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.
To everybody who says it isn't fair. This is a business, people are buying a product. If a rider is hurt then somebody else fills his place, just like in football,basketball, baseball etc... just like somebody leaving their job as a ups driver, police officer, ceo, cashier. people get replaced all the time. That's just the way it goes. 1st your money and then your clothes!!
God knows it's high time...
The Shop
Free shipping: VITALMX
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Mike Grant
Anyway, I wish Josh the best in his efforts both racing and in his other endeavors.
David Garrett
P.s. when the book is done I look forward to reading it.
To the management at Feld, riders are a necessary evel and if supercross didn't make a dime, they wouldn't think twice about dropping it.
After talking to a few riders about their retiement plans and their insurance needs, I was shocked at how little they knew about any of it and how little they planned. Just there lack of insurance planning alone would shock most guys.
and it looks like Josh has a good wife supporting him..
good luck to all of them, along with all the other riders trying to make it..
Btw, I know all 3 from HOH, briefly worked there while out of comml aviation.
If I see ya at Washougal, I'll introduce myself. :-)
No need for apology, it is all good. There is a good book out by Jos Gibbs it is called Racing to win, everybody needs to get it, its a good read. Thanks for the support !
Mike
Here's the bottom line about more money for riders who are not 'elite'.....they will NEVER make real good money in this sport unless they get personal sponsors with some cash and/or they get some good PR work going ala NASCAR.
This sport is just too damn small as compared to stick and ball sports to bring in REAL money. Hell, baseball teams play 81 home games a season and average teams probably draw 25-30k people a night. That's a lot of cash but some make even more on their TV deals. Then there's millions more in income from merchandising, concessions, etc.
I'm thankful all the time for the great memories I had racing with my son but even more thankful that he's a straight A student and we just ride for fun now.
That being said I still respect the hell out of guys like Chiz, Hahn and Grant for chasing the dream.
I went to school, completed 2 degrees, kept going and received a respected professional designation and, as a result, I do OK for myself financially. I'm +30 years old and recently decided to go back to school and will start my MBA next year. Do I want to? No. Would I rather race on the weekends and otherwise focus on "having a good time". Sure. But I'm doing what I perceive a lot of successful people in life did, making sacrifices in hopes for a better tomorrow. I have a pretty good job but my boss makes double what I do, her boss makes double what she does, and the big boss/owner makes 4x more than her. My point? This is the way the world works. It's not just moto, it's LIFE. You put a lot in and hopefully you get a lot out. All anyone can do is to put themselves in the best situation with the most opportunities to succeed. There are no guarantees though, just like there are no guarantees in auto racing, professional stick and ball sports, the corporate world, or life in general.
It has also been tried and failed. Jim Eickel a mid pack rider tried and failed and was Squashed like a bug and it ended his career. Jeremy McGrath at the height of his career and the best and most popular racer on the planet could not get but a handfull of riders to boycott the Vegas SX over safety when the lights went out, there was more to it than that but the race went on without him. Just this last year riders tried at the Mexico GP and failed. No matter how many riders who say they wont ride there will be more than enough that will take their place on the starting line.
MX/SX riders are NOT like as you say the "Best Workers" they are talent and they want to shine above all the other riders and beat them into submission ,and they know as soon as they are older or slower or hurt that there are lots of other riders who will take their place and kick them to the curb in a heartbeat. If I was Dungey or Reed or Stewart I wouldnt want to have any part of a riders union or riders coalition because it does nothing for them and same goes for any other rider who is fast enough to make a good living racing. It cold cruel reality right now that things are tough in the motorcycle market and racing is the first place that they will cut spending when times are tough, so you are either good enough to get paid to race or you PAY to race and there is not much in between.
It also seems the only people crying for a riders union are not the riders but the people who feel sorry for them. I didnt see Grant or Hahn or Kyle Chisholm bring up a riders union and they are the ones who you all are feeling sorry for.
The man.
what happened to my country, the USA?
Pit Row
Fair pay and fair working conditions are worth fighting for, regardless of profession. Telling someone to change professions if they are unhappy with their working conditions sounds very unamerican to me (yes, I went there). The USA is built upon the premise that if you don't like something, you can change it.
Nothing wrong with underpaid or mistreated riders bitching about it. The ruthless "business is business" attitude is nothing but antiquated BS IMO.
Unfortunately these guy's are dirt bike riders and are participating in an activity. They're independent contractors and aren't entitled to the same benefits as the average Joe working 40 hrs a week. I've been both and there's good and bad to both. It's a big responsibility to get to call your own shots and you can learn the hard way if you're not real good at whatever it is you do and make the right choices and get a little lucky.. I'm now a poker player, do I deserve those benefits...?
I'm all for the sport and would love to see it grow. That's just not going to happen though. Most motocross riders that are trying to become professionals now a days are set up to fail in life.
I would love someone to name one sport that has such a blatant disregard for the athletes education, athletes safety and athletes overall quality of life after there career is over. It's just the nature of the beast, the hay days have come and gone.
"
It's AMAZING to me the excuses I hear in this thread. In won't happen and it can't happen. They said the same thing about the back-flip..
If feld made that much money, you're in utter denial if you think it can't be done!
No, you're right. Let's just give up! Let's let the greedy, continue to be greedy! and continue to pretend it's o.k. and nothIng can be done! Talk about A very limited MENTALITY!
BLINDERS ANYONE!!
With the nonsense I'm reading, we should just kiss this sport good-bye! UNREAL x 2
"It's just the nature of the beast, the hay days have come and gone. "
Thank god I disagree with that! There's more money in this sport THAN EVER! How about, NOT burying our heads in the sand and pretending nothig can be done!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si6nqubE3ME
Enjoyed GeorgiePorgie's comments.
All in all, we need to sell more bikes. This doesn't sound like much today but my friend, a local pro, earned $2k a month salary and got five bikes and all expenses paid (parts, gas card, everything) back in the late 70s. He earned about $1000 a week in purse and contingency, blah, blah, blah. In the end, an easy $50k a year and bought a nice house in a nice neighborhood for $60k. This is a high school student--a local pro--mortgage free. The dealer sold a ton of bikes.
Not sure if it's noise, cost, injury risk or whatever, but motocross seems mainstream yet it's more of a fringe sport than ever.
It is piss poor that there are a lot of super fast guys that cannot make a living from their chosen sport but this is no different from any other sport where kids have to sacrifice everything to reach their goal, at least they had the opportunity to follow their dreams and they were lucky enough to have parents and a support network around them around to assist in that dream being followed. There are far more out there that didn't get that opprtunity for whatever reason, are in a much worse situation, and will never encounter even a small portion of the rewards.
I dont even want to begin adding up how much I spent on my son since he was 7 years old (now 19) A piss pot full of money.
I could have easily bought another house with that money.
Fortunately he decided to take a break a year ago and decided not to race anymore.
I was angry at first and now very relieved.And he maybe got to be and average B rider here in Mexico.
Until the riders don't line up at the gate the payout won't change. That's just business 101 for the promoters.
How many employers pay their employees more than they HAVE TO?
There are all kinds of reasons why the riders 'can't or won't' unite for higher wages but it is THE ONLY WAY they will recieve it from the promoters.
The biggest reason I don't think this will happen is because everyone has the need for immediate gratification these days. People, groups, governments, etc don't have the fortitude to set long term goals, work together and endure the growing pains to make things better for the long run.
Post a reply to: After watching the moto:inside the outoors..