Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but Premium users receive great benefits. Premium benefits include:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
And yes I do know Tony.
People seem to covet the unknown and have no idea about how dark the underbelly is.
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Free shipping: VITALMX
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Crazy to think Alessi is a top 3-5 guy and can win on any given weekend outdoors and he has "problems" Everyone has ups and down in their careers but he seems to be doin pretty damn good with all the competition out on the track every weekend.
In all seriousness though, it's hard for some people to get the image of Mike standing on Tedesco's bike out of their minds. It also seems that that family thrives on Tony's drama.
One thing my wife and I were talking about was that we would get our kids whatever they needed to succeed but we would not expect anything in return. Mike and Jeff don't owe Tony anything but they keep him close and they are a tight family. That says something wether you like them or not.
He told me he thought that if Dungey went to KTM, there might not be enough budget for some other riders next year. This, of course, has proven to be true. He also said that the mindset at KTM was different than at the Japanese companies in that KTM seems to want to take over the market vs just having a place in that market.
I was impressed with how he asked for my input/local knowledge on the track and listened to me. Overall, I was quite impressed with his level of knowledge, insight, and persona. He is definitely a driven person and wants his boys to do their best, but what father worth his salt doesn't? Every dad has his methods and philosophies and get to live his life how he chooses. Given the diminishing level of fathering in this country, I think it is cool to see Tony's level of involvement and concern in his boys' lives, whether you agree with his style of parenting/mentoring or not.
To be brutally honest, and he himself realised this, Tony was a mini-dad, and all the bad that brings with it. Often, by Tony's own words, it seemed Tony was trying to realise his own dreams thru Mike. Tony's words, Mike was born to be a champion, thats all he knows, thats all hes been told his whole life, this is what you will be.
Now, Tony knows he went too far. From the pushing Mike, to the confrontations with teams over equipment, to being there 24/7. Both Tony and Mike, by there words, are trying to find a happy middle ground. 2 years ago (09), the one SX race Tony didnt goto, Mike put it on the box. This year in SX, Tony didnt go at first, and Mike struggled. Then Tony goes to a race, and Mike has his best race. They both are realizing it cant be all or none, you have to find a middle.
IMO, from listening to Mike and Tony, Tony just needs to be there for Mike. Not act for Mike, not tell a team whats what, he just needs to be a friend, support - not a driving influence. And Tony is doing that. And Mike, as ANY son does, just wants his dads approval, to know hes done right by his dad, thats all of us "guys" guage stick. (yes, I know some had dad, pos, ect thats the exception not the rule) And now Mike is realising hes done that.
I do not doubt this though, everything Tony has done, in his mind and heart, he was wanting what was best for Mike and Jeff. The reasoning might have been a little circumspect, "I want you to be what I couldnt be, so if you win I win", but show me anyone in life that doesnt relate in those terms.
To me, its encouraging, and I personally am happy for them, that they seem to be building a life time bond thats not all about winning, its about being a father and a son that are friends. Racing is temporary, that lasts a lifetime.
I agree with you that compassion, work ethic, etc... are very important. (Tony lacks in the compassion area, so he wouldn't be able to homeschool his kids in that area!)
What I worry about is their life after racing. Their world will be so small if it is only moto.
Don't forget, they did not choose moto, their father chose it for them. Remember, "in the womb."?
Tony chose moto for those kids, he said so himself. When he talks about Mike riding, he says "we" like he is riding the bike. It's just plain creepy and over the top.
how ever long this is gonna have to be.
Thinking about this I'm gonna be nice (as I can be) we'll see how far that goes...My dad is pretty crazy, infact he may be a little out of his mind. He is pretty much dedicated to racing and what he can do to help me an mike, sometimes he goes a bit far but as the old saying goes 'as you get older you start learning fathers know best' is really starting to show. But that comes with the fact that he has been there 100% of the time Wich means he has the full story and really knows us better on a racing level that anyone could learn in a fast year. he and my mom spent 48 weekends a year with big nats n local races all amateur racing. He watched, learned and figured us out, for atleast 5 years It was gnarley, if I may say looking back maybe a bit too gnarley for kids our age, but to us we knew nothing different n it didn't bother us a bit. We were absolute machines at so young. It wasn't a normal but there were a few kids who did it with there parents pretty hardcore, grant n his dad were gnarley in so cal.
