Sparkplug 52

Yes, it has been too long since the last installment of this supposedly weekly journal, but instead of dwelling on the reasons for the lapse, let's just get right into it, shall we? This week's Sparkplug is about conscious moto-consumption.

Say what?

If you are any type of motocross fan at all, then I do not have to tell you that our sport is a small, insular community. We are an extended family, for all intents and purposes, brothers and sisters in dirt, sharing a common blood-line that somehow gets generated the very first time we stand at the side of a local MX track and get roosted by the passing pack. It used to be the odor of two-stroke fumes that united us; now it's up to other visceral elements to trigger our enlightenment, but in any case we are transformed by the experience... those that choose to become fans, that is... and we silently sign an unwritten membership agreement that cannot be revoked. And it's all okay.

That's why you feel completely okay with heading to the starting line on your bike, ALL of your tools and gear piled up in the open bed of your pickup truck, both doors unlocked, your cellphone on the passenger seat, your wallet in your gearbag and your keys in your toolbox. We know none of our moto brothers and sisters will steal our belongings. When the uncommon pit theft occasionally occurs at a local race, we automatically assume that it was committed by an outsider... and we are usually correct in that assumption.

It's that same spirit of community that causes us to festoon our cars and trucks with discreet moto-oriented stickers, our way of flying the flag of brotherhood to be recognized by our peers as we travel around in the “outside” world. T-shirts work in the same way; how many of us have struck up conversations with complete strangers simply because they were wearing a One Industries shirt or something like it? We recognize ourselves in each other.

So what of this conscious moto-consumption I mentioned earlier? It's about how we choose to spend our hard-earned dollars in support of our tight-knit community. Because in this current world, we moto-fans have more choices than ever before in the history of our sport; we need to make wise decisions if we want the sport to continue to thrive.

Here's a quiz: is it better to buy your next pair of pants from your local dealer than the discount mail-order juggernaut? Careful, that's a trick question. The correct answer is “it depends.” It depends on which of the two is more supportive of the sport. Your local dealer may be streetbike oriented and not care one thing about motocross, carrying the barest minimum of parts and supplies to support the few dirtbikes he sells. Or he might be the kind of guy that runs a small race team out of his shop, and offers discounts to anyone who races at the local tracks. Even still, it might turn out that the mail-order company is the biggest supporter of motocross, fielding a fulltime 250F team for supercross and the nationals (like Motoworld). My point is simply that as we spend our discretionary dollars on the sport that we love, we need to use discretion in determining the best places to spend that money. Because each dollar counts.

Let's take it a step further. We make other purchases in our daily lives that seemingly have little to nothing to do with motocross. Yet with just a little bit of effort, we might find that there is a way to benefit the sport with these choices as well. Say you like Red Bull and buy it regularly, not only because you like the product, but because you want to patronize them for supporting the sport. The next time you go to purchase some, buy it from one of your favorite smaller, local stores and take the time to talk to the store manager. Tell him that you're glad he carries the product because it supports the sport you love, and that you intend to make his shop the primary source of your Red Bull purchases. Then suggest that he contact Red Bull for some motocross-related promotional material to display in the store. You might be surprised to see a fullsize poster of Travis Pastrana or Rick Carmichael in the store on your next visit, helping to subliminally promote the sport to non-motocross fans. Heck, the store manager might even give you some of the promotional material to take home!

Conscious moto-consumption is about being aware of how your actions affect the sport. Ours is a leisure-time, recreational-dollar-eating endeavor, and business pays close attention to how and where these dollars are spent. The numerous outside-the-industry sponsors that have entered the sport are paying attention. We need to make sure they are compensated for their good deeds. Apple Computer's Ipods are extremely popular with many people, but Apple doesn't support motocross like Napster does. Motocross fans should consider this when making music player purchase decisions... this is just one example. Let's think about motocross before we buy; there may be a way to increase the benefits of our purchases.

Good News and Bad News for James Stewart

Looks like James will NOT be racing at Southwick, due to a lingering knee injury suffered during that horrendous get-off at High Point. You have to check out his latest newsletter, found at his website here (click on "newsletter"); it is the most informative injury report a professional motocrosser has ever shared with his fans. He even quotes his doctor and shows medical drawings! Good job!

But sorry to hear you won't be racing in Massachussetts... that title looks like it has slipped away.

Sparkplug 51

This week’s Sparkplug is all about the love… the love that I have for the sport of motocross. Specifically, what does it mean to love a sport and how does one express it? Yes, this essay is going to get a little personal and only those who share my emotions about the sport will understand.

Here’s the thing: if one were to judge my feelings about the sport by my current level of non-involvement, it might be easy to conclude that I’m not much of a motocross fat at all. After all, I’m not racing right now, I very rarely ride these days… in fact, I don’t even own a motocross bike. To make matters worse, the last race I attended was back in January and I no longer go to local races. I don’t sound like much of a motocross fan, do
I?

In my entire life, I have only owned 4 racebikes… contrast that with some guys who buy 4 bikes a year. Who loves the sport more? I live in the city; I have to drive at least an hour before I get to a place where I can ride. Some people I know can kickstart their bikes in their garage and ride right out the door. Who loves the sport more? My job is about as far removed from racing as any line of work can possibly be; I know more than a few good people who feed their family directly from their involvement in the motocross industry. Again, who loves the sport more?

And what gives me the right to say I’m a motocross fan?

I first stopped racing to attend college. Yet everyday during classes, I would find myself daydreaming about racing. I even stole a line from a philosophy class and decorated my notebook cover with the statement, “I race motocross, therefore I am!” It was my intent to make my way into the world, earn a great deal of money and return to racing with a big buck racing setup: motorhome, multiple bikes, the works. Funny how life doesn’t always work out the way we plan it. Years went by before I decided that if I was going to make my return to racing, it will just have to be in the same low-budget way that I started. And there I was, a racer again… a VET racer, to be sure, but a motocross racer.

After a couple of years I stopped racing again. I have more to accomplish in the world of business, and I just don’t have the time it takes to properly mount a racing campaign… at least, that’s what I have been telling myself. So I sold my bike and decided to be content with going to a few races and reading and writing about motocross for fun.

I’m not content.

Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy writing about motocross on this site and engaging in moto-banter with my fellow fools at Motodrive.com. And I still follow the sport religiously (I spend more time listening to races on the internet on Sundays than going to church!), but… that FEELING is still haunting me, that yearning feeling that makes me want to ride. I still catch myself “launching” down stairways, doing imaginary “bermshots” off of parking garage walls… and the main reason I stopped going to see my friends ride at local races is because it hurts too much to watch them ride and not be able to join them. You can see where this is all heading, right? There’s a bike in my near future, no doubt.

But until then, I maintain that I still LOVE this sport, bike or no bike. And here’s how I manifest this love: I CARE about the way the sport is portrayed in the mainstream media, I am CONCERNED about the future of the sport. I want this sport to be RESPECTED as a legitimate sport, and no longer treated like a spectacle, like a sideshow. And that’s why I am so outspoken about the way the sport is promoted, about the way the sport is (mis-)managed, about the way the media covers this sport. Yes, my only outlet is this tiny webpage and a post or two at Motodrive, but it’s a start and it’s my way of giving back.

I was watching NBC’s coverage of the French Open tennis tournament earlier today. I’d like to see motocross treated with the same respect that professional tennis gets. No one questions whether tennis players are “true” athletes. There is a lot of hype and drama surrounding some players, but the journalists covering the sport never blow it up or treat it like “professional” wrestling or “monster” truck “racing”. But as long as our promoters continue to put short-term goals like stadium seat-filling at the top of their agenda, motocross will never outlive this circus mentality. I hate that. (By the way, did you know SFX Sports, a division of LiveNation, manages a number of pro tennis players like Andre Agassi and tennis tournaments?)

I also hate the fact that I have allowed “life” to move me away from this sport that I love. So I am in the process of making some changes… changes in my expectations as to what life is supposed to be like, changes in my living conditions, changes in my environment… and finally changes in my chosen field of employment. It’s time to take back control and to get back to what really matters to me. One of these days, I am going to figure out how to make a living doing what I love: writing and communicating about motocross, using words, photographs and videos. And my love of the sport will be apparent in the quality of my work.

How is James Stewart Doing?

Check it out for yourself: he updated his newsletter. It's a cool read, and I'm glad and relieved to hear that he's doing better. I hope he's able to race at Southwick, but it's more important for him to think about the long run and sit out the race if he needs to.

How about that Hangtown cablecast?

Those readers familiar with All Things Motocross know that I tend to be very critical of all media coverage of our sport, particularly television coverage. The reason is because I am a former television professional myself, and I am knowledgeable of the challenges and difficulties involved in covering a dynamic motorsport like motocross. I am also aware of the great impact television coverage has on the uneducated public, and I always want to encourage accurate portrayals of MX. So with this in mind, I sat down in front of a friend's TV to watch OLN's coverage of the Honda Hangtown Classic. Here's my review in a sentence: very cool.

Actually, I was very impressed with the job that Chet Burks Productions performed in capturing and cablecasting this race. Let me list some specifics...

What was cool about the show?

1. The rider ID graphics were very nice, and included all of the information you would want.
2. The fact that they included an interview with Kevin Windham and didn't limit their interviews to the Big Three.
3. The bit they did on the Toyota sponsorship, featuring a short interview with the AMA's John Farris. Good pit footage and good level of detail. I'd like to see even more footage from the pits.
4. The Track Facts section was good, informative and brief.
5. The fact that they showed all of the early action in moto one BEFORE cutting to commercial. That was very thoughtful.
6. The “Toyota Leaderboard” was good.
7. The overall camerawork was very good, and the camera placement was well thought out (I do have a small bone to pick about this; see below).
8. “Rider Tips from Suzuki”. Nice.
9. The announcers were competent. David Pingree's partner (can't recall his name!) had that “broadcast voice”, but it was never overbearing, and he seemed to have more than passing knowledge of the sport. Pingree himself came across as quite the expert on the sport.
10. Erin Bates did a great job on the podium. Her questions were smart and her rapport was evident.
11. The “Racer X Holeshot Award” replays were cool.
12. Erin Bate's mini-interview with Bob Hannah. He looked great!
13. The fact that the AMA actually ran its own commercial (even though it was kind of weird).
14. Showing the highlights from the WMA races; that was excellent. Even more excellent was the fact that they were sponsored by Hitachi.
15. The Carlsbad flashback from 1980 was fantastic.
16. Some of the new commercials: Polaris and Cuervo Black. Nice to see others step up to support the sport.

And what were the areas that could use some improvement?

1. Pingree sounded monotone; he should work on voice modulation. Content-wise, though, he's excellent.
2. The other guy just needs to stop saying “Jamesbubbastewart”. That was last year.
3. Show the lap times. We know the AMA is providing them, figure out a way to get them in the show.
4. How is it possible that they never mentioned Antonio Balbi's great first moto ride?
5. The camera angles and lens selections tended to flatten out the jumps. They lost all sense of the height and distance that the riders were jumping, which is a huge component of the dynamics of the sport. It's like losing the sensation of the speeds achieved at an autorace... a huge no-no. Rethink the camera placement.
6. Why did they use an old photo of James in his ID shot? He doesn't have dreadlocks anymore.
7. Speaking of James, the camera completely missed James taking the checkered flag in moto one. That's an unforgivable error. Imagine them missing the winner of the Indy 500...
8. When Reed said on the podium it was possible that this is his last season, Erin should have followed up on that for clarification. That was bad timing on Reed's part, but he should have been called on it.
9. This is not the fault of the production team, but the commercial mix was questionable. Where were the Kawasaki and Yamaha commercials? What happened to Thor?

And there you have it. Sixteen cool things and 9 areas for improvement. That's a winning score and the folks at Chet Burks Productions should be proud. Yes, it would have been nice to see more race footage, but considering the fact that the second moto was basically a procession it's completely understandable. And squeezing two 30-plus-minute motos in one 60 minute block while making room for commercials and other information mean that cuts have to be made somewhere. I think they did a good job of trimming the racing action in just the right places. I feel confident that our sport is in good hands with this group.

Sparkplug 50

This Memorial Day weekend marks the second round of the 2006 AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF. And for this milestone Sparkplug (the big 5-0… woot!), I want to take a look NOT at the racing, but at the sponsorship issues that were raised just last week.

The first press release was, er, released on May 19, just two days before the start of the new season. The intent was to announce the total list of sponsors; here it is. Note that there is the Title Sponsor (Toyota), the Presenting Sponsor (FMF), a list of 18 Series Sponsors, and then Presenting Sponsors and in the case of the Honda Hangtown Classic, an Event Sponsor for each of the upcoming Nationals. Very cool, especially compared to last year. So everybody should be just as pleased as punch, right?

