Excellent Ben Townely Interview

mccread
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mccread
Edited Date/Time 1/27/2012 8:48am
BT Interview

Interesting comments... hopefully he can race the last half of the GP season and come out readly for 2012!

Would be great to see Ben challenge for a World title again after all he has been through.
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Jefro98
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Jefro98 6/14/2011 7:23am
6/14/2011 7:23am Edited Date/Time 6/14/2011 7:25am
Good read. Hope BT is back soon.

This bit of the interview is very interesting and exactly what a lot of people on this board underestimate about the GP series:


MXlarge: It seems like the AMA series and the FIM series are so different, two totally different Worlds with different circuits and mentalities. How do you find that now you are back here in Europe?

Townley: That is a whole article on its own. The whole infrastructure on how they prepare the tracks, the layout of the weekend. At the Grand Prix’s you ride six times, in America you ride twice. You are at a Grand Prix for three days, while you are at a National for one day. The whole scale of things of the event is so different. I always looked at why American riders find it so hard coming to Europe, but now I start to see that. Just for example, when you go to an American event you fly to just about every event, and you are in on Friday and out on Sunday and back to your home. With the Grand Prix series most people are on the road for three weeks. There are so many different elements. A circuit like St Jean d’Angely the development of the lines is so different. That is something that is tricky and you have to adapt to it.

MXlarge: It seems like a lot of the American circuits are prepared in a similar manner. While the Grand Prix circuits are very different. How do you see that?

Townley: In America the tracks are not very different, you have a partial sand track and I call that partial sand track, and the rest are all very similar in conditions. While over here we go to France and its hard pack and tricky, then the next week we might have a deep sand track, which is real sand. For the set-up it is so difficult. I mean riding so much over the weekend is really needed to prepare your bike and get it set up correctly. There is so much that goes into it, it’s so different.
Crossup
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Crossup 6/14/2011 7:51am
6/14/2011 7:51am
Interesting article. I hope Ben returns soon.

Seems like he is saying that racing on the US tracks is easier (schedule) and there is less variety in the tracks. So does that make it harder for a rider going from the US Nationals to the GPs? BT-101 - I always looked at why American riders find it so hard coming to Europe, but now I start to see that.

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dboivin
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dboivin 6/14/2011 11:27am
6/14/2011 11:27am
find it ironic considering he struggled here.
kongols
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kongols 6/14/2011 11:34am
6/14/2011 11:34am
dboivin wrote:
find it ironic considering he struggled here.
Let me get this straight, he got 4-th in AMA Nationals which you consider the superior series in the world which makes him 4-th fastest in the world , and somehow you say that he struggled. Are you saying that 10-th place guy at AMA frickin` Nationals is a failure? DUDE
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dboivin 6/14/2011 11:42am
6/14/2011 11:42am
dboivin wrote:
find it ironic considering he struggled here.
kongols wrote:
Let me get this straight, he got 4-th in AMA Nationals which you consider the superior series in the world which makes him 4-th fastest in...
Let me get this straight, he got 4-th in AMA Nationals which you consider the superior series in the world which makes him 4-th fastest in the world , and somehow you say that he struggled. Are you saying that 10-th place guy at AMA frickin` Nationals is a failure? DUDE
um...since he won a championship in a more challenging series (by his words (GPs)...then comes here.... yeah he struggled.
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500guy 6/14/2011 11:46am
6/14/2011 11:46am
This certainly explains why the USA does not win the MXoN very often.
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kongols 6/14/2011 11:46am
6/14/2011 11:46am
dboivin wrote:
um...since he won a championship in a more challenging series (by his words (GPs)...then comes here.... yeah he struggled.
What do you say about a year 2007?
dboivin
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dboivin 6/14/2011 11:46am
6/14/2011 11:46am Edited Date/Time 6/14/2011 11:47am
and i never said he wasn't fast...or inferior rider. so don't imply...simply think his wording in that interview was bias because of where hes riding right now.