These days it's kinda like we have our own lives, Mikes getting married tomorrow! My dad doesn't exactly have that grip over us like he once use to, for a long time I think the majority of people saying we needed to have a separate life from racing/DAD drove us to wanting that, n it expanded into having alot of head banging with our dad on both me and michaels part. Maybe those people saying those things wernt really doing us any good. Sorry. The biggest supporters of my dad are actually some pretty respected people in this industry. Being involved in a racers life who actually has had a lot of press makes them both subject to being respected or bashed on, when mike hasn't won like he did in amateur racing alot of people bashed my dad, leaving mike with the blame, not cool. There have been mistakes but whatever. When mike made alot of money my dad got paid half as he did when he quit the trash company, he did however spend alot of our money on the track and track equipment and everything it takes to run a very good program from week to week. It all does go back to racing, and it isn't cheap to do it right. this whole year he never got paid, it was his money he saved up for years that bought my 2 yamaha 450s to try and get me to do a few nationals last year, I wasn't focused. It was also his money that got my bikes to what I think was the limit of what I feel we could get for my bike after what our sponsors couldn't help with. I will say my sponsors did everything they could do but my dad knew I needed more n he went out and used his own savings. It was again his money that bought mikes suzukis and paid for all the work to get done, he spent I think a good amount of all his money he ever saved on giving mike a program for right now n possibly whatever can happen in the future. I don't no what more I can say, he really tries and im starting to see that, he even tries with kids that arnt his own, kids that just like to ride n want to pin it with us he has given the chance to come practice on our tracks on those bikes he bought. he's there week in week out taking care of the bullcrap we have no time for. All he asks for is a little focus n he is sound as a pound. when stuff gets out of control he kinda loses his mind but gets things back right quick, anyone will tell u that. So at this point with all this in my brain I can't say hes that bad a guy. Here is a quote from a letter
a fan sent us,
" And to you Tony - you give us such inspiration as parents of a daughter who races motocross. Your entire life is devoted to your two boys, everything you have is for them. We always see your involvement around the track and on tv, but something I witnessed last night truly proved who you are. About 30 minutes before the main you headed to the starting gate with a shovel in hand. And for the next 30 minutes you worked tirelessly on creating the two best possible ruts one could wish to have out the gate. When you finished you leaned the shovel against the fence and wiped the sweat from your face and watched proudly as your boys took their places. It truly amazed me that you put so much work into something that only mattered for a second of the race but that the one second it did matter, was the foundation of their moto. That even in Reno, at LivFast 28, where your sons were almost guaranteed to win, you still took the time to groom their lines... remarkable! "
- things all point to sticking together. This sport is harsh and there's only a few good people in it, sticking it out, where it's not been easy latley. We work threw it n push ourself back to the top. Terry Varner is working hard with mike and keeping the bikes together an things are really not bad at all, we love being tite nit cause alot of people are not real in this sport. You gotta watch your back and when u have someone there watching it 100% of the time for u, don't give that up for nothing.
Pit Row
Also glad to hear that Terry is back on board with you guys.
https://youtu.be/c9JDEWVnl-c
Thank you for the post. Great realistic tribute to your dad and family. Now, we can sit back and see what all the armchair pschologists have to say. Anyway, I am amazed that anyone on here feels they have a right to express an opinion. Of course, everbody is always and expert on other people's lives. We just tend to cause havoc in our own.
dkg
p.s. Pass the wedding congrats on to Mike.
Just teasing yah.....
Jeff cleared up some things, and I understand about family sticking together. They are the people who will stand up for you.
Tony buys the guys bikes (even though one would think that Mike would have enough coin to buy his own), which any father would do who is trying to help his kids out. That is not unusual.
What is freaky, is the way Tony acts in public. His public persona is strange. No one in his right mind can say that it is normal to be more concerned about a championship over your own son's health (when Mike crashed at Hangtown)
He's helped two kids become nationally competetive riders, competetive at any event in the world. How can that be failure in anyones books?
Post a reply to: Mike Alessi's biggest problem is clear