Annals of AMA Rule Making History: the Death of the Kickstand

In light of the recent revelations of how major decisions are made by our sport’s sanctioning bodies, I began to wonder about how some of the other rules came to pass.

Did you ever wonder how kickstands came to be outlawed on motocross racers? In all honesty, I have no idea how this rule came to pass, but I certainly have my suspicions.

Imagine the year is 1973. Motocross in America is on a roll, and the newly released silver & green-tanked Honda Elsinores are flying out of dealer showrooms and soaring around motocross tracks all over the country. Some of you young folk may find this hard to believe, but those motorcycles, every last one of them, came equipped with kickstands straight from the factory! That’s right, no need for lugging around bike stands and all that, just one quick flick of the ankle and the motorcycle would stand up ALL BY ITSELF.

Incredible technology.

And incredibly dangerous, apparently. It appears to be common knowledge that kickstands are banned today because they present a hazard to the health of motocross competitors… at least, the ones contesting events sanctioned by the AMA. At those “outlaw” tracks, you’re on your own, baby.

So maybe, back in the day before this common sense prevailed, racers raced with those dangerous pieces of steel hanging from their frames, and there was a spate of kickstand-related injuries. Imagine being the local AMA representative/referee at a racetrack one Sunday, and some kid in the 125 Novice class gets taken off in an ambulance because he had his lung punctured by someone’s kickstand. Or a chain-reaction crash caused a bunch of riders to go down because one guy’s kickstand deployed at an inopportune moment and high-sided him across the track. Just think of the pressure that AMA guy must have felt.

“Something must be done about these kickstands. It’s more than obvious that they are an unacceptable hazard to the health of our members.”

But what to do? Maybe they brainstormed a number of solutions. I can imagine that the first guy that suggested REMOVING the kickstands was shot down with the quickness: “Motorcycles have ALWAYS had kickstands. We can’t remove them! If we do, how will we ever get our bikes to stand upright without our help? No, a better solution must be found…”

And then one bright guy piped up, “I’ve got it! We need to invent a motorcycle that can stand up on its own! Then it won’t NEED a kickstand!” With that, an entire team of people set off to invent such a beast.

Thankfully, cooler (and smarter) heads prevailed, and the AMA settled on simply writing a rule that requires racers to remove their kickstands before they can set a knobby on the track. Yet even with this rule in place, it took the manufacturers a few years before they stopped putting kickstands on motocross bikes. But now, every motocross motorcycle sold today (unless it’s a KTM) is without the offending appendage.

And what happened to the team that wanted to go in the other direction? Why, they invented the All Terrain Cycle, or ATC, which eventually evolved into today’s quad racers.

(P.S. – none of the above is true. Well, some of it is…!)

Next in the Annals of AMA Rule Making: Why you’ll be disqualified from an AMA National if your footpegs don’t fold at precisely 45 degrees…

All About the Benjamins: Motocross Top Money Earners to date

One of my very favorite features of the twice-monthly Motocross Illustrated magazine is their “Earnings Leaders” column in which they list the top 35 money makers in American motocross. In the latest, May 29^th issue, they list all dollars earned up to May 8^th, which effectively means all the purse money paid out during the Amp’d Mobile Supercross series.

Surprising no one, of course, is the fact that James Stewart leads the way with his double championship, taking home a healthy $385k. What I find rather surprising is the fact that only ONE OTHER RACER cracked the $100,000 mark… of course that would be second place Chad Reed, who earned nearly $175k. Tim Ferry almost made it with $98k, but he’s the last rider to clear 90 grand.

The earnings drop off quickly after that, and another surprise that there are two riders in the top ten that did not make at least $50 grand. That’s for 15 races in the U.S.

Other shocking figures? How about this one: East Coast regional champion Ben Townley only made $14,650, putting him at 28^th on the list. Yamaha of Troy’s Ryan Morais, who almost won the East title, DIDN’T EVEN MAKE THE LIST.

Two riders out of the entire list of 35 failed to crack the $10,000 earning barrier… one of them was Monster Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Chris Gosselaar, who finished 5^th overall in the West. He only made $8,910 for his efforts.

Wow.

Imagine how those guys with Supercross Only contracts must feel.

Hey, James Stewart!

Time to update your website, dude. That old 2006 World Supercross number one plate is, uh, last year's news.

Hambone Watch, round 5: Grand Prix of Germany

Well, after a top ten finish last week, it looks like our man at Team Swift Suzuki, Sean Hamblin, didn't do so hot at the circuit in Teutschenthal, Germany. Hamblin recorded 17th and 19th finishes respectively to notch a 21st overall, collecting 6 championship points in the effort.

Hamblin dropped out of the top 20 in World Championship points, sitting in 21st position with 41 points so far.

I don't have any details so far, but based on the lap charts available over at the Youthstream website, it appears Sean had it tough all weekend. During timed practice, he was only 30th fastest rider on the track, and that position held during the timed warm up. So, in a sense, you could say Hamblin improved from qualifying to race day.

C'mon Sean! Keep pushing!

Who owns this sport anyway?

I have been waiting a minute to unload on this 350 vs. 450 issue, because I wanted to see what everyone really had to say about it, and I didn’t want to act in anger. And perhaps anger is too strong a word to use, because I’m not really angry, but I am concerned… extremely so… that some people may be saying things without really revealing their true agendas. And that pisses me off, because it goes back to the question of who “owns” this sport of motocross, anyway? Is it the sanctioning bodies? Is it the manufacturers? Or is it the enthusiasts that actually foot the bill?

So today my mailman dropped off the latest issue of Motocross Illustrated (MXi, May 15), and not only does editor Steve Cox weigh in with his column, but another Steve, “The Factory Spectator” Bruhn of Mototalk and Racer X chips in HIS two cents in the “Open Mic” guest column at the back of the mag. Both Steves are talking about what the THIRD Steve, this time Whitelock of the AMA, has said during and after his meetings with the movers and shakers of world motocross. MXi goes even further by printing an article about the whole thing, with liberal quotes from Whitelock. If you have any interest in this topic at all, you really need to pick up a copy of this issue. However, I am about to get into some of Whitelock’s quotes right now.

Here’s the short take: the AMA and FIM have decided that 450cc four stroke motorcycles are too powerful for most professional racers to use; that 450s are destroying the whoops of supercross tracks; and that some action must be taken to gain “parity” in racing. Let’s take this one ridiculous argument at a time.

About the power, said Whitelock: “That’s our biggest problem, really. If everyone was James, we wouldn’t be faced with this problem. Sure, we’d have a racetrack problem, and we’d have a laptime problem, but the competition is bad because very few riders can ride the bikes to their potential.” Whitelock went on to say, “You can see it in the laptimes, and you can see it in the competitiveness, that the riders aren’t capable of racing these motorcycles. They are too brutishly powerful. It’s the same problem that we faced in the 500cc two stroke days.”

Now, I must ask, WHAT THE FUCK? I mean, I don’t have any personal animosity towards Steve Whitelock, and I never have. I know people who say he’s a good guy. All I really know about him is based on the words that come out of his mouth and find their way into the motocross articles I read. But I do have a problem with Steve Whitelock, and that problem is those words of his usually cause me to ask, again and again, WHAT THE FUCK?

First off, what is this “biggest problem, really” that he’s talking about? Surely he cannot be suggesting that by reducing engine displacement, everybody will suddenly be competitive with the best rider in the country. Surely he cannot truly mean that single-digit past champions and two-digit AMA professional racers are categorically unable to ride 450s to their potential. Surely he is not claiming that the reason the 500cc class was abandoned by his sanctioning body was lack of competition. But I swear that’s how it reads to me… maybe my reading comprehension is off?

By adopting the “450F = 250 two stroke” and “250F = 125 two stroke” rules, the AMA and FIM conspired with the factories to kill two stroke racing WORLDWIDE… they are solely responsible for the 450s of today, and you know what? They are GREAT RACING MOTORCYCLES. To compare them to the 500 two strokes of the late 80’s is really missing the boat. Today’s bikes are so much easier to ride, and race, than those killers of yesteryear. And yet, I recall watching David Bailey, Rick Johnson and Jeff Ward in a pitched, three-way battle at Virginia’s Lake Sugar Tree raceway on those 500s back in ’86, and I don’t recall the crowd being bored by any lack of competition.

But what do the riders of today say about this 450 power issue? The MXi article handled that with some choice quotes. One of the quotes was from privateer Forrest Butler of DNA Energy Drink/BTO Sports/Butler Bros. MX… he said, “…we’re talking about professional supercross with the best riders in the world. Every rider out there can ride the pants off a 450.”

Maybe Whitelock needs to meet more riders?