i think anyone who qualifies 40th in AMA nationals is solid. can you say that about 40th on the GP circuit?
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500guy 6/14/2011 11:48am
6/14/2011 11:48am
dboivin wrote:
and i never said he wasn't fast...or inferior rider. so don't imply...simply think his wording in that interview was bias because of where hes riding right...
and i never said he wasn't fast...or inferior rider. so don't imply...simply think his wording in that interview was bias because of where hes riding right now.

i think anyone who qualifies 40th in AMA nationals is solid. can you say that about 40th on the GP circuit?
No fucking way MXLarge prints anything Biased. Next you will accuse MXA of liking Yamaha's
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kongols 6/14/2011 11:54am
6/14/2011 11:54am
dboivin wrote:
and i never said he wasn't fast...or inferior rider. so don't imply...simply think his wording in that interview was bias because of where hes riding right...
and i never said he wasn't fast...or inferior rider. so don't imply...simply think his wording in that interview was bias because of where hes riding right now.

i think anyone who qualifies 40th in AMA nationals is solid. can you say that about 40th on the GP circuit?
I strongly disapprove the format of GP`s, but first 20 is pretty darn fast.
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jamma10 6/14/2011 11:59am
6/14/2011 11:59am
dboivin wrote:
and i never said he wasn't fast...or inferior rider. so don't imply...simply think his wording in that interview was bias because of where hes riding right...
and i never said he wasn't fast...or inferior rider. so don't imply...simply think his wording in that interview was bias because of where hes riding right now.

i think anyone who qualifies 40th in AMA nationals is solid. can you say that about 40th on the GP circuit?
kongols wrote:
I strongly disapprove the format of GP`s, but first 20 is pretty darn fast.
The bottom 10 are not necessarily that slow either. Two or three riders at certain fly away GP's, certainly
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dboivin 6/14/2011 12:35pm
6/14/2011 12:35pm
dboivin wrote:
and i never said he wasn't fast...or inferior rider. so don't imply...simply think his wording in that interview was bias because of where hes riding right...
and i never said he wasn't fast...or inferior rider. so don't imply...simply think his wording in that interview was bias because of where hes riding right now.

i think anyone who qualifies 40th in AMA nationals is solid. can you say that about 40th on the GP circuit?
kongols wrote:
I strongly disapprove the format of GP`s, but first 20 is pretty darn fast.
yeah i agree.
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Jefro98 6/14/2011 1:47pm
6/14/2011 1:47pm
500guy wrote:
This certainly explains why the USA does not win the MXoN very often.
That one was too easy Jay.
mccread
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mccread 6/14/2011 1:53pm
6/14/2011 1:53pm Edited Date/Time 6/14/2011 1:55pm
500guy wrote:
This certainly explains why the USA does not win the MXoN very often.
Jefro98 wrote:
That one was too easy Jay.
ha ha I don't think 500guy understands the difference between a 15 round World Championship series and a MXDN team race... not comparable.

I love the format of GPs ... getting to watch those guys for two days is great.
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Crossup 6/14/2011 2:18pm
6/14/2011 2:18pm
500guy wrote:
This certainly explains why the USA does not win the MXoN very often.
Jefro98 wrote:
That one was too easy Jay.
mccread wrote:
ha ha I don't think 500guy understands the difference between a 15 round World Championship series and a MXDN team race... not comparable. I love the...
ha ha I don't think 500guy understands the difference between a 15 round World Championship series and a MXDN team race... not comparable.

I love the format of GPs ... getting to watch those guys for two days is great.
But shouldn't 15 tough GP rounds (on way tougher tracks with more variety of terrain), plus two days of racing, prepare individual riders better than the Nationals do for the MXdN?

