What Really Happened: US GP - Funny rules, no Americans

Nerd
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Edited Date/Time 1/26/2012 11:56pm
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rangot
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5/16/2011 11:50pm
"Christian Craig was the top American in the MX2 class, which is a class he has never raced before on a professional level. (Photo: CoxMX.com)"

Really ???
ATKpilot99
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5/16/2011 11:50pm
Christian Craig raced the MX1 class, your caption is wrong , and him being competitive in the MX1 class as he was, kind of blows your theory of the factories not being able to prepare for the race because of the fuel etc also.
Nerd
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5/16/2011 11:57pm
Thanks for catching that. I fixed the typo. However, that's not a theory. Ask the teams. They'll tell you. You really missed the point of the article. TLD had committed to the race long before last Wednesday, when the $100,000 was announced. Get it?
ATKpilot99
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5/17/2011 12:06am
Mitch Payton builds engines for GP teams, and I'm sure the factories are familiar with the FIM fuel spec. They just don't want to run this race and thats fine with the nationals coming up. No need for lame excuses.

The Shop

Nerd
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5/17/2011 12:16am
ATKpilot99 wrote:
Mitch Payton builds engines for GP teams, and I'm sure the factories are familiar with the FIM fuel spec. They just don't want to run this...
Mitch Payton builds engines for GP teams, and I'm sure the factories are familiar with the FIM fuel spec. They just don't want to run this race and thats fine with the nationals coming up. No need for lame excuses.
I'm sure you're completely right. Talked to all of the team managers, did you? Nice work. You should write a story about it.
5/17/2011 12:20am
What really happened at the USGP: it was an awesome race!
Nerd
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5/17/2011 12:20am
Oh, and not for nothing, but does Mitch build Dungey's bike? What about Villopoto's? No? Hmmm...

You're just arguing to argue. I'm giving you the facts. Take them or leave them.
ATKpilot99
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5/17/2011 12:23am
Alessi didn't seem to have a problem last year... but oh thats right he was on a KTM so he had all the super secret Euro fuel settings that everyone is keeping from the Japanese factories, lmao.
Nerd
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5/17/2011 12:28am
ATKpilot99 wrote:
Alessi didn't seem to have a problem last year... but oh thats right he was on a KTM so he had all the super secret Euro...
Alessi didn't seem to have a problem last year... but oh thats right he was on a KTM so he had all the super secret Euro fuel settings that everyone is keeping from the Japanese factories, lmao.
Was it just fuel? Seriously, you're creating strawman arguments as if they mean something. Read the article again because it obviously didn't sink in the first time.
ATKpilot99
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5/17/2011 12:37am
No I saw the weight and exhaust mentioned also. All I'm saying is this is the second year of the USGP. If they really wanted to be ready they could have. I'm not ragging on the factories for not sending a rider, but lets be honest if it was important to them they could do it. Your article just comes off as apologist for the factories to me thats all. Just my opinion.
Astor
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5/17/2011 12:39am
Isnt it the other way around on bike weights?
ATKpilot99
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5/17/2011 12:41am
I'm not sure what the FIM weight rule is but Alessi's bike was FIM ready last season.
Nerd
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5/17/2011 12:46am
ATKpilot99 wrote:
No I saw the weight and exhaust mentioned also. All I'm saying is this is the second year of the USGP. If they really wanted to...
No I saw the weight and exhaust mentioned also. All I'm saying is this is the second year of the USGP. If they really wanted to be ready they could have. I'm not ragging on the factories for not sending a rider, but lets be honest if it was important to them they could do it. Your article just comes off as apologist for the factories to me thats all. Just my opinion.
Right, and I explained why they didn't want to prior to Wednesday already, didn't I? See where I mentioned the money the racers make, and where everyone is actually paid to race?

You're arguing something that wasn't even missing from the article.
Nerd
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5/17/2011 12:46am
Astor wrote:
Isnt it the other way around on bike weights?
Nope.
skidsteer16
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5/17/2011 12:53am
Good article Cox. I agree with everything in it.
skidsteer16
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5/17/2011 1:16am Edited Date/Time 5/17/2011 1:34am
FYI everyone...

