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but from listening to Townleys interviews during the last race, he just said good things about it, technical long deep ruts etc that he personally likes
The venues - I think are what he means need to be changed to a civilized location with normal MX fans
It seems Luongo chose to copy the Formula One plan because he saw the huge success Ecclestone had
and that Ecclestone plan does bring in a lot of success/money
but there is a price, countries like France and now Germany which are possibly the two MAIN countires in the history of the sport, do now not even have events which is sad for the fans
same thing now with gp mx
Ecclestone and Luongo feel the best chance for growth is in that business plan
I think he is making some money at it.
In the USA the business plan - I think - looks different - more fan based.
question - does the company doing Luongo's job in the USA make more profit than Luongo.
because for the sport to strive, the company running the show must make good profit to be motivated to do good job
i heard beasley (American mxdn promoter from few years back) did not make much profit even though fan turnout was very good
i think there is a lot of misunderstanding
i think there needs to be a website that explains everything in plain English so everyone understands how the system works and what the promotors need to do to earn fair profit, explains how Luongo/Ecclestone get their money from the local governments (which I think just simply does not happen in the USA)
I think.....
There was a website doing just that - well, at least showing various dealings of, and between, Luongo / Youthstream and a few of the FIM people - mxgpactiongroup, if I remember correctly. Under the Youthstream system, earning fair profit for entities other than Youthstream, seems to be a very rare thing - hence, the high turn over of some events.
Whether the site founders just gave up, or legal action, or 'other' pressure was brought against them to bring them to give up, I know not.
Oh, also - you, and others - might just want to research the Texas Moto GP track / event, for evidence that yes, in America, governments, do subsidize major sporting events.
Inconsiderate.
Piss on tradition.
Screw THE MXGP's. Let their Holiday in Cambodia bite them in their ass.
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MX GP Action Group
Wheeler then went on to write:
"...Suphan Buri seemed to carry the problems of a new build and the “bedding-in” factor that helps terrain in terms of creating an effective surface for racing. The temperatures meant that dust was a problem and the dry earth surroundings won’t help the circuit win any awards for scenic beauty. There is little doubt that the fourth Thai Grand Prix was another mammoth undertaking for the organisers and for that you only have to applaud their ambition and desire to make the GP happen. In general the reviews were less scathing that those directed at the compact and jumpy course twelve months earlier at Nakhonchaisri..."
So is Wheeler an apologist and in the back pocket of Luongo too?
Well as he often co commentates with Malin on the youthstream produced show I think you can assume that is the case.
On another note did anyone catch Malin talking up the GP tracks and track prep during the moto's Sunday? It was an obvious response to BT's comments...wouldn't surprise me that Luongo had something to do with that...
What bugs me more than Luongo running the sport as a dictator with the FIM in his back pocket, is the fact that he thinks, we the fans, are dumb enough to believe him....now that's insulting!!!
from today
MX GP Action Group
11 hrs ·
The outpouring of support following the comments made by Ben Townley @BT1zero1 has been refreshing. And it's not just fans - from every corner of the world, we note - getting involved to pat Ben on the back via various forums and on social media. Riders - Jake Nicholls #45 for example - are also willing to stand-up and be counted. And then there's the media. Well done to those who reported on the comments made in the Townley and Luongo press conferences. We're talking about you Motocross Action, you MXVice.com, you MotoSport, and anybody else with true journalistic integrity covering the sport we all care so passionately about. For those who were there when it happened, don't wipe the audio from your recorders: instead, retain a digital copy and preserve the factual evidence.
Did Ben bring motocross into disrepute when he voiced his opinion last Saturday? The answer depends on your point of view, and it is easy to get tangled-up in a complicated legal, commercial, political, ethical, moral and philosophical maze. Rather than rushing down this particular path only to get hopelessly lost, we'll just acknowledge that from our perspective Ben's comments were perfectly justifiable. Giuseppe Luongo, to the surprise of nobody, thinks otherwise. And with the ink still drying on their MXGP contract, what must the Indonesians be thinking?
