Media Blackout

DC wrote:

Blackdiamond, I don't think anyone is trying to make money off the 125 All Star exhibition races, we just tried to carve out a place in...

Blackdiamond, I don't think anyone is trying to make money off the 125 All Star exhibition races, we just tried to carve out a place in the schedule for a chance for each promoter to host some local fast kids and maybe some ex-pros to do 4 or 5-lap races on 125s as some intermission entertainment and to also test the waters of what the demand is in order to maybe move forward with more... Hangtown was a very cool deal when Villopoto showed up and participated and Washougal will be a very big deal when he comes back. Last year there were five of these type of races, and this time there are a few more.

The problem for TV is that intermission serves as the one and only break for a vast crew that do not have the same passion for 125 two-strokes--or even motocross--as they are, for the most part, professional TV production people for any and all sports. They are there to cover the 250 and 450 National classes, not the intermission. We tried everything from moving the starting times to 1:30 but that doesn't work for the networks. We considered a 10 a.m. race but that's not fair to the fans who are actually attending the nationals. We thought about late-Friday afternoons but the TV truck and cameras would not be ready. And we considered just paying that crew of about 60 overtime wages and delivering lunch to everyone but that wasn't realistic either. It's the exact same problem TV had with covering the WMX, the Legends race at Ironmen, the OG 125 Dream Race at Washougal and more.

So we hoped that Vital MX and MXA and TWMX and Racer X and more would be able to get enough material to help give the guys participating in each race some decent publicity and the fans who were interested some decent coverage.

Each promoter was to do their own 125 race, and Hangtown was a bit of a mess with sign-up and scoring. The Dirt Diggers were much more focused on the national, and with good reason--it was their 50th Hangtown and they had a lot going on. Some riders didn't actually sign-up, which made scoring (and announcing) difficult. The race also started when most of the MX media guys were on their own breaks in the media tent, uploading morning practice photos, eating, whatever; I know one of the Racer X guys missed the start because he thought they were going to do a sighting lap first.

Later, we didn't realize what a problem getting results out for the whole field would be until the race was over and there wasn't a complete list of names and numbers. Glen Helen had theirs under control, and it was much better at Thunder Valley. Next week is High Point and we will have it dialed.

So yes, to your point, the series needs to do a better job in general in organizing and getting the word out, but please remember that it's the Lucas Oil 250/450 Pro Motocross Championship that is our primary focus this summer, and hopefully these 125 All Star races will grow and find more traction (and organization) in the near future.

The T-shirt is not meant to be condescending to the two-stroke crowd (of which I consider myself a part), but to the conspiracy theorists out there that jump to conclusions and post things like, well, go back and read some of your own posts (and there are many) and maybe you will see the point, just as we see your point that it needs more organization and follow-thru. There's just a lot of chainsaws to juggle at some of these very big races and adding 125cc ones to the whole production takes some time to find the right place in the lineup.

p.s. I don't know of anyone failing an official drug-test either.

p.s.s What size shirt do you wear?

DC
Racer X

DC wrote:

Blackdiamond, I don't think anyone is trying to make money off the 125 All Star exhibition races, we just tried to carve out a place in...

Blackdiamond, I don't think anyone is trying to make money off the 125 All Star exhibition races, we just tried to carve out a place in the schedule for a chance for each promoter to host some local fast kids and maybe some ex-pros to do 4 or 5-lap races on 125s as some intermission entertainment and to also test the waters of what the demand is in order to maybe move forward with more... Hangtown was a very cool deal when Villopoto showed up and participated and Washougal will be a very big deal when he comes back. Last year there were five of these type of races, and this time there are a few more.

