Unlike “Strobe Light” madness (which is strangely enough also the title of a great song by the B-52s, by the way), this week's Sparkplug addresses an issue that is rarely talked about in motocross: health insurance.
I used to be involved in the life insurance industry and my current job is in the healthcare industry, however this is not meant to suggest that I'm an expert on these matters, just that I some idea of what's going on in both industries. One of the things that used to trouble me about life insurance was the fact that many people tend to believe they have no need to buy the product for their loved ones... and then the unthinkable happens, a child dies, and they have to scrape up money to cover the expenses of an unexpected funeral. Actually, this scenario still troubles me today. I have seen too many “memorial” car washes and t-shirt sales campaigns in Southern California held for the sole purpose of raising a few thousand dollars to pay for the burial expenses of a poor family's deceased teenager. It's heartbreaking, and considering the low cost of life insurance for minors, mostly unneccessay had a little foresight been used.
So, what does this have to do with motocross? Like many motocross fans, I have been moved by the plights of our fallen riders, most recently James “The Outlaw” Marshall and Ernesto “Fonzie” Fonseca. I recently took a day off work to attend a benefit “Outlaw Ride Day” held at Glen Helen Raceway, the proceeds of which were being given to Marshall's family to help them deal with the costs of healthcare related to his terrible injury suffered at the San Diego supercross. Truth be told, it was a fun and inspirational day, and I was happy to donate a little money to his cause. But it made me question why such an event was necessary in the first place. How is it possible that a professional athlete not be covered by adequate health insurance in 2006?
My first question, for which I have admittedly not searched for an answer, is what is the AMA's position on health insurance for their professionally-licensed racers? I also read that Live Nation donated $25,000 to Marshall's fund, which leads to my second and third questions: Is Live Nation prepared to make similar donations to every under-insured racer's family should they be injured at one of their events? And wouldn't funding a comprehensive group health insurance package for all riders be a better idea? I am glad that they made the donation, but it makes me wonder if it was a big-hearted gesture or a corporate CYA maneuver...
It's no secret that the healthcare industry hates motorcycles, but just in case you have trouble comprehending that fact, I will repeat it again: the healthcare industry hates motorcycles. The “other” AMA, the America Medical Association, has a long record of opposing motorcycles and motorcycle sport. And they're joined by the mainstream media, Hollywood, and the professional “safety” lobby... all of whom help influence the insurance industry's dim view of our sport. Which means that IF the insurance underwriters even see fit to offer an insurance product for racers, it will be at astronomically high premium costs.
Which really shouldn't be surprising, considering the ridiculous cost of healthcare... a collusive, vicious circle to be sure, but it's a plain fact. And being a fact, that means we simply have to deal with it. That means racers need to pay for health insurance... or not race.
This is a decision that thousands of amateur racers face every day. A good friend of mine who lives in the San Diego area has actually stopped racing because of the cost of health insurance... and health care. A simple motocross injury would be financially challenging for him; a serious setback would be financially devastating.
Now, not all riders are in the same boat. Ernesto Fonseca suffered a terrible injury as well, yet there were no calls for donations and no benefit rides held in his name (here is the latest news on Fonseca, courtesy Racer X Online). The assumption is that as a factory rider, he had his health insurance needs taken care of. That certainly would be fitting, but this just points to the severe differences between being a “true” professional racer and a privateer. Factory sponsored or not, a “true” professional should make sure he has the tools, training and other essentials necessary to do the job. In a dangerous sport such as motocross, sufficient health insurance is essential. This is not meant to suggest that only pro racers overlook this important need. How many professional oil rig workers are underinsured? How many coal miners are underinsured? How many construction professionals are underinsured? Probably more than we know.
But how does our sport compare to other professional sports? We often take some pride in the fact that our sport has the lowest barrier to entry, cost-wise, than almost any other motorsport. Obviously, this only takes the cost of equipment into consideration. Yet, can you even imagine an injured NASCAR driver having to hold a fundraiser to pay for their healthcare expenses? Maybe it has actually happened, but I really doubt it. [Update: my friend FLVet from Motodrive tells me: "If I'm not mistaken the AMA will let you race a pro event with just their $25,000 policy. It has happened in NASCAR. They raised monies for Ernie Irvin when he had that bad crash that left him with an $850,000 bill plus rehab to pay for. Yes he had insurance as well. The NFL insures all it's players through NFL Wokers Comp if they get hurt in a game or practice. It's an on the job injury."]
Motocross has come a long way, but until the industry seriously addresses this health insurance issue, we might as well admit that our sport is still in its infancy. Racing with insufficient health insurance, even at the amateur level, is simply irresponsible. At the professional level it is inexcusable and I believe the organizations that sanction professional races should be held accountable for this issue.
March 31, 2006
March 24, 2006
Sparkplug 44
Continuing with the theme from last week, in which I hit upon the development of my affection for writing, today's Sparkplug deals with a specific example of my love of motocross. In particular, my ill-fated attempt to become National Champion at the age of 40.
The National amateur motocross championships, held every year at country music legend Loretta Lynn's ranch, is an iconic event for American motocross. More than just a one-off race meet, LL's has become the finest showcase for up-and-coming riders that the sport has ever seen. Almost like the NFL draft, young riders must pass through the crucible of Loretta Lynn's in order to gain access to a career on the professional side of motocross. One can certainly turn pro without qualifying for and racing at Loretta Lynn's, but good luck getting any type of support if you don't.
When I returned to racing after a 20-year break, I came back with a big dream. By that time, I had read plenty of positive thinking texts and business school books, and one lesson stuck with me strongly. It suggested that the key to large-scale success was to set BHAGs, which are Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Well, I certainly set one for motocross: I wanted to win the 2001 Loretta Lynn title in the 40 Plus B/C class. For a guy who's racing efforts to date had never amassed even one trophy, let alone a win, that was indeed a BHAG. But I had complete faith that if had good equipment, got good instruction and trained relentlessly, that I could will my way to a win in the Big Show. The biggest challenge of my goal, though, was the fact that the regional qualifiers were only 3 months away.
So I purchased an '01 YZ250 in late December 2000 and started the ball rolling. I was already spending my evenings memorizing Gary Semics instructional tapes, so I booked classes with the local Gary Semics MX School instructor in mid-January. Unfortunately, this led to my very first setback when my instructor called to cancel my class because he broke his leg the week before! Undaunted, I quickly scheduled a session with local SoCal legend Ron Turner. And I learned two things, one of which was that I was too out-of-shape to actually endure a day's worth of instruction.
But two hours of training was certainly better than nothing and I was officially underway. I joined the Over The Hill Gang vet racing organization and began an intensive schedule of practicing and racing on a weekly basis. In fact, I would leave my office on Friday evenings, drive 2 hours to the old Competition Park facility in Hemet, California to get in about an hour of practice on their lighted course before they closed. Then I would go to a practice track on Saturday and race at another track on Sunday. The rest of the week I spent my evenings in the gym, alternating weight workouts with cardio sessions, quietly repeating my mantra “2001 National Champion” with every breath.
I even had the gall to ask motocross legend David Bailey for some free advice, and unbelievably, he gave me some pointers on structuring my riding practice sessions for endurance and speed. Wow!
By late February 2001, I had several races under my belt, though not a single race win (or trophy). But I was clearly improving, both in technique and endurance. Then at a Gang race at L.A. Country Raceway in Palmdale, California, while running in the top 5, I lost my balance in a low-speed off-camber turn. The tipover resulted in a broken thumb, and with just two weeks before the first qualifier, my chances for making it to LL's were looking pretty grim.
Despite the fact that I had a cast that reached midway up my forearm, I decided to drive out to Glen Helen for the qualifier anyway. No, I didn't intend to ride, I just wanted to see what the competition was like. When I got there and assessed the situation, my heart was broken again. Had I raced, I would have had to finish in the top ten to qualify; there were only 9 people signed up for my class! I would have made the first round of qualifying just by showing up!
There was another opportunity to qualify, however, and it was scheduled to happen after I had my cast removed. But the scheduling of that race posed other problems for me. For one, the race was in Utah, a 15 hour drive away. And even worse, it was on the same weekend that my best friend was getting married. What to do? Well, I actually asked David Bailey for more advice and he plainly told me that friends and family were more important than racing. Again, wow!
And with that, I let go of my pursuit of the BHAG. And any idea I may have had about picking up the dream again in 2002 was squashed when LL's axed the 40+ B/C class. But I have no regrets for my efforts in 2001. It was a great run, and it got me prepared and in shape for a fun 2 years racing with the Over The Hill Gang (still no trophies though).
The National amateur motocross championships, held every year at country music legend Loretta Lynn's ranch, is an iconic event for American motocross. More than just a one-off race meet, LL's has become the finest showcase for up-and-coming riders that the sport has ever seen. Almost like the NFL draft, young riders must pass through the crucible of Loretta Lynn's in order to gain access to a career on the professional side of motocross. One can certainly turn pro without qualifying for and racing at Loretta Lynn's, but good luck getting any type of support if you don't.
When I returned to racing after a 20-year break, I came back with a big dream. By that time, I had read plenty of positive thinking texts and business school books, and one lesson stuck with me strongly. It suggested that the key to large-scale success was to set BHAGs, which are Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Well, I certainly set one for motocross: I wanted to win the 2001 Loretta Lynn title in the 40 Plus B/C class. For a guy who's racing efforts to date had never amassed even one trophy, let alone a win, that was indeed a BHAG. But I had complete faith that if had good equipment, got good instruction and trained relentlessly, that I could will my way to a win in the Big Show. The biggest challenge of my goal, though, was the fact that the regional qualifiers were only 3 months away.
So I purchased an '01 YZ250 in late December 2000 and started the ball rolling. I was already spending my evenings memorizing Gary Semics instructional tapes, so I booked classes with the local Gary Semics MX School instructor in mid-January. Unfortunately, this led to my very first setback when my instructor called to cancel my class because he broke his leg the week before! Undaunted, I quickly scheduled a session with local SoCal legend Ron Turner. And I learned two things, one of which was that I was too out-of-shape to actually endure a day's worth of instruction.
But two hours of training was certainly better than nothing and I was officially underway. I joined the Over The Hill Gang vet racing organization and began an intensive schedule of practicing and racing on a weekly basis. In fact, I would leave my office on Friday evenings, drive 2 hours to the old Competition Park facility in Hemet, California to get in about an hour of practice on their lighted course before they closed. Then I would go to a practice track on Saturday and race at another track on Sunday. The rest of the week I spent my evenings in the gym, alternating weight workouts with cardio sessions, quietly repeating my mantra “2001 National Champion” with every breath.
I even had the gall to ask motocross legend David Bailey for some free advice, and unbelievably, he gave me some pointers on structuring my riding practice sessions for endurance and speed. Wow!
By late February 2001, I had several races under my belt, though not a single race win (or trophy). But I was clearly improving, both in technique and endurance. Then at a Gang race at L.A. Country Raceway in Palmdale, California, while running in the top 5, I lost my balance in a low-speed off-camber turn. The tipover resulted in a broken thumb, and with just two weeks before the first qualifier, my chances for making it to LL's were looking pretty grim.
Despite the fact that I had a cast that reached midway up my forearm, I decided to drive out to Glen Helen for the qualifier anyway. No, I didn't intend to ride, I just wanted to see what the competition was like. When I got there and assessed the situation, my heart was broken again. Had I raced, I would have had to finish in the top ten to qualify; there were only 9 people signed up for my class! I would have made the first round of qualifying just by showing up!
There was another opportunity to qualify, however, and it was scheduled to happen after I had my cast removed. But the scheduling of that race posed other problems for me. For one, the race was in Utah, a 15 hour drive away. And even worse, it was on the same weekend that my best friend was getting married. What to do? Well, I actually asked David Bailey for more advice and he plainly told me that friends and family were more important than racing. Again, wow!
And with that, I let go of my pursuit of the BHAG. And any idea I may have had about picking up the dream again in 2002 was squashed when LL's axed the 40+ B/C class. But I have no regrets for my efforts in 2001. It was a great run, and it got me prepared and in shape for a fun 2 years racing with the Over The Hill Gang (still no trophies though).
March 17, 2006
Sparkplug 43
This week, I find myself needing to explain myself. Specifically, who am I to think that I can just write what I want about the sport that I love?
First, a little background is necessary. Before I fell for motocross as a teenager, I had already kindled a raging love affair with the written word. My parents, both voracious readers, surrounded me with books of all kinds and my first introduction to the world of periodicals was through the venerable Reader's Digest. Yet even though I had written a play in elementary school and several short stories by high school, I still did not consider myself to be a writer.
My senior year in high school, I was the editorial page editor for our award-winning weekly newspaper, and one particular event became a sort of turning point for me. Our paper featured a weekly guest column and I was in charge of enlisting a different teacher to do the honors. One week I invited a popular history teacher, who also happened to be a football and track coach, to submit an article. When I read his work, I was blown away by the sheer number of grammatical and spelling errors he had committed. I knew this man was no dummy, yet I couldn't understand why he would give us something he obviously neglected to proof. Instead of correcting the mistakes, I decided to print the column as it was written, pointing out each error with “syntax incorrect” notations (sic). Hell, I reasoned, the man was a teacher!
As you might imagine, the shit hit the fan when the paper came out. This teacher, understandably livid, responded by challenging the entire newspaper staff to come out and “see what it's like” to work out with the track team for a few days. Everyone knew it was a virtual death sentence, but I felt responsible for incurring his wrath, so I alone took him up on it. And that was the turning point for me; I took those three days of hell and turned it into a two-part series of my experience being ground into fine paste by the pissed-off track coach. Those articles were the most well-received stories I had written all year, and the rush of participatory, “first person journalism” filled me with a new sense of excitement about writing.
Thirty years later and I still love to write. That coupled with the fact that I am an extremely opinionated individual means all I need is an outlet and I can easily fill it with paragraph upon paragraph of thoughts, feelings and anecdotes. Which is why I am so bullish about the internet... writing in a paper journal and putting it on one's shelf is nowhere near as satisfying as self-publishing on the worldwide web. Bulletin boards and blogs were tailor-made for people like me, and we're the ones you see with thousands of posts covering just about every subject imaginable.
In fact, I think of motocross bulletin boards like Motodrive as some sort of game, an enjoyable way of meeting new people who share similar interests. Posting on these boards is also a great way to let off steam built up from the stresses of everyday work. And just like any game, there are a range of skill levels, from expert players to first-time beginners, all verbally jousting while discussing the hot topics of the day. Sometimes it can be a lot of fun watching the fireworks of an extended “flame war”, as two or more posters try to get the better of the others. On the flip side of that, however, are those uncomfortable moments when things get out of hand, too much is said and feelings truly get hurt. Yet it's all part of the game.
The “talent” on the motocross bulletin boards can pretty much be ranked just like motocross racing classes. There's the pro class, which features a wide range of professional writers from struggling freelance privateers like myself, up to full-blown “factory stars” who have full-time gigs writing for magazines. Of course, there are intermediates and novices as well, but all levels take to the “track” at the same time.
Occasionally real motocross professionals join the bulletin board fray, but their race experience doesn't automatically grant them “pro” status on the internet. Instead of being able to turn fast laps, it's all about turning a phat phrase, with candor, wit, logic and the ever-important proper grammar and correct spelling. Some of these guys show up and get their asses handed to them, sort of like a virtual Glen Helen Thursdays in reverse (for those that don't know, Thursday practice at the Glen is open to anyone and is usually well-attended by top pros pounding out practice laps. It's quite common to see them blazing past inexperienced beginners lap after lap). Yet some do quite well for themselves, hanging with the “best” of them. But all would do well to remember again: it's all just a game. Like motocross itself, we do it because we love it.
Now it is true the internet can get kind of funky because it's very easy to post anonymously... and plenty of clowns use bulletin boards to fire poison arrows while hiding behind multiple screen names. Personally, my approach is much different: I stand behind everything I write, and when directly addressing other people, I only say things that I am willing to say to their faces, in person. I do not use multiple online personas, in fact, I strive to show my true self in everything I write. I love this sport and I have absolutely nothing to hide.
So I started All Things Motocross as my own little “practice track” of sorts, a place where I could freely write about motocross and the people involved in the sport. While it really doesn't matter to me whether anyone actually reads this blog, my intention is to start a dialogue about the subjects I tackle, which is why I have enabled a “comments” function and is also why I alert my fellow Motodrivers whenever I post a new Sparkplug. So far my logs show that All Things Motocross has been read by motocross fans all over the world, and I think that's pretty cool. If you're so inclined, I hope you'll occasionally let me know how I'm doing, because we all make mistakes sometimes, and we all can use a little help from our friends.
First, a little background is necessary. Before I fell for motocross as a teenager, I had already kindled a raging love affair with the written word. My parents, both voracious readers, surrounded me with books of all kinds and my first introduction to the world of periodicals was through the venerable Reader's Digest. Yet even though I had written a play in elementary school and several short stories by high school, I still did not consider myself to be a writer.
My senior year in high school, I was the editorial page editor for our award-winning weekly newspaper, and one particular event became a sort of turning point for me. Our paper featured a weekly guest column and I was in charge of enlisting a different teacher to do the honors. One week I invited a popular history teacher, who also happened to be a football and track coach, to submit an article. When I read his work, I was blown away by the sheer number of grammatical and spelling errors he had committed. I knew this man was no dummy, yet I couldn't understand why he would give us something he obviously neglected to proof. Instead of correcting the mistakes, I decided to print the column as it was written, pointing out each error with “syntax incorrect” notations (sic). Hell, I reasoned, the man was a teacher!
As you might imagine, the shit hit the fan when the paper came out. This teacher, understandably livid, responded by challenging the entire newspaper staff to come out and “see what it's like” to work out with the track team for a few days. Everyone knew it was a virtual death sentence, but I felt responsible for incurring his wrath, so I alone took him up on it. And that was the turning point for me; I took those three days of hell and turned it into a two-part series of my experience being ground into fine paste by the pissed-off track coach. Those articles were the most well-received stories I had written all year, and the rush of participatory, “first person journalism” filled me with a new sense of excitement about writing.