About whoop destruction, or “cupping”, this part of the issue was covered in Steve Bruhn’s editorial. Bruhn pretty much broke this whole story, when he traveled to the Spanish Grand Prix during a break in Amp’d Mobile Supercross action and covered the meeting of the “minds”, so to speak. According to Bruhn, everyone was crashing in the whoops at Anaheim 1. He went over to have a look (and take a few pics); Whitelock also walked over, and then Canadian Dusty Klatt went down hard. How they were able to discern that the “cups” were caused by 450s and not 250s is anybody’s guess. I’m still wondering how they figured out that Klatt’s crash was caused by track deterioration and not rider error…

In any case, if they REALLY believe that 100cc’s less displacement will result in less track destruction, why don’t they just take the easy road and drop all the way down to the already-existing 250cc displacement of the 250Fs? Well, here’s where it gets really, really weird. In the MXi article, Whitelock is quoted as saying that the AMA and FIM BOTH suggested just that… and the OEMs freaked! Said Whitelock, “They (the manufacturers) went into cardiac arrest. They were going to kill us.”

Imagine that: a representative from AMA Pro Racing said that Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha were going to “kill” them, if they instituted a rule limiting all professional supercross racing to 250 four strokes! NOW we’re getting somewhere, with respect to my original question: who owns this sport, anyway?

I have written in an earlier column that motocross, in this country at least, became a big time sport solely because the Japanese manufacturers realized that it would be a good way to sell dirtbikes. And they were right. Look at what happened to the dirtbike market when the 450 rule went into effect. All of a sudden, my beloved ’01 YZ250 drastically dropped in resale value, and everybody who wanted to be competitive at any level bought a new four stroke. Don’t get it twisted, AMA Pro Racing has been “berry, berry good” to the manufacturers, creating rule after rule in their favor (and changing or overlooking rules when necessary… fuel, anyone?) and pretty much playing the role of obedient lap dog. Oh sure, there’s always the occasional dust up, like that minor drama about Honda running Toyota Trucks stickers on their number plates during the Nationals last year. But now I’m suspecting that it’s all part of the charade to keep the motocross public distracted from seeing the collusion that’s actually taking place. And maybe collusion is too strong a word, but fuck it… I like strong words, if you haven’t noticed already.

Finally, this talk about “parity”… I think they actually mean “parody”, because so far this entire episode has been one bad joke, like a Saturday Night Live skit gone sour. Racing sanctioning bodies have tried to legislate this thing called “parity” since racing first began to use things called rules. “Let’s level the playing field, boys!” is the cry, and then great minds get together and come up with usually the most ridiculous things that men have ever conceived… usually with the intention of penalizing those who have achieved great things through hard work, dedication and innovation. I remember in another sport, the Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) Trans Am series (back in the ‘80’s again, what can I say?), when Audi introduced the Quattro coupe. At the time, it was UNTHINKABLE to run a four-wheel drive car against the likes of lightweight Corvettes and Porsches. Well, Audi kicked ass but GOOD for two straight years, causing the SCCA to enact rules to achieve “parity”. They put a substantial weight penalty on any team that dared run 4WD, and ended up running Audi right out of the series. Not a good move.

Now the AMA wants to figure out a way to write a rule so that James Stewart will stop winning by 55 seconds (on a 50 second course), lapping up to 4^th place… and their bright idea is to put everyone on less powerful bikes. It makes you wonder how the job descriptions read over at AMA Pro Racing… “Analytical skills helpful, but not required…”

I know this has been long, but I’m just about done. Here’s my bottom line: as a motorcycle enthusiast and a dirtbike fan, I will buy the bike I want to buy, but it has to be available to buy, at a price I can afford. As much as I loved Jeremy McGrath, I didn’t buy my YZ because he was riding (and winning) on one… I bought it after talking to guys in my age range that actually raced them at my level and higher… and also because I couldn’t afford a KTM 520 at the time! So if the manufacturers really want to sell some dirtbikes, instead of manipulating our sport by pulling the AMA and FIM’s puppet strings, they might consider dropping the prices of their existing bikes and offering us fans more incentives to buy new. Personally, I wouldn’t mind a 350cc bike that was as light and nimble as a 125cc two stroke; actually, that would be pretty cool. But don’t piss on my head and call it rain, that’s all I’m asking.

Hamblin: "I have nearly the same speed as the champion..."

Now you're talking, Sean. Those words were found in this press release over at Racer X Online, noting Hambone's watershed 7th place finish at the Grand Prix of Italy.

Sounds like our man is gaining some confidence. I'm looking forward to what he does this upcoming weekend in Germany.

Great Interview with Mike Brown

Over at the Youthstream site you can read this interview of Mike Brown by Geoff Meyer, of MXLarge.com.

Brownie's been doing pretty good on the Grand Prix circuit this season, contesting the premier MX1 (450F) class. Mike is currently 9th in the standings after four rounds, and his worst moto has only been a 14th (his best a 7th). Seems he's been something of a holeshot machine, too, but he says arm pump has been keeping him from holding position.

Since Mike Brown is doing so well, one might wonder why I don't report on him regularly like I do with Sean Hamblin. Well... I just like Sean better, that's all, and I'd like to see him do well. Brown is a former National champion and a pretty nice guy. But Sean has yet to win a title, and as far as I'm concerned, if he could bring home a World Championship, well... wow. That'd be saying something.

Hambone Watch: Round 4 - Grand Prix of Italy

Congratulations to Sean Hamblin for his 7th overall at the Grand Prix of Italy at Mantova! The Team Swift Suzuki rider from America finished 10th in his qualifier on Saturday, then apparently turned up the heat to record 8th and 9th place finishes, respectively, in his two MX2 motos.

Even bigger news... Sean earned 25 championship points, with puts him in 18th place for the title after only 4 rounds.

Keep up the good work, Sean! Next week: Germany.

Here come Las Vegas *yawn*

Or as the kids on the internet are saying these days, "meh."

Here's the thing: NO ONE expected this year's supercross championship race to go down to the wire like last year. And that's simply because the only racer willing and able to do what it takes to actually challenge James Stewart, up and retired. By mid-season, Chad Reed seemed to be willing to experiment with crashing into Stewart as a means of slowing him down a bit, but that was obviously a faulty strategy from the start, and to his credit, he never seriously pursued it.

No one had any other solutions, so James piled on the points until he reached Seattle, where he iced the titles for good.

Now there's one more race to run, and it's going to be aired LIVE, and there's absolutely no reason to watch it.

Okay, check that... if you're a motocross fan, you're going to watch it anyway, because we just like to watch racing, period. But even if the titles were still on the table, the outcome would barely be in doubt. Unless James simply decides not to race, we know he's going to qualify with the fastest laptime in practice, win his heat and win the main. That is a foregone conclusion... the only thing to do is hope the production company's cameras show him for more than a few laps so we can admire his style and grace on the bike.

That, and maybe Ivan, Kdub and DV12 decide to give Ferry a run for third place money. But that might be asking too much. Those guys have their sights set on the outdoors already.

Now in the 250F Dave Coombs Sr. Memorial East/West shootout dealio, maybe... nah, Ryan Villopoto is gonna crush 'em all. It will be cool to see if the "other" Ryan, Ryan Dungey of Team Makita Suzuki, has anything for #51, but I sort of doubt it. In my mind the best outcome would be a tight three-way battle between all of the young factory hopefuls, Ryan V., Ryan D. and Team Yamaha's Josh Hill. That would be a great preview of the Nationals. But again, the titles are set, and there's more incentive to simply survive Vegas and move on to the outdoor championships healthy, rather than to get involved in a knock-down, drag out battle in Sam Boyd Stadium and risk getting hurt.

So the promoters are in a difficult spot: they have a race to sell, but all the racers have very good reasons to avoid racing. What to do? Well so far, they have attempted to put focus on the racetrack itself, issuing a press release that notes that the start straight for this race is, at 800 feet, the longest in supercross history. Um, okay, that's something. Honestly, the SPEED TV crew have a challenge on their hands, and I'm not particularly hopeful that they'll rise to the occasion.

But you better believe I'll be watching to see how they handle it.

Whitelock to FIM: "Sucks to be you..."

Of course, I'm paraphrasing. Call it artistic license or something, or maybe chalk it up to the fact that I may not have been fully awake. Yes, I got up early after a late Saturday night (my bad) to watch the CBS broadcast of the Seattle 450 supercross. Yes, at an hour when most smart motocross enthusiasts are getting ready for their first motos, I dragged my sleepy butt into the living room and fired up the boob tube instead, to listen to Sheheen and his enablers mangle another broadcast.

So maybe I wasn't fully awake when the championship awards ceremony happened, but as it was getting underway, I perked up slightly, remembering the absolute fiasco that occurred at the Vegas finale last year. In fact, here's what I said about that foolishness in a post written nearly 12 months ago:

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.

So, this time around, it seemed the broadcasters were prepared for this important moment. AMA rep Steve Whitelock and FIM rep John Gallagher surrounded James, somebody off-camera threw them a cue, and Gallagher went first, graciously congratulating Stewart and presenting him with the FIM World Supercross GP championship plate.

Then it was Whitelock's turn.

I hope somebody posts this moment to YouTube or something, because I'd really like to see it again, just to make sure my eyes and ears weren't deceiving me. Because what I heard Whitelock say to James was something along the lines of "This is the one you really want." BooYah! Take that, you frenchies (or something)! Poor James. He was already in a state of delirium; he blinked as if to say, "Did he really say what I thought he said?"