With the rounds in Qatar and Thailand completed, the series visits Valkenswaard and Neuquen next. Two proper circuits, which should result in good racing. But what takes place off-track is equally important. Riders - and teams - should not remain silent on key issues. Rui Goncalves can prove he's not another Youthstream 'yes man' by gathering the views and concerns of competitors and reflecting them honestly and openly to Luongo and the FIM.
Giuseppe Luongo is a complex character. He's passionate about motocross, albeit largely for reasons that differ to our own. He's protective of the business and brand he's building. This is understandable. And when someone touches a nerve, he comes out swinging, as was the case in Thailand. Has he silenced Ben Townley? Only one person knows the answer to this. But New Zealander's are proud, strong-minded people. Their sporting endeavours and achievements, for a relatively small nation, are incredible. Nobody - and we mean NOBODY - can be unimpressed by the Haka when it is performed. The Ka Mate version of the Haka has the following line:
Ā, upane! ka upane!
This translates into 'a step upward, another step upward'. We applaud Ben Townley for being willing to take a step upward and put his head above the parapet, and in doing so demonstrating that he wants motocross to take a step forward as well. We do too, in the form of better tracks and a better deal for riders, teams, sponsors, promoters, broadcasters/media, and fans. Democracy, not dictatorship. Fairness, not impropriety. Politeness, not profanity. Transparency, not opaqueness. It's time to keep calm, and speak out.
We wish Ben, and all the other competitors, a successful season.
See you at the races.
Love of sport. Townley is as Core as Core gets.
In the early 60's, weren't the US tracks shit and devoid of spectators?
Maybe we see a great rider come from one of these places in 5 or 10 years. Who knows...
Moto talent or fans coming from the middle-east might be a refreshing change of pace. Think about it
Pit Row
- We gave you your job, don't complain.
- There is no free speech.
Townley is in a great position this year to be the voice of GP motocross.
now back to Townley...
my opinion: Luongo is who he is, he has pluses and minuses (just like a man like Trump) and when he is threatened he strikes back due to his personality. Personally I think the comments Luongo made were not professional and seemed childish, but it could be just due to the passion Luongo has for his goal to make MX great.
I know many feel he is not making MX great but look what Dorna did..... and he has his vision and remember, he must make great profit to have his motivation high.
Not many years ago Luongo owned the rights to MXGP
Luongo sold it to Dorna
According to mx fans Dorna took MX in the wrong direction and damaged the GPs/MXDN greatly.
Dorma was not successful and wanted to get rid of their bad business investment and looked for a buyer.
Luongo bought it back and make many many improvements and helped bring the MXDN back from the grave.
Maybe it is not an easy job to make a success out of running the Motocross GP's?
Maybe Ecclestone's "success formula" that seems to have been taken over by Luongo is just a formula that worked for Ecclestone and Luongo is following it just to try and make MX a success.
Remember for a company to be successful, it must succeed and deliver the customers a good product.
If Luongo is not a success and does not make good profit for his efforts, he will stop with MXGP
And then what? Is there another "Dorna" waiting to take motocross to the next level,,,and not do all the evil things that Luongo is doing ?
Are the promotors in the USA who promote Motocross successful?
Are they making a good profit?
Is the sport thriving and attracting better venues and bigger crowds ?
Are the AMA riders in the USA who compete in motocross (not SX) making good money? I read all the time how there is no prize money for the GP riders and I understand this and I know they are paid by their teams because the whole system is Formula One based and that is just the way it works so I am not sure it helps to repeat the "There is no prize money in GP's" comments over and over.
Are non American riders attracted to move to the USA to race MX? I always read their interviews how they always had the SX dream ?
years before youthstream and dorna, many mid pack GP riders made a living racing, they got qualifying money, and prize money, they travelled to tracks that wanted GP's, and some weekend 3 different countries has many fans lining the tracks to see GPs in 125, 250, 500, and there was never only 21 bikes on the track,
also when was the last US rider that moved to the GP's turning down a good ride in the states to do so?
You had the bike and stuff to race the national races, the only thing you had to do is travel to Germany, Luxemburg, Belgium ... to race the Gp's.
If you qualified, 500 dollars, if you scored points, few 100 dollars more. With almost no extra costs.
Back in the days you could race almost every week an international race. You got some money to start the race + prizemoney. A lot of European riders could make a living.