Thirty years later and I still love to write. That coupled with the fact that I am an extremely opinionated individual means all I need is an outlet and I can easily fill it with paragraph upon paragraph of thoughts, feelings and anecdotes. Which is why I am so bullish about the internet... writing in a paper journal and putting it on one's shelf is nowhere near as satisfying as self-publishing on the worldwide web. Bulletin boards and blogs were tailor-made for people like me, and we're the ones you see with thousands of posts covering just about every subject imaginable.
In fact, I think of motocross bulletin boards like Motodrive as some sort of game, an enjoyable way of meeting new people who share similar interests. Posting on these boards is also a great way to let off steam built up from the stresses of everyday work. And just like any game, there are a range of skill levels, from expert players to first-time beginners, all verbally jousting while discussing the hot topics of the day. Sometimes it can be a lot of fun watching the fireworks of an extended “flame war”, as two or more posters try to get the better of the others. On the flip side of that, however, are those uncomfortable moments when things get out of hand, too much is said and feelings truly get hurt. Yet it's all part of the game.
The “talent” on the motocross bulletin boards can pretty much be ranked just like motocross racing classes. There's the pro class, which features a wide range of professional writers from struggling freelance privateers like myself, up to full-blown “factory stars” who have full-time gigs writing for magazines. Of course, there are intermediates and novices as well, but all levels take to the “track” at the same time.
Occasionally real motocross professionals join the bulletin board fray, but their race experience doesn't automatically grant them “pro” status on the internet. Instead of being able to turn fast laps, it's all about turning a phat phrase, with candor, wit, logic and the ever-important proper grammar and correct spelling. Some of these guys show up and get their asses handed to them, sort of like a virtual Glen Helen Thursdays in reverse (for those that don't know, Thursday practice at the Glen is open to anyone and is usually well-attended by top pros pounding out practice laps. It's quite common to see them blazing past inexperienced beginners lap after lap). Yet some do quite well for themselves, hanging with the “best” of them. But all would do well to remember again: it's all just a game. Like motocross itself, we do it because we love it.
Now it is true the internet can get kind of funky because it's very easy to post anonymously... and plenty of clowns use bulletin boards to fire poison arrows while hiding behind multiple screen names. Personally, my approach is much different: I stand behind everything I write, and when directly addressing other people, I only say things that I am willing to say to their faces, in person. I do not use multiple online personas, in fact, I strive to show my true self in everything I write. I love this sport and I have absolutely nothing to hide.
So I started All Things Motocross as my own little “practice track” of sorts, a place where I could freely write about motocross and the people involved in the sport. While it really doesn't matter to me whether anyone actually reads this blog, my intention is to start a dialogue about the subjects I tackle, which is why I have enabled a “comments” function and is also why I alert my fellow Motodrivers whenever I post a new Sparkplug. So far my logs show that All Things Motocross has been read by motocross fans all over the world, and I think that's pretty cool. If you're so inclined, I hope you'll occasionally let me know how I'm doing, because we all make mistakes sometimes, and we all can use a little help from our friends.
March 16, 2006
Ernesto Fonseca
I have to admit that this isn't the type of post I like to write. In fact, I've been putting off writing anything about Ernesto Fonseca's unfortunate practice accident and terrible injury because... well, frankly because I have been hoping for a miracle. I have been waiting for good news to be released, and I have been checking the major motocross websites several times a day in search of another announcement or press release. All I've found is the one released by Team Honda on March 10th (here's a version on Racer X Online).
I am hoping and praying for a miracle, that's all I can say.
I am hoping and praying for a miracle, that's all I can say.
March 10, 2006
Sparkplug 42
Well, it seems that everything is back to normal in the Amp'd Mobile Supercross Circus. Now that the AMA and the FIM seem to be in a rule-changing frame of mind, I thought this would be a good time to open up the 2006 AMA Pro Racing Motocross/Supercross rulebook and see if there are any other curious regulations that might benefit from some closer scrutiny. Here are the first two that stood out to me:
1. Supercharging and turbocharging are prohibited
2. Only single-cylinder engines are permitted.
So THAT'S why I can't get a turbocharged, V-twin CR450F! It's right there in the rulebook. It's 2006 and my motocross racing and dirtbike riding pleasure has been artificially limited by mere words on a page, and for what reason? The AMA defends the single-cylinder rule in a bulletin dated 12/5/05, stating “This restriction would help preserve a sensible cost of equipment and keep practical maintenance at a tolerable level.” [read all you want at the AMA Pro Racing website]
Can you imagine AMA Pro Racing trying to institute a rule like this now in Dirt Track racing [Why imagine? Go look it up... I didn't.)? Harley Davidson would kick their collective asses. Why are “sensible cost” and “practical maintenance” rule-making considerations in Motocross/Supercross, but not, say, Hillclimbing? Or better yet, AMA/ProStar Drag Racing? Do you think multi-time Top Fuel Champion Larry “Spiderman” McBride, a man whose four-cylinder, supercharged, 1500 horsepower bike can get to 244 mph in a quarter-mile, is particulary concerned with preserving a “sensible cost of equipment”? This rule seems so arbitrary that it makes one question the veracity of its stated intent.
With regards to pressurized fuel induction, the rulebook doesn't give any reason for its exclusion. But can you imagine what a turbo'd 250F would be like? More power than a 450F, and almost as light as a 125! It would be awesome! Not “Spiderman” awesome, but pretty dang cool. What I'd like to see is a return to the smaller displacements with many cylinders, like a 6 cylinder 125CC fourstroke. Low emissions, high power.
Here's another questionable rule:
3. All motorcycles must be driven by rear wheel transmitted power only.
The AMA defends this ruling in the same bulletin, stating “Emerging technology involving front wheel drive could be detrimental to the balance of competition in MX/SX (my emphasis). Moreover, such equipment would dramatically increase the cost of racing.”
There's that concern about the cost of racing again. Why is that such a big deal for MX/SX and no other form of motorcycle sport? It's like we're the poor cousins of the motorcycle world. But of even more concern to me is that dangerous statement about the “balance of competition.” Every motorsport sanctioning body in the world has at one time cut off its nose to spite its face by implementing rule penalties to reduce tecnological domination by one or more parties... when will they learn that stifling innovation is not the way? I could be wrong, but I believe Yamaha is currently the only player with a viable two-wheel drive bike, and at first glance, it doesn't seem like the technology would have any benefit in MX/SX. But I have talked to a guy who actually owns one of the very few two-wheel drive WR450s in the United States and he swears it's a revolution waiting to be unleashed. According to him, it corners better than a standard, rear-drive-only motorcycle. Why is the AMA stopping us from buying and racing a two-wheel drive bike? Or more to the point, why is the AMA stopping Yamaha from marketing an existing bike here in America? Yamaha may have Chad Reed, but the race wins have been few and far between. Is the AMA concerned that letting Reed campaign a 2WD YZ450 would result in sudden, unbalanced domination by the Blue Brand? Really?
Making innovation illegal in AMA Motocross/Supercross racing just doesn't make sense in my mind. Where else should motorcyle companies test new ideas and products, if not in championship events contested by the best motorcycle racers in the world?
Moving on, here's another set of strange mechanical rules:
4. A maximum of six gearbox speeds will be allowed.
Again, the reason for this would be... what? Is seven an unlucky number for transmissions? Will an extra cog make racing too expensive? Give me a break.
5. All footrests must fold at a 45 degree angle.
Now we're getting into that never-never land of arbitrary limits, measures and rations. Do the tech inspectors actually break out the protractors and measure “footrest” folding angles? If Carmichael's bike was found to have pegs that folded at 46 degrees, would he lose 25 points again? Or is this just one of those rules from the early '70s that never got excised from the rulebook? Well, AMA Pro Racing guys, you started the cleanup, you might as well finish it and do a good job, don't you think?
How about this one:
6. Paddle (continuous radial rib) tires and tires with lugs having a height of over 0.750” are prohibited.
This couldn't possibly be the same law instituted back in the “Jammin'” Jimmy Weinert days, can it? Someone say it ain't so! And I guess the same tech guys who measure footpeg angle take the knobby height measurements as well. I can definitely see how a tire with 0.752” lugs would be a decided performance advantage... probably cost more, too (just joking, to see if you're still paying attention).
What I don't understand is how AMA Pro Racing enforces certain rules because they say they're worried about the cost of racing, and at the same time all of the top teams use special, high-cost, limited use tires and they change them after every moto and practice session. THAT can't be cheap... so why is it legal?
Here's another dinosaur that needs to be put out of its misery:
7. Electronic transmitting of information, including radio communications, to or from a moving motorcycle is prohibited with the following exceptions:
a. AMA Pro Racing transponders utilized for scoring purposes (mandatory equipment assigned by AMA Pro Racing).
b. Data or video transmitted for the sole use of the AMA Pro Racing approved event television production (mandatory equipment assigned by AMA Pro Racing).
c. Automatic lap timing devices.
Hey, welcome to the 21st Century, AMA Pro Racing! Listen, if radio communications are safe enough for guys driving cars in 200mph circles, it's safe enough for 20mph supercross laps. And you're missing out on an entirely new revenue stream by not marketing pit radio scanners to the fans. With regards to other types of data transmissions (telemetry, video, etc.), I don't understand why the OEMs aren't up in arms about this. The data they could capture in a racing situations would surely prove to be invaluable to their R & D efforts.
How about this one:
8. Riders may only enter one class at Supercross (no double classing). [the same rule is repeated for Motocross]
Why you dirty double-classer! What is the point of this rule? I don't get it, if a rider is strong enough to qualify for both classes, why not let him or her do it? Is it because it makes racing more expensive? Is it because it will affect the balance of competition? Why is this rule still on the books?
And here's a rule that's NEVER enforced:
9. Persons under 16 years of age are not allowed in pits, grid, signal area or other restricted areas.
How is it possible that this rule even remain in the rulebook? This single rule unfortunately suggests that the AMA Pro Racing officials HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S IN THEIR OWN RULEBOOK. If you have ever been to a supercross in the past, I don't know, ten years, you know they let kids in the pits.
And finally, here's a rule that makes sense, but has been selectively enforced at best:
10. Unless directed to do so by the Race Manager or his designee, no one at any time will be permitted to ride a motorcycle in the wrong direction on the track.
At the rainfest that was Anaheim I in 2005, Rick Carmichael plainly rode his bike backwards on the track for about 20 yards, in order to get turned around after falling in a horribly muddy bowl turn. I know this for a fact because I was seated less than 100 feet away... in the middle of a downpour! Carmichael ended up getting 3rd place points that night. If he were penalized points for that obvious rule violation, there is a chance that Chad Reed would be the 2005 Supercross Champion. Maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but the fact that this particular rule is rarely or selectively enforced is true. It doesn't happen often, but it has happened.
In closing, I suggest all of the above-mentioned rules be carefully scrutinized and jettisoned if they are no longer appropriate (this process shouldn't take long). I also strongly suggest that the entire philosphy of rulemaking for the sport change completely. Rules set in place to make racing “more affordable” need to be stricken entirely. Rules made to affect the “balance of competition” should be cautiously applied, if at all, and never written so as to restrict or hamper innovation in anyway. And rules written to ensure the safety of the participants of our great sport should be rigorously and consistently enforced. Otherwise, what's the point of even having a sanctioning body oversee a professional sporting series, if its own rulebook cannot be respected?
Besides, I really REALLY think a 210-pound, 65 hp, supercharged V-four 250F with electric start and 2wd would look good in my garage.
1. Supercharging and turbocharging are prohibited
2. Only single-cylinder engines are permitted.
So THAT'S why I can't get a turbocharged, V-twin CR450F! It's right there in the rulebook. It's 2006 and my motocross racing and dirtbike riding pleasure has been artificially limited by mere words on a page, and for what reason? The AMA defends the single-cylinder rule in a bulletin dated 12/5/05, stating “This restriction would help preserve a sensible cost of equipment and keep practical maintenance at a tolerable level.” [read all you want at the AMA Pro Racing website]
Can you imagine AMA Pro Racing trying to institute a rule like this now in Dirt Track racing [Why imagine? Go look it up... I didn't.)? Harley Davidson would kick their collective asses. Why are “sensible cost” and “practical maintenance” rule-making considerations in Motocross/Supercross, but not, say, Hillclimbing? Or better yet, AMA/ProStar Drag Racing? Do you think multi-time Top Fuel Champion Larry “Spiderman” McBride, a man whose four-cylinder, supercharged, 1500 horsepower bike can get to 244 mph in a quarter-mile, is particulary concerned with preserving a “sensible cost of equipment”? This rule seems so arbitrary that it makes one question the veracity of its stated intent.
With regards to pressurized fuel induction, the rulebook doesn't give any reason for its exclusion. But can you imagine what a turbo'd 250F would be like? More power than a 450F, and almost as light as a 125! It would be awesome! Not “Spiderman” awesome, but pretty dang cool. What I'd like to see is a return to the smaller displacements with many cylinders, like a 6 cylinder 125CC fourstroke. Low emissions, high power.
Here's another questionable rule:
3. All motorcycles must be driven by rear wheel transmitted power only.
The AMA defends this ruling in the same bulletin, stating “Emerging technology involving front wheel drive could be detrimental to the balance of competition in MX/SX (my emphasis). Moreover, such equipment would dramatically increase the cost of racing.”
There's that concern about the cost of racing again. Why is that such a big deal for MX/SX and no other form of motorcycle sport? It's like we're the poor cousins of the motorcycle world. But of even more concern to me is that dangerous statement about the “balance of competition.” Every motorsport sanctioning body in the world has at one time cut off its nose to spite its face by implementing rule penalties to reduce tecnological domination by one or more parties... when will they learn that stifling innovation is not the way? I could be wrong, but I believe Yamaha is currently the only player with a viable two-wheel drive bike, and at first glance, it doesn't seem like the technology would have any benefit in MX/SX. But I have talked to a guy who actually owns one of the very few two-wheel drive WR450s in the United States and he swears it's a revolution waiting to be unleashed. According to him, it corners better than a standard, rear-drive-only motorcycle. Why is the AMA stopping us from buying and racing a two-wheel drive bike? Or more to the point, why is the AMA stopping Yamaha from marketing an existing bike here in America? Yamaha may have Chad Reed, but the race wins have been few and far between. Is the AMA concerned that letting Reed campaign a 2WD YZ450 would result in sudden, unbalanced domination by the Blue Brand? Really?
Making innovation illegal in AMA Motocross/Supercross racing just doesn't make sense in my mind. Where else should motorcyle companies test new ideas and products, if not in championship events contested by the best motorcycle racers in the world?
Moving on, here's another set of strange mechanical rules:
4. A maximum of six gearbox speeds will be allowed.
Again, the reason for this would be... what? Is seven an unlucky number for transmissions? Will an extra cog make racing too expensive? Give me a break.
5. All footrests must fold at a 45 degree angle.
Now we're getting into that never-never land of arbitrary limits, measures and rations. Do the tech inspectors actually break out the protractors and measure “footrest” folding angles? If Carmichael's bike was found to have pegs that folded at 46 degrees, would he lose 25 points again? Or is this just one of those rules from the early '70s that never got excised from the rulebook? Well, AMA Pro Racing guys, you started the cleanup, you might as well finish it and do a good job, don't you think?
How about this one:
6. Paddle (continuous radial rib) tires and tires with lugs having a height of over 0.750” are prohibited.
This couldn't possibly be the same law instituted back in the “Jammin'” Jimmy Weinert days, can it? Someone say it ain't so! And I guess the same tech guys who measure footpeg angle take the knobby height measurements as well. I can definitely see how a tire with 0.752” lugs would be a decided performance advantage... probably cost more, too (just joking, to see if you're still paying attention).
What I don't understand is how AMA Pro Racing enforces certain rules because they say they're worried about the cost of racing, and at the same time all of the top teams use special, high-cost, limited use tires and they change them after every moto and practice session. THAT can't be cheap... so why is it legal?
Here's another dinosaur that needs to be put out of its misery:
7. Electronic transmitting of information, including radio communications, to or from a moving motorcycle is prohibited with the following exceptions:
a. AMA Pro Racing transponders utilized for scoring purposes (mandatory equipment assigned by AMA Pro Racing).
b. Data or video transmitted for the sole use of the AMA Pro Racing approved event television production (mandatory equipment assigned by AMA Pro Racing).
c. Automatic lap timing devices.
Hey, welcome to the 21st Century, AMA Pro Racing! Listen, if radio communications are safe enough for guys driving cars in 200mph circles, it's safe enough for 20mph supercross laps. And you're missing out on an entirely new revenue stream by not marketing pit radio scanners to the fans. With regards to other types of data transmissions (telemetry, video, etc.), I don't understand why the OEMs aren't up in arms about this. The data they could capture in a racing situations would surely prove to be invaluable to their R & D efforts.
How about this one:
8. Riders may only enter one class at Supercross (no double classing). [the same rule is repeated for Motocross]
Why you dirty double-classer! What is the point of this rule? I don't get it, if a rider is strong enough to qualify for both classes, why not let him or her do it? Is it because it makes racing more expensive? Is it because it will affect the balance of competition? Why is this rule still on the books?
And here's a rule that's NEVER enforced:
9. Persons under 16 years of age are not allowed in pits, grid, signal area or other restricted areas.
How is it possible that this rule even remain in the rulebook? This single rule unfortunately suggests that the AMA Pro Racing officials HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S IN THEIR OWN RULEBOOK. If you have ever been to a supercross in the past, I don't know, ten years, you know they let kids in the pits.
And finally, here's a rule that makes sense, but has been selectively enforced at best:
10. Unless directed to do so by the Race Manager or his designee, no one at any time will be permitted to ride a motorcycle in the wrong direction on the track.
At the rainfest that was Anaheim I in 2005, Rick Carmichael plainly rode his bike backwards on the track for about 20 yards, in order to get turned around after falling in a horribly muddy bowl turn. I know this for a fact because I was seated less than 100 feet away... in the middle of a downpour! Carmichael ended up getting 3rd place points that night. If he were penalized points for that obvious rule violation, there is a chance that Chad Reed would be the 2005 Supercross Champion. Maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but the fact that this particular rule is rarely or selectively enforced is true. It doesn't happen often, but it has happened.