Of course, I'm sure Mr. Whitelock was only joking, but it would have been nice if he had considered the concept that the joke might be lost on the MILLIONS of people viewing at home. I wonder if it would have been funnier if Gallagher responded by playfully bitch-slapping Whitelock off the podium?

It's NOT the biggest title of his career, IMHO

I can't tell you how happy I am that James Stewart wrapped up the Amp'd Mobile AMA Supercross championship (and repeated the FIM World Supercross GP championship, something NO ONE has ever done before) last night on that crappy dirt in Seattle, BUT... here's the thing: I never was one of those who had doubts about whether James "had what it takes" to win an SX championship. I always knew it was merely a matter of time.

And I still maintain that he would have won the crown in 2006 if the AMA and FIM had not conspired to play favorites with the rules.

In any case, I take exception to what some are saying... that this is the biggest, most important championship in American motocross, and that this is the most important title that James has won to date, calling it "the ultimate prize in the sport." To this contention I say: you are wrong, sir.

I say this because I believe outdoor motocross is true motocross and holds more meaning to more motocross fans around the world than the circus that is American supercross. And with that, I believe that a 125 National outdoor championship carries more weight than a 250 supercross title... and James has two of those already.

And there are those who have already lined up to say that the 2007 supercross title chase was diminished because the greatest MOTOCROSS racer of all time, Ricky Carmichael, only contested 6 events during his "farewell tour." I would have to agree with those people, and yet, I would remind them that James did in fact win the 2006 FIM World SX title, beating Carmichael in the process.

Let me repeat that: "beating Carmichael in the process." Ricky contested the entire 2006 World SX series and in the end, lost to his championship title to James, the only championship that Ricky has ever been denied. That's right, in 2006, James Stewart became the first and only racer to defeat Ricky Carmichael for a professional title. If an argument needs to be made about which championship meant the most, it would be hard to argue against a battle between the absolute best that went right down to the wire. Especially compared to this year, where there's a round remaining, but the title chase is over. Kaput.

So again, congratulations to Team Kawasaki and James Stewart, for not just this title, but for the titles to inevitably come.

Congratulations James Stewart!

Stew-daddy did it! True, it was not exactly surprising, but still... James Stewart is the AMA Supercross Champion AND he successfully defends his FIM World Supercross title.

Good job, James! And congrats to your family. Now... on to the OUTDOORS!

Hambone Watch: Round Three - Portugal

Still trying to find out what exactly happened at the Grand Prix of Portugal... that is, what exactly happened to cause Team Swift Suzuki racer Sean Hamblin to record 20th and 24th place finishes, respectively, in the two motos. So if YOU know, please shoot me an email with the details and I'll post them here.

Ironically, I got the news from MotoXDream of all places, because it's seems that the YouthStream website is farfegnuggen or phukingrueven or something... again.

I had high hopes that Sean would do well this weekend, after reading that he finished 9th in his qualifying race... a far cry better than he did the previous weekend in Spain, when he failed to qualify in the mud.

By the way, in MX2, Antonio (Cairoli) put the 1-1 beatdown on the boys, in case you wanted to know...

**UPDATE: Just got onto the YouthStream site to read the classifications. It seems our man Hamblin was only able to complete 13 of 20 laps in moto 2, so something happened. That's weird, because it says his total elapsed time was 40 minutes, 37 seconds. Winner Cairoli's time was 40 minutes, 28 seconds... so they saying it Antonio got in 20 laps in the same amount of time it took Sean to complete only 13. Something definitely happened.

At least he got 1 point for his 20th place finish in moto 1.

Congratulations, Ben Townley!

The man from New Zealand, Monster Pro Circuit's Ben Townley, realized a nearly impossible dream tonight in Detroit by winning the East Regional 250F supercross title. This, after blowing up his engine in the very first round of the series and starting in a -25 point hole against his competition.

Another title for Mitch Payton's team, which also took the West Regional crown with Ryan Villopoto. I guess if you want a fast 250F, you might want to give some serious thought to buying a Kawasaki and sending it to Pro Circuit. Congratulations to all!

Hambone Watch, round 2: Grand Prix of Spain

It took a minute for me to figure out what happened to our man in Europe, Team Swift Suzuki's Sean Hamblin, at today's Spanish Grand Prix. Wnen I went to the Youthstream website, I was chagrined to see that Hambone wasn't even listed in the results. What the heck happened?

Well, I was able to piece together this story: heavy rains caused the practice sessions to be canceled, so the riders had to qualify with very little track time on a very treacherous track. Only the top 30 fastest times get in the show... and while I don't know what happened exactly, Sean didn't get in the main. I don't know if he's hurt, if he crashed, or what... so I won't speculate. I'm just sorry to learn that he left points on the table.

Then I found this interview with Hamblin, conducted sometime this weekend before the race. I have to say that I'm somewhat disappointed with his outlook and goals for this season. He says he's with a good team and on a competitive bike... and then says he's trying for a top ten finish on the season!

Now, I can't even get a top ten in fantasy motocross, so maybe I'm not qualified to hold an opinion on this. Check that, it's an OPINION, dammit... it doesn't have to be qualified! Anyway, I just wish Sean would elevate his thinking, at least when he's making public statements. He should be of the mindset that he intends to contest for the title THIS YEAR... why wait until next year, when there's no guarantee of a ride?

I mentioned before that there may be a need for some PR training, and I think this is an example. Even if he doesn't believe in himself enough to shoot for the title this year, he could still say that on the record for the sake of his sponsors and his fans. A World Championship would be just the thing to revitalize his career.

Jeremy McGrath partnering with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Now comes the somewhat startling news that the King of Supercross, Jeremy McGrath, has inked a deal to go stockcar racing... and his sponsor will be the heir to the NASCAR throne, Dale Earnhardt, Jr! Racer X's Andy Bowyer (brother of NASCAR #7 Clint Bowyer) has the details here.

MC seemed to keep it all in perspective when he said, "I am not going to come out here and say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna be a Nextel Cup driver’ or anything like that. I know how far away that is and I just want to focus on this chance.”

I've always admired McGrath's business acumen, starting back when he joined No Fear, started his own website, his own team, his sponsorship with Bud Light and when he published his book. This is a positive step for Jeremy and motocross in general will benefit.

Travis Pastrana to race on Puerto Rico's Motocross of Nations team?

Just a week after Davey Coombs and Racer X fooled the motocross world with his "joke" about Stefan Everts racing the U.S. Nationals, and after Transworld Motocross' similar April Fools Day farce about superfast female racer Ashley Fiolek signing with Factory Connection Honda to contest the 250F class at the same Nationals... comes this stunning news release with this most unlikely headline: Travis Pastrana has joined the MXDN Puerto Rico team and will do his best to hold up his end of the deal.

Say what?

Now, most of us are rather skeptical about the whole thing, but it looks like it might have some bearing in reality. As most educated people know, Puerto Rico is not a country, but a U.S. Territory, so it's not like Pastrana would be riding for another flag... per se... however, I did learn that Puerto Rico does have it's own separate FIM charter, which is why it is allowed to send a team outside of the regular U.S.A. team. A loophole, if you will, for riders who would normally not get selected for Team U.S.A.

Will Travis go? Read the press release; it seems unlikely just based on his WRC schedule, but I can also imagine that being a Maryland resident, Pastrana would LOVE to race the MXdN at his "home" track of Budds Creek. And I KNOW the American public would love to see him compete there.

But I'll believe it only when I see it.

EF10: Ernesto Fonseco picks up a pen!

In the latest edition of that wonderful bi-monthly called MXi (Motocross Illustrated), there's a very cool editorial in the back written by former Team Honda racer Ernesto Fonseca. Ernie opens up quite a bit and talks about what it's like to live in the limelight that constantly bathes factory riders.

But the best thing about the column is that it seems that Ernie is going to be a regular contributor to MXi! I'm very happy for him and look forward to reading his stuff. I hope he writes a lot!

Good luck, Ernesto!

All I know is James Stewart won the Dallas Supercross

I had one of those rare weekends during which I was not able to see or hear any racing action whatsoever. I mean, sure, I was able to go online and read all of the stories and blather, but that meant I had to rely on word of mouth and the subjective reports of others, instead of just seeing/hearing it for myself.

So I'm well aware of the results of the Dallas Supercross race; what I'm not so clear on is how they came to unfold. See, just the week before, in Indianapolis, Stewart came from next-to-last to win going away, having no problems dispatching Chad Reed. Two weeks before that, in Daytona, James beat Chad by over 45 seconds, and that was AFTER Reed set fast time in practice.

But this weekend, the reports note that James BARELY won the race, with a margin of under a second, with Chad very nearly passing him in the last turn! Where did Reed find the speed to suddenly be able to challenge James? OR, what was wrong with Stew that he let Reed stay so close to him?

So I went to the experts...

Jason Weigandt at Racer X insists that it was Reed: "Give Reed credit, though. He was much better in Dallas than he was in Indy. After Stewart pulled him at lap ten, Reed started inching back to him on lap 16, and turned in his fastest lap of the night on lap 20."

