a new, two-stroke-only class for up-and-coming supercross racers. While I am in favor of such an idea, that's not the subject I want to tackle in this week's Sparkplug. Instead, I want to bid a fond farewell to the machine that arguably invented American motocross, the 125c.c. two-stroke race bike.

I happen to think that the 125 is the perfect motorcycle to begin to experience the joys of motocross. The small size of the engine and it's relatively low power output mean that the rest of the bike be made as small and light as possible. This results in a motorcycle that's almost fast enough to scare you, and agile enough to handle just about any turn you might encounter on a racetrack. 125's are not threatening motorcycles; they're like eager puppies, always ready to play. And yet, if you're serious about racing, learning how to go fast on a 125 will make it much easier for you to make the transition to bigger bikes.

With very few exceptions, all of the top American racers were masters of the 125 craft. And there is no doubt that Marty Smith and his Honda Elsinore 125 launched the popularity of professional motocross in this country (and if you DO doubt it, check out the MOTOCROSS FILES episode on Smith when it airs this fall on the Speed Channel). It takes a tremendous amount of skill and stamina to keep a fast 125 on the pipe and singing, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch a good 125 pilot do his or her thing, throttle wide open while dancing on the shifter.

The fact that you can actually turn a 125’s throttle to the stops and not panic is one of the most attractive things about the class. Since these bikes are rarely overpowering, they allow most riders to feel confident, which in turn makes the entire experience much more pleasant. Every motocrosser that has ever raced or ridden a 125 has happy memories of the old steed. My first (and only) 125 was a ’74 Honda, just like Marty Smith’s… it had a Webco head, gold anodized DG swingarm and an Al Baker fork kit (kind of like this one from the Vintage Factory website). After years on an XR75, it was my first “real” motorcycle, and I was completely in love with it. Slim, light, low to the ground and reliable as an anvil, it was all I could ask for… until I realized I needed more power to carry my 6’, 190lb. frame around (those really were the good old days!).

Today’s 125s are just the same, just with a little more… okay, a LOT more of everything: suspension, power, brakes, handling, looks and the all-important fun factor. I still believe that if a racer is truly serious about competing at the top levels, they need to learn how to go fast on a 125. The 250 four-strokes are great bikes, and many feel that they’re even more fun than their two-stoke counterparts. Marty Moates once told me his YZ250F provided the most fun he’s ever had on a bike (or words to that effect). I can see the point, and truthfully I wouldn’t know, since I have yet to ride one of the new-breed 250Fs. But my feeling is that the relatively wide powerbands of the little four-strokes make it too easy for the new racer. There’s no reason to maintain high corner speeds and momentum when racing a thumper, whereas the 125 insists that a rider learn how to flow, but in an aggressive fashion. I would hate to see American racers lose valuable racing skill because of the demise of the two-stroke.

So what I’m saying, really, is that I hope the manufacturers keep making ‘em, and I hope the motocross public keeps buying them, even if they’re not racing them. Because they are indeed great little bikes, and motocross wouldn’t be the same without the 125s.

Ride With Sean Hamblin!

Sean Hamblin hasn't been having the best season of his life this year, but the kid is still blazing fast. The proof? He was out at Glen Helen today, burning up some practice laps, and the guys at Transworld Motocross Online convinced him to put on the helmet cam and take it for a lap. Check this out; it's awesome!

WOW! Real MX TV!

Okay, first I have to admit that I found the link I'm about to share with you over at On The Pipe Racing, but this is the coolest thing ever! Coming up on the Speed Chanel, it's the MOTOCROSS FILES, a new ten week tv series about the history of motocross that will debut this fall. You may have heard of it before, but check out the website. Righteous!

Racer X Online's Steve Whitelock Interview

This article over at Racer X Online is a MUST read. Davey Coombs takes off the gloves and GRILLS AMA Racing's head honcho Steve Whitlock. The questions are blunt; Davey doesn't pull any punches. The problem? Whitelock doesn't have any answers.