2011 AMA Rule Handbook

3.16 Minimum Motorcycle Weight

a. 250 Motocross Class:
194 pounds 2-stroke
212 pounds 4-stroke

b. 450 Motocross Class:
212 pounds 2-stroke
220 pounds 4-stroke
____________________________

2011 FIM MX Technical Rulebook

01.19 MOTORCYCLE WEIGHTS

MX2 motorcycles:
100cc up to 125cc - 2T 88 kg (194.00 lbs)
175cc up to 250cc - 4T 95 kg (209.43 lbs)

MX1 motorcycles:
175cc up to 250cc - 2T 98 kg (216.05 lbs)
290cc up to 450cc - 4T 102 kg (224.87 lbs)



...GP MX2 bikes are allowed to be 2.5 lbs lighter than AMA Lites bikes, but AMA 450s are allowed to be 4.8 lbs lighter than their MX1 GP counterparts.
Nerd
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5/17/2011 1:29am
FYI everyone... 2011 AMA Rule Handbook 3.16 Minimum Motorcycle Weight a. 250 Motocross Class: 194 pounds 2-stroke 212 pounds 4-stroke b. 450 Motocross Class: 212 pounds...
FYI everyone...

2011 AMA Rule Handbook

3.16 Minimum Motorcycle Weight

a. 250 Motocross Class:
194 pounds 2-stroke
212 pounds 4-stroke

b. 450 Motocross Class:
212 pounds 2-stroke
220 pounds 4-stroke
____________________________

2011 FIM MX Technical Rulebook

01.19 MOTORCYCLE WEIGHTS

MX2 motorcycles:
100cc up to 125cc - 2T 88 kg (194.00 lbs)
175cc up to 250cc - 4T 95 kg (209.43 lbs)

MX1 motorcycles:
175cc up to 250cc - 2T 98 kg (216.05 lbs)
290cc up to 450cc - 4T 102 kg (224.87 lbs)



...GP MX2 bikes are allowed to be 2.5 lbs lighter than AMA Lites bikes, but AMA 450s are allowed to be 4.8 lbs lighter than their MX1 GP counterparts.
Thanks, skidsteer. Obviously, I'm talking about MX1, because that's where the 100k was offered.
jamma10
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5/17/2011 1:40am Edited Date/Time 5/17/2011 1:43am
Nice avatar.

How old are you, twelve?

And like the other guys said, Christian Craig raced two AMA Nationals in 2009, and had two 8th places in the 450 class.
Nerd
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5/17/2011 1:43am
jamma10 wrote:
Nice avatar. How old are you, twelve? And like the other guys said, Christian Craig raced two AMA Nationals in 2009, and had two 8th places...
Nice avatar.

How old are you, twelve?

And like the other guys said, Christian Craig raced two AMA Nationals in 2009, and had two 8th places in the 450 class.
I'm at least 13.
jamma10
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5/17/2011 1:45am Edited Date/Time 5/17/2011 1:46am
Grinning

btw Craig also raced the X-games on a 450 I believe, coming 7th or something.
robkinuk
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5/17/2011 2:50am Edited Date/Time 5/17/2011 2:50am
Christian Craig just gained a whole new bunch of fans worldwide, because he wasn't afraid to step up to the plate.
Sorry Nerd but your article seems like you are trying to keep sweet with US factories. Dont blame you with a whole outdoor season ahead.
Imagine the black balling a US journalist might get if he wrote against the US riders like Alex Hodgkinson did on www.mxpure.com
skidsteer16
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5/17/2011 3:05am
You mean this one Rob?


The US factory teams won't play ball!

The FIM has issued the entry list for the Glen Helen GP and amongst the 40 nominees in each of the MX1 and MX2 classes there are just TWO US factory riders - KTM's Mike Alessi and Marvin Musquin ! Even Andrew Short won't race, preferring to "prepare for the start of the Outdoor Motocross Series".