Shan Moore at Cycle News said Reed was on it: "... the San Manuel Yamaha-mounted Reed was right on Stewart’s tail for the final 17 laps, all the while, looking very capable of taking Stewart at any time."

Brendan Lutes at TransWorld Motocross pretty much reported the same thing, but then threw in this interesting photo of James pointing a finger back at second place reed during the last lap. Hmmm...

On the other hand, Some Guy over at Motocross Action said it was business as usual: "James Stewart ran away with another one. Chad Reed... stayed close but was never a threat."

And then TFS, in his SX Weekend Report, simply headlined this photo with the words "Keeping it Interesting."

So... what to make of all that? Here's what I think happened: someone from Live Nation sat down with James before the race... maybe days before... and "suggested" to him that there's really no need for him to win each remaining race by 10, 20, 30 seconds or whatever. All that will accomplish is "people" will get turned off. Just go fast enough to win, but make it seem like there's hope for Chad to maybe catch up and put on a show. Because it's all about the fans, right?

Hey, it's just what I think.

Say a prayer for Doug Henry

Now's a good time to send a prayer (or two) up for a really good guy facing a pretty hard time. Just do it.

Sean Hamblin: In His Own Words

Looks like Sean posted some thoughts about his weekend over at Motodrive.com; you can read it here. He said, "First moto I tweeked my knee that I messed up a few weeks ago before the first British Championship here so I ended up going back so I could wrap it up and ice it so I could race the second moto."

Hamy also had some words for the motocross fans that called his performance into question, but he wrapped up his post with some nice shouts to his supporters.

I'm glad Sean is and has always been willing to dive in headfirst on the motoboards and post his own thoughts fearlessly. But, speaking as someone who has unfairly criticized him publicly in the past (and apologized for it), I hope he can learn to ignore the negativity on the 'net. Some of those folks out there are jackals; they're just looking for someone to respond so they can dig into them even more. Perhaps a little media training or advice from a public relations professional would help?

Hambone Watch: Round One

So, former factory Suzuki rider Sean Hamblin is contesting the FIM World Championship in the MX2 (250F) class and I will be reporting his results on this site. Why? Why not?

I know that I have said that All Things Motocross is primarily concerned with American motocross, but I've always liked Hambone, and I'd like to see him do well over there. I'm glad he's got a ride and I'm glad he's broadening his horizons... I wish more American motocrossers would go for the World Championship, but I understand they have to follow the money.

In any case, early indications are that Sean had a tough weekend at the GP of Benelux in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands. He scored a 27th out of 29 in the first moto, but improved to a 12th in moto two. I haven't seen a race report yet, and the FIM's website appears to be on teh fritzenjammer, as they say...

A Cruel Hoax?

I'm frankly surprised that the motocross internet did not simply blow up on Friday.

Earlier this week came the rumor that something big was about to be announced, and it involved the Outdoor Nationals and would mean increased competition for James Stewart. It was speculated that Stefan Everts, the greatest Grand Prix rider in the history of the sport, was possibly going to come out of retirement and contest the American National Championship in 2007.

Then yesterday, Racer X Films released this video of Stefan SAYING JUST THAT!

American motocross fans were positively SALIVATING at the prospect of Everts lining up against Stewart and Carmichael at the opening round of the Nationals at Hangtown! The mere thought of it still gives me goosebumps...

But here's the rub: tomorrow is April Fool's Day, and now the word on the intertubes is that the whole thing is an elaborate prank.

That all being said, apparently Everts WILL make some type of announcement at the opening Grand Prix of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, tommorrow. I guess we'll have to wait and see what the real deal is...

Reservation for 4?

During the opening ceremonies of the Orlando Supercross, AMA referee, I mean, Director of Supercross/Motocross Steve Whitelock announced that the sanctioning body was “temporarily retiring” the number 4 in honor of Ricky Carmichael’s unimaginably successful racing career. Most murmured their appreciation, while a few (like myself) scratched our collective heads and wondered how anything can be “temporarily retired.”

Well, fear not! The AMA has issued a press release (found here at Racer X Online) that explains exactly how it’s possible. Said Mr. Whitelock, “With so few single digit numbers available it’s impractical for us to permanently retire a competitor’s racing number. However, given Ricky’s accomplishments in the sport, we’re comfortable reserving his number through 2011.”

Which, of course, begs the question: what will make the AMA “uncomfortable” in 2012 or later? And how can they be so sure that “discomfort” won’t set in any earlier?

Yes, I am picking knits and once again poking fun at the AMA, but only because they make it so easy! And besides, I’ve never felt that the so-called “permanent” numbering scheme benefited the sport; it has only really worked for a handful of big-name riders… like Ricky Carmichael, who once again finds himself receiving unprecedented favorable treatment from the sanctioning body.

Did RC earn the right to have his number retired? Actually, he earned the right to wear the big number 1, as far as I’m concerned. And now that he has turned “…his attention to auto racing…” (as it says in the press release), it’s time for him to put his motocross things away.

Well, after the Outdoors and the MXdN, that is.

HUGE RUMOR: Everts to Race the AMA Nationals?!

Over at that crazy place called "MotoTalk" while reading a discussion about how James Stewart will decimate the competition in this year's Outdoor National Championship, I ran across this cryptic message:

"I think everyone might be in for a big surprise, sooner than later. James' summer might be a lot harder than everyone is thinking right now...DCRacerxill.com"

Of course, this triggered all manner of speculation, of which I believe the prospect of Stefan Everts breaking his retirement to race the American Nationals the most tasty of all.

Will it happen? Who knows... but it sure is funny for Racer X's Davey Coombs to stir the pot like that! What is he talking about? And when will he spill the beans, dammit?!

Fundraiser for Ernesto Fonseca

Er, paying too much for car insurance? And concerned about fallen rider Ernesto Fonseca, too? Well, the "Official Insurance of Supercross", Progressive, will donate $3 to Fonz for every car insurance quote that people get from their SX website, www.holeshotheaven.com.

I got this news from Racer X Online; you can check out more details in the press release here.

Who's Winning the Money in Supercross?

I just got my latest issue of MXi (Motocross Illustrated), that really cool bi-weekly glossy. They, as far as I know, are the only American motocross publication that reports prize winnings on a consistent basis. The list is titled "Earnings Leaders" and "...reflects only the prize money, holeshot money and points-fund money earned...", according to the magazine. Here are the top ten as of March 13, 2007 (which means that the last round reported was probably Daytona):

1) J Stewart $110,250
2) C Reed $76,250
3) R Carmichael $66,000
4) T Ferry $40,625
5) K Windham $25,300
6) D Vuillemin $24,800
7) M Byrne $24,325
8) T Preston $22,550
9) I Tedesco $22,425
10) H Voss $22,250

MXi actually shows the top 35 Earning Leaders, so check out the magazine for more information.

Now, I find this list remarkable for a number of reasons. One is the fact that a mere $3,050 covers the difference between number 10 and fifth-highest "earning" racer. After 10 races, these guys were able to clear at least $20k, but not $30k.

There's a pretty big jump from fifth to fourth, and it continues to build, but only one racer was able to clear the 100-grand mark in ten races, and that's the guy who won seven of the darn things.

Good thing these guys get salaries, huh?

Ricky Carmichael's stock car debut

Want to see Carmichael in action? Here you go, courtesy of SPEED TV.

Hey, I know it's not motocross, but it's friggin' RICK CARMICHAEL....

From 19th to 2nd Place in 9 Laps

Shades of Unadilla.

James Stewart, Jr. spotted Chad Reed and the rest of the 450F field a 19-place headstart, after mysteriously gating horribly ("Rupert X" over at Mototalk thinks it may have been intentional) at the start of last night's supercross race in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. But even before the halfway point of the race was reached, James had navigated his Kawasaki KX450F into second place, and then spent the next 5 laps running down Reed. On lap 15, he jumped past the Aussie and immediately put a gap on him.

The crowd at Indy went justifiably bonkers!

James went on to win his very first 450 race in the RCA Dome, and Chad Reed was seen dejectedly riding off the track after taking the checkered flag, not stopping to congratulate Stewart. At least, that's what I saw while watching CBS' delayed coverage of the race this morning.

X-Games: Introducing "Moto X Racing"...

Way back in June of 2005, I had a problem with the X-Games promoters. In this post I wrote:

"If they're okay with racing (boardercross, snowmobile cross, street luge, bmx) and they're as down with motocross as they say they are, then why the heck don't they include a real motocross race as part of the program? They go all the way out to Camp Woodward for BMX, they can either go to Glen Helen for motocross or run a supercross right in the L.A. Coliseum. Heck, that's where "supercross" started!"

Hmmm... two years later and today they announce "ESPN X Games Introduces Moto X Racing to the 13th Annual Event." Here's the press release as it appears on Racer X Online.

Here's the kicker, though: the event is to be "collaboratively developed" by none other than Ricky Carmichael and ESPN.

Yep, ol' number 4, the GOAT, Mr. Greg Ginn Racing NASCAR-guy, Mr. Perfect Season, Mr. Father of twins... is now promoting stadium motocross with ESPN.