In closing, I suggest all of the above-mentioned rules be carefully scrutinized and jettisoned if they are no longer appropriate (this process shouldn't take long). I also strongly suggest that the entire philosphy of rulemaking for the sport change completely. Rules set in place to make racing “more affordable” need to be stricken entirely. Rules made to affect the “balance of competition” should be cautiously applied, if at all, and never written so as to restrict or hamper innovation in anyway. And rules written to ensure the safety of the participants of our great sport should be rigorously and consistently enforced. Otherwise, what's the point of even having a sanctioning body oversee a professional sporting series, if its own rulebook cannot be respected?
Besides, I really REALLY think a 210-pound, 65 hp, supercharged V-four 250F with electric start and 2wd would look good in my garage.
March 03, 2006
Sparkplug 41
I’ll give you just one guess what this week’s Sparkplug is about…
Actually, as I was putting this one together, I couldn’t decide which headline to go with… so here are all of them:
When is a rule not a rule?
The AMA shoots itself in the foot.
The death of credibility.
What is a sanction worth in supercross racing?
Who’s running this show anyway?
Take a gander at this AMA press release (if you haven’t seen it already), courtesy Racer X Online. The long and short of it is that the AMA and FIM have decided to change Team Suzuki’s and Rick Carmichael’s 25 point penalty, given for using illegal fuel at the San Diego round, to a $20,000 cash penalty. The champ’s championship points were restored as of today.
So what’s the problem? The problem is that a cash penalty for this infraction is not what’s stated in the rules. “Again,” you ask, “What’s the problem?… the guys who made the rules are changing them.” Cool the eff out, some suggest…
I’m just asking, how is it right to change the rulebook midway through a season? And how bad does it look to rescind a penalty given to the defending champion? And what were the grounds again… because the fuel, although out of spec, doesn’t really enhance performance?
The AMA really opened Pandora’s box with this one.
Number one, there is no question about what’s in the rule book… it denotes the lead levels and the penalty for infraction. It’s been there for the past three years. Everyone knew about it.
Number two, there is also no question that it’s a relatively bogus rule. Relative, in that there are serious questions about the rule’s purpose and intent. Apparently, the lead level as stated in the rule is so low that unleaded pump gas is considered illegal. Add to that the opinion by many that this small level of lead is in no way beneficial to a rider, and that equals a rule that is questionable at best.
But no one can question the fact that the rule exists. The AMA was well within its rights to enforce it, just as it had enforced the rule against Kawasaki in 2005 and Yamaha in 2004. So the question changed to the penalty… was it too strict?
According to Team Suzuki manager Roger DeCoster, hell yeah. Check out Roger’s latest interview (again, courtesy Racer X Online). This issue was so intense, he actually had to tell his team to “Stay off the internet” this week. Roger even admits that he wished he had stood up when the same penalty happened to Yamaha two years ago: “I feel bad that I did not go out of my way and ask to help them. I didn’t go over and ask if I could help,” DeCoster also added, “…but they also did not come to me and say, “Can we band together?”
So… what does it all mean, Gene? To me, it just reinforces the fact that the American Motorcyclist Association really needs to get out of the business of professional motorcycle sport. AMA referee Steve Whitelock is a great guy, no doubt, but his organization has consistently demonstrated an inability to conduct business in a serious, well-thought-out manner. As I mentioned in an earlier entry, now that American Honda has bailed from the AMA’s Board of Directors, it is just a matter of time before the other manufacturers follow… and this last debacle, for that is truly what this was, could be just the spark to ignite a mass exodus. I am really interested in hearing Yamaha and Kawasaki’s response to this latest development.
Actually, as I was putting this one together, I couldn’t decide which headline to go with… so here are all of them:
When is a rule not a rule?
The AMA shoots itself in the foot.
The death of credibility.
What is a sanction worth in supercross racing?
Who’s running this show anyway?
Take a gander at this AMA press release (if you haven’t seen it already), courtesy Racer X Online. The long and short of it is that the AMA and FIM have decided to change Team Suzuki’s and Rick Carmichael’s 25 point penalty, given for using illegal fuel at the San Diego round, to a $20,000 cash penalty. The champ’s championship points were restored as of today.
So what’s the problem? The problem is that a cash penalty for this infraction is not what’s stated in the rules. “Again,” you ask, “What’s the problem?… the guys who made the rules are changing them.” Cool the eff out, some suggest…
I’m just asking, how is it right to change the rulebook midway through a season? And how bad does it look to rescind a penalty given to the defending champion? And what were the grounds again… because the fuel, although out of spec, doesn’t really enhance performance?
The AMA really opened Pandora’s box with this one.
Number one, there is no question about what’s in the rule book… it denotes the lead levels and the penalty for infraction. It’s been there for the past three years. Everyone knew about it.
Number two, there is also no question that it’s a relatively bogus rule. Relative, in that there are serious questions about the rule’s purpose and intent. Apparently, the lead level as stated in the rule is so low that unleaded pump gas is considered illegal. Add to that the opinion by many that this small level of lead is in no way beneficial to a rider, and that equals a rule that is questionable at best.
But no one can question the fact that the rule exists. The AMA was well within its rights to enforce it, just as it had enforced the rule against Kawasaki in 2005 and Yamaha in 2004. So the question changed to the penalty… was it too strict?
According to Team Suzuki manager Roger DeCoster, hell yeah. Check out Roger’s latest interview (again, courtesy Racer X Online). This issue was so intense, he actually had to tell his team to “Stay off the internet” this week. Roger even admits that he wished he had stood up when the same penalty happened to Yamaha two years ago: “I feel bad that I did not go out of my way and ask to help them. I didn’t go over and ask if I could help,” DeCoster also added, “…but they also did not come to me and say, “Can we band together?”
So… what does it all mean, Gene? To me, it just reinforces the fact that the American Motorcyclist Association really needs to get out of the business of professional motorcycle sport. AMA referee Steve Whitelock is a great guy, no doubt, but his organization has consistently demonstrated an inability to conduct business in a serious, well-thought-out manner. As I mentioned in an earlier entry, now that American Honda has bailed from the AMA’s Board of Directors, it is just a matter of time before the other manufacturers follow… and this last debacle, for that is truly what this was, could be just the spark to ignite a mass exodus. I am really interested in hearing Yamaha and Kawasaki’s response to this latest development.
February 28, 2006
An Open Response to RC’s Open Letter
[see RC's original letter over at Racer X Online]
Rick, you are The Man. What you have done for the sport of motocross in America will never be forgotten. The mental images of you that were burned in my memory by your blinding speed on the track will be cherished forever. I personally thank you for all you have done.
Now you know, after all of that, I’m about to say something you probably won’t like… and you’re right. With regards to this bum deal you got due to your team getting caught with illegal fuel, I would like to politely suggest, using a term made popular on the internet, that you STFU. With all due respect, of course.
The reason I say this is because I truly believe there is nothing left to be said. We can argue about the rule itself, its history, and whether the penalty is fair, even though it’s the very same penalty used for the last two years. None of that changes the fact that your gas was indeed illegal. You complain that you have not been allowed to appeal; on what basis would you appeal? This is about as open-and-shut as it gets.
Rick, no one in the entire world believes that you need special gas to kick anyone’s ass. I personally believe that you could probably win the outdoor championship on a 250F against the others’ 450s… but that’s just me. It is very clear to me that a mistake was made on Suzuki’s part, not in attempting to cheat, but in not being diligent enough to prevent this awful mess from starting in the first place. Accept it and move on. It doesn’t change the fans’ acceptance of and love for you.
At the very least, Rick, leave all the political squabbling to the other Man, Roger DeCoster. He’s very good at his job, as you surely know. You definitely don’t want to get caught up in the flying crap if this whole deal comes down to spurious allegations about tampering samples and points manipulation. Stay above the fray by keeping your mouth shut (publicly).
The real truth may come out someday, if it hasn’t already. And when that day comes, you’ll either be vindicated or proven wrong, but never scorned. Sure, some very fickle (and probably drunk) fans boo you here in Southern California, but you can rest assured that you have the respect and admiration of the vast majority of true motocross fans. We’ll never scorn you… unless you start toying with our emotions. Hinting that you might pull out of the supercross championship is definitely toying with us. We’re used to you being a straight shooter, RC. Playing coy is not your style. If you’re fed up, we’ll understand. If you suddenly no longer want to race supercross, that’s your prerogative and we’ll just have to accept it. Most of us will follow you to wherever your new adventures take you. To steal another pop culture phrase, “Just Do It!”
But dang man, don’t kid around about it!
Rick, you are The Man. What you have done for the sport of motocross in America will never be forgotten. The mental images of you that were burned in my memory by your blinding speed on the track will be cherished forever. I personally thank you for all you have done.
Now you know, after all of that, I’m about to say something you probably won’t like… and you’re right. With regards to this bum deal you got due to your team getting caught with illegal fuel, I would like to politely suggest, using a term made popular on the internet, that you STFU. With all due respect, of course.
The reason I say this is because I truly believe there is nothing left to be said. We can argue about the rule itself, its history, and whether the penalty is fair, even though it’s the very same penalty used for the last two years. None of that changes the fact that your gas was indeed illegal. You complain that you have not been allowed to appeal; on what basis would you appeal? This is about as open-and-shut as it gets.
Rick, no one in the entire world believes that you need special gas to kick anyone’s ass. I personally believe that you could probably win the outdoor championship on a 250F against the others’ 450s… but that’s just me. It is very clear to me that a mistake was made on Suzuki’s part, not in attempting to cheat, but in not being diligent enough to prevent this awful mess from starting in the first place. Accept it and move on. It doesn’t change the fans’ acceptance of and love for you.
At the very least, Rick, leave all the political squabbling to the other Man, Roger DeCoster. He’s very good at his job, as you surely know. You definitely don’t want to get caught up in the flying crap if this whole deal comes down to spurious allegations about tampering samples and points manipulation. Stay above the fray by keeping your mouth shut (publicly).
The real truth may come out someday, if it hasn’t already. And when that day comes, you’ll either be vindicated or proven wrong, but never scorned. Sure, some very fickle (and probably drunk) fans boo you here in Southern California, but you can rest assured that you have the respect and admiration of the vast majority of true motocross fans. We’ll never scorn you… unless you start toying with our emotions. Hinting that you might pull out of the supercross championship is definitely toying with us. We’re used to you being a straight shooter, RC. Playing coy is not your style. If you’re fed up, we’ll understand. If you suddenly no longer want to race supercross, that’s your prerogative and we’ll just have to accept it. Most of us will follow you to wherever your new adventures take you. To steal another pop culture phrase, “Just Do It!”
But dang man, don’t kid around about it!
February 24, 2006
Carmichael penalized 25 points!
Wow. Even bigger than "Sparkplug" is the news that Rick Carmichael has been docked 25 HUGE points for using "illegal" fuel at San Diego! Here's the story at Racer X Online.
Talk about shaking up the points. For any other rider, that could spell the end of a championship run. For RC, all bets are still off. And I can't imagine how pissed off he must be. Ironically, this means that all of the Big 3 (Stewart, Reed and now Carmichael) have been dinged for running illegal fuel at one point during their careers. Reed was '04, Stewart in '05 and now this.
Let's wait and see what Suzuki has to say.
Talk about shaking up the points. For any other rider, that could spell the end of a championship run. For RC, all bets are still off. And I can't imagine how pissed off he must be. Ironically, this means that all of the Big 3 (Stewart, Reed and now Carmichael) have been dinged for running illegal fuel at one point during their careers. Reed was '04, Stewart in '05 and now this.
Let's wait and see what Suzuki has to say.
Sparkplug 40
Today’s Sparkplug is a kinder, gentler Sparkplug. No rant today, just a look at a new trend in rider protection, the “lite” glove.
Way back last summer, I touched on the lack of innovation in certain types of MX gear in Sparkplug #9. The fact that I completely left gloves out of the discussion is testament to the truth that we don’t really think about gloves that much. Most of us wouldn’t dream of taking to the track without covering up our hands, but what is it that we really want our gloves to do for us?
In the latest issue of Motocross Action magazine, they do a pictorial on the latest gloves, and one thing stood out: the coolest-looking, most colorful, most affordable gloves offered by the top MX gear manufacturers look as they wouldn’t protect you very well in a serious get-off. Instead of protection, these gloves seem to be designed for comfort and touch. Let’s take a look at a few.
Here’s the No Fear “Rogue” model (they’re saying this particular glove was designed for maximum comfort and control).
Here’s Shift’s “Team” glove:
Here’s Fox Racing’s “Matrix”:
Here’s Alloy’s “Clutch” glove (I posted links instead of pics to avoid copyright infringement and bandwidth stealing).
These are all a far cry from those old pigskin gloves some of us used to ride with. You remember them, with the rubber strips sewn along the back to offer “protection.” Back then, the purpose of “dirt bike” gloves was pretty clear: protect the back of the hand from tree branches and other hard objects. The gloves above are clearly not designed to protect the back of the hand from serious impacts. Instead, these gloves are designed to enhance bike control. Say what?
Think about it: the bike/rider interface is dependent on just a few contact patches, all of which are constantly engaging and disengaging from the bike. We certainly ride by the “seat of our pants”, relying on our butts and inner legs to contact, control and communicate with the bike. Our feet play a major role of course, but our hands are hands down (sorry) the most important point of contact that we have with the motorcycle. As such, it is extremely important that our hands remain “happy.” That is to say, comfortable. The need to be able to comfortably grip the throttle and actuate the levers, without binding or pinching and with a solid, in-control feel.
Right now, the most important things a glove can protect a hand from is blisters. Yes, we want our gloves to keep our hand from getting shredded into hamburger during an endo, but hopefully we’ll spend more time in the saddle than on the ground. And that’s the gamble we’re willing to take, trading protection for comfort. But my question is this: is it really impossible to have both? And what about a glove that goes beyond abrasion protection and makes bone protection part of its mission statement? How about a glove that prevents your fingers and thumbs from being hyperextended, the way knee braces work? How about a glove that includes integrated wrist protection?
I love the way our gear manufacturers come up with great styles year after year. But I would really like to see them address the safety issue with the same energy and creativity.
Way back last summer, I touched on the lack of innovation in certain types of MX gear in Sparkplug #9. The fact that I completely left gloves out of the discussion is testament to the truth that we don’t really think about gloves that much. Most of us wouldn’t dream of taking to the track without covering up our hands, but what is it that we really want our gloves to do for us?
In the latest issue of Motocross Action magazine, they do a pictorial on the latest gloves, and one thing stood out: the coolest-looking, most colorful, most affordable gloves offered by the top MX gear manufacturers look as they wouldn’t protect you very well in a serious get-off. Instead of protection, these gloves seem to be designed for comfort and touch. Let’s take a look at a few.
Here’s the No Fear “Rogue” model (they’re saying this particular glove was designed for maximum comfort and control).
Here’s Shift’s “Team” glove:
Here’s Fox Racing’s “Matrix”:
Here’s Alloy’s “Clutch” glove (I posted links instead of pics to avoid copyright infringement and bandwidth stealing).
These are all a far cry from those old pigskin gloves some of us used to ride with. You remember them, with the rubber strips sewn along the back to offer “protection.” Back then, the purpose of “dirt bike” gloves was pretty clear: protect the back of the hand from tree branches and other hard objects. The gloves above are clearly not designed to protect the back of the hand from serious impacts. Instead, these gloves are designed to enhance bike control. Say what?
Think about it: the bike/rider interface is dependent on just a few contact patches, all of which are constantly engaging and disengaging from the bike. We certainly ride by the “seat of our pants”, relying on our butts and inner legs to contact, control and communicate with the bike. Our feet play a major role of course, but our hands are hands down (sorry) the most important point of contact that we have with the motorcycle. As such, it is extremely important that our hands remain “happy.” That is to say, comfortable. The need to be able to comfortably grip the throttle and actuate the levers, without binding or pinching and with a solid, in-control feel.
Right now, the most important things a glove can protect a hand from is blisters. Yes, we want our gloves to keep our hand from getting shredded into hamburger during an endo, but hopefully we’ll spend more time in the saddle than on the ground. And that’s the gamble we’re willing to take, trading protection for comfort. But my question is this: is it really impossible to have both? And what about a glove that goes beyond abrasion protection and makes bone protection part of its mission statement? How about a glove that prevents your fingers and thumbs from being hyperextended, the way knee braces work? How about a glove that includes integrated wrist protection?
I love the way our gear manufacturers come up with great styles year after year. But I would really like to see them address the safety issue with the same energy and creativity.
February 21, 2006
Honda To AMA: "See Ya!"
This could be the "shot heard 'round the world", if by "shot" you mean "press release" and if by "'round the world" you mean the American motorcycle industry. In any case, American Honda has pulled it's representative from the AMA Board of Directors, ending a 30-year-span of continuous membership on the sanctioning body's board. Here's the press release, courtesy Racer X Online.
What does this mean for the sport of motocross? In the release, Honda maintains that it will continue participating in AMA competition and that it will continue to hold it's corporate membership with the organization. But there's no question that the door just swung wide open for another sanctioning body to step up to the plate. The AMA's strongest point, with regards to professional motorcycle competition in this country, has been the fact that most of the major Japanese OEMs sat on it's board of directors. Now that Honda has bailed, who's next? And if they all abandon the (maybe not quite sinking, but certainly listing) ship, look for a bunch of new racing series to spring up out of nowhere.
I think it's time for a change anyway, so I am looking forward to what happens next.
What does this mean for the sport of motocross? In the release, Honda maintains that it will continue participating in AMA competition and that it will continue to hold it's corporate membership with the organization. But there's no question that the door just swung wide open for another sanctioning body to step up to the plate. The AMA's strongest point, with regards to professional motorcycle competition in this country, has been the fact that most of the major Japanese OEMs sat on it's board of directors. Now that Honda has bailed, who's next? And if they all abandon the (maybe not quite sinking, but certainly listing) ship, look for a bunch of new racing series to spring up out of nowhere.