Well apparently not everybody. Shortly after the release of the above press release, Honda sent out one of their own dated May 22. While the headline of the release says Honda will participate in the sponsor program, the second sentence of the very first paragraph says that “…American Honda will do so under duress.”

Jeepers! Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines duress as: “1. forcible restraint or restriction, and 2. compulsion by threat; specifically: unlawful constraint” (emphasis theirs).

Now, if there’s one thing we know about American Honda it’s that they are a professional outfit, so there’s no doubt a pro wrote the press release and chose the wording very carefully. What was Honda’s problem with the AMA’s sponsor program? The simple fact that the AMA rules required all competitors to run Toyota logo stickers on their front number plates.

Read the press release, if you haven’t yet. It goes on to make a strong case: “Placing competitor logos on another manufacturer’s machines is offensive to companies with strong brand identities. Such a requirement is misleading and potentially confusing to spectators and customers. It is surprising the AMA would incorporate such a requirement into its series sponsor contract without consideration to the competitive position of the companies involved. This is analogous to NASCAR naming Toyota as series sponsor and requiring, Dodge, Ford and Chevrolet to place Toyota logos prominently on their vehicles, a situation we believe NASCAR would never allow.”

Well, wait a minute. What did Honda do when Mazda sponsored the supercross series a few years back? According to Honda’s press release, THEY DIDN’T RUN MAZDA LOGOS ON THEIR BIKES, choosing instead not to participate in the Mazda rider points fund. And what about when Chevy Trucks sponsored the outdoor nationals? They didn’t address it in the press release, but my guess is that Honda didn’t mind because at the time they were not in direct competition with Chevy in the truck market.

So how did the AMA respond? You know they did, right? They issued a response on the same day, saying that they were “…unaware of Honda’s concerns over this requirement until approximately three weeks ago.” The AMA goes on to say, “While AMA Pro Racing can empathize with the reluctance of some companies to display the logo of competitive entities, this is a traditional practice in motorsports and one that is necessary to maintain commercial viability. In this case, Toyota’s sponsorship adds tremendous value and benefits to riders, fans and promoters of AMA Motocross including contribution to a championship bonus fund paid out to top finishers. Additionally, Toyota’s proactive sponsorship activation plans will generate broad benefits to all involved in the sport. Honda’s reference to NASCAR practices in this matter is completely irrelevant (emphasis mine).”

No matter where you might stand on this issue, that little bitch-slap last sentence was definitely uncalled for. The kicker is when the AMA adds this killer line: “It is AMA Pro Racing’s intention to uphold the rulebook in this regard.”

Nice to know they’re in the rule-enforcing mood these day, no? Maybe they’ll keep those underage kids out of the pits, like it says in their rule book…

Back on track, here are my feelings about this: I am concerned that the AMA has somehow lost touch with the manufacturers that sponsor the most powerful teams on the circuit. They said that they were unaware of Honda’s concerns until 3 weeks before it all blew up… have the lines of communication between the AMA and Honda completely closed ever since Honda pulled out of the AMA Board? And is the AMA completely unaware of the way the Japanese do business? Honda and Toyota are fierce home market competitors; why wouldn’t the AMA be aware of this potential problem and address it ahead of time?

Finally, I must admit that it is interesting that Suzuki, another competitor with Toyota for the automobile market (though obviously not as big as Honda), has silently acquiesced to the sponsor program. Is Honda ultimately making a mountain out of a molehill, or was the “duress” so great that Suzuki was scared to speak up?

2007: The Year of Electric Motocross?

I found this over at Motocross Action's website: a story about the latest electric mx bike. Apparently, the makers of this bike have married it to lightweight, longer-lasting lithium batteries. The result? A run time of 3 hours at trail-riding speeds and 1 hour at motocross speed! And the kicker is that recharge time is only 30 to 90 minutes, rather than multiple hours. Check it out; I believe this is the indisputable future of our sport and I welcome it with open arms.

Hangtown '06: Role Reversal

Ah, what a race to miss! This year's running of the Honda-sponsored Hangtown Classic, the first round of the Toyota-sponsored National Motocross championships, would have been my third consecutive Hangtown had a last minute snag not altered my travel plans. So instead of standing in the rain with 20,000 other MX nuts, I sat at my buddy's kitchen table and, along with untold thousands of internet-savvy motocross aficionados, listened with rapt attention as the webcast announcers bellowed the action.

Turns out it was a great race! For details, check out this fantastic race report over at Transworld Motocross Online.

For the Cliff's Notes version, though, you've come to the right place. In a nutshell, James Stewart and Rick Carmichael served notice to the MX world that the battle begun in the 2006 Amp'd Supercross series was in fact NOT over... not by any stretch of the imagination. After a two week lull in violence, combat has fully resumed, and motocross fans across the world have reason to celebrate.

Remember the last round of the supercross season? How all James could do was win the Vegas event and hope something happened to his rivals? Well that role was taken over by Carmichael at Hangtown in the second moto. Finishing third after an astonishing come-from-WAY-friggin'-back in the first moto, Carmichael needed Chad Reed to pass James for second place in the final moto. And just like in Vegas, it simply wasn't gonna happen. Yes, Rick ran the table in moto two, grabbing the holeshot and checking out to a ridiculously huge lead, but Stewart patiently rode him in second, assured of the overall victory (and the championship points lead) because of his last-lap pass on Reed in the first moto for the win. And while Superbad Chad rode extremely well, he had to be feeling a little low after being chased down in the first moto by the dynamic duo from Florida.

The other role reversal was the simultaneous ending and beginning of streaks. By winning the Hangtown National, James Stewart ended his National LOSING streak, which effectively spanned his entire 2005 season. And at the same time, Stewart ended Carmichael's National Overall Win streak, an unbelievable string of 27 wins.

So congratulations to Stewart and Team Kawasaki for their inaugural 450F class wins at the Hangtown Motocross Classic! And here's to another incredibly exciting championship series!

Sparkplug 49

Yes, there are only a few days before the start of the much-awaited outdoor national season, so it’s fitting that I talk about… supercross? Well, truth be told, I have some unfinished business to deal with, and that’s the fact that last week’s Sparkplug only dealt with the Big Three… and there were a lot more riders giving it their all this winter and spring. So today’s article is all about the best of the rest… giving props where props are due.