Said a senior VP at ESPN: “Working with Ricky to develop a new style of motocross racing (emphasis mine) is an honor for us and will certainly appeal to our collective fans and viewers while also advancing the X Games' leadership position.”

A new "style" of motocross? Are they serious? Well, I don't know about the execs at ESPN, but Carmichael himself said this: "My future focus will be on NASCAR and now, the X Games.”

Carmichael is quitting AMA Motocross/Supercross to focus on NASCAR and the X Games. Or maybe I'm reading this wrong. But in any case, the AMA should rightfully be feeling rather nervous at this point. Let's see if they can wiggle their way into this event like they did with X Games Supermoto.

Anyway... go read the press release for details on the format changes. If you think the current supercross races are short sprints, hold onto your hats.

Ricky Carmichael Actually Won Orlando

It was a thing a beauty, this supercross race in Orlando.

Now, I didn't see the replay on SPEED TV, and I wasn't "in the house" for this momentous occasion, but I DID follow along via the internet, tracking both practice sessions as they occurred and the race itself, on SUPERCROSS LIVE... and it was simply perfect by all accounts.

But don't take it from me... even RC himself called it "The ride of a lifetime", according to this report in Cycle News.

Davey Coombs over at Racer X Online wrote "The Orlando Supercross will go down in history as one of the best races we’ve ever seen from the GOAT."

Ryan Cooley at Transworld Motocross labeled it "A monumental evening..."

So you can trust me when I say... it was quite a race! And yet... Carmichael finished second!

So, how can it be such a rave event for RC when he didn't technically win? Simply because he, and event winner James Stewart, rode to the very best of their abilities and put on a show that those in attendance will never forget. And after the checkered flag flew, after 20 laps of deliriously close combat, after James took the first place trophy (and all-important championship points) AND the keys to the city (he was made honorary mayor of his hometown, Haines City, Florida)... Rick Carmichael bowed out of supercross racing, with as much grace and dignity as any rider ever has.

What a show.

Congratulations Ricky and Ursula Carmichael!!

Rick Carmichael is now a father... of twins! Here are the details, courtesy Racer X Online.

Good job, Mrs. Carmichael! And welcome to the world Kadin and Elise Carmichael!

Never Can Say Goodbye

"This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” - Winston Churchill

This is it. On the evening of this Saturday, March 17th, 2007 in Orlando, Florida. American motocross’ favorite son, Richard “RC”, “The G.O.A.T.”, “The Angry Elf” Carmichael will race his final supercross event. How fitting that he go out on Saint Patrick’s Day!

How big a deal is this? Rumor has it that the OTHER “Greatest Motocrosser of All Time”, Stefan Everts, will jet across the Atlantic in order to be “in the house” to witness this historical event.

[Rumor more than confirmed: Davey Coombs talks to Ricky over at Racer X Online.]

Is it possible to make too much of this day? I think not. Carmichael is doing it the right way: HIS way. Leaving as defending champion, retiring on top. When he takes to the track on Saturday afternoon for the first practice session, it will be with full knowledge that he is still one of the two fastest supercross racers on the entire planet… and that the odds of actually winning his final race are quite good, though it would probably require James Stewart crashing out for it to happen.

But to me, the really cool thing about Rick is that he doesn’t NEED to win Orlando to go out with a huge flourish. The man has nothing to prove to anyone; his accomplishments in motocross and supercross are staggering and one more win, well… who cares?

Besides, how fast will he be able to ride with tears in his eyes? For this is sure to be one very emotional night for the Carmichael clan. Remember Jeremy McGrath choking up during his farewell press conference a few years ago? When RC takes his final bow, there won’t be a dry eye in the place.

Thank you, Ricky Carmichael. Thank you.

Supercross or Motocross is Boring?

Once again, I’m starting to hear the “boring races” meme, which some in the motocross media started early this season. It goes like this: now that James Stewart has figured out how to go fast without falling (as much), coupled with the fact that the only guy that can stay in the same area code, Rick Carmichael, is retiring… from here on out we can only expect runaway races in which James checks out and the outcome is never in doubt. Some say this equates to boring, and many register this physically by actually leaving races before the checkered flag flies.

Now, I have seen some boring races… well, let me qualify that: I have seen some boring races ON TV. For example, I thought last year’s supercross finale in Las Vegas… the one that was hyped up to the extreme, the one for all the marbles, the first time EVER that a SX points race was so close in the last round… but it unfortunately turned into a procession. I wasn’t at Vegas, I watched it on TV and I thought it was boring. But I watched it until the end, never once considering the option of changing the channel. I heard from some who attended the race that it was anything BUT boring, and they were either standing or sitting on the edge of their seats the entire 20 laps, in anticipation of something unthinkable happening. And the fact that they had a different experience from mine doesn’t surprise me one bit: watching races live, in my opinion, can NEVER be boring.

Back when I was a young racer learning the craft in Maryland (AMA District 7), there were two really fast guys that figuratively stood head and shoulders above their competition: Jimmy Lauer and Glen Taylor. When these guys went at it, everybody would line the track to watch their great battles for the win. However, if one or the other chose not to show up for a given race, the other would usually cruise to the win uncontested, much like Stewart did during some of those races when Carmichael wasn’t present. And yet, the D7 fans would still line the course to watch the fast guy run away with the win. Why? Because watching Taylor or Lauer dissect a race course was pure pleasure in and of itself. Racers appreciate what other racers do on a racetrack, especially if we cannot demonstrate the same level of skill. Motocross becomes art when practiced by a speedy expert, and there’s much to see and appreciate even in races where the outcome is “never in doubt.”

So to those that claim that the upcoming Outdoor Motocross season will be “boring” because there’s no one as fast as Stewart to challenge him for the title, I say “just watch.” Watch closely, because what you’ll be seeing is the performance of a maestro. Enjoy the show.

Daytona Beatdown

What a day of racing.

First Chad Reed shocks the world by setting fastest times in practice, something he hasn't done in, like, FOREVER. And then James Stewart goes out in Heat 1 and puts a 24 second gap on second place Ivan Tedesco in only 6 laps or so... with Carmichael mired in 4th!

Then the 450F main starts and James checks out, never to be challenged while going on to set the fastest lap WELL into the main. He ends up beating RC by over 10 seconds, Reed by nearly 50 seconds and laps up to 5th place, completely trashing everybody else in the field. THEN he gets on the podium and says he was never comfortable out there and actually had to take a nap between the heat and the main! And all I can say is, "Damn James, you were KILLING it!"

Even RC admitted that James was on it.

Yet the stories I've read at Racer X and Cyclenews don't quite tell it the same way. Yes, they admit Stewart rode to a strong win, but they don't characterize it as the utter domination I witnessed on SPEED last night. And no one seems to know what happened to Reed.

Even the announcers on SPEED were seemingly perplexed. They insisted on showing replays of Stewart's bobbles, which I guess they found more interesting than his otherwise unworldly form. Indeed, they worked hard to maintain a sense of "But he could throw it away at anytime... there's plenty of laps left!" which I guess will be Stewart's reputation from now on... no matter how many races he wins nor how badly he trounces his competition.

And during it all, as I watched him blast through that terribly rough, rutted course, I kept thinking "Man, the outdoor series is gonna be a massacre!" With RC and Reed out, it'll be up to Langston, Milsaps, Windham and Tedesco to step up to the plate... all guys who have already had their asses handed to them by James on numerous occasions.

Chad Reed sets fast time in early Daytona practice

"Superbad" Chad flung down the gauntlet early this afternoon, clocking the quickest practice lap in the first practice session. Reed set a 1:10.664 to RC's 1:11.326 and James Stewart's 1:11.695.

Second practics is underway, and STOP THE PRESSES! (yuck yuck) Speedy Reedy has been challenged by both of his rivals, who turned laps in the 1:10s. How did Reed respond? By setting a 1:09.859. Yow, this is getting good.

You can follow the AMA's live laptime link here. Get it while it's hot. Let's see if Chad can hold on...

Get Well Soon, Doug Henry!

As many of you already know, motocross hero and Supermoto champion Doug Henry suffered a crash in a Supermoto race in Florida this week. The Factory Spectator, Steve Bruhn, reports in his "Weekend Window" that Doug is recovering from successful surgery to repair his broken back (!) and that things are looking up so far. Whew!

This would make the SECOND time Doug has broken his back while competing. I wish him and his family the best, and I pray he makes a full and speedy recovery. GO HENRY!

Supercross Stats To Date

Courtesy the mx think tank known as Motocross Illustrated, here's some very interesting information about the supercross season so far...

AMA Supercross Class Laps Led:

James Stewart 131

Ricky Carmichael 40

Chad Reed 39

Kevin Windham 5

Nick Wey 2

Eric Sorby 3

AMA Supercross Lites Class Laps Led:

Ryan Villopoto 84

Christophe Pourcel 17

Ryan Dungey 14

Jason Lawrence 3

Steve Boniface 1

Ben Towley 15

Darcy Lange 1

Two things dramatically stand out:

1) James Stewart, of course. The DIFFERENCE ALONE between his lap count and the second highest ranked racer equals more laps led than anyone who has led a lap this season, COMBINED. In other words... that's a lotta laps!

