MT MX wrote: I always thought it was just single digit numbers that could be career numbers, unless they chose....................oh fuggit I don't know! I never could understand how Chisholm got his number also.
MXerDW wrote: The rules are simple but yet people still have a hard time figuring this system out even though it's been out for years. Here's a refresher- If you win a national or supercross title, you get to pick a single digit career number OR a two-digit career number if you so choose. If you finish in the top ten in COMBINED points for the year, you can pick a career two digit number. You cannot pick a career three-digit number although Mike Alessi is allowed to keep his 800 because he got grandfathered in before that rule changed. The single digits that are available are 4,6 and 8.
250 SX points DO NOT count for combined points. AGAIN- 250 SX points DO NOT COUNT.
peelout wrote: i get it somewhat. still don't know what they are going to do once all the 1-9 numbers are taken and other guys (Brown for instance) want to keep their numbers. then it is just going to expand into the top 20 are career only... just seems silly.
thanks for clarifying Barcia's 51
It's been a silly system since day one. The biggest issue being that the majority of the riders in the sport have a rather limited amount of time competing at this level.
I understand the branding part of it but with riders continuing to score just enough points to keep their number for another year it is pretty stupid. A rider's name was good enough branding for a long time before they went to this system.
Some riders that have only a few stellar seasons should be allowed to run the "earned" number the next year to showcase their accomplishment.
If the reasoning behind the semi-permanent system is because the confusion that comes with yearly changes, Several years before they went to the new system I can remember quizzing a 3 or 4 year old Brett Cue at the Dallas SX that year as to several of the riders and their new "earned numbers" and he didn't miss a single one. Yes he was pretty hip for a kid that age though.
I also remember questioning DC about it on the old Motonews board about, and he did say several of the riders were in favor of it at that time. I bet the majority of those were top ten riders though, and didn't want to elaborate on it as to which ones were in favor of it at the time.
Let them run what they earn, it seemed to work really well for a long time.
Of course this is just my opinion, and you are welcome to yours as well.
