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Supercross is the most prestigious series in dirt bike racing and they are screwing it up.
So if SX is adapting this "playoff/chase" type deal at the end of the season, is it only going to be the top few guys? No privateers/local hero's involved?
Is this the final nail in the coffin for the grass roots connections to this sport? No non-factory or non-factory support team guy will ever make the chase. Will make for great racing and de-clutter the tracks with lappers and people rolling stuff and in the way late in the mains but I do worry about the sport no longer being accessible to the regular guy.
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It worked the first couple of years. Their downfall was how strong they try and market an individual driver to the fans. You favorite driver doesn't make it? Well then who cares. He can't win it, so I'm not excited anymore. Interest started to wain because they realized everyone out of the top 10 had fans also. Add more people to drum up interest and give fans of other drivers hope. Wains again? More drivers = more fans keeping interest! It's an inherently flawed system with the only outcome being... keep adding people. If it was such a tremendous idea they would still exclude everyone outside of the top 10. They don't because they're losing butts in seats and viewership ratings on TV until they make changes to include more people. Basic psychology really. You keep interest only as long as you have hope. When hope disappears, you quit caring.
I bet almost every person in this board dreamed of having land, a private track and a killer shop when they were young. The hope was strong. But at some point reality set in and most of us realized that's not fiscally possible and the hope faded. Some made it a reality (fans with drivers in the top 10 as a comparison) but everyone else moves on. The difference between that dream and racing? Racing starts over again in a few months. Hope can be renewed.
We are unique as the racers do face each other throughout the season every night. NASCAR racers face each other at basically every event. The PGA Tour created their version of "playoffs" with the FedEx Cup, and they also face each other at basically every event.
If we step out of the paradigm that "playoffs" can only be in sports where they never face each other every week, and see that "playoffs" can give our sport a shot of excitement at the end of a series. You see incredible things happen in playoffs where the favorite doesn't win because another guy got hot at the right time. Two years ago in the FedEx Cup, Rory McIlroy won two prior majors in golf and was the favorite for the title, but Billy Horschel got hot at the right time and claimed the cup and $10M prize money.
You and many others can see it as a gimmick, I see it as a way to progress the series. Many others have said AX was exciting as hell, NASCAR has been exciting as hell, why not try it out and see if it creates new energy to our sport. We can always go back if it fails.
that way you still have a full gate. still have a points requirement to qualify for it.
This doesn't draw new fans, it just creates a divide between the one's who are already here. No one is rushing to their nearest AX for the first time because they heard through the grapevine about suitcases or the chase format.
I have had this type of shit before, qualifying only counting for the first race.. all sucks
In nascar and golf it's an elimination format. Top 30 in golf and top 11 in nascar I think.
Does that mean the last 6-8 races will have top ten rider only gates?
Pit Row
Old article that is interesting to read.
The only way I see it working is to limit the remaining riders (not in the chase) ability to interfeer with the chase riders in the first corner. Have a starting gate for the main that has the riders in the chase infront of the other riders. This is not a nascar race that gives a driver 500 miles to make up for a bad start caused by non chase riders we are talking about a 17 minute race.
I think they should add more incentives to the preliminary races, more of a payout throughout the field, allow 250 two strokes in the lites class and get rid of the east coast/west coast thing.
If they do go the chase route, will the 250's follow the format too or will they stick with the normal east/west championship? Also, I'd love it if someone on the podium said in an interview "Well third is like a win I guess since they're going to take my points from me in a couple races."
what is the point of multiple rounds (outside of selling multiple shows) if the title only means anything when you hit the last few rounds.
ALSO HAS ANYONE THOUGHT OF THE EFFECTS ITLL HAVE ON THE NATIONALS?
This could potentially hurt the nationals too. with everyone vying for a sx title by the end no one will be making any prep for outdoors and for a lot of riders it can really affect them which could lead to more injuries in outdoors. people forget SX is only Half of their season and riders only have a solid 2 weeks to prep, where as they get roughly 3 months or more if you race only east coast to prep.
this will sound crazy but at least the GP's havent tried this crap yet. and to a point i like their 17 round outdoor seires better than out nationals. i also like how theyre spread which allow time to heal. Heck herlings had enough time to recover from a broken leg and still almost win the title.
Perhaps a better solution would be to have a grand national series with a mix of SX(8) and MX(12). for selling tickets this would drive up demand as there are less "shows" it would also give time for guys who've been hurt.
For me i dont have the cash to go to both Oakland and Hangtown in a year, and Ive always gone to Hangtown.
The chase is more about being able to sell excitement to sponsors not jacking the riders out of a championship.
Also make the 250s a 30 man gate and do away with the east west, have them run the same amount of races, with a chase format also.
Also make it 20 minutes plus 2 laps
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