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From a Youthstream PR....
Following the release of the provisional calendar for the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship, which did not include the European Championship EMX300 as a support class, it was bought to Youthstream’s attention that a large number of manufacturers, teams, riders, partners and fans would like to see the EMX300 championship continue.
Due to its increase in popularity over the last few years, Youthstream have agreed to add the European Championship EMX300 class to the 2017 MXGP calendar.
FIM Europe President Dr. Wolfgang Srb said, "I am very happy about this solution. The EMX300 class has developed very well and it is good for all of the parties involved that this European class remains within the FIM Motocross World Championship."
Following the release of the provisional calendar for the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship, which did not include the European Championship EMX300 as a support class, it was bought to Youthstream’s attention that a large number of manufacturers, teams, riders, partners and fans would like to see the EMX300 championship continue.
Due to its increase in popularity over the last few years, Youthstream have agreed to add the European Championship EMX300 class to the 2017 MXGP calendar.
FIM Europe President Dr. Wolfgang Srb said, "I am very happy about this solution. The EMX300 class has developed very well and it is good for all of the parties involved that this European class remains within the FIM Motocross World Championship."
The Shop
Imagine how much of an uproar there would be if they dropped the EMX125 class. Sure wish this side of the pond would catch on.
That's what I was told by a friend of mine who races EMX300, on a Yamaha
I would think they would have no problem putting a bit of pressure on Youthstream to continue this, great marketing tool for 0 euro.
Anyway, great news. Don't think this serie will change the popularity of 2-strokes much, but it is a great serie to follow. Hopefully we'll get more riders of the level of Martens and Kras in the serie.
Instead of doing my annual trip to Glen Helen for the US National, I may allocate my $ towards a USGP to see the 300 2 strokes rip it up.
Here are the entry numbers for each round:
2014
Bulgaria - 12
Spain - 12
UK - 14
Italy - 19
Sweden - 16
Finland - 12
Belgium - 24
Average: 15.6 per round
2015
Netherlands - 34
Spain - 23
Italy - 33
Sweden - 22
Czech Rep - 25
Belgium - 44
Average: 30.2 per round
2016
Netherlands - 43
Latvia - 31
Spain - 37
UK - 43
Czech Rep - 41
Belgium - 43
Average: 39.7 per round
Pit Row
Also 2 stroke sales are on the up, Yamaha has sold every 250 2t it made this year , for the first time in a long while and KTM , Husky & TM are selling well.. Beta cant make there 300 fast enough and can only satisfy enduro demand.
Plus it gets teams involved , who may think to run a guy in 125 or 250 once they have the infrastructure in place.
its a great decision, after a lot of people being very unhappy to drop it, and i hope it will maybe make Suzuki and Kawasaki think about there long term 2t plans...
Kids should be going 85-125-250 ..... The prize for winning the EMX 150 series is a fully paid for ride in EMX250.. the guy that won last year isn't old enough to ride in EMX250 yet , and the gulf between 85 and 250 is HUGE.... of course the ideal scenario would be a ride in EMX125 but Honda don't make one, so they cant .
EMX85 was a series , but costs to young riders are huge , and it basically comes down to who can afford to do it.
EMX300 was a Luongo idea, and after a slow start , riders and teams are starting to come. The standard has risen massively , and its a great race to watch. Guys who are aged out of MX2, and don't have the budget (or talent) to run MX1 have a place to ride, these are people who back in the day would have been trying to qualify for MX GP races , and are getting themselves a good series to run in as a result.
I would guess that Yamaha sold 50 times more YZ250's than Honda did 150's....
EMX 300 champ Samuele Bernadini rides factory TM250 in MX 2 , Marco Madii moved to MX1.. just because the rest of the guys are not names, doesn't mean the racing isn't good to watch, or to listen to
That it's ( now ) a pretty good deal for riders and their backers, is a product of Honda wanting the limelight of a one make series. The ultimate example of Honda 'buying' a championship.
MBR here is a backer (sponsor?) of Emil Weckman, winner last year, and , he's not far off being the winner of this year's series. I wonder if he'll get 2 seasons of EMX250 backing by Honda out of it?
Here's an idea ( knowing that Honda are damned near certain to Never make a 2 stroke again). Make the EMX125 series into a 150 capacity series, and Honda can show their commitment to 4 stroke superiority ......... Come on Honda surely you believe in your favored ICE 'solution'?
No, fuck 'em, let them make a 4t 125, and let's have the FIM / Youthstream, and AMA Pro / DC and Co, stop bowing down to manfacturers, predominantly Honda, and stop this handicap class racing bull shit, in All classes, and in All forms of competition.
DC has his other series, with equivalency in XC2, that shows it's not the end of the world for 4 strokes, when Handicap Class Racing is not in force.
I still don't really get the EMX300 class, but if the entries are growing I guess they're doing something right.
All of this kind of ties in with what PIng has been saying ... if local pro's racing affordable 125's and 250's can pick up a ride off the back of that speed, without having to build a megabucks bike, that will bring people into the sport ... slowly but surely.
Here in the UK, the only growth areas of the sport are EVO racers, and 2 strokes, in MX , but Hare and Hounds type racing is going really well, and that is entirely dominated by KTM, Husky , Beta , TM etc.. big sales and lots of riders.
I only know 1 guy who has laid out $$ for a 450 this year.. the lack of sales has to having an effect .
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