2) Ryan Villopoto had absolutely ZERO competition, that is, once Chris Pourcel injured himself.

On to Daytona!

SPEED Channel show the Outdoors some love...

This just in: a MONUMENTAL change in the way the AMA National Championships will be broadcast this year. Think I'm exaggerating? Check this out:

“This is a monumental step forward for AMA Motocross,” said AMA President, Rob Dingman.

There you have it, straight from the top. Yessir, a cable channel has agreed to cover the Nationals! And get this: Also spake Dingman, "We’re also thrilled to be able to present several events on a live basis.”

SEVERAL EVENTS LIVE! Oh, be still my beating heart!

Why, not too long ago I was musing over the fact that we're well into the first decade of the 21st Century, and now the news that our lovable sport has grown up to the point that we finally qualify for live coverage. Not for the whole series, of course... expecting that would simply be ridiculous, right? Yes, I'm being sarcastic, because in my heart of hearts I believe IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME. But that's just me.

Oh yeah... you can read the rest of the press release here at Racer X Online.

But here's the real news, hidden down in the sixth paragraph of the blurb: Racer X will carry real-time web streaming of certain race elements as well as unique, behind-the-scenes action.

Now THAT'S some news. Finally, someone gets this web-thing and will put it to use. Here's the money quote: "We have spent the last five years building the audio webcast for fans all over the world, and now we're ready to go even bigger. The online coverage of AMA Motocross--both audio and streaming video--will mark yet another step forward for our sport,” said Racer X Illustrated’s founder, Davey Coombs.

Thank you, thank you, THANK you DC for bringing this sport into the 21st Century.

Hill and Wey get points back, but the AMA Fuel Fiasco continues...

First, I'm glad Nick Wey and Josh Hill got their podium points and purses returned to them. Check out this press release over at VitalMX.

But the really weird thing is that after re-testing and investigating the fuel samples, instead of finding the fuel in compliance, the AMA actually found ANOTHER problem with the fuel. According to the press release, "Testing has shown that the illegal substance Methyl Butynol is being added to the majority of fuels being used in Supercross."

Come again?

So EVERYBODY is illegal for MB additives, so... we'll give Josh and Nick their points back. But no mention of Jason Thomas... will he get his points back, too?

Quick question: does this solve the problem or create as new one?

Congratulations, Ryan Villopoto!

Who's the man who has ALREADY snagged one of the coveted AMA championship titles up for grabs this year? "Flyin'" Ryan Villopoto is the 2007 250F West supercross champion... good job, Ryan! Here's a press release courtesy Racer X online.

Actually, "Flyin'" is not his nickname. Maybe it's "Villopodium"? "RV Park" is another one I've seen. "The Stalker"? Nah, that's someone else... in any case, snarfing up a title before the third month of the year has got to be a record of some sort. Hat's off to Villo and his Monster/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team for just demolishing the competition.

Another title for Mitch Payton's company... geez, they must be living right out there in Corona...

AMA: Just give them their points back already…

No doubt you’ve heard all the noise about Fuelgate 2007. Here’s my very unpopular take on the whole mess:

Either give Nick, Josh and Jason their points back or take away Carmichael’s 2006 supercross title. One or the other.

The first fuel “offense” affected Chad Reed. Penalty? The AMA took away points. Impact on the SX title? None.

The second fuel penalty went to James Stewart. Penalty? The AMA took away points. Impact on the National MX title? None.

The third fuel fiasco was last year with Rick Carmichael. Penalty? The AMA took away 25 points, then re-instated them. Impact on the SX title? RC won by two points.

For this year’s brouhaha, it’s too early to tell what, if any, impact there will be on the SX title chase in either class, but an ugly precedent has been set, either knowingly or unknowingly: when things get out of hand, just give the racer(s) the points back. That’s what was ultimately decided last year, and that’s what should happen this year. If not, then it throws the 2006 decision back into an unflattering light, and opens the door for accusations of favoritism.

On the face of it, it seems ludicrous to believe that MDK, Butler Brothers Racing and Team Yamaha deliberately “juiced” their fuel for an unfair advantage. Certainly in 450 racing, a stock bike with pump gas already has too much power for today’s supercross courses, so cheating with fuel just doesn’t make sense. So the questions turn to the AMA’s testing methods and the fuel supplier, VP. Who messed up? Will we ever know?

Thoughts on Anaheim 1, 2007

Man, I had a GREAT time on Saturday, mostly due to the company I was with, but the exciting racing had something to do with it, too! As you undoubtedly know by now, James Stewart stormed to the win after falling early in the race, denying Carmichael the A1 win that RC says wasn’t all that important to him anyway. Okay. And Superbad Injured Guy, Chad Reed, pulled a MONSTER holeshot and went fast enough to finish third.

In print, it sounds boring, but it was great! Anyway, here are the things that stood out from my day in the Big A:

1) If you want to go to the pits AND watch the practice/qualifying sessions, get there early. REALLY early. Because we got there around 2pm, in time for the second practice sessions, and by the time they were over, it was nearly 4:30… and the pits closed at 5pm. So sorry to anybody who missed seeing me in the pits (yeah, right!), but the practice sessions were too much fun to miss!

2) Grant Langston was friggin’ FLYING in the second practice session. I believe he finished with the third fastest time of the day. I mean, that really surprised me. (And sorry about that link, it was a joke; here's Grant's real website... and it looks like it needs to be updated!)

3) David Vuillemin was also turning good laps, fighting for the fourth or fifth fastest lap with Kevin Windham.

4) Ryan Villopoto was as fast as expected, but the surprise was that his teammate, Chris Gosselaar was nearly as fast as RV. I thought we were looking at a Pro Circuit 1-2 on the podium… I was wrong.

5) I simply could not wrap my head around the idea of Jason Lawrence on a Yamaha of Troy bike. I kept looking at the number 338 on a blue bike and wondering “who IS that guy with J-Law’s old number?” My confusion lasted most of the night; must have been that “coffee” we were drinking out in the parking lot…!

6) When you take the time and effort to mount a bazooka-like t-shirt launcher on a customized, lifted golfcart, don’t you think it would be cool to actually drive around the perimeter of the field launching t-shirts on the fly? Well that’s not what happened; instead they just parked that puppy in the MIDDLE OF THE FIELD and then attempted to shoot into the upper deck… and failed miserably each time. 45,000 fans were not impressed.

7) Stewart’s excitement after winning the main could be felt all the way up in the cheap seats. He was STOKED!

8) Parking cost $15 DOLLARS! Man, there oughta be a law…

9) French GP guy Christopher Pourcel looked like a supercross specialist from way back the way he effortlessly led the 250F main. He’ll be a contender when he makes the move over here.

10) Ryan Villopoto is the next “Ricky Carmichael”… he’s that fast. I hope he takes his time and stays in the 250F class another year, and then… watch out! I think he’ll be James’ biggest threat.

11) I didn’t miss the semis one bit. And if canceling the day qualifiers made track maintenance easier/better, then I support it 100%. It’s nice to see a positive change in this sport.

12) We had the biggest hicks in the whole world seated behind us. During the heat one for the 250Fs, one of them was beside himself about the “huge lead” RC had…! They were outta control. In fact, it got so bad, I wished I could hear Terry Boyd instead… kind of like curing a headache with a hammer to the forehead.

13) Chad Reed qualifying after stalling his bike in his heat. I swore up and down that he would just cruise and take his “gimme” into the main; imagine my surprise when he didn’t show up to start the LCQ. And then when he pulled that killer holeshot from the 16th gate pick, well, wow! Good job, Skippy!

My 2007 Supercross Predictions

Well I don’t know about you, but I am very excited about the “start” of the new Supercross season. 24 hours from now, I will hit the road to Anaheim with two of my favorite people to witness the latest installment in the “magnificent men with their flying machines” saga, the Amp’d Mobile/Toyota/and Other Sponsors Supercross thing-a-ma-jiggie. And here’s my pick for the championship:

James Stewart, Jr.

Now my regular readers will note that I picked James to win the title last year… and I was wrong. BUT, I was right about one thing: I predicted that the title battle would go down to the wire in Sparkplug 35.

With Rick Carmichael moving on, there’s no reason why James shouldn’t repeat as WSX champion AND win the AMA SX title as well… he’s got the speed, the experience, the bike and no competition.

No competition? Look, I think Chad Reed is ready to put on a fight, but he is proving himself to be fragile. Another pre-season shoulder injury was just announced, and he’s questionable for A1. I hope he shows up to gather up as many points as possible, because I think he’s the only real contender that Stewart will face this year. No one else has been able to run even close to Stewart’s pace.

Milsaps? Still recovering from a broken femur, he’s outta the title chase.

Langston? Has just recently returned to riding after a broken ankle, and he’s still unproven in the 450F class.

So here’s how I think the season will shake out for the AMA series:

1) James Stewart, Jr.
2) Chad Reed
3) Kevin Windham
4) David Vuillemin
5) Tim Ferry

Yep, I think Ferry will keep Tedesco, Byrne, Langston and Wey at bay. Hey!