The US outlets will of course roll out the lame excuse that they have only just completed the gruelling SX series and need to prepare for the National opener at Hangtown next week, but what better way to prepare than actually racing ? Their absence merely emphasises that the AMA "production" bikes are not FIM-legal and would require a different set-up for the GP to that which will be used one week later !

Of the 18 AMA entries, the only other riders who can be expected to run with the GP regulars are the Troy Lee duo of Christian Craig, racing a 450, and local hot-shot Travis Baker, plus Weston Peick, who has pushed the top ten during the second half of the AMA SX series.

There are however full grids of 40 for both GP classes. Lewis Tombs augments the UK entry for Route77energy MVR-D Honda, riding the CRF250 intended for Matiss Karro, Kenneth San Andres from the Phillipines and genuine Costa Rican Gino Aponte add a little international flavour to the mix, but there are some genuine holiday makers at the gate in the shape of Francesco Galligari - who ? - from Italy and Dmitry Vintaev, whose dad Sergey contests the Vets, from Russia.

Let's salute Mike Alessi, Weston Peick, Christian Craig, Travis Baker and the lesser lights who will be racing for the true American race fans ! And next time you see any of the leading AMA Pros who have chickened out, let them know what a sad bunch of pampered assholes they are !



This is a terrible article by the way... evident in the fact that he seems to think the "leading AMA pros" have a choice whether to race or not.
ogdeno
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5/17/2011 3:42am
Go away cox.
sc961
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5/17/2011 5:33am
Good report Steve.
machine
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5/17/2011 5:38am
"You're just arguing to argue"

Haha........classic pot calling the kettle black right there.


New sig anyone?
newmann
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5/17/2011 7:08am
How many of the factory 450's weigh less than 224 lbs. anyway? I'm sure it would be difficult to swap the titanium shock spring for a standard spring, some ti axles and linkage bolts for stock and some heavy duty spokes..... Really, would it actually take any more than that?

Sound? Everybody talks about the 450's having to be detuned to be rideable, why not just tune them back up a little after sticking the cork back in the exhaust? Hell, a factory Yamaha YZ400F dyno'd at 76 hp ten years ago.

Fuel? A fuel injected bike would be difficult to tune for a different fuel? Factory team only has one engine? They don't tinker with compression ratio's throughout the season?

None of the factory GP teams would share any specs or settings with their US counterparts?

All boils down to a big pissing match at the top. Start there, fix that and everything else would be easy.
Huckster
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5/17/2011 7:28am
jamma10 wrote:
Nice avatar. How old are you, twelve? And like the other guys said, Christian Craig raced two AMA Nationals in 2009, and had two 8th places...
Nice avatar.

How old are you, twelve?

And like the other guys said, Christian Craig raced two AMA Nationals in 2009, and had two 8th places in the 450 class.
8th place moto finishes......for the sake of clarity.....not sure that he had any top 10 O/A's.....
mccread
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5/17/2011 7:32am
Where there is a will there is a way, at least with the new rules all the bikes AMA and FIM will be run under the same rules for next year's US GP... so that is one reason not to race out the window.

Hopefully the schedule will give the US riders an extra week to prepare for the GP too so they can get their week off in as well.

That said the racing was 100% great without them.
jamma10
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5/17/2011 7:51am
jamma10 wrote:
Nice avatar. How old are you, twelve? And like the other guys said, Christian Craig raced two AMA Nationals in 2009, and had two 8th places...
Nice avatar.

How old are you, twelve?

And like the other guys said, Christian Craig raced two AMA Nationals in 2009, and had two 8th places in the 450 class.
Huckster wrote:
8th place moto finishes......for the sake of clarity.....not sure that he had any top 10 O/A's.....
No he had two 15th Overalls, so his 10th Overall on Sunday was fantastic for his fourth professional 450 race ever. I have nothing but respect for him.

Had it been his first race in 'a class he has never raced before on a professional level' it would have been even more impressive.

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