I think it's time for a change anyway, so I am looking forward to what happens next.
Am I Wrong About Ralph?
After reading an article about Ralph Sheheen in the March Racer X Illustrated, I realize that I have been incorrect about his experience as a motocross announcer. In the article, which was a quickie interview by Davey Coombs, Sheheen claimed that he announced many races up in Northern California, including the USGP at Hollister, as well as a few supercross races for cable television.
And to think, I was CONVINCED that he had never called a race before. I was wrong.
So I went to the Speed Channel’s website and looked up Ralph’s biography, which you can peruse here. Looking through the brief write-up, the words “motocross” and “supercross” or even “United States Grand Prix” are all missing. In the interest of maybe saving valuable website bandwidth (?), the Speed Channel website content gurus apparently condensed all of Ralph’s experience into the sentence, “…has covered all forms of motor sports from swamp buggies to Formula One…”
Hmmm.
Now, I do not doubt for one minute the veracity of Ralph’s claims made in that interview in Racer X. Not one minute. But I am perplexed that Speed omitted some very important parts of Ralph’s resume. Not that it really matters, anyway… he, in my opinion, continues to be at best a mediocre supercross play-by-play announcer and while I admit I was wrong about his background, I still think he (and Krista Voda) should be replaced.
And to think, I was CONVINCED that he had never called a race before. I was wrong.
So I went to the Speed Channel’s website and looked up Ralph’s biography, which you can peruse here. Looking through the brief write-up, the words “motocross” and “supercross” or even “United States Grand Prix” are all missing. In the interest of maybe saving valuable website bandwidth (?), the Speed Channel website content gurus apparently condensed all of Ralph’s experience into the sentence, “…has covered all forms of motor sports from swamp buggies to Formula One…”
Hmmm.
Now, I do not doubt for one minute the veracity of Ralph’s claims made in that interview in Racer X. Not one minute. But I am perplexed that Speed omitted some very important parts of Ralph’s resume. Not that it really matters, anyway… he, in my opinion, continues to be at best a mediocre supercross play-by-play announcer and while I admit I was wrong about his background, I still think he (and Krista Voda) should be replaced.
February 20, 2006
How About That Race??
Wow! Did that race have everything or what? Drama, excitement, crashes, unexpected turns... man, I never thought that Jimmie Johnson would pull it off!
Oh yeah, the St. Louis Supercross was pretty good too, huh? Just kidding... I watched the Daytona 500 yesterday and really enjoyed it, but the St. Louis SX was completely off the chain! I listened to the race on Saturday night and went to bed in disbelief. And I couldn't wait to see it on CBS on Sunday. I had to see for myself the fact that it took James Stewart three laps to pass Jeff Dement! Sheesh!
Carmichael's bike literally tried to kill him. It slammed him to the ground with a vengeance and just missed hitting him a second time. Some say RC's luck has just run out, but I say he was damn lucky to escape that crash without breaking a few bones. I hope to God that he's alright. Like the soldier that he is, he answered the call for the semi and won it just as expected. But nobody could believe that his Suzuki actually broke in the main!
And what are the odds that Stewart's bike would also break just a few laps later?? Unreal!
To top it all off, for a moment it looked as if IVAN TEDESCO was going to win his first 450F SX main! IT was flying, but Speedy Chad Reedy finally got his second wind and ran Ivan down and over. Congratulations to Skippy for the win AND the points lead! Like I said before, Wow!
Now I REALLY wish I were going to Atlanta!
Oh yeah, the St. Louis Supercross was pretty good too, huh? Just kidding... I watched the Daytona 500 yesterday and really enjoyed it, but the St. Louis SX was completely off the chain! I listened to the race on Saturday night and went to bed in disbelief. And I couldn't wait to see it on CBS on Sunday. I had to see for myself the fact that it took James Stewart three laps to pass Jeff Dement! Sheesh!
Carmichael's bike literally tried to kill him. It slammed him to the ground with a vengeance and just missed hitting him a second time. Some say RC's luck has just run out, but I say he was damn lucky to escape that crash without breaking a few bones. I hope to God that he's alright. Like the soldier that he is, he answered the call for the semi and won it just as expected. But nobody could believe that his Suzuki actually broke in the main!
And what are the odds that Stewart's bike would also break just a few laps later?? Unreal!
To top it all off, for a moment it looked as if IVAN TEDESCO was going to win his first 450F SX main! IT was flying, but Speedy Chad Reedy finally got his second wind and ran Ivan down and over. Congratulations to Skippy for the win AND the points lead! Like I said before, Wow!
Now I REALLY wish I were going to Atlanta!
February 17, 2006
Sparkplug 39
Well, the only way you could possibly miss the Winter Olympics telecasts is if your television is broken or you failed to pay your electricity bill. So with that in mind (the Olympics, not your dire personal situation), this week's Sparkplug is all about the Olympics and motorcycling, as in “Why the hell are motorcycling events excluded?”
I am old enough to say that I grew up in the era during which the Olympics truly represented the pinnacle of athletic achievement. Rare was the kid who did not aspire to stand on top of the podium to receive that special gold medal and hear the National Anthem played for his or her own personal triumph. EVERYONE in this country wanted to go to the Olympics and represent America. But the problem was, and still is, that not every sport is deemed “Olympic.”
For decades, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stuck to their guns and kept a lot of the newer sports segregated from their exalted Games. However, as the Games became more expensive they responded by becoming more commercialized, and the floodgates were opened for the new, more popular sports to get a toehold. The Olympics were held hostage to the almight television ratings, so drastic changes had to be made to battle the loss of viewers. All of a sudden, what was once the bastion of the amateur became the home of the professional. And once million dollar pro athletes were allowed into the Games, they were naturally followed by their million dollar brand name sponsors. Team Uniforms not only carried the name of the sportsman's home country, but also the name of the highest-bidding conglomerate. And still, the tv ratings sank.
So the Olympics held “exhibitions” of sports like mountain biking, mainly because mountain biking had already become wildly popular and had resurrected the entire bicycle industry. The same has happened with snowboarding. Yet the IOC has steadfastly refused to cross the line and allow motorsports to be represented at the Games, using the disengenious argument that a motor transforms the sport into a “non-athletic” endeavor because they're not human-powered.
Hmmm. Look at all of the Olympic “sports” that rely on non-human-powered vehicles: bobsledding, canoeing (whitewater), luge, sailing, skeleton. Ah, what's the point? We all know that a double-standard is being applied here, so why continue to fight it?
Why indeed. So my proposal is that an “Olympics of Motorsports” be organized, a once-every-two-years event that brings together ALL major forms of worldwide motorsports in practice today, both two- and four-wheeled. The host nation will have to be able to provide appropriate venues for each type of racing. If done correctly, can you imagine how big this would be? Here's my list of sports to include:
For Automobiles -
- Open wheel road racing
- Sportscar road racing
- Oval track pavement racing (NASCAR-style)
- Oval track dirt racing (World of Outlaws-style)
- Rally racing (and/or hillclimb)
- Drag racing
and for Motorcycles -
- Regular roadracing
- Supermoto roadracing
- Motocross
- Supercross
- Trials
- Cross Country
- Speedway
There you have it. Not too many disciplines, but enough to cover the sports well and to attract large worldwide audiences. Plus these sports provide plenty of opportunities for sponsorships and have a proven track record of generating good tv audiences. What do you think?
I am old enough to say that I grew up in the era during which the Olympics truly represented the pinnacle of athletic achievement. Rare was the kid who did not aspire to stand on top of the podium to receive that special gold medal and hear the National Anthem played for his or her own personal triumph. EVERYONE in this country wanted to go to the Olympics and represent America. But the problem was, and still is, that not every sport is deemed “Olympic.”
For decades, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stuck to their guns and kept a lot of the newer sports segregated from their exalted Games. However, as the Games became more expensive they responded by becoming more commercialized, and the floodgates were opened for the new, more popular sports to get a toehold. The Olympics were held hostage to the almight television ratings, so drastic changes had to be made to battle the loss of viewers. All of a sudden, what was once the bastion of the amateur became the home of the professional. And once million dollar pro athletes were allowed into the Games, they were naturally followed by their million dollar brand name sponsors. Team Uniforms not only carried the name of the sportsman's home country, but also the name of the highest-bidding conglomerate. And still, the tv ratings sank.
So the Olympics held “exhibitions” of sports like mountain biking, mainly because mountain biking had already become wildly popular and had resurrected the entire bicycle industry. The same has happened with snowboarding. Yet the IOC has steadfastly refused to cross the line and allow motorsports to be represented at the Games, using the disengenious argument that a motor transforms the sport into a “non-athletic” endeavor because they're not human-powered.
Hmmm. Look at all of the Olympic “sports” that rely on non-human-powered vehicles: bobsledding, canoeing (whitewater), luge, sailing, skeleton. Ah, what's the point? We all know that a double-standard is being applied here, so why continue to fight it?
Why indeed. So my proposal is that an “Olympics of Motorsports” be organized, a once-every-two-years event that brings together ALL major forms of worldwide motorsports in practice today, both two- and four-wheeled. The host nation will have to be able to provide appropriate venues for each type of racing. If done correctly, can you imagine how big this would be? Here's my list of sports to include:
For Automobiles -
- Open wheel road racing
- Sportscar road racing
- Oval track pavement racing (NASCAR-style)
- Oval track dirt racing (World of Outlaws-style)
- Rally racing (and/or hillclimb)
- Drag racing
and for Motorcycles -
- Regular roadracing
- Supermoto roadracing
- Motocross
- Supercross
- Trials
- Cross Country
- Speedway
There you have it. Not too many disciplines, but enough to cover the sports well and to attract large worldwide audiences. Plus these sports provide plenty of opportunities for sponsorships and have a proven track record of generating good tv audiences. What do you think?
February 15, 2006
David Bailey Rides Again!
Oh my friggin' God! You have to see this video: David Bailey riding a modified CRF450, courtesy Transworld MX Online. More than unbelievable, it's downright inspirational. And he jumps that darn bike farther than I would!
All I can say is "Wow!"
All I can say is "Wow!"
February 10, 2006
Sparkplug 38
Alright, I’m laying it on the line this week, no holds barred. I’m talking about motocross on television in America. And the reason I’m talking about it is because the situation sucks and it has sucked for too long now.
“What situation?” you ask. “Didn’t Clear Channel report that ratings for the supercross series have been great??” Sure they did; you can read it for yourself here at Cycle News Online. In fact, they’re saying that this “…series has been watched by more fans this season than ever before in the sport’s history…”
But did you see the actual ratings numbers? 1.5! That’s “one-point-five.” As in less than two. So what does that mean? According to Yahoo, “There are an estimated 110.2 million television households in the USA. A single ratings point represents 1%, or 1,102,000 households for the 2005-06 season.”
So according to the Nielsen ratings (a scam if there ever was one, but that’s another story), the Amp’d Mobile Supercross series was able to draw an audience of 1,635,000 viewers for just one broadcast. In fact, that rating is high enough to put the show in the top ten list of sports programs for the week… not counting the superbowl, of course. Well shucks, where’s the champagne?
But here’s the kicker: network television is dead, Jim. Been dead for a while. The networks have been hemorrhaging viewers to “other” forms of media for over twenty years now. So getting real excited about these network ratings NOW is a little bit late. In fact, it’s my opinion that the only reason we’re seeing MX on a network now is because they’re, basically, desperate. Particularly the so-called “Tiffany Network”, CBS, which does not have an X-Games or a Gravity Games to appeal to the much-sought after extreme sports audience.
So to the ratings gods, we hereby sacrifice our sport: “Oh god, please let us get a 1.6 this weekend! We’ll do anything… we’ll… hire announcers that have no working knowledge of the sport! How’s that for a good idea??”
Yes, I took a round-about way to get to what’s really bugging me: Ralph and Krista. But my problem with them goes beyond the fact that they’re basically unqualified for their positions. My problem is that in this country, motocross/supercross has such low self-esteem that it has historically accepted the worst possible television packages. Put another way, if the sport were a nerdy elementary school kid, it would be the one that gets beat up by the school bully everyday and gets their lunch money taken each time. And when the bully finally tires of the beating and just demands the money, the kid, our sport, is actually grateful that the extortion continue “because it used to be much worse.”
You hear it all the time: “Why are you complaining about the CBS broadcasts, jerk? Why, I remember when we used to wait SIX MONTHS for ABC to air the U.S.G.P. at Carlsbad!” The entire motocross industry has been bullied by the American media conglomerates. ESPN used to say “You’ll take these weird timeslots and last-minute schedule changes and LIKE IT!” And that’s just what we did. And when this year’s joint CBS/Speed Channel coverage was announced, with (brace yourself) NEXT DAY COVERAGE… well, we collectively soiled ourselves in excitement.
And for those few still willing to complain… about the fact that the 250F class is omitted from network coverage, about the fact that editing of the program leaves a lot to be desired, about the fact that fully two-thirds of the announcing crew are not qualified to announce a local PeeWee race… ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE SPORT DESERVES AND DEMANDS LIVE COVERAGE… well, we just get bashed for being unreasonable and ungrateful.
So back to my pet peeve. Look, there is no way in hell that CBS would put a rookie announcer in the lineup of ANY OTHER SPORT THEY AIR. Think about it. CBS airs a lot of different sports; can you imagine that they would show an ice skating event using announcers with zero experience in the sport? They certainly wouldn’t do it for any of the stick-and-ball sports. Hell, they wouldn’t do it for girl’s collegiate basketball! So how is it possible that it is acceptable for the greatest form of motorsport in the world? You want to know how? I just explained it: because this industry is just happy to be in the game. We’ll take whatever scraps they throw at us. We have no pride, our sense of self-worth is truncated. And somebody needs to stand up for this sport and demand that we be treated with respect.
Back to the ratings issue. It is my fervent (yes, I said “fervent”) belief that supercross can garner network ratings of over 5 points. The sport is dynamic; it is visually stimulating; it has a rich history and it is populated by great characters. But it needs to be treated with respect as a legitimate sport, as legitimate human competition. To steal a line from Lance Armstrong, “It’s not about the bike…” Now, I’ll give credit to the current series in that they seem to be playing the human aspect of the Big Three well, but this sport is more than RC/Stewart/Reed. That may be the storyline for this season, but it’s not the story of the sport. This is a great sport!
But the single biggest change that HAS to happen, that will trigger a MASSIVE audience, in my opinion, is live coverage on Friday or Saturday nights. We don’t have to broadcast the entire show; we can show highlights from the heats, etc. But we have to show both classes LIVE. It will become a must-see event, because supercross is naturally compelling. Sure, there are a lot of people who couldn’t care less… we don’t need them to get a 5 rating. We just need to put the sport in the best possible timeslot, keep it there consistently, promote it properly and use experienced pros to create the broadcast. Then we can sit back and watch this thing takeoff like those fireworks in the opening. It’ll be awesome. And that's just the start...
“What situation?” you ask. “Didn’t Clear Channel report that ratings for the supercross series have been great??” Sure they did; you can read it for yourself here at Cycle News Online. In fact, they’re saying that this “…series has been watched by more fans this season than ever before in the sport’s history…”
But did you see the actual ratings numbers? 1.5! That’s “one-point-five.” As in less than two. So what does that mean? According to Yahoo, “There are an estimated 110.2 million television households in the USA. A single ratings point represents 1%, or 1,102,000 households for the 2005-06 season.”
So according to the Nielsen ratings (a scam if there ever was one, but that’s another story), the Amp’d Mobile Supercross series was able to draw an audience of 1,635,000 viewers for just one broadcast. In fact, that rating is high enough to put the show in the top ten list of sports programs for the week… not counting the superbowl, of course. Well shucks, where’s the champagne?
But here’s the kicker: network television is dead, Jim. Been dead for a while. The networks have been hemorrhaging viewers to “other” forms of media for over twenty years now. So getting real excited about these network ratings NOW is a little bit late. In fact, it’s my opinion that the only reason we’re seeing MX on a network now is because they’re, basically, desperate. Particularly the so-called “Tiffany Network”, CBS, which does not have an X-Games or a Gravity Games to appeal to the much-sought after extreme sports audience.
So to the ratings gods, we hereby sacrifice our sport: “Oh god, please let us get a 1.6 this weekend! We’ll do anything… we’ll… hire announcers that have no working knowledge of the sport! How’s that for a good idea??”
Yes, I took a round-about way to get to what’s really bugging me: Ralph and Krista. But my problem with them goes beyond the fact that they’re basically unqualified for their positions. My problem is that in this country, motocross/supercross has such low self-esteem that it has historically accepted the worst possible television packages. Put another way, if the sport were a nerdy elementary school kid, it would be the one that gets beat up by the school bully everyday and gets their lunch money taken each time. And when the bully finally tires of the beating and just demands the money, the kid, our sport, is actually grateful that the extortion continue “because it used to be much worse.”
You hear it all the time: “Why are you complaining about the CBS broadcasts, jerk? Why, I remember when we used to wait SIX MONTHS for ABC to air the U.S.G.P. at Carlsbad!” The entire motocross industry has been bullied by the American media conglomerates. ESPN used to say “You’ll take these weird timeslots and last-minute schedule changes and LIKE IT!” And that’s just what we did. And when this year’s joint CBS/Speed Channel coverage was announced, with (brace yourself) NEXT DAY COVERAGE… well, we collectively soiled ourselves in excitement.
And for those few still willing to complain… about the fact that the 250F class is omitted from network coverage, about the fact that editing of the program leaves a lot to be desired, about the fact that fully two-thirds of the announcing crew are not qualified to announce a local PeeWee race… ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE SPORT DESERVES AND DEMANDS LIVE COVERAGE… well, we just get bashed for being unreasonable and ungrateful.