“Chump” comment notwithstanding, Makita Suzuki’s Ivan Tedesco showed off his championship form, I think, for finishing fourth overall in his first season in the big boy class. At the beginning of the season I was confident that Ivan would do well and he didn’t disappoint.

Nick Wey certainly deserves special mention. Slick Nick put together a consistent season, scoring three third place finishes and five fifth place scores to finish fifth overall and top non-factory dude. And I’m sure the fact that Wey was only 6 points behind Tedesco was not lost on any of the factory insiders.

I’m not the only one sad to see “Iron” Mike Larocco retire from the sport, and we were all disappointed that it ended in an injury. Larocco was still able to finish the series in 10th overall, despite the fact that he was out after 8 rounds… a testament to his performance early in the series. Good luck with whatever you get into, Mike.

And how exciting was it to have Kevin Windham return to supercross racing?

The “not so big three” of Jason Thomas, Ryan Clark and Kyle Lewis all had good years considering. JT Money got to wear the helmet cam and did himself proud. I’m sure those guys all wanted to finish higher in the points and make more money, but they can still sleep well in the knowledge that they are among the fastest supercross racers on the planet. “Lucky” Kyle Lewis could have used more luck, as he wasn’t able to crack the top ten at any event, but that’s okay as far as I’m concerned.

Michael Byrne held up his end of the Kawasaki team bargain, finishing on the podium at Daytona after James fell. He had some good motos out there as well, but I think Ivan had him covered. Travis Preston, the nearly invisible man, brought his factory Honda home in 7th overall, but I can barely remember seeing him out there. Flashy, he’s not. Certainly, his success was overshadowed by the tragedy that befell his teammate, Ernesto Fonseco (get well soon, Ernie). Let’s hope Preston can make more noise outdoors (um, that’s the rider, not the bike).

But the real action away from the supercross Big Three occurred in the 250F classes. Grant Langston and Davi Milsaps both had amazing seasons, as they seemed to show dominant speed in their respective regions. And they both faced serious challenges from their teammates. “Rocket” Ryan Villopoto is my new favorite young gun to watch, and he had a pretty incredible rookie season, almost putting it to Langston. Of course, Honda’s Andrew Short came very close to taking it from Langston, but as they say, close doesn’t count for shit… or something like that. Ask Pingree.

And how about that Josh Grant kid? Fast fast fast. Only Milsaps won more mains than Josh. These two are gonna be fun to watch at Hangtown, where Grant knows how to fly.

A little further back we find the very fast Tommy Hahn. Martin Davalos surprised me by leading a few races. And how can I forget Lil’ Goose, Chris Gosselaar and his amazing rides for Monster/Pro Circuit?

Others I have to mention: Paul Carpenter has his moments. Billy Laninovich rocked the house a few times with his sick whips and fast laps. Darcy Lange came out to show that Arenacross racers ain’t no punks (I already knew that). And of course, Mike Alessi ended up being the man for KTM, after a bit of a shaky start.

There were a few riders that I have to say disappointed me, and I cannot end this column without mentioning them. This is not about calling them out or anything like that, it’s just that these guys have phenomenal potential and incredible speed and skills, and I hope they do better in the future. I realize that many of them were dealing with injuries, bad luck and other issues, and that’s okay. I’m talking about some of my favorite riders like Greg Schnell, Matt Walker, Tim Ferry and of course, Sean Hamblin. Oh yeah, and David Vuillemin. Here’s hoping the outdoors finds you all at the top of your respective games.

So that’s my loose list of supercross highlights away from the lead pack. It was such a fantastic season, I’m still having trouble letting it go.

But tomorrow night, I’ll be on the way to Hangtown!

Racer X Films now online

Just in time for the upcoming outdoor racing season, the fine folks over at Racer X had launched a site just for online videos, Racer X Films. They're still working out some of the bugs, and the first vid that I watched, coverage of their awesome ride day at Castillo Ranch, took forever to fully load even with my fast connection. But I'm sure they'll get it all worked out soon.

Racer X now joins Transworld Motocross in the online video market... late to the game, yes, but better late than never, right? Now let's see if RX can step up and compete with TWMX's bikini model videos, too!

Ernesto Fonseca Update with Pics!

You gotta check this out: Ernesto Fonseca's wife, Caroline, has started a website. [link deleted] It's got some touching photos of Ernie with some of the friends that have visited him. It breaks my heart to see him like that, but at the same time, seeing him smile and surrounded by people that love him... that's gotta be a good thing. Check it out.

Sparkplug 48

There is simply no way that I can let the 2006 Supercross season end without a final comment, so that is the subject of this week's Sparkplug.

In a word, this year was phenomenal. That “perfect storm” everyone expected for 2005, heralded by the arrival of an opponent finally able to give Rick Carmichael a run for his money? Well now we know it took 11 months for it to build up to Category 5 conditions. It wasn't until December of '05 that we finally got a glimpse of the Great War to come, during those two races in Canada that represented the unique FIM-points-only World Supercross rounds. And unveiling a new bike, a new attitude and a new number was the man who would be king (but not this year, maybe later), James Stewart.

It's not my intention to recap the season with a blow-by-blow, round-by-round summary. If you're reading this, you probably are as crazy about motocross as I am, so you also witnessed the fantastic races that made up this championship run, either on cable, network television or on the web. And that's one of the things that made this season so memorable: EVERY RACE was suspenseful and exciting, and EVERY RACE was made available to a reasonably large television audience. It was all so fantastic it's almost hard to believe.

Yes, there were never more than three riders vying for the win. The same three. The BIG three, Chad Reed, James Stewart and Rick Carmichael. Yes, it's true, not another rider was capable of turning lap times comparable to these stellar racers. Yes, it would have been even more exciting if there were more rivals for the championship, but to paraphrase our possibly senile Secretary of Defense, “you go to the races with the racers you have”, and those three are without a doubt the most talented, dedicated, motivated and galvanizing supercross racers alive today. We were blessed to be able to witness their 18 round battle.

Chad Reed has the heart of a lion. I remember watching RC seemingly tear that very heart right out of his chest in Atlanta in '05, chasing Chad Reed down and beating him mercilessly. But Chad reached down deep the very next race at Daytona... RC's home track!...and proved to Rick and the world that he could still win and win big at that. This year, Superbad Chad was all but dismissed as the perennial third place horse... I even opined, prior to the start of the season, that Reed would be fighting off a challenge for third overall from Ivan Tedesco. Boy, was I wrong about that! Reed hung tough all year, every single lap, and as such put himself in perfect position to capitalize on the mistakes that are usually NEVER made by RC and his team. Chad only won two main events this year, and each one was the result of severe bad luck striking both RC and JS at the same time. However, that was enough to put him in the amazingly unlikely position of being able to win the whole shooting match at the very last round. He made his own luck by believing in himself and never giving up. He deserves an award just for that.

