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I went back and looked up some articles about the 2009 Unadilla race to refresh my memory.
KDub was fast in practice Qualifying 3rd fastest. But practice and racing are completely different.
But getting a good start at what he claimed was 200lbs didn't happen. Another issue for KDub in the second moto is he (and teammate Metcalfe) missed the check in at the gate and got docked to the 39th and 40th gate picks, making his second moto race even harder. But I don't think he was race ready. The next week he raced the 450 at Budds Creek and went 22/DNS.
I dont know why I'm making excuses for KDub in a for fun race 7 years ago.
I know in my personal experience, riding a 250F on a flat supercross style track is way different than riding an outdoor track with hills. A SX track is about timing and low end power, although a couple of the bigger "quads" and triples out of corners are tougher for bigger guys, they can normally man handle the bike better in the whoops to make up the lost time. And when you're racing with other riders you can't sweep wide lines and keep your momentum up when guys are chopping you left and right, so you can set a lap time if you have a clear track, but when start battling you go backwards. A stop and go race on a 250F for a big guy is not a winning formula.
[+] Cairoli was 3rd in MX2 in 2004, won the title in 2005, was 2nd in 2006, won a 2nd title in 2007 and was still in MX2 in 2008 (but got injured), before moving up.
[+] Alessio Chiodi basically had a career of just 125cc up till 2006, winning 3 titles, twice runner up and once 3rd overall.
[+]Stefan Everts had won 2 titles in the premier class (250cc) and moved out of it to go to 500cc for 2 years in the early 00s, and came back in the premier class (mxgp by then) and won a bunch of titles in that class before retiring.
[+] Masschio debuted in 125cc in the mid 90's, raced 250cc for a few years in which he won races but still moved back to 125cc and won the title in 2002. And never moved back up again.
[+] Georges Jobe had won 2 250cc titles, had won the world title in 500cc in '87 (then the premier class) and moved to 125cc in 1988. And basically was awfull in it.
Etc. etc.
Don't get me wrong, I want to see Herling asap in MXGP because this is just boring. But for GP's it is not uncommon to win for mutiple years in the class that is not considered the ''premier'' class and not move ''up''.
Some guys go that route for whatever reason, other guys (like JMB, Roczen, Albertyn) quickly move to the US, and others make a career in the premier class (Desalle, Thorpe, etc.)
“This one was one of the easy ones to be honest. I had some tough ones against Roczen, for example, and definitely the first one was a tough one with Musquin and Roczen together in my rookie year. The last two or three years have been pretty solid for me and pretty easy, so I hope to keep it that way.”
Just to throw a spanner in the works
In those days no one got forced to move up. There were no age limit or two titles and you get forced to move up (Since removed purely for Herlings) rules. Smaller sized or simply specialists could ride any class they wanted for their whole careers. Plus "Enough" of the worlds best rode each class so they had competition.
That's not the case now so posting it in defense of Herlings means nothing.
Exactly
All I keep hearing is how guys in the US only do 3 years or so in the 250 class then they move up. They don't turn pro until they're 18! 3 or 4 years and they are the right age for a 450. Herlings would be in his 3rd year as a pro if he was American. People in America are losing their shit over Forkner and he hasn't even turned a wheel as a pro yet. Roczen, Pourcel and Herlings were all world champs at his age, Herlings a two time champion. A rider can spend 7 years riding MX2 GP's and still only just be into his 20's, in the US if you spend that long in the 250's you're 25. Why is moving onto a 450 such a big deal that you want riders to move up before they're even 20? It's a joke. Its absolutely fine for a rider to win an Arenacross at Professional level, then drop back down to Amateurs and win 2 more titles. But a rider who turned pro at the earliest possible opportunity and has gone on to win 50GP's and 2 world titles, and would be in the MXGP class anyway if it wasn't for injuries, gets ridiculed on a weekly basis for sandbagging. What a brilliant time to be alive
Pit Row
Let me first say that i hate that age limit rule. But if you make a rule, you should enforce it. Herlings should've moved up after 2013. He won 2 titles in MX2 and if the rules say that a guy who wins 2 titles in MX2 must move up to MXGP, then that guy should move up. It doesn't matter if he is 18, 19 or 23 for all i care. He won 2 titles so he showed that he is fast/good enough.