The year that is about to pass.

Strange thing, this year was. At least for me. So this sort of year-end review will probably seem kind of strange to you, dear reader. I’m not gonna get all “DC” like and do a proper look back at the “Year in MX”, but just kind of touch on the things that stick out in the dark corners of my memory.

2006 was the year that James Stewart became a solid 450 racer. It was also the debut year for Kawasaki’s big thumper, and the two of them kicked off the year with the win at the Anaheim opener. That was the race in which RC went down in the whoops and the next thing you knew, all tracks built after that were a bit tamer. Of course, that had nothing to do with Carmichael.

2006 was also the year that the AMA/FIM fuel penalty turned the hat trick, claiming it’s third set of victims in as many years when they caught Team Makita Suzuki’s star rider with his hand in the leaded cookie jar. Of course, the difference this year was that neither the FIM nor the AMA wanted the penalty to affect the title chase, so they gave Carmichael his points back and took his money instead, leaving Kawasaki team manager Mike Fisher to believe that the rules were not meant to be take seriously. Unfortunately, Fisher was not the only one left with that belief.

Speaking of bone-headed moves by the sanctioning body, new class “names” were announced at the start of the year. They were and continue to be not only ridiculous, but almost unanimously disliked by everyone involved in the sport. Of course, they will not be changed for 2007.

2006 marked the first time that the Supercross championship went down to the absolute wire at the finale in Las Vegas, and to top it off, it was broadcast live. Apparently everybody but me thought it was the most exciting race since Anaheim ’86… I thought it was a parade, since the top three settled into their positions early and stayed there until the end. It also marked the end of a phenomenal second season of supercross for James, as he became the first person to deny Carmichael of a Championship (the under-respected World SX crown). He also became the first racer to win ALL of his heat races in a season... although most people could not care less about that particular stat.

2006 was the first year in a little while that I didn’t attend the opening race of the Outdoor Nationals, choosing instead to stay warm and comfortable while it rained from Pasadena to Sacramento. Of course, that meant I missed a hell of a race, with James Stewart again achieving the another pair of milestones: snapping Carmichael’s ridiculously long winning streak as well as taking the KX450F to a victory in it’s maiden outdoor voyage.

Unfortunately, the 2006 Outdoor season didn’t turn out to be the race-to-race battle we had long hoped for, as Stew crashed his brains out one too many times, and Superbad Chad just wasn’t feeling it. So RC steamrolled to another title and did the unthinkable: he retired.
Maybe THAT’S why I’m feeling kind of melancholy about 2006; this was the last year of the Reign of Rick(y). Late in 2006, RC fired the shot heard ‘round the world: he’s going to NASCAR. And I hope he kicks big time ass there.

Sometime in the middle of 2006, Israel invaded Lebanon, and I regained perspective. Motocross suddenly seemed frivolous, and I stopped writing about it. I remembered that Americans were still dying in the Middle East, for reasons that I personally cannot excuse. My love of this sport never wavered, but I had to admit that it was not as important as many other things in this world. Since then, they’ve called a ceasefire in Lebanon, American troops are STILL dying and an election was held and some politicians lost their jobs. Motocross remains less important than geopolitical affairs, but… but I still love this sport. So here we are.

Ryan Villopoto made Mike Alessi very sad by seriously kicking his ass at the Glen Helen outdoor finale. But Mike shouldn’t take it personally; RV kicked EVERYONE’S ass that day, lending credence to the concept that there will always be a fast, freckle-faced redhead in this sport.

Also at Glen Helen, RC fired the SECOND shot heard world wide when he crashed and, unbelievably, hurt himself badly enough that he not only left the track, but was unable to race in the Motocross des Nations. Thousands of international Carmichael fans had their hearts broken that day. Ironically, RC’s dnf insured that Stewart took the win at Glen Helen, giving him the “bookends”: wins at both the opening and closing rounds of the series.

With RC out, James was able to don the number 1 plate at the MXdN, and led America’s team to victory, even though he finished 2-2 to the incomparable Stefan Everts.

And that was it for the racing, folks. Oh sure, there were the big money events held in Carson, CA and Las Vegas, NV, won by Kdub and Stewart, respectively. But all of the drama, tension and excitement of the big title chases were over and done by then. Nothing left to do but fight and argue on the motoboards.

And then, the unthinkable: Marty Moates killed himself.

Okay… THAT’S the reason for my melancholia. I’m still slightly out-of-sorts about the whole deal. I used to get quite a thrill at seeing Marty at A1 and going up to him to say “Hi”… and he would actually talk to me, would actually remember me! Even with 45,000 people in that stadium, it’s going to seem empty without him. Dammit.

2006. Some good things happened, for sure, but I’m ready to let it go.

Happy New Year to all!

Not a "farewell", but a "See ya later!"

I went to Marty Moates' memorial service today, and it was absolutely beautiful. The motocross community is made up of just great people, and hundreds showed up to show their love and respect. I'm not going to go into details about who was there and who said what, but I will say this: Marty has challenged us all to demonstrate the same level of love for our brothers and sisters as he did. Set aside the details of his death and focus on his life... the man everyone remembers as a friend.

Finally, here are some photos taken at Marty's very last race, courtesy The Factory Spectator himself, Steve Bruhn.

Rest well, Marty.

A good friend remembers Marty...

My friend Bobby Myers (aka "BobbyM") has written a heartwarming remembrance of Marty. You can read it here. Thanks Bobby.

A good place

Rick Dougherty has started a wonderful memorial website for Marty Moates. The site "...exists to share memories, feelings and celebrate the life of Marty Moates."

Thanks to Rick and all involved.

More about Marty

Great motocross writer Eric Johnson penned this memorial of Marty and posted it at Racer X Online.

Man, I still can't believe it...

This is a sad, sad day

(photo courtesy Motocross Action)

Marty Moates, a hero to all motocross fans, took his own life yesterday. I am numb.

I first met Marty a few years back after reading one of his posts on the old Fresh Dirt board. He basically invited everyone on the board to come to the Carlsbad Christmas Grand Prix and have a beer with him as he celebrated his birthday on his brand new YZ250F. I showed up, looking forward to meeting the first American to win the USGP at Carlsbad, and he was true to his word, offering me a Coors Light from a big ol' cooler filled with brew. He was unbelievably nice and I was amazed that he would take the time to chat with me. I was just getting back into racing and I mentioned that I really like the No Fear gear, but was disappointed that they didn't make it in "fat boy" sizes. To my surprise, he told me he had some gear that would fit me, and offered to bring it to A1 for me.

Cut to Anaheim stadium a few weeks later. I was standing outside the restaurant when Marty Moates walked up and shook my hand. He introduced me to his wife and then handed me a bag full of McGrath-replica No Fear gear. I was nearly delirious... it was one thing to get a good deal on great gear, but to have it personally delivered by Marty Moates, right in the middle of MX/SX Central? I was in heaven.

I saw Marty many times after that... he even gave me a tour of the No Fear facility once... and everytime, EVERY SINGLE TIME I saw him he was smiling and friendly and happy. Which is why I can barely believe what has happened. I can't, I don't want to imagine what made him do this.

Marty, take care. You are greatly missed. Thanks for everything.

Finally weighing in on the Toronto Controversy...

... ah, well, I'm going to let Jason Weigandt do the honors. Read his blog entry here... he wraps it up pretty well (and he was there in person watching the whole thing go down, unlike me).

As for my take? First: Congrats to Team San Manuel Band of Mission Indians/L&M Racing/Yamaha rider Chad Reed. "Superbad" Chad put a lot of bad memories behind him with this one. Good for him!

And as a Stewart fan, I'm happy to see him hanging in there to get podium points after what was at best a questionable move, but sheesh... it wasn't pretty. Glad to see that Preston wasn't seriously injured, and I hope Ivan is able to answer the bell at A1. But I'm not mad at Stew... like I said before, I wasn't there to see it in person, and the guy I linked to above describes the practice stuff pretty accurately.

How cool is this?

(pic courtesy VitalMX.com)

I saw this and had to grab it... it was posted by Lee from On The Pipe Racing, and I believe it's his collection of restored 125'ers. Man, I'd love to have a stable of ponies like that!

Show me the money

So here it is, early December and the Supercross season has already started for next year. One race in and the sport is already awash in controversy, but I am just not ready to get into that yet... I still want to take a look at something significant about the season past: the prize money.

Motocross Illustrated has a great feature they run every issue, the “Earnings Leaders”, a list of the top purse winners to date. This list shows who won how much over the course of the season, and it only counts prize money and points-fund money; sponsor payout, salaries and bonuses are not included. And what's striking about this list is, you guessed it, the fact that it truly represents a paltry sum of money.

Now don't get me wrong; if someone handed me $10 grand, I'd gratefully accept it and consider myself lucky. But when you consider the effort Grant Langston expended to win his regional 250F supercross championship, then his year-end prize money total of only $17,420 seems more than pitiful.

Seriously, a championship nets less than $20K? What year is this again?