So back to my pet peeve. Look, there is no way in hell that CBS would put a rookie announcer in the lineup of ANY OTHER SPORT THEY AIR. Think about it. CBS airs a lot of different sports; can you imagine that they would show an ice skating event using announcers with zero experience in the sport? They certainly wouldn’t do it for any of the stick-and-ball sports. Hell, they wouldn’t do it for girl’s collegiate basketball! So how is it possible that it is acceptable for the greatest form of motorsport in the world? You want to know how? I just explained it: because this industry is just happy to be in the game. We’ll take whatever scraps they throw at us. We have no pride, our sense of self-worth is truncated. And somebody needs to stand up for this sport and demand that we be treated with respect.
Back to the ratings issue. It is my fervent (yes, I said “fervent”) belief that supercross can garner network ratings of over 5 points. The sport is dynamic; it is visually stimulating; it has a rich history and it is populated by great characters. But it needs to be treated with respect as a legitimate sport, as legitimate human competition. To steal a line from Lance Armstrong, “It’s not about the bike…” Now, I’ll give credit to the current series in that they seem to be playing the human aspect of the Big Three well, but this sport is more than RC/Stewart/Reed. That may be the storyline for this season, but it’s not the story of the sport. This is a great sport!
But the single biggest change that HAS to happen, that will trigger a MASSIVE audience, in my opinion, is live coverage on Friday or Saturday nights. We don’t have to broadcast the entire show; we can show highlights from the heats, etc. But we have to show both classes LIVE. It will become a must-see event, because supercross is naturally compelling. Sure, there are a lot of people who couldn’t care less… we don’t need them to get a 5 rating. We just need to put the sport in the best possible timeslot, keep it there consistently, promote it properly and use experienced pros to create the broadcast. Then we can sit back and watch this thing takeoff like those fireworks in the opening. It’ll be awesome. And that's just the start...
February 09, 2006
The Jeremy McGrath Invitational?
You gotta love Racer X Online... always posting interesting press releases, like this one. It was announced today that the King of Supercross, Jeremy McGrath, is promoting a special invitational supercross this year, to be held in early October!
Shades of Summercross!
This time, instead of the Los Angeles Coliseum, MC's race will be held in the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, just a few miles down the road from the Coliseum. The Home Depot Center is a pretty nice facility... it has hosted some major World Cup soccer games, so there's plenty of room for a supercross there.
But is there room for another supercross in the so-called "off season?" I don't know, but as a Southern California resident I can only smile that smug "we got another race to attend!" smile that some of you love to hate!
Shades of Summercross!
This time, instead of the Los Angeles Coliseum, MC's race will be held in the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, just a few miles down the road from the Coliseum. The Home Depot Center is a pretty nice facility... it has hosted some major World Cup soccer games, so there's plenty of room for a supercross there.
But is there room for another supercross in the so-called "off season?" I don't know, but as a Southern California resident I can only smile that smug "we got another race to attend!" smile that some of you love to hate!
February 08, 2006
Godspeed, Kevin Crine
Shocking news today. Kevin Crine, a superfast privateer based in my old home district of the State of Maryland, was killed in an auto accident. Here's the story at Racer X Online.
I didn't know Kevin personally, but my heart goes out to his family.
I didn't know Kevin personally, but my heart goes out to his family.
February 07, 2006
National Couch Racing Series?
That crazy Jason Weigandt is at it again. Over at his blog in The Racing Paper, he’s running a story that claims that ATV racing is on the cusp of the big time, noting that Suzuki just spent big bucks wining and dining motojournalists for the introduction of its new quad racer, the LT-R 450.
Basically, he’s saying that the National Motocross promoters are looking to begin a series for four-wheelers!
Heaven help us all.
Seriously, though, when you consider the fact that quads outsell motocross bikes by like a 50 to 1 margin (exaggerating here), it makes sense that the big manufacturers would get behind a racing series dedicated to the couches. But if they build it, will you come? Er, show up?
As for me, I wouldn’t mind having a 450 c.c., fuel-injected quad racer in my garage. But as far as the racing part goes, I’d have to see if first. So bring it on!
Basically, he’s saying that the National Motocross promoters are looking to begin a series for four-wheelers!
Heaven help us all.
Seriously, though, when you consider the fact that quads outsell motocross bikes by like a 50 to 1 margin (exaggerating here), it makes sense that the big manufacturers would get behind a racing series dedicated to the couches. But if they build it, will you come? Er, show up?
As for me, I wouldn’t mind having a 450 c.c., fuel-injected quad racer in my garage. But as far as the racing part goes, I’d have to see if first. So bring it on!
February 06, 2006
What's up with that front wheel, James?
Wow, after watching A3 on the Speed Channel yesterday (right before the Superbowl... whoohoo!) it became very clear to me that my man James Stewart was having serious difficulty with his left turns. Going for the holeshot in the main, his Kawasaki washed out in the first turn, dropping him back to last place. A few laps later, in another left hand turn, he washed out again. And then there was that crash involving Jeremy McGrath, but that was more of a mental error, as James took MC high in the bowl turn leaving poor Jeremy nowhere to go but into the Kawasaki's rear wheel. MC took James down, but in my eyes it was James' fault.
Watching the laptimes, it was clear that James was just as fast as Carmichael, but man, they must have been giving him fits back in the pack because once he broke into the top ten it took him forever to advance. In any case, it was another fantastic race in a phenomenal series, and San Diego is sure to be off the hook!
I just wonder what they'll do about that front end problem?
Watching the laptimes, it was clear that James was just as fast as Carmichael, but man, they must have been giving him fits back in the pack because once he broke into the top ten it took him forever to advance. In any case, it was another fantastic race in a phenomenal series, and San Diego is sure to be off the hook!
I just wonder what they'll do about that front end problem?
What? Another Missing Sparkplug?!
Ah, technology. Yep, that's my excuse this time. I was out of town on business Thursday and Friday and I tried to complete and update "Sparkplug" using the "high speed" internet connection in my hotel room. I put "high speed" in quotation marks because it was anything but fast. And it caused my MS Word program to crash for some reason. So instead of throwing my laptop out of the window in frustration, I spent the evening watching "Beauty and the Geek."
I will post a belated "Sparkplug" tomorrow, and my subject will be the state of Supercross television.
I will post a belated "Sparkplug" tomorrow, and my subject will be the state of Supercross television.
January 27, 2006
Sparkplug 37
You’re probably thinking “It’s about damn time!” Yeah, I've been "slacking in my pimping," as the kids say. Sorry for last week’s brain fart, it happens to the best of us (and the rest of us). This week’s topic is kind of wide-ranging, but the general topic is the fantastic supercross season that has just gotten underway.
Last Sunday, after watching the CBS coverage of A2, I received a phone call from my good friend Mark from Maryland. He and I used to be riding buds, but now he’s a fair weather mx fan at best, despite the fact that he lives basically next door to the famous Budds Creek facility. Anyway, Mark called me because he was still buzzing from seeing that awesome battle between RC and James, and he was now convinced that a “conspiracy” existed to deny James the 2006 supercross title. Mark went on and on about how “convenient” it was that a Suzuki rider (Rockstar Suzuki’s Mike Brown) happened to be on the ground at just the wrong place for James.
When I pointed out that Mike Brown was also involved in Stewart’s first-turn crash in Phoenix, that set my friend off even more!
Personally, I think it was just racing. I don’t think there’s a plan to deny Stewart anything, but there is a plan in the works… to make the racing more exciting by making the tracks easier. And that’s another subject that has received a lot of attention in the supercross world this week.
Just about everybody who’s anybody has said that the layout at A1 was technical, maybe too difficult. Certainly the whoops got everyone’s attention… between practice sessions, I saw both Roger DeCoster and Erik Kehoe walk the section to see if any decent changes had been made. I didn’t see the Phoenix track, but everyone said the A2 track was “too easy.”
Well, not everyone. Andy Bowyer, in his Thursday Rev Up over at Racer X Online had this to say:
“I think the track was a genius effort in creating the more four-stroke-friendly courses of the future. This isn’t BMX, and this isn’t freestyle motocross. In my opinion, we do not need “courses” for better action; we need “racetracks.” Spice up last week’s track just a little bit more and I think the Dirt Wurx crew will have it dialed.”
But Rick Carmichael DID think the track was changed to affect the competition. Here’s what he said in his interview with Steve Bruhn over at RX :
“If they want it to be where NASCAR is, NASCAR is good because there are 10 guys that can win. No one wants to watch a race where you know who is going to win. You want it to be a five-way battle. Unfortunately, it does suck for some of the top guys and take some of the advantages that you may have had away.”
So just when you start thinking, hmm, maybe there IS a conspiracy… Carmichael shuts that noise up by adding:
“But in the end, the best guy is always going to win. If the track is easy, then go faster.”
Ah, go faster, that’s all you have to do. And try not to have a brain fart when you encounter a rider down on the track, that’ll help, too.
So that’s what the “go fast boys” (as my friend Lliam likes to call them) have to say about this issue, but you’re probably wondering “What the heck does Pdub think about these tracks??” Well, brace yourself, here it comes: LiveNation and the AMA and DirtWurx can do whatever they like with the tracks, but it won’t make the racing any more competitive than it already is. The great racing and excitement that we’ve seen at all of the rounds so far is due to one thing… well, actually three of them. And their names are Carmichael, Reed and Stewart. Nobody else is in the same league. Sure, Tedesco and Larocco and McGrath and sometimes even Vuillemin can turn laps that are CLOSE to what the “Big Three” are running, but none of those guys can actually BEAT the “go fast boys”, not straight up. Although I think Ivan is getting really, really close.
So it doesn’t really make any difference if the tracks are so easy that even I could ride them, James and Chad and Rick will still run away from the pack. Heck, on the most “technical” track of the year, the leaders lapped up to tenth place. And let’s not forget that when Mike Brown fell on the “easy” A2 track and “caused” James to fall, he was being lapped for a SECOND TIME. Hmmm. Maybe if the powers-that-be really want to make the racing more competitive, instead of fooling with the tracks perhaps they should look at some rule changes, like black-flagging riders after they’ve been lapped?
P.S. - Props to my friends on MotoDrive for their suggestions for this week's topic! Yawl ROK!
Last Sunday, after watching the CBS coverage of A2, I received a phone call from my good friend Mark from Maryland. He and I used to be riding buds, but now he’s a fair weather mx fan at best, despite the fact that he lives basically next door to the famous Budds Creek facility. Anyway, Mark called me because he was still buzzing from seeing that awesome battle between RC and James, and he was now convinced that a “conspiracy” existed to deny James the 2006 supercross title. Mark went on and on about how “convenient” it was that a Suzuki rider (Rockstar Suzuki’s Mike Brown) happened to be on the ground at just the wrong place for James.
When I pointed out that Mike Brown was also involved in Stewart’s first-turn crash in Phoenix, that set my friend off even more!
Personally, I think it was just racing. I don’t think there’s a plan to deny Stewart anything, but there is a plan in the works… to make the racing more exciting by making the tracks easier. And that’s another subject that has received a lot of attention in the supercross world this week.
Just about everybody who’s anybody has said that the layout at A1 was technical, maybe too difficult. Certainly the whoops got everyone’s attention… between practice sessions, I saw both Roger DeCoster and Erik Kehoe walk the section to see if any decent changes had been made. I didn’t see the Phoenix track, but everyone said the A2 track was “too easy.”
Well, not everyone. Andy Bowyer, in his Thursday Rev Up over at Racer X Online had this to say:
“I think the track was a genius effort in creating the more four-stroke-friendly courses of the future. This isn’t BMX, and this isn’t freestyle motocross. In my opinion, we do not need “courses” for better action; we need “racetracks.” Spice up last week’s track just a little bit more and I think the Dirt Wurx crew will have it dialed.”
But Rick Carmichael DID think the track was changed to affect the competition. Here’s what he said in his interview with Steve Bruhn over at RX :
“If they want it to be where NASCAR is, NASCAR is good because there are 10 guys that can win. No one wants to watch a race where you know who is going to win. You want it to be a five-way battle. Unfortunately, it does suck for some of the top guys and take some of the advantages that you may have had away.”
So just when you start thinking, hmm, maybe there IS a conspiracy… Carmichael shuts that noise up by adding:
“But in the end, the best guy is always going to win. If the track is easy, then go faster.”
Ah, go faster, that’s all you have to do. And try not to have a brain fart when you encounter a rider down on the track, that’ll help, too.
So that’s what the “go fast boys” (as my friend Lliam likes to call them) have to say about this issue, but you’re probably wondering “What the heck does Pdub think about these tracks??” Well, brace yourself, here it comes: LiveNation and the AMA and DirtWurx can do whatever they like with the tracks, but it won’t make the racing any more competitive than it already is. The great racing and excitement that we’ve seen at all of the rounds so far is due to one thing… well, actually three of them. And their names are Carmichael, Reed and Stewart. Nobody else is in the same league. Sure, Tedesco and Larocco and McGrath and sometimes even Vuillemin can turn laps that are CLOSE to what the “Big Three” are running, but none of those guys can actually BEAT the “go fast boys”, not straight up. Although I think Ivan is getting really, really close.
So it doesn’t really make any difference if the tracks are so easy that even I could ride them, James and Chad and Rick will still run away from the pack. Heck, on the most “technical” track of the year, the leaders lapped up to tenth place. And let’s not forget that when Mike Brown fell on the “easy” A2 track and “caused” James to fall, he was being lapped for a SECOND TIME. Hmmm. Maybe if the powers-that-be really want to make the racing more competitive, instead of fooling with the tracks perhaps they should look at some rule changes, like black-flagging riders after they’ve been lapped?
P.S. - Props to my friends on MotoDrive for their suggestions for this week's topic! Yawl ROK!
January 25, 2006
Whatchoo Talking About, McGrath?
Donovan Mitchell posted a great little interview with the King of Supercross, Jeremy McGrath over at Racer X Online (read it here), but what tickled me was this quote by MC:
Ahem, did I just hear Chad Reed get called out?
Now, I like Jeremy very much, but the last time I checked the lap charts, Chad had him covered by much more than a half-second. So is he being serious, or is he just adding a little fuel to the fire that's already consuming Speedy Reedy? Either way, the next round is going to be spectacular!
I think between Ivan and myself, if we can find a half a second each lap,
we might have a chance at third.
Ahem, did I just hear Chad Reed get called out?
Now, I like Jeremy very much, but the last time I checked the lap charts, Chad had him covered by much more than a half-second. So is he being serious, or is he just adding a little fuel to the fire that's already consuming Speedy Reedy? Either way, the next round is going to be spectacular!
January 20, 2006
Where's Sparky?
Wow, talk about full disclosure! I'm just gonna man-up and admit it: I FORGOT to write a column for Sparkplug today! Yes, I know, that sucks, I suck and it sucks. All of that. My bad.
On the other hand, I'm stoked that I am going to A2 tomorrow, so I'm not too upset about the whole thing. You, however, will just have to get over it...!
On the other hand, I'm stoked that I am going to A2 tomorrow, so I'm not too upset about the whole thing. You, however, will just have to get over it...!
January 18, 2006
Townley Injured and Out: That Didn't Take Long
Just heard that New Zealander Ben Townley has injured himself in supercross practice. Here's the write up courtesy Racer X Online.
It was and still is a fairly common opinion that Townley has got the goods to win the outdoor 250F championship here in America, as long as he can survive his very first supercross season. Looks like he couldn't even survive supercross PRACTICE. Yikes.
Tough luck, Ben. Get well soon, heal up completely, and don't worry about it. We'll see ya at Hangtown.
It was and still is a fairly common opinion that Townley has got the goods to win the outdoor 250F championship here in America, as long as he can survive his very first supercross season. Looks like he couldn't even survive supercross PRACTICE. Yikes.
Tough luck, Ben. Get well soon, heal up completely, and don't worry about it. We'll see ya at Hangtown.
January 17, 2006
Carmichael Needed That Win
By now, even if you’ve only been paying a little attention to the Amp’d Supercross series, you probably know that Rick Carmichael piloted his fourstroke Suzuki to it’s first ever supercross win, and RC’s first win since, well, since too long ago. Despite the fact that Mr. Carmichael is the defending National supercross and World Supercross champion, before Saturday night he had not won a main event since… St. Louis ’05! Can that be right? Hard to believe, but true.
So, we can all excuse Mr. Carmichael for getting more than a little excited as he crossed the finish line in Phoenix. Heck, I was excited for him! It’s just funny to think that even the greatest motocross racer of all time needs the confidence-boost of a win every now and again. His mechanic’s pit board said it all: “Didn’t Forget.” What did it mean? Maybe “Didn’t forget to turn on the gas”? “Didn’t forget to make dinner reservations at Outback”? Perhaps “Didn’t forget to lock the motorhome on his way into the stadium”… no, of course it meant that RC proved that he “Didn’t forget” how to WIN.
Go on with your bad self, Mr. Carmichael. And YOU… if you miss A2, you’re going to miss something special!
So, we can all excuse Mr. Carmichael for getting more than a little excited as he crossed the finish line in Phoenix. Heck, I was excited for him! It’s just funny to think that even the greatest motocross racer of all time needs the confidence-boost of a win every now and again. His mechanic’s pit board said it all: “Didn’t Forget.” What did it mean? Maybe “Didn’t forget to turn on the gas”? “Didn’t forget to make dinner reservations at Outback”? Perhaps “Didn’t forget to lock the motorhome on his way into the stadium”… no, of course it meant that RC proved that he “Didn’t forget” how to WIN.
Go on with your bad self, Mr. Carmichael. And YOU… if you miss A2, you’re going to miss something special!
January 13, 2006
Sparkplug 36
The first race, if by “first” you mean “first American round”, of the season is usually full of unexpected developments, some pleasant and other not so. Here is my quick list of “things that surprised me” from this weekend's exciting race at the Amp'd Mobile Supercross in Anaheim.
1) The “killer whoops.” From the stands they didn't look that bad, but they collected just about everyone at some point during practice. It was so bad that they sent a bulldozer out to alter them a bit before the second practice, and later Team Honda's Eric Kehoe and Team Makita Suzuki's Roger DeCoster were seen walking through them to check out the changes. That one section was the hot topic of the night... and it turned out to be the deciding factor in the fight between the “Big Three.”