James Stewart is the fastest supercross racer the world has ever seen. And that's not just my opinion; that same sentiment has been voiced by the top names in the sport, including one Rick Carmichael. Stewart overcame broken bones, intestinal illnesses, disastrous results and a lot of flack from fickle fans during the first 11 months of 2005 to triumphantly record stunning victories in December of the same year. He went on to compile an impressive win record in '06, winning 8 more rounds and on the way, winning every heat race he entered, a feat never before achieved, not by Carmichael and not even by the undisputed King of Supercross, Jeremy McGrath. Of course, heat race wins are ignored by the record books, but it still remains a remarkable accomplishment. Yet James still had moments on the track that caused him to finish off of the podium a number of times, losing valuable points in the process. Now James is the World Champion of Supercross, a title that used to mean little, even when it was held by the likes of Carmichael and Reed. To some, it still means little, but I'm sure it means a heckuva lot to Stewart, his team and his family. On top of that, James is the first rider in the history of the sport to wrestle a championship title away from formerly unbeatable RC. Now that's saying something about the both of them.

Rick Carmichael is simply the greatest motocross racer that has ever lived. And my opinion is backed up by fact: his number of championship titles is unprecedented, his records are arguably unbreakable. And if you need more proof, all you need to know is this: not only did he beat the King of Supercross at his own game, when faced with the fastest supercross racer of all time, he rose to the occasion, did what he had to do, and came away retaining his National Supercross Championship. No, it was not easy and he didn't make it look easy. RC suffered an uncharacteristic mechanical DNF at St. Louis and just missed serious injury in a scary getoff at Dallas. But he never stopped working hard and like Reed, never stopped believing. If he did, there was no way for us to tell.

Some say the fact that one series crowns two champions is unnecessarily confusing, and I understand where they're coming from... but at the same time, I feel strongly that having two winners is the best possible outcome for this season. These two guys put on the show that we've been waiting for since RC dethroned MC back in the day. And the truth of the matter is that there are many more winners this season than just two. We've all won something of value as spectators: the experience of watching one of the best years of indoor racing to date.

Now, who's ready for the OUTDOORS??!

Oh yeah... Congratulations to our Champions!

Big ups to Rick Carmichael for another championship season. He dug down deep and kept his AMA Supercross title.

And big props to James Stewart for winning his first 450F supercross crown, the FIM World Supercross Championship. And congratulations for becoming the first rider in history to actually beat Rick Carmichael in a championship series! That is saying something!

So... How did I feel after watching the Las Vegas broadcast?

I wanted to hurt someone.

That was part of my reaction after watching last night’s Supercross Finale broadcast live from Las Vegas. I mean, I was looking forward to a FANTASTIC night of racing, and in all honesty, the qualifying races were great. Too bad the 450F main turned into a boring procession. But it wasn’t the race that angered me, it was the coverage.

And let me be clear, I wasn’t pissed about the technical coverage. I thought the technical execution was superb. The great camera angles gave me the feeling that I could see the entire track. The director and technical director seemed to capture the action at just the right time; their timing was nearly flawless. And whoever was able to talk Kevin Windham into wearing the helmet cam deserves a bonus! It was great to see what it’s like riding with one of the fastest riders in the sport. I could have watched even more of that, despite the signal breakup whenever he went down “Thunder Alley”.

And the graphical information offered on screen was nearly perfect. The scrolling position chart that alternated between laptimes and gap times was just great, and the color coding to show who’s in qualifying position… very cool. Laps remaining, point standings, rider number and name titles… the crew did a great job. They were on point and I have no complaints about that aspect of the broadcast. So what was it that made me squirm in my chair for three hours?

One, the show was visually boring. A three-hour live sporting event cannot afford to be boring for 15 seconds, but last night’s show became uninteresting whenever the racers left the track. I COULD NOT BELIEVE that the only cutaway available was a shot of the fans in the stands. A heat race would end, they would show the winner ride off the track, then they would cutaway to people in the stands as the announcers wrapped up the race and transitioned to a commercial. USING THE SAME CUTAWAY FOR THREE HOURS = FRIGGIN’ BORING!

My God, how many other things are there to shoot at a supercross race? How about the pits for one example? Wouldn’t it be interesting to see what happens when a factory rider returns to the pits after just missing a qualifying spot? There was not a single shot of the pits… and the factories spend a ton of money to make them visually appealing to fans. I mean, were the pits closed to the Speed camera crews? I think not.

Or how about a shot in the tunnel as the riders and mechanics make the trek to the starting line? Or how about a shot of the announcers in the booth?? Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a good idea to show the television audience the size of the sellout crowd… once or twice. We get it after that!

Pre-taped packages were another problem. I missed the first 20 minutes of the program, so maybe I missed the killer, kick-ass package, but the ones that followed were basic at best. I mean, another mini-interview with one of the top three, telling us how important the championship is? WE’VE SEEN THAT ALL WEEK, for chrissakes! There was ample downtime to run more 1 and 2 minutes packages. How about one showing the riders preparing for the week? You know, send a crew out to the factory practice tracks; show RC pounding out the miles on his road bicycle; see Stewart pumping iron in the gym. How hard would that have been?

And the commercials. Oh my god, I am SO GLAD the supercross season is over so I don’t have to see those same three commercials again! I was actually grateful that the local cable station was running some bullshit car sales commercials, just to break up the monotony! Would it have killed Amp’d mobile to produce a new commercial for this huge broadcast? I guess it was out of the budget… cheap bastards. Either that or they just didn’t care. Which one is it? And even Thor would have benefited from running something new… even if it was one of their older commercials from years past. Yes, advertising if more effective when repetitive. But there is a point of diminishing returns when the target audience gets sick of the same old message. I believe that point was overtaken months ago…

And the announcers… I still don’t like them, that’s not a surprise. But what really did surprise me was the fact that the announcing team has not “gelled” in the least bit. It’s like they’re still strangers to each other. There was absolutely zero sense of camaraderie. Denny Stephenson has a well-earned reputation for being a bit of a smartass, that’s a large part of his appeal, but his personality never shined through. There was even a moment when Ralph took an uncharacteristic jab at Denny, regarding wearing pink gear, and Denny refused to strike back. And Ralph gave Denny PLENTY of opportunities because Ralph said things that give the impression that he has no idea what he’s talking about. And Denny should have blasted him on it every time. That would have been entertaining as shit.

