PingrPingree on Feld - "teams are being bled from every angle"

Lone Wolf wrote:

I saw [url=http://www.racerxonline.com/2013/02/01/ask-ping]this[/url] in [i]Ask Ping[/i] and thought it should be added to this thread. [i][b]Dear Ping, Saw where you almost made Vital melt down this...

I saw this in Ask Ping and thought it should be added to this thread.

Dear Ping,
Saw where you almost made Vital melt down this week. Do you think Feld is really taking advantage of riders and teams or is it just a typical overreaction by fans of the sport?


Dear Charles,
In my quote I said that teams are “Being bled from every angle.” That was in reference to a team like MotoConcepts who have to buy bikes, buy their hauler, buy parts, hire staff, hire riders, get bonus insurance for their riders, pay entry fees, buy credentials, pay for travel, expenses, etc. It is crazy how much it costs to run a team.

Somebody took a comment I made on the Pulpmx Show and twisted it just enough to make it sound like I was taking a dig at Feld Entertainment. The truth is the guys at Feld, specifically Dave Prater, Todd Jendro and Michael Prince have always been incredibly receptive to input from riders, managers and team owners. Anybody in this industry will tell you the same thing. On the show we were having a discussion with Mike Genova about the struggles of running a race team. In his case he is paying for the vast majority of his effort out of his own pocket and he gets frustrated when his guys don’t get the credit they deserve on the television broadcast. He cited the Oakland round as an example where Mike finished well but was barely mentioned by the TV crew. Maybe he has a point but that frustration should be directed at the television staff, not those in charge of operations. While there are certainly things that could be better you have to tip your cap to the folks at Feld for where they’ve taken Supercross. The difference in the product from now to back in 1993 when I got started is incredible. From the medical support to the television coverage to the overall professionalism of the show it’s improved leaps and bounds. And that is all due to their hard work. This isn’t a butt-kissing session, just the truth.

dcg141 wrote:

The biggest deal for me are the fee's they charge the teams. Maybe thats the way it works in all of professional racing. Possibly its a...

The biggest deal for me are the fee's they charge the teams. Maybe thats the way it works in all of professional racing. Possibly its a way of keeping the riff raff out. I was suprised how high the fee's are. I still am not a fan of homoligation. It keeps smaller mfgs out of racing.

SuperMario wrote:

[b]That was in reference to a team like MotoConcepts who have to buy bikes, buy their hauler, buy parts, hire staff, hire riders, get bonus insurance...

That was in reference to a team like MotoConcepts who have to buy bikes, buy their hauler, buy parts, hire staff, hire riders, get bonus insurance for their riders, pay entry fees, buy credentials, pay for travel, expenses, etc. It is crazy how much it costs to run a team.

Does this guy think that in other forms of racing like say sportscars or Indycars that teams just get all this free? I have seen what teams and sanctioning bodies do in other sports to save money, and trust me, a prototype sportscar costs a hell of alot more then some MX bike to operate.

I know of a fellow from a southern US state that takes his kids to Monster Jam and to the SX when it comes to his town, but I highly doubt that his kids will be getting bikes and going riding or racing in the future. It is just entertainment for a father and two boys. Its just like when he takes them to see an NBA or NFL game. I bet thats a large portion of an SX crowd. It is no longer a race but it is racertainment.