2) Ryan Villapoto getting out front and leading the 250F main for ten laps, and ended up finishing second to Andrew Short. The kid looked like an RC clone out there, cutting quick and consistent laps as if he had been doing it all his life. He made it very hard to believe it was his supercross debut.
3) Jason Lawrence fading into oblivion in the LCQ and not qualifying. He seemed sharp in practice, and his Rockstar Suzuki sported some of the tightest graphics out there, but apparently looks aren't everything.
4) Grant Langston coming from dead last to finish a points-salvaging fourth place in the 250F main, turning the fastest laps of the class.
5) Mike Alessi's overall performance. He looked good at the start of his heat, but was nowhere to be seen in the main.
6) Chad Reed qualifying out of his heat after getting knocked down at the start. He made it all the way back to second place! And his speed was no fluke; he would eventually turn the fastest lap of the night in the main.
7) Mike Larocco ran strong all night. He had a little trouble in his heat, but won his semi in style, and then held off Carmichael for a number of laps in the main!
8) A surprisingly strong Ivan Tedesco ran very well in his heat until Michael Byrne looped out in front of him. When the two were re-matched in the semi, Ivan came out on top, winning his very first 450F semi. Then in the main he got a second place start and stayed there for a good number of laps before his inexperience led to a small mistake and killed his momentum.
9) Ernesto Fonseca's main event holeshot. How long has it been since we've seen Ernie out in front?
10) RC blowing his lead in those aforementioned “killer whoops.” It was a very rare mistake by the master of consistency.
11) The “King of Supercross”, Jeremy McGrath, finishing outside the top ten, which speaks more to the immense talent in the 450F class than to any lack of speed on his part. Ladies and gentlemen, we have an exciting season of racing ahead of us this year!
1) The “killer whoops.” From the stands they didn't look that bad, but they collected just about everyone at some point during practice. It was so bad that they sent a bulldozer out to alter them a bit before the second practice, and later Team Honda's Eric Kehoe and Team Makita Suzuki's Roger DeCoster were seen walking through them to check out the changes. That one section was the hot topic of the night... and it turned out to be the deciding factor in the fight between the “Big Three.”
2) Ryan Villapoto getting out front and leading the 250F main for ten laps, and ended up finishing second to Andrew Short. The kid looked like an RC clone out there, cutting quick and consistent laps as if he had been doing it all his life. He made it very hard to believe it was his supercross debut.
3) Jason Lawrence fading into oblivion in the LCQ and not qualifying. He seemed sharp in practice, and his Rockstar Suzuki sported some of the tightest graphics out there, but apparently looks aren't everything.
4) Grant Langston coming from dead last to finish a points-salvaging fourth place in the 250F main, turning the fastest laps of the class.
5) Mike Alessi's overall performance. He looked good at the start of his heat, but was nowhere to be seen in the main.
6) Chad Reed qualifying out of his heat after getting knocked down at the start. He made it all the way back to second place! And his speed was no fluke; he would eventually turn the fastest lap of the night in the main.
7) Mike Larocco ran strong all night. He had a little trouble in his heat, but won his semi in style, and then held off Carmichael for a number of laps in the main!
8) A surprisingly strong Ivan Tedesco ran very well in his heat until Michael Byrne looped out in front of him. When the two were re-matched in the semi, Ivan came out on top, winning his very first 450F semi. Then in the main he got a second place start and stayed there for a good number of laps before his inexperience led to a small mistake and killed his momentum.
9) Ernesto Fonseca's main event holeshot. How long has it been since we've seen Ernie out in front?
10) RC blowing his lead in those aforementioned “killer whoops.” It was a very rare mistake by the master of consistency.
11) The “King of Supercross”, Jeremy McGrath, finishing outside the top ten, which speaks more to the immense talent in the 450F class than to any lack of speed on his part. Ladies and gentlemen, we have an exciting season of racing ahead of us this year!
January 09, 2006
Seeing is Believing
Sometimes you just have to see things with your own eyes. Most of us “saw” what happened in Canada via Speed or the CBS Preview, but we didn’t really “believe” what we laid eyes on. And we heard all of the talk, which some would even go so far as to call excuses: “I didn’t train to peak in Canada”, “These rounds are for training purposes”, “The real championship starts in Anaheim.” And all of that talk served to pump up the hype for A1.
Well now A1 is over, and James Stewart is sitting on a three-race win streak. Not only did he win at what the CBS announcers erroneously called “the birthplace of supercross” (that would be the L.A. Coliseum), but he did so after a mid-pack start, having to come from behind both of his main rivals. And he did so despite the fact that Chad Reed managed to set fast time for the night. Check out the great race reports at Transworld Motocross Online and Racer X Online for the details, if you haven’t already. It was a fantastic race!
So a lot of people left Angel Stadium buzzing about what they just witnessed, and more than one industry pundit is talking about the “torch being passed.” Is it now officially James Stewart time? I don’t think one race will tell, but I do think that if he pulls off the win in Phoenix in a similar manner, meaning another come-from-behind, chase-them-down-and-run-away victory, the sound you hear will be the pounding of the first nail in the coffin containing the title hopes for Carmichael and Reed.
Personally, I would like to see this championship chase go all the way down to the wire in Vegas.
Well now A1 is over, and James Stewart is sitting on a three-race win streak. Not only did he win at what the CBS announcers erroneously called “the birthplace of supercross” (that would be the L.A. Coliseum), but he did so after a mid-pack start, having to come from behind both of his main rivals. And he did so despite the fact that Chad Reed managed to set fast time for the night. Check out the great race reports at Transworld Motocross Online and Racer X Online for the details, if you haven’t already. It was a fantastic race!
So a lot of people left Angel Stadium buzzing about what they just witnessed, and more than one industry pundit is talking about the “torch being passed.” Is it now officially James Stewart time? I don’t think one race will tell, but I do think that if he pulls off the win in Phoenix in a similar manner, meaning another come-from-behind, chase-them-down-and-run-away victory, the sound you hear will be the pounding of the first nail in the coffin containing the title hopes for Carmichael and Reed.
Personally, I would like to see this championship chase go all the way down to the wire in Vegas.
January 06, 2006
Sparkplug 35
And now, in honor of the beginning of the great American stadium motocross championship series, better known now as the Amp'd AMA Supercross series or something like that... here is my pick for the title winner:
James Stewart, Jr.
Now, for the few of my readers that actually know me, my prediction should come as no surprise. After all, I erroneously predicted that James would win both indoors and outdoors in 2005. To the uninitiated it may seem that I have “Stewart Syndrome” or a “Bubba Bias”, even though it is not true, and he no longer wishes to be called by that nickname. I have actually come to my conclusion using solid evidence. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have proof that what I am foreseeing will actually come true.
What is this proof? Well, it consists of a number of things:
– Stewart's performance in Canada certainly tells us a story. One simple fact of that story that has been overlooked is that James took his KX450F to a major win in its maiden voyage. That says something about both James speed AND his steed. Two wins in Canada might not mean anything, points wise, for the American championship, but it certainly indicates that Kawasaki has provided James with a potent tool for the job.
– Stewart's performance at the Anaheim press conference appeared to strengthen the storyline started up North. He sounded relaxed and confident yet modest, and he gave every indication that he has changed from a “win every race” strategy to a “win the battle not the war” approach.
– Finally, Rick Johnson said so! Well not in so many words, but during his Wednesday night appearance on must-listen DMXS radio, the ex-Bad Boy noted that the fourstroke seems to force James to ride in a more relaxed style, and it apparently works for him, judging by his wins in Canuck-land.
So I'm picking James to win all the supercross marbles this year. But I am in no way suggesting that this will be an easy title for him or a boring season. I think Rick Carmichael will take James to the wire this season, with the championship being determined at the very last round in Las Vegas. And I also believe that Chad Reed will be surprised by a very strong challenge for third overall by the newest entry to the class, Ivan “just get the Tabasco sponsorship, dammit” Tedesco. Yep, you heard it here first.
Remember, I like Speedy Reedy a lot, and I think he will win a round or two this year. But I also think that Tedesco will get on the podium more than once, warming Roger Decoster's heart while giving Chad heartburn.
As for the rest of the field, I think we will see standout performances by Tim Ferry this year, as I do believe (and hope) he'll have a small chip on his shoulder for being kicked out of the factory circle. We'll see. And we'll also see how all-around good guy David Vuillemin gets around on that Honda oil burner. DV may make a podium, but I don't think he has a win in him this year. Finally, I cannot forget Michael Byrne. I don't know if Burner will be on the Kawi thumper, but if he is I am sure it will only help him go even faster. He may end up challenging Ivan for fourth overall.
So those are my picks for '06. And here they are again, in easy to swallow table form:
1) James Stewart
2) Rick Carmichael
3) Chad Reed
4) Ivan Tabasco
5) Michael Byrne
See you at A1!
James Stewart, Jr.
Now, for the few of my readers that actually know me, my prediction should come as no surprise. After all, I erroneously predicted that James would win both indoors and outdoors in 2005. To the uninitiated it may seem that I have “Stewart Syndrome” or a “Bubba Bias”, even though it is not true, and he no longer wishes to be called by that nickname. I have actually come to my conclusion using solid evidence. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have proof that what I am foreseeing will actually come true.
What is this proof? Well, it consists of a number of things:
– Stewart's performance in Canada certainly tells us a story. One simple fact of that story that has been overlooked is that James took his KX450F to a major win in its maiden voyage. That says something about both James speed AND his steed. Two wins in Canada might not mean anything, points wise, for the American championship, but it certainly indicates that Kawasaki has provided James with a potent tool for the job.
– Stewart's performance at the Anaheim press conference appeared to strengthen the storyline started up North. He sounded relaxed and confident yet modest, and he gave every indication that he has changed from a “win every race” strategy to a “win the battle not the war” approach.
– Finally, Rick Johnson said so! Well not in so many words, but during his Wednesday night appearance on must-listen DMXS radio, the ex-Bad Boy noted that the fourstroke seems to force James to ride in a more relaxed style, and it apparently works for him, judging by his wins in Canuck-land.
So I'm picking James to win all the supercross marbles this year. But I am in no way suggesting that this will be an easy title for him or a boring season. I think Rick Carmichael will take James to the wire this season, with the championship being determined at the very last round in Las Vegas. And I also believe that Chad Reed will be surprised by a very strong challenge for third overall by the newest entry to the class, Ivan “just get the Tabasco sponsorship, dammit” Tedesco. Yep, you heard it here first.
Remember, I like Speedy Reedy a lot, and I think he will win a round or two this year. But I also think that Tedesco will get on the podium more than once, warming Roger Decoster's heart while giving Chad heartburn.
As for the rest of the field, I think we will see standout performances by Tim Ferry this year, as I do believe (and hope) he'll have a small chip on his shoulder for being kicked out of the factory circle. We'll see. And we'll also see how all-around good guy David Vuillemin gets around on that Honda oil burner. DV may make a podium, but I don't think he has a win in him this year. Finally, I cannot forget Michael Byrne. I don't know if Burner will be on the Kawi thumper, but if he is I am sure it will only help him go even faster. He may end up challenging Ivan for fourth overall.
So those are my picks for '06. And here they are again, in easy to swallow table form:
1) James Stewart
2) Rick Carmichael
3) Chad Reed
4) Ivan Tabasco
5) Michael Byrne
See you at A1!
January 05, 2006
DMXS Radio Rocks Uncontrollably!
Last night, Kevin Kelly and David Izer hosted Larry Maiers, Bob Hannah, Bevo Forte, Rick Johnson and Roger friggin’ DeCoster! I listened to it today, between spreadsheets, flowcharts and phone calls, laughing my ass off the entire time! Bob and Bevo unleashed a torrent of unbelievable stories from the past, with Maiers egging them on and the DMXS guys barely maintaining their sanity… barely. Rick Johnson checked in with his views on the four stroke revolution… What a show! Check out the DMXS archives here.
Bob Hannah called Alessi a “damn monkey” for that Glen Helen incident. Wow!
Bob was more than funny, he was also inspirational. He said, “I’m naturally lazy. The work ethic I have today I learned it…”
Bob Hannah called Alessi a “damn monkey” for that Glen Helen incident. Wow!
Bob was more than funny, he was also inspirational. He said, “I’m naturally lazy. The work ethic I have today I learned it…”
2006 Supercross Preview by YZThumpa!
This has got to be the best SX season preview I've read so far, written by MotoDrive regular "YZTHUMPA". Check it out; it's hilarious but dead on! I can't wait to read his regular race reviews this season.
January 04, 2006
Grant Langston is selling wolf tickets!
Langston racing issued an interesting press release yesterday (which you can find here at Racer X Online), with the headline “Langston shoots for Grand Slam”. In it, they list Grant’s considerable achievements in the world of MX: 125 World title, his AMA MX and SX championships, even his victories in the 2000 MXdN and his 2002 Prince of Bercy crown.
But what is a “Grand Slam”?
The press release goes on state that all “Langtown” needs to do is win the West 125 SX title in order to be the only rider in history to win every major 125 title. To which I say, “not so fast, Slick Rick…”
Now, I’ve never met Grant, but I hear he’s a nice fellow. I met his uncle at A1 last year, and he was very nice. I saw his father at Perris Raceway about 5 or 6 years ago, and he too seemed like a nice guy. So Grant is probably a good guy as well. And he is undeniably fast on the bike. But I have to admit that he’s not the best decision-maker in the sport. In fact, Grant has a history of making questionable decisions. Let’s review:
- While on the way to scoring KTM’s first ever supercross win, Grant decided to do a little showboating and crashed on the last lap.
- While practicing at Glen Helen one day, I don’t really know what happened, but somehow a woman he was passing crashed and got very hurt. I’m not saying it was his fault, and again, I don’t know the details, but the anecdote points to a possible bad decision.
- With the overall win already sewed up, he went for the second moto win at Hangtown last year and ended up badly tweaking his ankle and probably arguably killing his shot at a second AMA outdoor championship.
And now, Langston racing starts talking about possible Grand Slams. But the problem is that not only did Langston NOT win a 125 title last year, but the class does not even exist this year. Okay, sure, the AMA called the 250F class the “125” class in 2005, but Langston won the title on a 250F. My point being that he CANNOT claim a 125 grand slam with two of the titles being gathered on 250cc bikes. That just makes sense.
So good luck this season, Grant Langston. There is no doubt in my mind that you are a serious contender for another 250F title in supercross this year. But lose the crazy talk, okay? Your great achievements on the 125 are already well noted.
But what is a “Grand Slam”?
The press release goes on state that all “Langtown” needs to do is win the West 125 SX title in order to be the only rider in history to win every major 125 title. To which I say, “not so fast, Slick Rick…”
Now, I’ve never met Grant, but I hear he’s a nice fellow. I met his uncle at A1 last year, and he was very nice. I saw his father at Perris Raceway about 5 or 6 years ago, and he too seemed like a nice guy. So Grant is probably a good guy as well. And he is undeniably fast on the bike. But I have to admit that he’s not the best decision-maker in the sport. In fact, Grant has a history of making questionable decisions. Let’s review:
- While on the way to scoring KTM’s first ever supercross win, Grant decided to do a little showboating and crashed on the last lap.
- While practicing at Glen Helen one day, I don’t really know what happened, but somehow a woman he was passing crashed and got very hurt. I’m not saying it was his fault, and again, I don’t know the details, but the anecdote points to a possible bad decision.
- With the overall win already sewed up, he went for the second moto win at Hangtown last year and ended up badly tweaking his ankle and probably arguably killing his shot at a second AMA outdoor championship.
And now, Langston racing starts talking about possible Grand Slams. But the problem is that not only did Langston NOT win a 125 title last year, but the class does not even exist this year. Okay, sure, the AMA called the 250F class the “125” class in 2005, but Langston won the title on a 250F. My point being that he CANNOT claim a 125 grand slam with two of the titles being gathered on 250cc bikes. That just makes sense.
So good luck this season, Grant Langston. There is no doubt in my mind that you are a serious contender for another 250F title in supercross this year. But lose the crazy talk, okay? Your great achievements on the 125 are already well noted.
December 30, 2005
Sparkplug 34
The Year in Motocross: 20 Things that took me by surprise in 2005
1) The rain at A1. In all the years that I've attended that race, that was the first time it rained... and it poured! My usual strategy of buying my tickets at my local Yamaha dealer backfired, as they didn't get assigned tickets for the first round. My good friend Paul Fleming came through with extra tickets, but they were three rows from the field, uncovered, right out there in the downpour. It was, as you probably remember, a fantastic race.
2) James Stewart's second round injury. What a huge letdown that was for the entire series.
3) Chad Reed's Daytona domination, particularly after getting smoked by RC at the race in Atlanta. Reedy showed a lot of heart there.
4) How good the Monster/Pro Circuit Kawasakis looked. Not only were they easily the prettiest bikes in the pits, but they were apparently pretty quick,too.
5) James Stewart pulling off in the second moto at Hangtown. Right there, I thought “this is not his year”… what an understatement!
6) Grant Langston throwing his championship away in the second moto at Hangtown. I thought it was an unsportsmanlike move when I was at the track; when I saw the tape, it was clear that he didn't intentionally try to run a “pick-up pass” on Mike Alessi, but still he should have chilled and taken the second place... he would have still won the overall for the day.
7) Mike Alessi losing his mind at Glen Helen in the final moto. Incredible to watch, sure, but a dark day for sportsmanship.
8) Ivan Tedesco. Talk about stepping it up, “Tabasco” showed the nation that he is truly an all-around motocross fastguy.
9) How cool it was to be able to watch the MXdN webcast LIVE. American motocross really needs to step up to this level of media sophistication.
10) Getting an assignment to write my first feature article for a major motocross magazine from Racer X's Davey Coombs. More about that later…
11) That Honda would actually market an additional silencer as a handling enhancement.
12) That arenacross racing is good stuff, and the BooKoo Arenacross series is the best of the breed.
13) That Erin Normoyle is even hotter in person than her photos lead one to believe!