One example happened right before the start of the 450F main, when Ralph called the siting lap the “warm up lap.” If there were any NASCAR fans watching, they would have scratched their heads in confusion, wondering why those racers were trying to “warm up” something at walking speeds (there was another “cutaway” opportunity: show the riders in the pits, warming up on their stationary bikes). Denny should have corrected Ralph immediately. Yes, they eventually explained that the riders were looking for changes in the track condition, but Denny missed an opportunity to assert his personality. The sad part was I don’t think he even noticed.

The field reporters were no great shakes, either. There was a moment when Greg White talked about the hardpacked dirt in Thunder Alley. He pointed out some “lines” in the dirt, which were obviously ‘dozer track, and he compared them to “cobblestones”. Why he didn’t just identify them as ‘dozer tracks I’ll never know (is it possible he didn’t recognize them?), but then Ralph adlibbed that the mechanics were “working furiously” to address the traction issues. Um, okay. Picture Alan Olson in the pits, “furiously” changing tires. It never happens; the tire company guys do all the tire changing; Alan would change wheels, but “furiously”?? Instead, the producers missed a great opportunity to spend 60 seconds with Dunlop tire rep Broc Glover, letting him explain the fact that they use special, limited-use tires for supercross races. And Dunlop was one of the advertisers! What could have been a win-win turned into yet another missed opportunity, and a better visual alternative to a cutaway shot of a guy picking his nose in the stands.

I’m not even going to say anything about Krista… ah, who am I fooling? First, why a white belt with black shirt and pants? Was she trying to convince the nation that she has absolutely zero fashion sense, or was she trying to shame CBS into hiring a wardrobe person? She seemed lost throughout the entire broadcast, as if she was having trouble finding things to talk about. There was a great shot of racers preparing their starting slots by packing the dirt with their feet. Would it have killed Krista to get a rider or mechanic to explain exactly what they were doing? To a casual fan it must have been confusing.

I think, seriously, that Krista could benefit from sitting in a room and watching all of her “interviews” for a few hours, and then be forced to write better questions for each situation. She appears to “wing it” whenever she’s confronted with interviewing a rider, and she usually gets it wrong. Of course, that’s just my opinion, and who am I but just a guy with a blog, right?

But the last straw that broke my camelbak was the “ceremony” during which the top official of the AMA and the FIM presented their respective number one plates to our exalted champions. Did you see it? I just couldn’t believe it. After hyping up the title chase for three hours, the actual title presentation consisted of a few mumbled, un-microphoned words by Whitelock and Gallagher, while Ralph talked over them, adding absolutely nothing to the process.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Supercross Champion of the World!! Here, take this piece of plastic, good job, now scoot…” Unfriggin’-believable. If I were a casual fan, I would be perplexed; as a huge fan, I was hugely disappointed and embarrassed.

And what was the deal with the stadium announcers? Why were they on the stage interviewing the racers at the same time? DID NO ONE TELL THEM THE RACE WAS ON LIVE TELEVISION? The fans in the stands seemed to know it was on live TV… why not let the television announcers handle the entire podium presentation… for the television audience AND the stadium audience? Whose idea was it to pretend this was just a regular race being taped for cable? At that point, I turned off the TV…

What it comes down to is this: I feel an unbelievable opportunity was wasted. There was enormous publicity and anticipation heading into this final race. The stage was set, but the production team dropped the ball bigtime. It was as if no thought or preparation went into this special program. I know that isn’t true, but the end result, to me, suggests that the preparations were insufficient. Either that or the people doing the preparations were in over their heads. Of course, this is just my opinion, and again, who am I? Just a guy who loves motocross and is not afraid to tell it like it is.

Sparkplug 47

Well, it's the Friday before the Greatest Supercross Show on Earth commences in Las Vegas, and it's about damn time that I got back to writing Sparkplugs, doncha think? Since our great sport is on the verge of crowning two champions in an unprecedented winner-take-all finale, you would think that this week's topic would be all about this big race. But really, what can I say that hasn't already been said by writers better than I? I mean, check out my man Jason Weigandt's blog, or check out Andy Bowyer's excellent “Rev Up”. Or read what my internet hero Steve Giberson over at TWMX has to say. Even former Supercross champ and all around motocross hero Jeff Emig weighed in over at Racer X Online. So I'm going to leave all the speculation and pontification to the pros.

But I will say this: I predicted that James Stewart would win the title this season in Sparkplug 35, where I said: “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.” I was actually expecting a mechanical to finally hit uber-champion Rick Carmichael. Well, I got the breakdown part right when RC's shock gave up the ghost in St. Louis... now, if either RC or Chad Reed fail to finish second to James, the talented Mr. Stewart will win both the AMA Supercross title and the FIM World Supercross crown. And then I'll say “I told you so...” Until then, not another word from me...!

So this week's topic is about something entirely different: the concept of racers “giving back to the sport.” For some fans, that is the mark of a “true” champion... that they not only win decisively, and win graciously, but they also take up some other extra-curricular activity to bring even more value to the sport.

The shining example of this would have to be the great Jeremy McGrath. “Showtime” is known and revered not only for his complete and utter domination of supercross in the late '90's, but also for changing the sport itself for the better. Jeremy is known for introducing the “bmx” style of riding, in which the rider “pre-jumps” the jumps in order to fly lower and return to the track faster. This style allows the rider to accelerate down the landing ramps of jumps, increasing their speed and dropping their lap times. McGrath used this technique to absolutely annihilate his competition, and a thousand young racers adopted the method with much success. It's standard supercross racing technique now.

I also believe that McGrath had a hand in the standardization of supercross tracks. The way the tracks are built now, each obstacle has consistent measurements and angles from track to track. Triples are always a certain distance, with the takeoff and landing ramps always having the same angle and height. This was no accident, and I could be wrong (as I have no proof whatsover), but I suspect that McGrath worked with the promoters and the track builders to nail down some consistency in track design. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

There's no doubt that Jeremy changed the atmosphere in the pits. No rider before his time enjoyed the massive fan popularity that MC has. Even during his “part-time” seasons, he had some of the longest autograph lines.

