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while there at it they could do away with the timed qualifiers and bring back the motos .
The Shop
2 x 20 lap races for 450's and 2 x 15 lap races for 250's. That would probably be similar amount of laps as they do now.
For the 2 hour 55 minute programe that you talk about, there are really only 35 minutes that really count. When was the last time a title contender didn't qualify for the main event?
There are many sports where you don't get 2nd chances, why should supercross riders have 2 chances? (and if you bring back the semi's 3 chances).
I personally liked the 86 format .....4 heat races with the top 4 riders from each heat advancing. 2 semis with the top 2 advancing and only the winner of the lcq going to the main....
they did the 2 moto format in 85 and i didnt work out very good ... with the lap times as short as they are now they need to have 20 lap mains for the lites and 25 for the 450s
i havent been to a SX since new orleans 2001. the only one i care to go
to is us open but its vegas so it is diffrent.
How many of your best SX spectator moments came not from watching the big names in their heat races and main events, but sometimes from just random semis or even afternoon qualifiers where two privateers who were just painfully matched in speed, duked it out, lap after lap, in pursuit of their supercross dreams?
I know there are modern day issues with rider turnouts and track deterioration, which would prevent a return to the exact 1986 format. But for crimany sakes, once you've already gone to all the trouble of bringing in the dirt and building the entire track, what's the harm in using it a little bit more? Heck, even if you had to touch it up a couple of times during the night in between the additional racing, those could be your intermission times where you could sell some more of that horribly over-priced beer and those stadium hot dogs.
I know there are modern day issues with rider turnouts and track deterioration
Great thread.
Without the semis the evening blows by much too quickly but independent of that it certainly wouldn't hurt to go to timed mains. I would like more but would be satisfied if every venue delivered the same amount of racing.
It's not too much to ask for 15 minutes in the 250 class and 20 minutes in the 450 for seventeen races. It's hard for me to see a "track deterioration" reason being given on why we can't go to timed mains. Wonder if timed mains would help the TV folks?
While I still like the idea of increasing the actual number of races throughout the evening (i.e. bringing back the semis), your suggestion of moving towards a standardized timed main, and perhaps it being helpful for TV, is an interesting one.
Just for fun I looked up the total race times from each of the 250 and 450 mains from this year's supercross season, and it turns out there is a huge variance in their total length. Not surprisingly, Daytona had the longest 450 main event so far this year in terms of total time. What is perhaps surprising though, is that the Daytona race was 32% longer in terms of total time than the shortest 450 main event so far this season, tonight's Jacksonville race.
Race - 250 main - 450 main
Anaheim I - 14:36 - 18:59
Phoenix - 13:55 - 18:09
Anaheim II - 14:54 - 19:47
San Fransisco - 13:28 - 18:12
San Diego - 13:52 - 18:27
Anaheim III - 15:21 - 20:28
Indianapolis - 13:09 - 17:20
Atlanta - 14:23 - 18:38
Daytona - 16:21 - 21:36
Toronto - 15:06 - 19:46
Dallas - 12:42 - 16:35
Jacksonville - 12:25 - 16:19
Average - 14:11 - 18:41
`oG
Pit Row
Draw sticks for assigned gates.
That should mix things up a bit.
I'd go back.
Taking 4 from LCQ for a start gate of 22. YES. And with that, only give points to the top 20.
Filling spots when racers can't make the night show or main. YES
Getting rid of Shaheen and Bates. YES
Giving riders more prize money. YES
TV showing full heats/lcq and mains. YES
TV showing ALL the results instead of the top 10. YES
the race format, track design, opening ceremonies and presentations.....its all for the cult of the superstars and for the tv.......but only a few get to profit from it, very few get to the podiums and are most times always the same ....
but when it is not worth the expense for the kind of rebound a medim to small team and rider gets from atending a race....toronto for exemple..!!!! all the business players come out and cry about the lack of riders at the gate.......less riders at the gate make the top ones look bad........
i think the semis are important to give spotlight time to does riders and teams that are not yet at a winning level but put in an already big effort......having the possiility to race up front, where everybody looks,,,,,, going to the podium and have their photo taken
is of huge importance to does riders and team that are there to make the main and try to look good........
without the offer of rebound to does teams, it makes life too hard for them and they will tend to go away if its all for the top guys, and by that its for all to lose......the all sport loses with atendences like toronto.......
find a way to bring back the semis, give the midle guys a chance go at it without the top dogs and get their 5 minutes of fame....... if a top dog misses a transfer spot he races the semi..........
3 from each heat go straight to main, all others go the the semis after that 6 transfer spot
and then a small lcq will find the last 2 spots.......
i did like some of the race formats that could be seen in the aussie series, diferent stuff that i think also works good.........starting positioning is crucial in sx.....so a format with more starts looks to be a good way to improve the racing and cold heip stpo that bowring feeling that some one lined races give after the riders establish their positions.........
this sport is more and more for the ones that live from it.......dont forget the ones that live to support it .......or you wont have anything to live from in the end.........
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