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I live and breath dirtbikes but it's hard to be excited about something when you can't follow it closely. When I was a kid I bought all the magazines and followed it that way but I find now after having the races live for a few years, I just can't get into it by reading the results on racer x the next day.
The first 10 or however many races will be boring. Why race hard when you are easily in the top 10?
Want to do something different? Make two 10 lap main events for the 450's.
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On a serious note, I think the SX season is a little too long. I'm intrigued by the idea of breaking the 450's up into East/West series, like the 250's. Maybe allow riders who are injured/DNF in the first round of the West to switch coasts?
I'm all for cash or maybe an extra point for heat race wins.
Well who's to say a rider knows they are going to make the "Chase" and decide to sit out a round just so they can be healthy going into it.
Is that Fair?
What about this just to stay healthy so they can make the "Chase" the ride well enough to be in the top 10 but hold back because they want to be healthy for the "Chase"
Is that Fair?
To many loop holes to where riders can milk it during the season so they can be healthy for the "Chase"
Then the following season they can all take turns wearing the #1 plate at their respective championship locations.
That way more guys can feel like champions.
Maybe the guy who won the most championships during the year can wear a special #1 plate for all the next years rounds but that may hurt the feelings of some other people so maybe not.
If someone continues to ride hurt just to make it in to the chase, they will never get a break to heal fully and thus never make a legitimate run at the title once the chase starts. They won't be at 100%.
On the flip side, if a rider decides to sit out a race or two before the chase starts to heal up from a nagging injury that means you're alienating your fans who may be turning up to see that person ride. Will it become "It's not worth paying money and spending my time to go to the 2 races before the chase starts because this is when guys are notorious for "healing up" and not showing up." TV is to easy of an alternative at that point. Save time and money for a sup par show.
First 10 rounds are going to be good racing, especially the last 5 rounds before the chase starts when 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th place riders are trying to make it to the top 10 and the chase for the championship.
There's also going to be a good battle for the top 5 riders. When the points reset (ex. 1st-25pts, 2nd-20pts, 3rd-20pts. 4th-18pts, 5th-16pts..and so on) going onto the first race of 7 race chase format.
..or fans can pay for flights, hotel rooms and Vegas SX tickets to see guys ride around the track when the champ was crowned two rounds ago instead of racing for the championship.
Bottom Line..The Best Rider Will Always Win! Always! The point for this chase format is not to punish the top rider, it's to closing the points gap to make it exciting race til the checkers at Las Vegas. I would love to see Dungey win the championship by 5 points than 80 points.
And Newsflash! No one gives a sh%t about watching 9-12th on tv for a chance at the title. I hate when they show mid pack racers not changing positions or charging for positions. They're just riding around and not "going for it".
They're in 9-12th for a reason...they aren't going to win a title. 80% of these races end up with the leader lapping up to 10th anyways, why should we care about them getting into "the chase"?
Personally as much as I dislike change I have to admit that last season's 450 championship lost my interest towards the end since RD had it in the bag. Still I don't really have a dog in this race so don't have an opinion except:
GIVE US TIMED MAINS WILL YA? Come on even the fans that don't have a clue can handle some venues having 19 laps and others will have 23 laps in the 450 class and similar variation in the 250 class. It's not rocket science and with the Nationals and MXGP being examples TV production crews are capable of producing timed events as well as laps.
What's so complicated about 20 minute 450 mains and 15 minute 250 mains at ALL seventeen rounds. Come on Feld. Deliver the same about of product at every venue please.
"And Newsflash! No one gives a sh%t about watching 9-12th on tv"
When I meant 9-12th, I meant 9-12th in the points standings, not during the race. (Top 10 riders in the points standings after round 10 makes it into the "Chase") Let's take this SX season for example. After 7 rounds, Trey Canard is in 11th in points, 16 points behind 10th who is Jake Weimer. How cool would it be seeing Trey and Jake battle for a Chase spot until the 10th round?
"They're in 9-12th for a reason...they aren't going to win a title." ***Not sure if you meant 9-12th in the race or in points**
Sure, Trey Canard (11th in points) may not win the title, but he could at least make a good battle for the championship during the chase races.
Like I said before, the best rider will always win the title. So this Chase format will not hurt anyone
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I have no clue how the chase format works, but it kind of sounds like it would take away a lot of the oomph of the first round(s), not to mention make any win early on more or less meaningless. :/ But for what it's worth, I am actually glad they are willing to try something different.
One plus from it IMO, is that it gives teams and riders more time to find that perfect bike setup through the early rounds. As a result there would be a lot less pressure on the early weeks leading to A1 - hopefully then there would be less practice/testing injuries before the season starts.
Last I checked no one in football gets a free win when their quarterback is out with injury.
I didn't know that... now a I am super upset!!
first is the normal points awarding. but its just simple 20=1st, 19 2nd, etc
second is a knockout system. a rider must finish within a cut to be eligible. rds 1-4 a rider must finish within top 20 each week.
rounds 5-8 must finish every race within top 15
rds 9-12 top 10
rds 12-14 top 5
rds 15-17 top 3
a secondary points system tracks those within the "knock out" series
and if you really want to get cutthroat, if at any time a rider fails to make a cut he is dropped. a rider must make the "cut" every round or he is dropped from the chase
its stupid. its all stupid
think about this. We reset the championship after a set amount of races to keep interest and intrigue going.
now apply this in a more acute scene like the day of the event.
In the main event, there are 20 laps. after 10 laps there is an automatic restart. Like an automatic red flag restart meaning who ever was in front and had a holeshot, means nothing.
This is the equivilant of what appears to be the proposed chase system. Is this really fair to the riders? is this fair to the fans?
Here is my honest take on what i think would be a good change.
Dont change how the title is determined. its always the points of the guy who was there every weekend and had the best finishes
instead change the nights format.
1 Change the qualifying to a knockout system, This way top guys are out there every race in stead of dissapearing to their rigs till the mains. and these races are in the morning.
2 the main events. Hold 2-3 motos instead with points being handed out by overall not per moto.
3 create a 250 national series. keep the east west but now its a 125 two stroke class much like how the Monster cup has the super minis
Dont forget that they are still getting huge bonuses for 1st/2nd/3rd/etc so the racing will still be good and no one is gonna "sit out" races. If they made race winnings even bigger, it would help the new format even more.
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