But Jeremy went even further. He was the first to prove the concept of a rider running his own factory-backed team was possible, when he teamed up with Chapparal and Mazda. He brought in major outside sponsorship with the aforementioned Mazda, as well as MCI's 1-800-Collect and Bud Light. He was the first racer to own part of a major gear manufacturer in No Fear. He even promoted his own race, the Summercross that was held in the fabled L.A. Coliseum (and he's promoting another one this winter, the McGrath Invitational).

And let's not forget his invaluable contribution to the birth of freestyle, the Nac Nac.

Truth be told, Jeremy's contributions to the sport, both on the track and off, are numerous, and this article is not just about him, so I'll leave it to you to fill in the rest of MC's accomplishments. But who else has “given” to this sport we love?

I think it's safe to say that David Bailey has given of himself, not only with his riding schools and coaching of up-and-coming pros, but with his contributions from the broadcast booth. I believe DB has been one of our greatest television personalities, and I hope someone can talk him back into the booth someday.

Roger DeCoster is an obvious choice, as well. Here's a guy who could have retired years ago after his extremely successful racing career, but by taking the reigns at Team Honda and now Team Suzuki, he has advanced the cause of American motocross in an immeasurable way. Not to mention the fact that he has coached and managed nearly ALL of our Motocross des Nations teams, even leading them to victory against his own home nation of Belgium. I love RD.

There are other riders that have done well by motocross, and I don't mean to dis them by not mentioning them here. But I am truly perplexed when I hear some people say that the current crop of racers have not done their part, have not “given anything back to the sport.” Like, what has Kevin Windham done for the sport; what has Mike Larocco done for the sport; how has Rick Carmichael given back to the sport?

Here's my thinking: all a racer has to give is his or her best effort. That's all they “have” to give to the sport. I believe that's true for any professional sport. Do what you're paid to do to the best of your ability. Leave it all on the track or on the playing field, and the fans have NO RIGHT to ask for anything else.

I also think it's preposterous to assert that someone like RC hasn't “given” anything to this sport. Representing us at the MXdN last year, in my mind, qualifies as a great act of giving. Setting the bar so high that it may never be topped, by doing what it takes to accomplish not one, but TWO perfect seasons... that's giving, in my book. Is it on the same level as the stuff that McGrath has done for supercross. No, but the comparison is inappropriate. You can only give what you have, and Jeremy was and is gifted with a lot of fan appeal and personality. Rick is gifted with an unmatched level of drive and determination, and so his “gift” to us fans is his numerous record book entries.

And here's the biggest thing: I believe that racers are in a better position to “give” back to the sport AFTER their racing days are over, like Bailey and DeCoster have. So it's much too soon to come down on our racers about not “giving”. Give them some time.

End of rant. Now, ARE YOU READY FOR SOME SUPERCROSSSSSSSSSS!

And one more thing: GO JAMES!

Welcome Back, Brian Deegan!

I know, I'm a little late, but I just read this great interview with Brian Deegan over at Racer X Online, in which Deegan announces his return to racing motocross!

What really got me stoked about this news was that it was clear that Brian has really grown up. He's a family man now and a successful businessman and he admitted that he misses the sport and wants to ride the nationals simply for the pleasure of it. I think that's awesome. He even said he had a positive attitude now! That's the commandant of the Metal Militia talking!

Brian, welcome back. I am going to be one of the guys cheering for you on the sidelines, no matter what position you're running in. Good luck!

Congratulations Grant Langston!!

Wow, talk about putting it down when it counts, Grant "Lucky" Langston dominated the muddy Seattle Supercross last Saturday to clinch the West Region 250F supercross championship. Good job, Grant!

Now, at the beginning of the season I wrote an article about Grant, saying he was selling "wolf tickets". For those that don't know, "wolf tickets" is a slang term for bragging. And it was true; the article was in response to a press release issued by Langston's people, talking about how Grant was going for the "Grand Slam": by winning the West Regional supercross title, he would be the only rider in history to win every possible 125 title in the world.

And there's some truth to this. Before he came to race in the U.S., Langston won the FIM 125 World Championship on a KTM 125. Cool. Then he won the AMA 125 National Championship, also on a KTM 125. Then last year, Langston won the East Regional 125 supercross championship... but he was riding a Kawasaki 250F. No problem because they're legal in the 125 class, right? Okay fine, but this year is different. Yes, he won the title, but the class is no longer the 125 class. According to the AMA, it's now called the "Supercross Lites" class, and in fact, there was not a single 125 c.c. motorcycle contesting the entire series. Technically, it is NOT a 125 title for Lucky.

So, Grand Slam? I think not. But don't despair, Grant, because it is still a great championship and a great way to wrap up your career in the tiddler ranks. As Steve Whitelock ungraciously said when handing you the number one plate, "You're racing Supercross now, boy." Or something like that. I have no idea why he would call you a boy...

"Jumping" James to stay with Team Green

Well, there'll be no "jumping ship" to Honda for James Stewart, as Kawasaki has announced they've renewed his contract (check out the press release here, courtesy Racer X Online).

I maintained that moving to Honda would be a positive step for Stewart, because I believe that every pro racer eventually wants to ride for Big Red AND I believe the CRF450F is a better bike than the Kawasaki KX450F. At least in terms of handling. And we've all seen James have problems this year with keeping the Kawi on two wheels, primarily due to front-end washouts.

But all of that is for naught. "Jumping" James will remain a Kawi man, demonstrating a level of brand loyalty that is all to rare in today's sport. Here's hoping that the partnership continue to bear (championship) fruit.

So... how about that MXdN announcement, Kawasaki? You ARE supporting James' involvement this year, right?

"Superbad" Chad speaks his mind

You gotta check out this audio interview of Chad Reed at last week's Dallas Supercross, as conducted by David Izer of DMXS Radio. "Superbad" really lays it on the line and doesn't pull any punches. And this was BEFORE his stunning surprise win in the main. What he has to say about Suzuki and the fuel penalty situation is amazing.

I'm Back!

Whoa. Where have I been? Well, I've been seriously ill the past two weeks or so, in so much pain that it was impossible to do any type of creative writing. But I'm much better now, so I'll get this puppy back on track.

I tell you what: during my time down I had ample opportunity to think about the difference between professional athletes and amateur/hobbyists, and the main difference is the fact that pros are paid to play when hurt or sick. Curled up in a fetal ball in my bed, I gave thought to what must have been going through Chad Reed's mind when he answered the call to race despite having a severely injured shoulder. I also thought about those races that James Stewart pulled out of last season, due to his "mystery" ailment. Pro athletes are a different breed.