When Youstream came around. They have killed the international races and they started asking money to race instead of giving it to the riders.
Maybe too Papa Guiseppe's underling will have a NAZI themed Hooker and Cocaine party on camera...
http://pulpmx.com/stories/scott-motosports-dv-daytona-sx
You raced GP’s for a long time. What did you make of Ben Townley’s criticism of the series and the Loungo ’s response to him?
Ben knew what he was getting into when he signed his Suzuki deal to race the GPs. We know Qatar and Thailand aren't the best of tracks but they aren't that bad really. I'd rather ride on the Thailand track than race Binghamton, New York or Troy, Ohio. I've raced Youthstream promoted series in 1999 and 2009. I think they do a great job organizing the series. It's very professional and clean. Yes, some tracks aren't very good but some are actually fun to ride. Just like any other series. You can't like all the tracks of a championship. MXGP is the reason BT is getting a fat check at the end of the month. If MXGP wasn't there, he would still be retired or ride for nothing like he did at MXDN. Like we say in France, "You shouldn't spit in the soup" when you're getting paid to race for a factory no matter what series you're racing.
Plus, saying that publicly will not do anything but work against you. Throwing Guiseppe Luongo and his crew under the bus isn't the smartest thing you can do. Just keep it to yourself. If you feel like a track isn't good or if it's dangerous, just ride at 80% and still cash your check at the end of the month. There's always another race where you’re gonna enjoy the track more. As far as Luongo's rhetoric, you have to understand where he's coming from. There's no point getting in a feud with him. Luongo was there before Townley and will be there after Townley. It's just like if a rider would bash on Feld at a SX race. There's no point. You knew what you were getting into when you signed up for the series. If you don't like it, just don't sign up...
Luongo is the ruler and you conform or you go away. Everts learned the hard way when He organized his boycott and nearly got banned for life.
Facts are: no one said something positive abouth the Thai and Qatar Gp. They are all glad it's over.
And when youthstream tells in the PR's that 25 000 people visited the Thai Gp ... you know they are a bunch of Liars.
http://www.mxvice.com/features/interviews/catching-shaun-simpson-3/
Shaun Simpson: Yeah, I would say so. Don’t get me wrong; I think that, as a facility, there has to be better places than this to go to. My personal opinion is that Si Racha, the track that we went to two years ago, was a great facility. There was elevation and places for the crowd to actually watch, which created a bit of an atmosphere. There was a festival going on here, which seemed to be the main attraction for the locals rather than the racing. The whole vibe about the place was a bit better, because that was here, but if it wasn’t who knows what it would have been like.
It is still a dustbowl and the mechanics are still working out of an easy-up. I would like to say that I’m with Ben on some of the comments that he said. It is just unfortunate these days that it doesn’t matter who speaks up or how they do it, it is sort of frowned upon. That is a shame really, because they are listening to us on one side with the track prep, but on the other side they don’t take negative comments well.
The comment that Giuseppe said back to Ben was that he doesn’t say bad comments about the riders and he didn’t choose his timing right. Well, when is the right time to say it? Someone has to have the balls to step up. It is just a shame that a lot of people are just happy to go along with it. It has opened a big can of worms this weekend and we’ll see how things go.
The effort put in by the local promoters deserves respect. When Ben Townley put the event down I really felt for them. Guy’s like Kraitos Wongsawan who was the reason Thailand has been on the MXGP calendar the last four years, was excited for this year’s event. A lot of activity was circled around the GP, and it worked well.
The event went off without too much of a problem, and despite the 40 degree temperatures the circuit was really good. Moto one in the MXGP class was one for the ages.
Some like Antonio Cairoli and Tommy Searle made the effort to enjoy the experience, some just complained and didn’t get the whole Thailand thing, and I get that as well, it isn’t for everyone.
I asked Kraitos if we will be back in 2017, and he mentioned we will, he said it with a big smile. With Indonesia also on the schedule, and possibly Australia, the GP riders will get to once again enjoy parts of the world they might never have seen in their lives had they not been MX riders. We should all be thankful for these trips, because they only make us better people
Post a reply to: Ben Townley speaking the truth about Qatar and Thailand tracks.