Don't get me wrong, I have a ton of respect for Whitelock and just as much empathy for the man; he's got a tough, tough job. But still, that's no excuse for:
- not being able to articulate the MXdN plan
- not knowing where the money goes, in terms of rider fines and penalties
- not knowing the situation between the AMA and the FIM
- not knowing (or admitting to knowing) why Supercross is getting a better TV deal than MX
- not knowing why privateers don't want to use Arenacross to prepare for Supercross

Read the interview. It's an eye-opener.

My final thought on this remarkable interview is a trivial one, but I think it says alot about the leadership out of Ohio. The question is "Should photographers wear collared shirts?" And apparently Steve and the AMA believe that "...you can’t wander around looking like a guy in a T-shirt, because you’re going to be on television."
Bad TV deal notwithstanding, who made the decision that T-shirts are inappropriate apparel? I understand the history behind this decision: the AMA wanted the sport to "look" professional, so it requires team uniforms for all mechanics and other support personnel. But setting a dresscode for the media? Maybe the spectators should be required to wear jackets? The AMA is overstepping its bounds here; they should be focusing on getting sponsors and media coverage, not telling the media what to wear.

Red Bud 2005, Courtesy On The Pipe Racing

Lee over at On The Pipe Racing was at Red Bud on Sunday. Here's his illustrated race report... he's a good man!

Team Kawasaki Penalized!

Holy Toledo. James Stewart and Michael Byrne, Team Kawasaki's only two riders AND the only two stroke racers in the Open class, were both penalized and docked 25 points (!) for using illegal fuel at Budds Creek. Here's the story at Racer X Online.

One word: unbelievable.

I think it was last year during the Supercross season when Team Yamaha was given a similar penalty. It turned out that Yamaha had some old, not-legal, gas left over in the team's transporter. We'll see if Kawasaki cops to that excuse, or maybe they'll admit to cheating? Riiiiiiight....

Sparkplug #10

First off, Happy Independence Day weekend to everyone! Have fun, stay safe and try not to blow up the kids with those bottle rockets, okay?

The outdoor nationals are back on again this Sunday, at the fantastic Red Bud facility, and the national championship is creeping up on the halfway point. Silly season, that time of year when riders begin to jockey for new contracts, is getting underway. But what I want to talk about in this edition of Sparkplug is the selection process for the Motocross des Nations. Because I think the current process stinks.

What is the process? Someone at the AMA makes a list of who they want to compete, and then they get on the phone and ask them to race. Of course, I’m guessing this is the process, because I don’t really know what it is, but that’s sort of what Rick Carmichael said the process was like, when he described it in his “Open Letter From Ricky Carmichael About Motocross des Nations” last year. He should know.

Here’s my question: why doesn’t the AMA make it MANDATORY for the top riders to participate. And by “top” I mean current points leaders in the 250F and Open classes at mid-season. And here’s the answer I anticipate: because they CAN’T.

If the AMA does not have the power to decide when and where the racers race, what power do they have? If you answered “none”, you are close. I believe the correct answer is “very little”.

It has been explained before by guys with much more experience than me: American motocross is controlled NOT by the AMA, but by the Japanese factories, represented in this country by their American race team managers. And if the factories don’t see any benefit in funding a competitive American effort in the MXdN, guess what happens?

It would be very easy for the factories to make MXdN participation mandatory for the racers that are on their teams; it’s just another line in their contracts. But Honda will be represented by teams from Belgium, Great Britain, The Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain and many more countries, so it’s not like they need to put more bikes on the starting line, right?

The Motocross des Nations is due for another major change in format, and I touched on this before in Sparkplug #6, so I’m trying to avoid rehashing that argument. But here we are in July, and not only do we not know who’s going to represent the U.S.A., we’re not entirely sure that we’re going to compete! That fact presents more than a little challenge to any fans who want to go see the race; they were talking about that over on MotoNews this week. So, the best we can do is guess? That is plainly unacceptable.

It’s way past due for the AMA to step up and assume accountability for this. I went to the AMA’s motocross website and searched their news database and they haven’t written an article about the Motocross des Nations all year. What does this mean? As a fan, should we no longer care about the event, or should we no longer trust the AMA to be the caretaker of American participation in it?