Sparkplug 46

Now that the supercross season is taking a well-deserved two-weekend break (what a great season), I thought this would be a good time to tackle a not-so-serious moto-subject: rider nicknames. As in, I think it's high time that we adoring fans came up with some new monickers for our favorite riders.

Motocross nicknames have a rich history. Riders started taking nicks as soon as there were factory rides; some picked them up even sooner. Names like the "Flyin' Hawaiian" for John Desoto and "Jammin'" Jimmy Weinert are classics. Probably the greatest motocross nickname of all time is "Hurricane" for Bob Hannah. It's my opinion that the nicks in use today pale in comparison to the great handles from years gone by. So I'd like to rectify that situation.

See, it used to be that the nickname was actually descriptive of the rider and his riding style. "Hurricane" fit Hannah's wildman riding style like a fine suit. "Jammin'" had double meanings for Weinert; not only would he often be found in the pits jammin' on an acoustic guitar (making up hilarious songs about his competition), but on the track he would be the first to jam you into the snow fences on his way past. Contrast that with "RC." What does "RC" say about Rick Carmichael other than state his obvious initials? And before you get started, let me say that "G.O.A.T." is not an appropriate nickname for Carmichael; it's simply who he is. "Bubba" is another meaningless nick. The story is that an old lady gave that to James Stewart when he was still on minis. What do old ladies know about proper motocross nicknames?

I could be wrong, but I think the first professional sport to heavily adopt the use of nicknames was professional boxing. Early boxing promoters were always looking for an edge to sell tickets to their prize fights, so they would "create" flamboyant personas for their fighters. Now modern fighters are more known for their nicknames than their actual names. "Sugar" Ray Leonard. "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler. Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns. "Iron" Mike Tyson. These names are rich and evocative. This is what we need to get back to in motocross.

Yes, I have some new nicknames to propose, but first, let me set some basic guidelines. First and foremost, a rider MUST have achieved at least one championship of some kind before he deserves a nickname. Regional SX championships and Arenacross championships will qualify a rider for a nickname. Secondly, the nickname must be a clever reflection of the rider's personality and style. Finally, the rider must actually accept the nick. What good is a nickname if the rider himself doesn't like it?

So without further adieu, I give you the new nicknames for the top riders of our sport:

Heath "Work Hoss" Voss - Heath deserves props for his World Supercross title and his never-say-die attitude. And he ain't no little guy, either.

"TrackMaster" Travis Preston - this one was tough, because Travis is a genuinely nice guy who is really getting the job done, but usually is totally overlooked by the fans and the media. Travis deserves better recognition for the fact that he is an excellent rider... the man finished 5th overall in the 250 nats last year! Sure, "TrackMaster" isn't the greatest nickname ever, but it's alot better than Preston's current nick... nothing at all. Or is it "The Slower Travis"??

Mike "Bruiser" Brown - I mean, ANYTHING'S an improvement over "Brownie"! And many riders know that Brown is not to be messed with on the track. He'll put you on the ground with the quickness. Mike's not afraid to swap paint, so that's why I think he deserves a fighter's nickname.

Ivan "The Terrible" Tedesco - now I admit this one is not entirely original, but I think it's much better than the current play-on-words favorite "Hot Sauce". No, he's not a terrible rider, but like any good slang, this nick means the opposite of what it says (like "sick" actually means "dope"... er, cool or something). Ivan is in fact "terrible" to his competition... ask Michael Byrne.

Grant "Lucky" Langston - I chose this because it rolls nicely off the tongue and it also means the opposite of what it says. I'm referring to the bad luck Grant overcame early in his career, when he threw away his first supercross win with a last lap crash, and when he lost his first possible National title when his KTM's rear wheel exploded. Despite those setbacks, "Lucky" Langston is homing in on an unprecedented feat: becoming the only rider in the history of the sport to win a World 125 title, an American National 125 title and both Regional Supercross titles. Maybe he IS "Lucky"... (Note to Kyle Lewis fans: yes, your man has won a Japanese National Championship, and he's a fine motocross racer AND he currently holds the pink slip to the "Lucky" nickname, but... it's time to let it go.)

"Sugar K." Windham - this one is tough, but most people will agree that Kevin is one of the smoothest riders to ever grace the saddle of a modern motocross bike. In boxing, the nickname "Sugar" is held in high esteem; it describes a fighter that moves with sweet, assured footwork. We could call him "Special K" or "Smoothie", but neither of these has the historic value of "Sugar K"... and it sounds like "Sugar Ray".

"Superbad" Chad Reed - again going with the opposite meaning, I just like the ring of "Superbad Chad". To me, his hold nick of "Skippy" is borderline insulting. And the fact is that Chad is indeed "Superbad"... he may not be keeping up with the Rick and James show this year, but no one else in the field has anything for him. I can't wait to see what he'll do outdoors this year.

"Jumpin'" James Stewart - What other nick for a guy who singlehandedly rewrote the rules on jumping? James may not have invented the scrub, there few can dispute the fact that he made it a mandatory move for pros that actually want to win races.

Rick "The Hammer" Carmichael - At first, I thought of Rick "The Ruler", because of the R's, but Slick Rick the rapper beat me too it. Plus, "The Hammer" kind of goes with the "tool" aspect of his team's sponsor, Makita. And that fact is that Carmichael has hammered his competition senseless ever since he first swung a leg over a bike. Besides, Tom Delay won't be needing the nickname anymore (and that was the absolute last political aside you'll ever read at this blog)!

So... what do you think? And what would be a good nick for our newest champion, Davi Milsaps?

Davi Does It!

Congratulations to Davi Milsaps and Team Honda for wrapping up the 2006 East Region 250F supercross championship. It's the first professional title for both Milsaps and the littlest Honda fourstroke... and with Andrew Short leading the way in the West Region, this might be the first year Honda sweeps the regional classes since Jeremy McGrath and Brian Swink completed the deal for Team Peak/Pro Circuit/Honda.

And it's kind of ironic that if Shorty wins the title, he'll be beating Pro Circuit rider Grant Langston to do so.

So, let's welcome Davi Milsaps to the ranks of factory riders that have won regional supercross titles... it's almost the minimum requirement for keeping a factory ride.

Sparkplug 45

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.