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Other thing in the 90's in WI was there was one track having a race each weekend. Now there are 2 tracks having races same weekend so cutting you potential riders in half...
I realize promoters need to make as much as they can but maybe offer 2nd entry 1/2 price? With less entries should be able to get thru the day faster, offer more laps? Do something different to bring people in.
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Then you have the other small local series and then GNCC's, FullGas, National Enduro races that roll through the area. Then there is rumor that one of the new facilities in the area has a goal of running a few JDay/GP style races possibly starting as early as this fall. I had it all on the calendar for a while looking at this year and from Feb 1 thru the second week in November, there were only a handful of open weekends and just as many that were scheduled on top of one another. I'm all for more options but I would rather see promoters work together to get better numbers on the gate than more series.
1. Cost. Too expensive for bikes and gear (I dress for the crash not the ride), cost of fuel (truck & bikes), cost of missed work due to injury. Sure there's more but let's keep it simple.
2. Time. Sick of driving all over the damn place. Sick of sitting around all day (or night) for my motos, my family won't even come watch because of it. Recovery time from injury at 41 is several months now, not weeks.
3. Risk. I didn't listen when I was younger about it all catching up to you. Well, I'm caught up. I've kissed the ground a few times, as we all have, and the tracks now are too gnarly for my risk taking levels. Progression of the bikes isn't necessarily progressing the sport.
My son asked a few years ago to race because it's in our blood. I told him no, I love him too much to even concider throwing him out there knowing he's going to get hurt and feel like me when he's older. Broke my heart because I love moto and have since I was a little boy. I didn't start riding until my mid 20's because my parents said no way. I know why now.
I love this sport and will until I die, but my family will not insure that it grows by only watching it. It needs to grow through participation and that bring forth the million dollar question. How?
I'm a longtime promoter and racer. Having to sit around all day is a bitch. But it's a catch 22 for the tracks.
Riders demand all the classes, and you need them for the guys to ride multiple classes. You can only combine them so much.
We can usually get it down to about 15 to 17 motos at best. And that's with a lot of stagger starts.
As much as I love the sport it pains me to see this. But offroad racing is booming here in the midwest. A lot of ex moto guys are doing it. They like getting there, racing at a certain time and going home. And it's less risky for the most part.
But that said, the rider turnouts seem to be bigger this year in our area.
I love racing moto, but do hate waking up at 5am to drive to the track, and then sit around for 8 hours for 4 motos + a 3 lap practice, so I can see why people choose to just practice. Some of these series will have nearly 30 classes!
I agree there has to be a better way to run the events, something like running C/D and 50/65s in the AM, then running A/B and 85s/supermini in the PM.
When I was younger, most local tracks ran split programs, and I remember wishing I was a Vet, so I could ride the morning program on the fresh track. Then, when I was old enough to run vet, no split, straight programs everywhere. I can't stand sitting around all day. I can't stand racing with 3 other classes at the same time. And to run two classes, it's double what most local tracks charge for a practice day.
I haven't raced in a while, and there's times when I would like to do a one off thing at RedBud or something, but to just do one or two races a year, ama card, district card.. It all adds up.
I'm perfectly happy running prepped practice at all the local tracks. They're usually broke into AB, C, and minis every 20 min.
IMO, the relativity new phenomenon of mass practice days has hurt local racing more than any other one thing in particular. There was a time where you went to the races if you wanted to ride and turnouts were good and healthy. The costs were proportional to today (or close enough) and people welcomed more of an all day affair. They had been waiting to race in anticipation. Also, people showed up with their bike in the back of a truck and got after no frills racing. Which leads me to my other point. Now, people think they have to have a ton of extraneous stuff to participate. They get what they want, but to the demise of the health of grass roots racing.
1. Cost is a factor but not as big of a factor as you might think. People will spend the money if there is value.
2. Goals. Riders today are shoveled this load of stuff saying they can't be "anyone" unless they are a "national" dude. So they only think that is what it's all about.. 30 years ago or so, riders raced week in and week out and were satisfied with being a state or regional type champion. Today it's not good enough. Social media and how tracks actually act are the major part of that. Everyone seems to focus on the wrong process and then wonders why it doesn't work.