Let's move to the top of the leader board, where we're not surprised to find James Stewart. Stew clocked $438,300... and more than a third of this was earned at just one race, the U.S. Open. Stewart's string of supercross victories and his World SX title made up the difference.

Same with the number two earner, Ricky Carmichael. Even though RC took home the 450F Outdoor crown, there's no doubt that his Supercross championship brought him the bulk of the dollars.

Here are a few things that bug me about this money index:

1. Only four guys in this entire country, in what is arguably the greatest motocross nation on earth and in the the richest and longest motocross/supercross series on the planet, were able to win more than $100,000 in prize money. The guy in fifth place on the leader board, Josh Grant, only made $93K.

2. It gets worse: only two racers were in the $90s, just one in the $80s, four made between $60 and $70... and NO ONE made $50K.

3. Four racers were in the $40s; five in the $30s (and one of them was 250F National Champion Ryan Villapoto!); EIGHT in the $20s; and seven racers made less than $20K, including the King of Supercross himself, Jeremy McGrath, who only took home $18,850 (which really isn't too bad considering the limited number of races he competed in... all supercrosses, of course).

4. The total amount prize money handed out to the top 35 Earnings Leaders comes to about $2.35 million. I'm not even going to begin to compare that figure to any other sport; I'll let you do that yourself.

So what's the verdict? That our sport is too stingy and cheap? That purses must be raised, or our sport will never be taken seriously? That our riders are under compensated for efforts they exert and the risks they take? Well, yeah. But there's a problem with those thoughts, and it mostly comes from the way our sport was formed and the REASON the whole thing got started in the first place.

Motocross was never meant to be a big money sport like the popular professional sports that dominate the nations airwaves and newspapers. Professional motocross in this country was developed as a means to sell motorcycles to enthusiasts, bottom line. And Supercross was developed to sell stadium seat tickets to casual fans. The men behind these endeavors never intended for racers to become millionaires; they wanted to get that money for themselves! The Japanese manufacturers didn't build big racing teams in this country so that fast kids could live lavish factory-supported lifestyles; they just wanted to get mini-dads to buy more bikes!

The truth of the matter is, while I'm bitching about the amount of prize money paid in 2006, I should really be thankful that these heroes were able to make as much as they did... because it was never in the play book for purses and earnings to be this high. For that, we have to thank the unsung visionaries who toiled in the background and made it happen. It's a long way from perfect, that's for sure, but it's a lot better than nothing, and it could be a whole lot worse. Here's hoping, though, that the far-sighted will continue to do what it takes to make sure our riders get paid what they're worth.

Good Luck in Baja, David Izer!

This HAS to qualify as the "weird news of the week": DMXS Radio's own David Izer is going to join Travis Pastrana's team to contest the Baja 1000... on a quad! Don't believe me? Read if for yourself here at Racer X online.

David Izer racing a couch? For a 1000 miles down the Baja Peninsula? Dude, didn't you see "Dust to Glory"??

I'm not sure whether I should cheer or say a few prayers. Probably both..! And I tell you what: this will turn into the greatest episode of DMXS Radio ever. Of that I'm sure...

Tortelli Retires

Some things you just hate to see come to an end, and this news is definitely one of them. Sebastien Tortelli, charismatic former 125 and 250 World Champion, and much-injured fast guy, has called it quits. Here's the full story, courtesy Crash Net (ironically)...

Tortelli was always quick, and I remember when he first started racing in the states, in the winter of '98 I believe. At the fabled Perris Invitation Supercross, he battled Jeff Emig down to the very last lap. Now, back in those days the promoters at Perris would use tricks to make the racing more interesting... on this day, certain turns had "lanes", that is, they ran stakes and track ribbon in the middle of the turn to separate it into distinct "inside" and "outside" lines. One of these turns was set up just a few turns from the finish, and Emig had the advantage going in, choosing to take the faster outside line. But before these two riders reached the corner, another rider had blown through the ribbon, leaving a hole... which Tortelli used to his advantage. Sebastien went inside-outside, blocked Fro, and went on to win the race.

I remember Emig being pissed, but he was still a good sport about it. And "Bashen Telly", as some internet wag once called him, seemed slightly embarrassed... but he wasn't about to give up the $10k winner-takes-all prize money.

And then a few weeks later, "Tortellini" lucked into the win at the opening round of the Supercross series at the L.A. Coliseum, when Doug Henry, after leading from start to the last lap, stalled his works thumper Yamaha and couldn't get restarted in time. The young World Champ from France was on a roll. Too bad it didn't pan out into an AMA title.

Good luck, Sebastien, with whatever you do. And thanks for all the good rides.

Sparkplug 56

Don't call it a comeback!

Yes, it has been a little while since the last Sparkplug, but the muse has returned so to speak. My little hiatus was unexpected but apparently much needed and that's all I'll say about that. For now, I'll just ease back into the swing of things... I don't want to pull a mental muscle.

This week's Sparkplug is about Motocross Media, specifically, the recent changes in the game. It looks like this sport may just join the 21st Century yet.

Just tonight I had the pleasure of browsing through my second copy of the new magazine, MOTOCROSS ILLUSTRATED (aka “MXi”), a unique and welcome addition to the pantheon of MX press. What makes MXi unique is the fact that it comes out twice a month, and yet it is as slick and glossy as any of the monthly mags. Led by Editorial Director Steve Cox and Executive Editor Scott Rousseau and published by Access Media, MXi combines the timeliness of Cycle News with the visual excellence of Racer X or TWMX. I'm really glad to see a new publication, and I think they're doing a heckuva job, Brownie.

Also relatively new to the scene is VitalMX.com, which is sort of the MySpace of Motocross. Vital MX is an ambitious, web-only undertaking that boasts just about everything one would want in a motocross enthusiast's website. Ably run by Steve Gibberson (former web honcho for TWMX Online and the generous guru behind Motodrive.com), VitalMX features the very latest MX news, race reports, and videos as well as a full-on membership area (and it's FREE!) with fan forum and all that jazz. Vital is just picking up speed, but it will probably become one of the primary web destinations for motocross fans in the upcoming year.

And speaking of the upcoming year, some really big news dropped this week regarding race coverage for 2007. Live Nation announced the broadcast schedule for the 2007 Amp'd Mobile Supercross series, and the big news is that the Anaheim I race will be broadcast live on the Speed Channel! This is a historical milestone for the sport and hopefully this will lead to my ultimate dream: seeing the entire season broadcast live on a major broadcast network. As for now, the majority of the races will be shown either next day (for the 450 class) or the following weekend (250F, the “redheaded stepchild” of Supercross), with the Las Vegas finale also getting the benefit of a live broadcast.

With the experience gained from this year's live finale broadcast, I certainly hope Live Nation improves their performance. Here's what I thought about the 2006 show.

Live Nation/CBS/Speed also announced earlier that Jeff Emig will be taking over Denny Stephenson's spot in the broadcast booth, alongside the mediocre Ralph Sheheen and woefully inadequate Krista Voda. (Did I just say mediocre and woefully inadequate? Perhaps I exaggerate.) In any case, I find it not so surprising that they chose to replace the best performing person on the team... that seems to be par for the course for some of these old school organizations. I wish Fro the best of luck with his big broadcast debut; I like Jeff Emig a lot and I hope he does well.

But the biggest media news, to me, was the announcement from Mike Kidd that the BooKoo Arenacross series... the ENTIRE series... will be webcast live each week! Here's the announcement. These are full video webcasts, similar to the live webcasts that I enjoyed for both the 2005 and 2006 Motocross des Nations. The BooKoo Arenacross series has truly stepped into the new media millenium, outfoxing the more established race series by going directly to the fans at $5 per viewing. Outstanding!

Too bad what the fans REALLY want to see online is the Amp'd Mobile Supercross series. I'm sure Live Nation's financial analysts looked at the business model for using the internet versus their current scheme of paying for cable and television time and decided that the old model is better. It's all about the dollars, and I don't blame them for maximizing their profits. But I sure do hope that they are able to get the sponsors to cough up more than one commercial for the entire season. Parts Unlimited's Thor commercials are always well done, but there is no excuse for filming just one spot and expecting us to love seeing it all season long. Don't make us hate you, Thor.

WOW! For the 2007 season, live television coverage of Supercross will DOUBLE!

Yes, that’s the “exciting” way of noting that instead of just one live event, there will be TWO supercrosses given the “live” treatment. And I’ve got to give credit to the parties involved, because they picked the best possible events: the opening round of the AMA series in Anaheim, and the finale in Las Vegas. But it remains a crying shame that the rest of the series is still deemed too unimportant or unpopular or not lucrative enough to warrant live coverage for ALL of the races. (here’s the press release, courtesy Racer X online)

The strange thing about the schedule is that even though the Anaheim 1 race will be live on SPEED, there will be a re-broadcast of the 450F class on the following day… the 250F class will have to wait a full week. And that seems to be the case for most of the races; the premier class will be shown on the day after the race, but the regional class broadcast is delayed a week. Ah, the wonders of cable TV scheduling…!

In any case, it’s good to see expanded coverage of our great sport. Here’s hoping the production team learned from their many mistakes of last season.