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ayearinmx
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ayearinmx 6/14/2011 2:24pm
6/14/2011 2:24pm
prepares individuals...... but doesn't suddenly give Germany another MX1 rider, or Italy an MX2 rider, or Great Britain an MX1 rider.... you get the idea
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prozach 6/14/2011 3:12pm
6/14/2011 3:12pm
I wonder if Americans struggle when they go there because American's that go there also struggle in the USA? Funny how that might work?
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Sherwood 6/14/2011 3:38pm
6/14/2011 3:38pm
If ben had a ride here he'd be saying how much better the series is. Your not going to say your racing in a second rate series because it would alienate your fans, team and sponsors.
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Regis 6/14/2011 4:40pm
6/14/2011 4:40pm
I love how he admitted the Americans were much faster and superior!
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txmxer 6/14/2011 5:04pm
6/14/2011 5:04pm
Everything off the track is probably a lot more difficult in the GP's. The travel. The languages. The food. The tracks do vary a bit more. But, they also get to dial in for each track at the track with all of their support guys.

I suppose this explains the American rider dominance in international competition over the last 30 years. GP's, they worry about stuff off the track, in America, they can focus on riding fast.

Whistling
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Motodude 6/14/2011 5:33pm
6/14/2011 5:33pm
The term National and Grand Prix should define the difference between the two series...Nationals are like a country wide home boy advantage deal, every race is the same but with slightly different twists. Going from one GP to another is like going from Venus to Mars. The skills required are vastly different whilst many of the US pro's grew up doing LL's on the same tracks since they were 5.
Motocross83 6/14/2011 11:15pm
6/14/2011 11:15pm
To be fair to the Nationals, at least they don't line their tracks with that race wrecking green shit that took out Tommy Searle - check out around the 2:40 range Angry
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Fat Fingers 6/15/2011 1:00am
6/15/2011 1:00am
That green shit is brutal.

I think BT is struggling with poor preparation and the depth in the GP's. In Valkenswaard he struggled to break into the top 20 and then after coming back expecting to run in the top 5, he was riding around in 15th in the qualifier in Portugal.

There are currently 3 guys in the GP's who can consistently race up front and about 10 more who could finish in the top 5 on any given weekend. It makes awesome racing but BT races to win and doesn't like finishing 15th. I hope he comes back healthy and can consistently race up front where he belongs.
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Jefro98 6/15/2011 3:06am
6/15/2011 3:06am
ayearinmx wrote:
prepares individuals...... but doesn't suddenly give Germany another MX1 rider, or Italy an MX2 rider, or Great Britain an MX1 rider.... you get the idea
He probably will not.
It's a thing most guys on here fail to understand.


How's life D?
Enjoying yourself?
dirtbikersa 6/15/2011 4:19am
6/15/2011 4:19am
I agree that the green netting is bull shit, but it prevents guys from cutting the track. A problem which the AMA are having.
GP may not have the fastest riders, but the racing kicks AMA's A$$. Most of the time there are 2 - 4 riders battling for the lead the entire race whereas AMA you get a race for the first couple of laps then it fades away.
The depth in AMA might be better, but it is impossible for a 30 place privateer in the GP series to fly around the world racing, where in AMA the guys can do it in a van.
Two completely different series, personally I think the AMA riders are drama queens/robots compared to GP riders. You can predict AMA podium speeches a week before the race.
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mxgeoff 6/15/2011 5:44am
6/15/2011 5:44am
dboivin wrote:
and i never said he wasn't fast...or inferior rider. so don't imply...simply think his wording in that interview was bias because of where hes riding right...
and i never said he wasn't fast...or inferior rider. so don't imply...simply think his wording in that interview was bias because of where hes riding right now.

i think anyone who qualifies 40th in AMA nationals is solid. can you say that about 40th on the GP circuit?
500guy wrote:
No fucking way MXLarge prints anything Biased. Next you will accuse MXA of liking Yamaha's
500guy, I think the biggest thing Ben points out is just how good those Team USA riders are when the come to the GP circuits. Then again, we all thought that anyway.

Positive people talk about positive things, negative people think about negative things mate.

Geoff

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