3. Risk - Reward. Lets not even talk about 120' plus jumps that 85cc kids are trying to do, lets just look at the risk reward when you actually "make" a top pro event. Not the select few, but the guys that bust their ass to have their name on the the scroll board and not make it. How is that even close to worth it? Travel all over the country and make a main for what? and how badly they want it means they will risk it all for that. Today's kids are smarter then that, and well many won't work that hard. Not to mention if they do work that hard to earn it there really isn't much there when you get there. The value in racing doesn't meet the expense even at that level. Go big or go home. Well many simply try other things or just stay home.
3a. Injuries today are much more severe then they were back in the day. More numerous as well.
4. Riders head for the woods because you can show up at a race, ride for 1.5-2 hours and go home. It's not the same kind of racing, but it also relates to "risk - reward" as a simple comparison to injury statistics you would likely see the difference in severity and frequency.
5. Cost of race bikes and repair costs after the fact is an issue but the damage was done 10 years ago. today's four strokes are pretty solid machines, but they began in the worst time ever, by not being good and breaking down all the time when people were struggling to begin with as the economy made it a perfect storm. We lost 50% of our ridership in this time frame do to that happening. and no one seems to realize it. Our sport is based on past rider's kids coming up and doing the sport. We made the hill to high and steep to climb for them. What kid can work like I did washing cars and doing oil changes at the dealership, buy a truck, buy a bike, and pay all the costs with both and then go racing today? We wonder why our sport is shrinking. Entry level with no parent's help is virtually impossible.
6. Today's machine at the local level you can plug in your phone, tweak it, you can hit a button and control wheel spin, I asked a dad the other day when do we get to just sitting on the couch, and running the bike from there. The bikes for the average rider are to developed, to fast to ride easy. This adds to injuries.
Look around you at the next motocross event you go to. You will see a few (very few) old riders 45-60 year olds racing, most will be limping, and most will be riding older bikes they have had for a while. then look at the kids. dad walks them to the gate, has their goggles on their hat, pats down the starting line, makes sure the bikes are pristine and clean, the kids got the latest in gear, graphics, and comes in a decked out sprinter or hauler. If 30% of that money would be put into gas and oil and ride time kids would be much better riders, less injuries, and be able to handle the over aggressive "amateur" tracks of today. I am an old two stroke dude, my kids ride smokers and that won't change. Our newest bikes are 2007. They ride a lot and race a lot. We don't chase the "dream" and we don't stick to one type of racing. In the last few years we have raced mx, sx, hs, gp, end, ex, and trials. It's funny when you let the "kids" decide what to do it's like alphabet soup. But they like to ride and do well at most all of it.
Our beloved sport of MX needs a face lift, needs a new direction locally. Our sport needs to focus on the riders and less on the glitter and bright lights. Take care of the little things, the big boys have their stuff covered.
Practice is fine, but last i remember one used to practice to be a better racer.
Just an ole mx'ers' opinion.
Pit Row
Over population is killing the sport. Stop making babies people.
Back in the day when 125s were a dime a dozen I was one of many kids who bought 1 or 2 cheap used bikes, and then went and got a new one. All without mom and dad's money. I never had an 80 since I had to be old enough work odd jobs to buy a bike and I was a tall kid.
I think it could happen with a pro 125 class giving a reason for all the manufacturers to get back in it. It will never be what it was.
mx track with safe options or jump it option. not killer woods or mx slash sx track lol. safe fun seat time for the masses will bring the masses.
Another thing is everyone is looking at only Loretta's and will just ride qualifiers and at Loretta's. The rest of the time they are riding at some training camp or practicing for the next qualifier. I heard a higher up AMA official say about LL's that "We have created a monster". As Wardy said above no one cares about the local series as much any more because they are all trying for that LL ticket. I was caught up in it myself and have a large bib collection from there, but now ride local and make it fun.
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