14) James Stewart's physical ailments.
15) How funny the DMXS guys are. I mean, genuinely funny.
16) How cool One Industries' Danny Dobey is.
17) What nice people the Carmichaels (Big Rick and Jeannie) are.
18) That if you had to be trapped for the rest of your life in one state, Hawaii is the one to pick Preferably Oahu, somewhere near the Kalaku Motocross Park.
19) James Stewart’s year-end performance at the Canadian rounds of the Amp’d World Supercross series. I had no idea that he would be so dominant so soon.
20) That someone could actually take fantastic supercross footage shot by Troy Adamitis and edit it into a sub-standard television program.
All in all, it was a great year for American motocross and the future truly looks bright for our beloved sport. Thanks to all who make it possible, from the media to the mechanics… ya done good! Here’s hoping that your New Year is the best year yet!
1) The rain at A1. In all the years that I've attended that race, that was the first time it rained... and it poured! My usual strategy of buying my tickets at my local Yamaha dealer backfired, as they didn't get assigned tickets for the first round. My good friend Paul Fleming came through with extra tickets, but they were three rows from the field, uncovered, right out there in the downpour. It was, as you probably remember, a fantastic race.
2) James Stewart's second round injury. What a huge letdown that was for the entire series.
3) Chad Reed's Daytona domination, particularly after getting smoked by RC at the race in Atlanta. Reedy showed a lot of heart there.
4) How good the Monster/Pro Circuit Kawasakis looked. Not only were they easily the prettiest bikes in the pits, but they were apparently pretty quick,too.
5) James Stewart pulling off in the second moto at Hangtown. Right there, I thought “this is not his year”… what an understatement!
6) Grant Langston throwing his championship away in the second moto at Hangtown. I thought it was an unsportsmanlike move when I was at the track; when I saw the tape, it was clear that he didn't intentionally try to run a “pick-up pass” on Mike Alessi, but still he should have chilled and taken the second place... he would have still won the overall for the day.
7) Mike Alessi losing his mind at Glen Helen in the final moto. Incredible to watch, sure, but a dark day for sportsmanship.
8) Ivan Tedesco. Talk about stepping it up, “Tabasco” showed the nation that he is truly an all-around motocross fastguy.
9) How cool it was to be able to watch the MXdN webcast LIVE. American motocross really needs to step up to this level of media sophistication.
10) Getting an assignment to write my first feature article for a major motocross magazine from Racer X's Davey Coombs. More about that later…
11) That Honda would actually market an additional silencer as a handling enhancement.
12) That arenacross racing is good stuff, and the BooKoo Arenacross series is the best of the breed.
13) That Erin Normoyle is even hotter in person than her photos lead one to believe!
14) James Stewart's physical ailments.
15) How funny the DMXS guys are. I mean, genuinely funny.
16) How cool One Industries' Danny Dobey is.
17) What nice people the Carmichaels (Big Rick and Jeannie) are.
18) That if you had to be trapped for the rest of your life in one state, Hawaii is the one to pick Preferably Oahu, somewhere near the Kalaku Motocross Park.
19) James Stewart’s year-end performance at the Canadian rounds of the Amp’d World Supercross series. I had no idea that he would be so dominant so soon.
20) That someone could actually take fantastic supercross footage shot by Troy Adamitis and edit it into a sub-standard television program.
All in all, it was a great year for American motocross and the future truly looks bright for our beloved sport. Thanks to all who make it possible, from the media to the mechanics… ya done good! Here’s hoping that your New Year is the best year yet!
December 28, 2005
Alessi Apologizes?
I read it on Sunday, but it took until today for it to finally register in my old brain: according to Racer X's Davey Coombs, Mike Alessi has finally apologized for his foolish actions at Glen Helen. The apology actually is part of his "800" column for Racer X Illustrated, and will be in the January 2006 issue. But DC printed part of it in last weeks "Racerhead" so you can read it here.
Way to man up, Mike. Yes, you should have done this months ago, but better late than never. Good luck in '06!
Way to man up, Mike. Yes, you should have done this months ago, but better late than never. Good luck in '06!
December 23, 2005
Sparkplug 33
It’s nearly the end of the year, and most enthusiast publications are running their typical year-end wrap-ups, or the top ten lists or some other way of summing up the events of the last 365. Well, Sparkplug will be no different, but my year-ender will come next week, when I’ll take a look back at the things in motocross that most surprised me in 2005.
For this week, I want to tackle women in our sport. Er, that is, the subject of how women get involved in motocross. Or to paraphrase Cleavon Little in “Blazing Saddles”: “Where are all the black women at?”
As an African American man and huge fan of motocross, I know all too well the fact that the sight of a single, adult African American woman at a local motocross race is about as rare as a Husqvarna winning a supercross. But since I didn’t get into motocross in order to pick up chicks, so to speak, this state of affairs has never been much of a concern to me. Yet the question has been asked numerous times: why aren’t black women into motocross like their white counterparts?
I think I finally came up with the answer, and it’s simply that 99.9 percent of the time, it’s a man that starts the interest in motocross. Think about it. Your dad probably was the person that introduced you to the sport. Or maybe it was an older sibling, or a relative or a friend. I was introduced to minibikes by my neighbors; my local Honda dealer was responsible for my learning about motocross.
Or to put it another way, very rare is the woman who enters the sport of motorcycling, and in particular dirtbiking, on her own accord without having someone else provide the familiarity. Yes, I know I’m heading down the path of dangerous generalities, but I appeal to my sisters of all races to let me know their own stories, if they’re different from what I’m proposing here. When you see a top female motocrosser, you also see somewhere in the background the man that gave her a start in the sport. Usually it’s her father, but it could be her brother, boyfriend or husband. I’m not saying that she wouldn’t be supported by her mother or sisters. But can you imagine a mother coming home to her family and saying “Hey, I’ve got an idea… let’s all get dirtbikes and go riding!”
So in the case of the black females, the absence of them in the sport of motocross points directly to the small number of African American males in the sport. It’s funny, when you think of how many black people are involved in streetbiking. There are plenty of beautiful black women that like to hang around the streetbike scene (okay, well here are two, and that’s because there are plenty of black guys riding streetbikes. As you probably know, there are only a handful of us racing motocross or riding dirtbikes. So that limits the opportunities for our sisters, wives and girlfriends to be brought into the sport. And that, in turn, decreases the opportunities for me to meet single black women at the races… it’s all about me, right?
What about the appeal of the sport itself? Is it not possible for some women to just be drawn to the excitement of motocross on it’s own terms? In a word, no. Or at least, probably not… I mean, let’s look at a sport like basketball. Even back in grade school there were two types of girls that liked basketball: the ones that played the sport, and the ones that liked to watch the guys play. It’s like us guys watching women’s volleyball; some of you watch for the action, I watch for the ACTION, if you know what I mean. I’m a big fan of women’s volleyball. And I’m sure that many female motocross fans are into the sport at a professional level because they think the guys are hot. I don’t have any problem with that, but apparently they’re not hot enough to attract a lot of attention from black females. Or maybe it’s just a media thing; if motocross received some coverage from the likes of Essence or Ebony magazines maybe that would turn the tide. That’s funny just thinking about it!
Some people in the sport believe that James Stewart will be responsible for making motocross more visible to a wider audience. I’m not sure how that will work, but if it means more black women at the races I’m all for it! Go James!
Oh yes... and Merry Christmas to All!
For this week, I want to tackle women in our sport. Er, that is, the subject of how women get involved in motocross. Or to paraphrase Cleavon Little in “Blazing Saddles”: “Where are all the black women at?”
As an African American man and huge fan of motocross, I know all too well the fact that the sight of a single, adult African American woman at a local motocross race is about as rare as a Husqvarna winning a supercross. But since I didn’t get into motocross in order to pick up chicks, so to speak, this state of affairs has never been much of a concern to me. Yet the question has been asked numerous times: why aren’t black women into motocross like their white counterparts?
I think I finally came up with the answer, and it’s simply that 99.9 percent of the time, it’s a man that starts the interest in motocross. Think about it. Your dad probably was the person that introduced you to the sport. Or maybe it was an older sibling, or a relative or a friend. I was introduced to minibikes by my neighbors; my local Honda dealer was responsible for my learning about motocross.
Or to put it another way, very rare is the woman who enters the sport of motorcycling, and in particular dirtbiking, on her own accord without having someone else provide the familiarity. Yes, I know I’m heading down the path of dangerous generalities, but I appeal to my sisters of all races to let me know their own stories, if they’re different from what I’m proposing here. When you see a top female motocrosser, you also see somewhere in the background the man that gave her a start in the sport. Usually it’s her father, but it could be her brother, boyfriend or husband. I’m not saying that she wouldn’t be supported by her mother or sisters. But can you imagine a mother coming home to her family and saying “Hey, I’ve got an idea… let’s all get dirtbikes and go riding!”
So in the case of the black females, the absence of them in the sport of motocross points directly to the small number of African American males in the sport. It’s funny, when you think of how many black people are involved in streetbiking. There are plenty of beautiful black women that like to hang around the streetbike scene (okay, well here are two, and that’s because there are plenty of black guys riding streetbikes. As you probably know, there are only a handful of us racing motocross or riding dirtbikes. So that limits the opportunities for our sisters, wives and girlfriends to be brought into the sport. And that, in turn, decreases the opportunities for me to meet single black women at the races… it’s all about me, right?
What about the appeal of the sport itself? Is it not possible for some women to just be drawn to the excitement of motocross on it’s own terms? In a word, no. Or at least, probably not… I mean, let’s look at a sport like basketball. Even back in grade school there were two types of girls that liked basketball: the ones that played the sport, and the ones that liked to watch the guys play. It’s like us guys watching women’s volleyball; some of you watch for the action, I watch for the ACTION, if you know what I mean. I’m a big fan of women’s volleyball. And I’m sure that many female motocross fans are into the sport at a professional level because they think the guys are hot. I don’t have any problem with that, but apparently they’re not hot enough to attract a lot of attention from black females. Or maybe it’s just a media thing; if motocross received some coverage from the likes of Essence or Ebony magazines maybe that would turn the tide. That’s funny just thinking about it!
Some people in the sport believe that James Stewart will be responsible for making motocross more visible to a wider audience. I’m not sure how that will work, but if it means more black women at the races I’m all for it! Go James!
Oh yes... and Merry Christmas to All!
December 21, 2005
Supercross on TV? You Must Read This...
DC pulled off a killer interview with CCE's supercross/TV head honcho Ken Hudgens. Check it out here at Racer X Online. The man gives more insight into the network/cable motocross wars than I've read in quite a while. There's no doubt that Ken knows of what he speaks, and he speaks very plainly in the interview.
Also, look forward to seeing the special supercross preview show on CBS (!) at 5pm EST on Christmas Day! Christmas Day motocross (well, supercross) on network TV? How can you beat that?
Well, with live coverage every week, that's how. Where not there yet, but if this year goes good with the CBS/Speed coverage, who knows?
Also, look forward to seeing the special supercross preview show on CBS (!) at 5pm EST on Christmas Day! Christmas Day motocross (well, supercross) on network TV? How can you beat that?
Well, with live coverage every week, that's how. Where not there yet, but if this year goes good with the CBS/Speed coverage, who knows?
December 16, 2005
Lucky #7: James Tells All!
Here in is own words, James Stewart wraps up his Canadian Journey in his latest newsletter.
I gotta tell you, I really like what I'm seeing from the Stewart camp these days. It sounds like they've got a good plan for 2006 and beyond.
I gotta tell you, I really like what I'm seeing from the Stewart camp these days. It sounds like they've got a good plan for 2006 and beyond.
Sparkplug 32
I'm a big man, not just in physical size, but when it comes to doing the right thing, I try my best to do it all the time. So after I spent last Saturday evening in the Long Beach Arena THOROUGHLY enjoying myself at the BooKoo/K&N Filter/Toyota Arenacross, I realized that I would have to write a Sparkplug column that would basically retract the bad things I said about arenacross in an earlier column (found here).
So I will now open my mouth, insert my foot and chew upon it slowly and thoughtfully.
It was a full day of motorcycle immersion for me and my buddy Lliam, as we took in the International Motorcycle Show that afternoon before we went to the races, which were conveniently held right next door. After a few hours of browsing, girl-watching, throttle-twisting, girl-watching, shock-bouncing and girl-watching, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed over to Arenacross way...
... and the first thing we got to do was walk right out onto the arena floor and walk the track! Folks, that right there is just about worth the price of admission. Compared to supercross, where the security guards have snipers in the stands, ready to pick off any “civilian” that dares to touch the track, at an arenacross they literally invite the audience to come on down and feel the dirt between their fingers, and to stumble through the whoops and stand on top of the triples. Which, by the way, don't really look like triples when you're standing on them. The first triple only had about a four-foot run up out of the corner... no WAY anyone would triple THAT, right?
But that's what the track walk is all about: letting the spectators really get a feel for what it must be like to do battle in an arenacross. Plus, they set up autograph tables along the start straight, and all of the “factory” riders were there, instead of out in a parking lot somewhere. You could walk all around them, and most of them were just sitting there talking to each other... and trying to catch glimpses of Erin Normoyle, Miss Arenacross.
You wouldn't believe how hot this woman is in person. Sheesh. You may have heard that a speaker caught on fire during the Friday night races, but how did it get started? It must have caught fire when Erin passed by it...
During the track walk, the announcers were doing their thing, and I have to take my hat off to Mike Kidd for hiring DMXS Radio's Kevin Kelley to be one of the announcers. Kevin was calmly standing on the track just running his mouth like it wasn't anything. In complete control. And when he saw me, he actually came over and did a quick on-mic interview with me! Then my head blew up and that was my night...
No, I managed to keep my ego in check, but I must confess that it was quite a thrill to address all of those people who weren't listening to a word I said. 15 minutes? No, more like 15 seconds of fame...
But the racing was what we were all there for, and when it started, it was intense all night long. It was so exciting, I didn't even take a moment to record any laptimes, which must have been in the 15 to 20 second range. Maybe 30 seconds? In any case, there was no place to rest on that track. It was attack or be lapped... in three laps.
So who stood out? Turbo Reif came out and immediately starting kicking ass. Unfortunately, he ended up breaking his collarbone in the 250F main, I believe (correction: per David Pingree over at Racer X Online, Turbo dislocated his hip). Shane “Daddy Knows” Bess (remember him?) was a solid contender as well, but had some problems with starts in the mains. The man of the night, though, was “The Sheriff” Josh Demuth, who won both mains by riding as aggressively as I've ever seen a motocrosser ride. How aggressive was Josh? If Mike Alessi were there, Josh would have used him as dental floss, to pick the other riders out of his teeth. Demuth never did anything dirty, he just rode it hard and put it away panting and slippery.
This is not to take anything away from any of the other riders. Even the “privateers” came to race hard, and everyone put on a great show. Unfortunately, the fine citizens of Long Beach all decided to stay home that night, so the crowd was miserably small... truly a surprise considering it's in the middle of the motocross kingdom. Some blamed the promoters for not doing enough; I think that SoCal is more of a supercross town, and the Long Beach arenacross was the first event of its kind to be held in this part of the state in a long while. But the small crowd didn't slow the riders down any, and it didn't stop me from having a blast.
So if the K&N Filters presents BooKoo Arenacross Championship Series brought to you by Toyota shows up in your town, do yourself a favor, get yourself a ticket and go see the show. It's racing, baby!
So I will now open my mouth, insert my foot and chew upon it slowly and thoughtfully.
It was a full day of motorcycle immersion for me and my buddy Lliam, as we took in the International Motorcycle Show that afternoon before we went to the races, which were conveniently held right next door. After a few hours of browsing, girl-watching, throttle-twisting, girl-watching, shock-bouncing and girl-watching, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed over to Arenacross way...
... and the first thing we got to do was walk right out onto the arena floor and walk the track! Folks, that right there is just about worth the price of admission. Compared to supercross, where the security guards have snipers in the stands, ready to pick off any “civilian” that dares to touch the track, at an arenacross they literally invite the audience to come on down and feel the dirt between their fingers, and to stumble through the whoops and stand on top of the triples. Which, by the way, don't really look like triples when you're standing on them. The first triple only had about a four-foot run up out of the corner... no WAY anyone would triple THAT, right?
But that's what the track walk is all about: letting the spectators really get a feel for what it must be like to do battle in an arenacross. Plus, they set up autograph tables along the start straight, and all of the “factory” riders were there, instead of out in a parking lot somewhere. You could walk all around them, and most of them were just sitting there talking to each other... and trying to catch glimpses of Erin Normoyle, Miss Arenacross.
You wouldn't believe how hot this woman is in person. Sheesh. You may have heard that a speaker caught on fire during the Friday night races, but how did it get started? It must have caught fire when Erin passed by it...
During the track walk, the announcers were doing their thing, and I have to take my hat off to Mike Kidd for hiring DMXS Radio's Kevin Kelley to be one of the announcers. Kevin was calmly standing on the track just running his mouth like it wasn't anything. In complete control. And when he saw me, he actually came over and did a quick on-mic interview with me! Then my head blew up and that was my night...
No, I managed to keep my ego in check, but I must confess that it was quite a thrill to address all of those people who weren't listening to a word I said. 15 minutes? No, more like 15 seconds of fame...
But the racing was what we were all there for, and when it started, it was intense all night long. It was so exciting, I didn't even take a moment to record any laptimes, which must have been in the 15 to 20 second range. Maybe 30 seconds? In any case, there was no place to rest on that track. It was attack or be lapped... in three laps.
So who stood out? Turbo Reif came out and immediately starting kicking ass. Unfortunately, he ended up breaking his collarbone in the 250F main, I believe (correction: per David Pingree over at Racer X Online, Turbo dislocated his hip). Shane “Daddy Knows” Bess (remember him?) was a solid contender as well, but had some problems with starts in the mains. The man of the night, though, was “The Sheriff” Josh Demuth, who won both mains by riding as aggressively as I've ever seen a motocrosser ride. How aggressive was Josh? If Mike Alessi were there, Josh would have used him as dental floss, to pick the other riders out of his teeth. Demuth never did anything dirty, he just rode it hard and put it away panting and slippery.