If you start changing the rules for 1 rider, you should change them for everyone. Herlings was allowed to stay in MX2 because he was to young (strange.. he won 2 titles in MX2 so he was good enough i think), but now he has no competition at all just because some riders who are not ready to move up to MXGP must because they turn 23. That makes no sense at all. Look at Guillod... he showed some nice skills last year in MX2. It's sad to see him struggling on that 450 bike. He just is not ready for that. So why did they change the rules for Herlings and not for Guillod ?
If only Luongo could see that his rule sucks. It's one of the most stupid rules i have ever seen in motorcross. If that stupid rule was not in the rulebook Herlings would also still ride MX2, and he probably would win it as well. But maybe, just maybe, there would be a bit more competition for him.
Without an age rule Herlings is still in MX2, and with an age rule Herlings would also be in MX2. And in both cases he would be winning.
The real tragedy of the age rule is that good riders like a Dean Ferris end up without a ride.
Ageing out rules should only ever apply to junior / amateur racing - it's BS of the highest order at the Professional, World Championships level
The two most heinous rules in MX / Motorcycling are ageing out, And, of course, capacity advantages for 4ts - giving us handicap racing classes.
Herlings comes across as a bit of a twat to me - but, most high level, successful sports people come across that way - ego, and the size of it, is the common thread there.
He wanted to set a record of 4 250 championships in a row (well, I took it as that), to be one above the riders that got 3 (not necessarily in a row) - fair enough.
But, he's learned of the 'hardness' of achieving that, with multiple injuries in the last 2 seasons. Shit Happens. Those injuries might just have woken him (and his handlers) up to it not being guaranteed to set every GP record for wins - though, he still may do it. He may also, hurt himself enough tomorrow to never ride again - we all take that risk each time we ride.
He is undoubtedly one of the fastest riders there has ever been in MX - seeing him in person racing, quite a few times, I've found his speed bloody frightening - the only other that I've felt to be faster was Cairoli when he did his near patented 'flick the switch and eat them alive" move towards the end of a moto. Antonio is getting older now, and has competed at the highest level for a long time, so I'm not sure we'll see much of that anymore - I hope I'm wrong, though.. But, all careers reach an ending
You blokes getting all bitter and twisted about Herlings really need to get a meaningful life of your own. I hold several riders high above him in my own personal rankings, but really, who gives a fuck. I'd be surprised if he weren't the highest paid rider in the World, ( of course, that will upset a few, who think the only money to be made is in their back yard ) and part of that contract is doing what his employer requires of him
One other thing - it really gives me a chuckle to see Mookie referred to as being 'big' - he might just be shoulder high to Herlings - by comparison, he's a munchkin. I turned around at an event a year or two ago and there was Mook, and he barely was above my shoulder. Herlings is a monster in size, by comparison - that KTM of his has a whole lot of 'kid' to haul around.
Would the racing in MX1 be better if Herlings was in this class? HELL YES!
While I’m at it:
Why can’t 250 2 strokes race in the MX2 class?
And i agree, if he moves up to the MXGP class he will probably destroy everybody as well. He is the fastest rider in Europe at the moment. That said, you simpley have to agree that he does not belong in the MX2 class anymore. Especially when you see that his strongest competition allready has moved up to MXGP or was forced to move up to MXGP class. Febvre indeed being one of them.
And that is why i think that his 50 GP victorys don't mean so much. It's a record that doesn't say much. It is incredible that he won 50 GP's at the age of 21, but for him it was easier compared to riders in the old days because back then riders could choose in which category they wanted to compete. The 125cc world championship back in the day was more important compared to the MX2 title in these days.
Post a reply to: Herlings wins 50th Grand Prix!