This is not to take anything away from any of the other riders. Even the “privateers” came to race hard, and everyone put on a great show. Unfortunately, the fine citizens of Long Beach all decided to stay home that night, so the crowd was miserably small... truly a surprise considering it's in the middle of the motocross kingdom. Some blamed the promoters for not doing enough; I think that SoCal is more of a supercross town, and the Long Beach arenacross was the first event of its kind to be held in this part of the state in a long while. But the small crowd didn't slow the riders down any, and it didn't stop me from having a blast.
So if the K&N Filters presents BooKoo Arenacross Championship Series brought to you by Toyota shows up in your town, do yourself a favor, get yourself a ticket and go see the show. It's racing, baby!
December 15, 2005
Get Well Soon, Kevin!
A collective "arrrgh" arose over the motocross world last night, and it wasn't because people thought it was "Talk like a pirate day". Kevin Windham, it was announced, went down at the Honda practice track and broke his arm, effectively ending his supercross season just weeks before it even got started. (Here's the brief press release, courtesy Racer X Online)
I personally think that this is not such a bad deal for Kdub, because I feel that he's stronger outdoors than in, but my pal MXWordNerd (aka Steve Cox) reminded me in a friendly way that Windham has won many more supercrosses, both 125 and 250, than he has won outdoor events.
But since he returned from that broken femur to showcase the abilities of the mighty Honda CR450F, Kdub has seemed more of an outdoor specialist to me.
In any case, get well soon, Kev. Spend some quality time with the family, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and we'll be looking for you on the line at Hangtown.
I personally think that this is not such a bad deal for Kdub, because I feel that he's stronger outdoors than in, but my pal MXWordNerd (aka Steve Cox) reminded me in a friendly way that Windham has won many more supercrosses, both 125 and 250, than he has won outdoor events.
But since he returned from that broken femur to showcase the abilities of the mighty Honda CR450F, Kdub has seemed more of an outdoor specialist to me.
In any case, get well soon, Kev. Spend some quality time with the family, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and we'll be looking for you on the line at Hangtown.
December 09, 2005
Sparkplug 31
This week, as the Holiday season gets fully underway, I've decided to tackle an issue that doesn't normally get a lot of attention, even though it truly is a very big deal. I want to discuss American Morality in American Motocross.
First, I have to admit that this is an extremely complex subject, and this little column will in no way offer any answers to this touchy matter. In fact, it will barely scratch the surface. But it's something that needs to be discussed; hopefully this will inspire further talks and introspection.
The funny thing about the recurring “morality in motocross” discussions is that they are usually triggered by a picture of a girl in a skimpy bikini. Transworld Motocross magazine or Racer X Illustrated will run an ad or poster of a bikini-babe, and then they'll get letters from irate prudes claiming that the publications are ruining the sport by exposing their children to human body parts. Most recently the subject was brought to the fore by a series of commercials aired during the first round of the Amp'd World Supercross series. I didn't see the commercials, so I cannot comment on them directly. But I do wonder how they could possibly be as big a deal as some have made it?
“Motocross is a family sport.” This statement is accepted as fact by just about everybody, but it's also the line in the sand drawn by everyone worried that the sport will be overtaken by oversexed imagery and outright debauchery. It is true that motocross is one of those rare sports that can be enjoyed by every member of the family, regardless of age or gender. But that doesn't change the fact that the primary audience is made up of MEN between the ages of 18 to 49, so it should come as no surprise that images of beautiful young women work wonderfully in attracting said audience. Yes, these men often want to get their women and their children involved in the sport they love, but again, look at the chain of influence: first, the men take up the sport, then they recruit the rest of the family. Since the man is the primary target, the advertising adjusts itself accordingly. This is simply the way business works.
Does the pandering appeal to everyone? Of course not. Does it offend some sensitive souls? Without a doubt, and guess what? They don't have to put up with it if they don't want to. But will they or should they be able to force the advertisers to change, to make them stop using their very effective marketing tools? Not in a free market society. Not in a society that guarantees the right of free speech to its citizens. Not in a sane world.
The truth of the matter is that American morality is pretty messed up. The fact that a bare breast nipple glimpsed during a televised sporting event can cause mass hysteria and much wailing and gnashing of righteous teeth proves my point. It's as if people have forgotten that if it weren't for nipples, many of them wouldn't be alive today. And don't even get me started on genitalia. Take a picture of a naked penis and everyone will call it pornography. Show that picture to a kid, and you'll be thrown UNDER the jail. How did we come to hate our bodies so much? But that's an entirely different matter, well outside the scope of this week's column.
The fact is, beautiful women and motorsports go together like, well, like beer and motorsports. And the best place for mixing beer, beautiful women and motorsports will be at Dave and Buster's in Anaheim on the Friday night before A1, but I digress.... Motocross may indeed be a family sport, yet it is driven by adults and their adult appetites. So that basically means pin-up girls forever and ever, amen. And there is nothing inherently wrong with that, as long as you remember your parental duties and take the time to explain to your little ones why they can see the umbrella girl's thong.
I told you there wouldn't be any answers!
First, I have to admit that this is an extremely complex subject, and this little column will in no way offer any answers to this touchy matter. In fact, it will barely scratch the surface. But it's something that needs to be discussed; hopefully this will inspire further talks and introspection.
The funny thing about the recurring “morality in motocross” discussions is that they are usually triggered by a picture of a girl in a skimpy bikini. Transworld Motocross magazine or Racer X Illustrated will run an ad or poster of a bikini-babe, and then they'll get letters from irate prudes claiming that the publications are ruining the sport by exposing their children to human body parts. Most recently the subject was brought to the fore by a series of commercials aired during the first round of the Amp'd World Supercross series. I didn't see the commercials, so I cannot comment on them directly. But I do wonder how they could possibly be as big a deal as some have made it?
“Motocross is a family sport.” This statement is accepted as fact by just about everybody, but it's also the line in the sand drawn by everyone worried that the sport will be overtaken by oversexed imagery and outright debauchery. It is true that motocross is one of those rare sports that can be enjoyed by every member of the family, regardless of age or gender. But that doesn't change the fact that the primary audience is made up of MEN between the ages of 18 to 49, so it should come as no surprise that images of beautiful young women work wonderfully in attracting said audience. Yes, these men often want to get their women and their children involved in the sport they love, but again, look at the chain of influence: first, the men take up the sport, then they recruit the rest of the family. Since the man is the primary target, the advertising adjusts itself accordingly. This is simply the way business works.
Does the pandering appeal to everyone? Of course not. Does it offend some sensitive souls? Without a doubt, and guess what? They don't have to put up with it if they don't want to. But will they or should they be able to force the advertisers to change, to make them stop using their very effective marketing tools? Not in a free market society. Not in a society that guarantees the right of free speech to its citizens. Not in a sane world.
The truth of the matter is that American morality is pretty messed up. The fact that a bare breast nipple glimpsed during a televised sporting event can cause mass hysteria and much wailing and gnashing of righteous teeth proves my point. It's as if people have forgotten that if it weren't for nipples, many of them wouldn't be alive today. And don't even get me started on genitalia. Take a picture of a naked penis and everyone will call it pornography. Show that picture to a kid, and you'll be thrown UNDER the jail. How did we come to hate our bodies so much? But that's an entirely different matter, well outside the scope of this week's column.
The fact is, beautiful women and motorsports go together like, well, like beer and motorsports. And the best place for mixing beer, beautiful women and motorsports will be at Dave and Buster's in Anaheim on the Friday night before A1, but I digress.... Motocross may indeed be a family sport, yet it is driven by adults and their adult appetites. So that basically means pin-up girls forever and ever, amen. And there is nothing inherently wrong with that, as long as you remember your parental duties and take the time to explain to your little ones why they can see the umbrella girl's thong.
I told you there wouldn't be any answers!
December 05, 2005
James Stewart Wins Toronto SX!
I am sure this is old news to you true motocross fans, but I had to post something, right? I would have posted earlier, but blogger issues... woulda, coulda, shoulda, blah blah blah.
Anyway, James Stewart took an exciting race win on Saturday night in Toronto, leading many to believe that this will indeed be the year that he goes all the way to the Supercross title. Here's an excellent race recap by Jason Weigandt over on Racer X Online. And here's a great report by Brendan Lutes from Transworld MX Online.
I didn't get a chance to see the Speed Channel next-day coverage, but I listened to the race live via the CCE webcast, and it sounded like a great race! Jim Holley was the first person to say that James was "toying" with RC, which I found hard to believe... but then Ricky himself said the same thing in his post-race interview. What's funny is that James didn't feel like he was "toying" with anyone! Check out his interview with TFS over at Racer X Online.
In any case, there is now officially no question that this new supercross season will be one for the ages. And the Amp'd World Supercross rounds are finally on the map as being important races. I can't wait to see it all in person January 7th at Anaheim!
Anyway, James Stewart took an exciting race win on Saturday night in Toronto, leading many to believe that this will indeed be the year that he goes all the way to the Supercross title. Here's an excellent race recap by Jason Weigandt over on Racer X Online. And here's a great report by Brendan Lutes from Transworld MX Online.
I didn't get a chance to see the Speed Channel next-day coverage, but I listened to the race live via the CCE webcast, and it sounded like a great race! Jim Holley was the first person to say that James was "toying" with RC, which I found hard to believe... but then Ricky himself said the same thing in his post-race interview. What's funny is that James didn't feel like he was "toying" with anyone! Check out his interview with TFS over at Racer X Online.
In any case, there is now officially no question that this new supercross season will be one for the ages. And the Amp'd World Supercross rounds are finally on the map as being important races. I can't wait to see it all in person January 7th at Anaheim!
December 01, 2005
Sparkplug 30
Well, looky here! By the time you read this, we'll be less than 48 hours away from the start of the 2006 Supercross season, and it looks like it's gonna be a good one. My original intention for this week's Sparkplug was to list my picks for this season, but a press release I read yesterday over at Racer X Online has changed my mind. Instead, I want to talk about a favorite topic of mine: media coverage of our sport. In particular, I want to address the announcement of the new “broadcast team” for the Amp'd Supercross series.
First, let me make it clear that this isn't about WHO was or wasn't chosen to be the “voices” of Supercross. I've known for a while that my personal tastes in announcers apparently runs counter to prevailing opinion. For example, while I admit that Art Eckman has a superb voice and has shown a great deal of love for the sport, his consistent inability to get riders' names right, among many other things, used to bug the heck out of me, yet he was no doubt a huge fan favorite. I accept that I may be out of the mainstream... that's no big surprise.
But what I'm concerned about is our sport's insistence in “following the leader”, as it were, rather than going for the pass by using a new line. What I mean is that it seems that no one has asked the basic question of “how many announcers do we really need?”
This past Fall, I had the great joy of listening to live web coverage of the greatest single day motocross event of the year, the Motocross of Nations. How many announcers did they need to broadcast such an important event? Exactly one. And as I listened to that webcast, I began to question the “common wisdom” of our current two-in-the-booth and one-on-the-floor configuration.
The fact of the matter is the “color analyst” and “play-by-play announcer” setup was originated for television broadcasts of stick-and-ball sports, sports that actually HAVE play-by-play. ABC's Monday Night Football team of Al Michaels and John Madden are perfect examples of this. Network coverage of autoracing adopted this style of coverage out of familiarity, not necessity. But the concept sort of works: one guy focuses on describing the action factually, while the other adds “color” by giving voice to insights derived from his or her experiences with the sport. For a sport like Supercross, however, all this two-position team really adds up to, though, is a lot of chatter. The play-by-play person has to give up mic time in order for the color guy to get a few words in and many times, the color guy is pontificating on something that happened, just as a new development unfolds, changing everything. Then the play-by-play person has to play “catchup” to bring the viewers back to the present. It can be very frustrating for the viewers at home, who are watching the big pass for the lead unfold while the color man is still talking about the guy in third place.
And pit reporters? Why in the world do we need a pit reporter for Supercross, a sport that has exactly zero cameras in the pits during the race because all of the “action” (and that's stretching the term) in the pits occurs before the race starts? Even if they change the title to “floor reporter”, there is very little insight that they could possibly provide during a 20 lap sprint that cannot be effectively communicated by the main announcer. Now, I have always been an advocate of televising the behind the scenes aspect of motocross and supercross, but this is stuff that does not happen during the race, so that means the broadcast must make time to air pre-recorded scene-setting packages, just like they do with stick-and-ball pre-game shows. Our sport is dynamic, and the “story” changes from race to race. The audience must be informed of what is going on and what is at stake BEFORE the gate drops, otherwise they'll never “get” what the sport is really about: the athletes. Cutting away from race action to watch a pre-recorded piece, though, is more than annoying. It's bad TV.
My point is simply this: there's no point in carrying extra personnel simply because “that's the way we've always done it”, particularly if they add no real value to the broadcast. All that's needed is one very knowledgeable person to call the race, while occasionally adding limited “color”. This announcer would not be working alone, of course; they would have a staff of spotters and statisticians working with them, feeding them information that they can use as they see fit. But one voice is enough, and it's also okay for that lone voice to take a breath and be silent for a bit. There does NOT, contrary to American broadcast belief, have to be announcer-chatter filling every available millisecond of airtime. It's okay for us to only hear the bikes every now and then.
Think of all the times you have stood trackside at a race; did you really need to hear the announcer to know what was going on right in front of your face? Think of all the times you've watched taped replays of races, and turned the volume down so you wouldn't be subjected to all of that useless noise. Then think of all the times you've said to yourself, “I wish they'd just SHUT UP!” How much silence is it reasonable to expect, when you have a team of three competing for airtime?
So as far as this new team is concerned, I wish they would just let Denny Stephenson handle the entire broadcast and pay him double, then get rid of the other two announcers. Denny can handle it by himself and he knows the sport and the riders. Everybody else on that team, in my humble opinion, is just unnecessary fluff. Do I expect this to happen? Of course not.
P.S. I don't know who's gonna win Saturday night's battle, but I believe James Stewart is going to come out on top of the 2006 Supercross war.
First, let me make it clear that this isn't about WHO was or wasn't chosen to be the “voices” of Supercross. I've known for a while that my personal tastes in announcers apparently runs counter to prevailing opinion. For example, while I admit that Art Eckman has a superb voice and has shown a great deal of love for the sport, his consistent inability to get riders' names right, among many other things, used to bug the heck out of me, yet he was no doubt a huge fan favorite. I accept that I may be out of the mainstream... that's no big surprise.
But what I'm concerned about is our sport's insistence in “following the leader”, as it were, rather than going for the pass by using a new line. What I mean is that it seems that no one has asked the basic question of “how many announcers do we really need?”
This past Fall, I had the great joy of listening to live web coverage of the greatest single day motocross event of the year, the Motocross of Nations. How many announcers did they need to broadcast such an important event? Exactly one. And as I listened to that webcast, I began to question the “common wisdom” of our current two-in-the-booth and one-on-the-floor configuration.
The fact of the matter is the “color analyst” and “play-by-play announcer” setup was originated for television broadcasts of stick-and-ball sports, sports that actually HAVE play-by-play. ABC's Monday Night Football team of Al Michaels and John Madden are perfect examples of this. Network coverage of autoracing adopted this style of coverage out of familiarity, not necessity. But the concept sort of works: one guy focuses on describing the action factually, while the other adds “color” by giving voice to insights derived from his or her experiences with the sport. For a sport like Supercross, however, all this two-position team really adds up to, though, is a lot of chatter. The play-by-play person has to give up mic time in order for the color guy to get a few words in and many times, the color guy is pontificating on something that happened, just as a new development unfolds, changing everything. Then the play-by-play person has to play “catchup” to bring the viewers back to the present. It can be very frustrating for the viewers at home, who are watching the big pass for the lead unfold while the color man is still talking about the guy in third place.
And pit reporters? Why in the world do we need a pit reporter for Supercross, a sport that has exactly zero cameras in the pits during the race because all of the “action” (and that's stretching the term) in the pits occurs before the race starts? Even if they change the title to “floor reporter”, there is very little insight that they could possibly provide during a 20 lap sprint that cannot be effectively communicated by the main announcer. Now, I have always been an advocate of televising the behind the scenes aspect of motocross and supercross, but this is stuff that does not happen during the race, so that means the broadcast must make time to air pre-recorded scene-setting packages, just like they do with stick-and-ball pre-game shows. Our sport is dynamic, and the “story” changes from race to race. The audience must be informed of what is going on and what is at stake BEFORE the gate drops, otherwise they'll never “get” what the sport is really about: the athletes. Cutting away from race action to watch a pre-recorded piece, though, is more than annoying. It's bad TV.
My point is simply this: there's no point in carrying extra personnel simply because “that's the way we've always done it”, particularly if they add no real value to the broadcast. All that's needed is one very knowledgeable person to call the race, while occasionally adding limited “color”. This announcer would not be working alone, of course; they would have a staff of spotters and statisticians working with them, feeding them information that they can use as they see fit. But one voice is enough, and it's also okay for that lone voice to take a breath and be silent for a bit. There does NOT, contrary to American broadcast belief, have to be announcer-chatter filling every available millisecond of airtime. It's okay for us to only hear the bikes every now and then.
Think of all the times you have stood trackside at a race; did you really need to hear the announcer to know what was going on right in front of your face? Think of all the times you've watched taped replays of races, and turned the volume down so you wouldn't be subjected to all of that useless noise. Then think of all the times you've said to yourself, “I wish they'd just SHUT UP!” How much silence is it reasonable to expect, when you have a team of three competing for airtime?
So as far as this new team is concerned, I wish they would just let Denny Stephenson handle the entire broadcast and pay him double, then get rid of the other two announcers. Denny can handle it by himself and he knows the sport and the riders. Everybody else on that team, in my humble opinion, is just unnecessary fluff. Do I expect this to happen? Of course not.
P.S. I don't know who's gonna win Saturday night's battle, but I believe James Stewart is going to come out on top of the 2006 Supercross war.
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