The problem for TV is that intermission serves as the one and only break for a vast crew that do not have the same passion for 125 two-strokes--or even motocross--as they are, for the most part, professional TV production people for any and all sports. They are there to cover the 250 and 450 National classes, not the intermission. We tried everything from moving the starting times to 1:30 but that doesn't work for the networks. We considered a 10 a.m. race but that's not fair to the fans who are actually attending the nationals. We thought about late-Friday afternoons but the TV truck and cameras would not be ready. And we considered just paying that crew of about 60 overtime wages and delivering lunch to everyone but that wasn't realistic either. It's the exact same problem TV had with covering the WMX, the Legends race at Ironmen, the OG 125 Dream Race at Washougal and more.

So we hoped that Vital MX and MXA and TWMX and Racer X and more would be able to get enough material to help give the guys participating in each race some decent publicity and the fans who were interested some decent coverage.

Each promoter was to do their own 125 race, and Hangtown was a bit of a mess with sign-up and scoring. The Dirt Diggers were much more focused on the national, and with good reason--it was their 50th Hangtown and they had a lot going on. Some riders didn't actually sign-up, which made scoring (and announcing) difficult. The race also started when most of the MX media guys were on their own breaks in the media tent, uploading morning practice photos, eating, whatever; I know one of the Racer X guys missed the start because he thought they were going to do a sighting lap first.

Later, we didn't realize what a problem getting results out for the whole field would be until the race was over and there wasn't a complete list of names and numbers. Glen Helen had theirs under control, and it was much better at Thunder Valley. Next week is High Point and we will have it dialed.

So yes, to your point, the series needs to do a better job in general in organizing and getting the word out, but please remember that it's the Lucas Oil 250/450 Pro Motocross Championship that is our primary focus this summer, and hopefully these 125 All Star races will grow and find more traction (and organization) in the near future.

The T-shirt is not meant to be condescending to the two-stroke crowd (of which I consider myself a part), but to the conspiracy theorists out there that jump to conclusions and post things like, well, go back and read some of your own posts (and there are many) and maybe you will see the point, just as we see your point that it needs more organization and follow-thru. There's just a lot of chainsaws to juggle at some of these very big races and adding 125cc ones to the whole production takes some time to find the right place in the lineup.

p.s. I don't know of anyone failing an official drug-test either.

p.s.s What size shirt do you wear?

DC
Racer X

UpTiTe wrote:

I've never seen so many people butt hurt over a meaningless exhibition race. LMAO

ttugrad1793 wrote:

LMAO. You are missing the whole point.

UpTiTe wrote:

No, not really, I just dont believe there is a grand wizard conspiracy to keep people from getting info on a race. RacerX, MXSports and the...

No, not really, I just dont believe there is a grand wizard conspiracy to keep people from getting info on a race.

RacerX, MXSports and the rest of the journalistic world is there for a professional national competition, not for a filler race designed to keep the crowd amused.

DC wrote:

Couple of questions: 1. How was it so organized a couple of years ago when you guys did the All-Star Race that was fully televised, announced...

Couple of questions:
1. How was it so organized a couple of years ago when you guys did the All-Star Race that was fully televised, announced, and results posted?
2. Guys didn't sign up? Are you saying that you had riders that didn't even register for the race and simply showed up on the line at a National race with a 125 and you didn't know who they were?

We had two a couple of years ago, the Glen Helen MTA Two-Stroke deal (which I don't think was televised) and the Dream Race (which was streamed live but not televised) because it was pre-NBC Gold and we could start whenever we needed, like an hour or half hour before the actual motos. With NBC Gold they show morning timed qualifying, then take a break, then show the four hours of motos. The added morning coverage knocks out the later opportunity to cover the All Star race at intermission because that's when the TV crew is on break.

I knew a couple of the guys who didn't sign up--former pros who should know better, and I'm talking to you RV, Wil Hahn, Shaun Palmer, Jimmy Albertson...--but a snafu with Hangtown's MX sign-up meant that they weren't actually getting the completed forms. It wasn't until Robbie Wageman's dad called my cell before we realized that there was a disconnect.
Some guys who were there for amateur day, others just for All-Star race, but didn't sign up for the latter, because the Dirt Diggers thought we signed them up, and we thought the Dirt Diggers signed them up. So having complete results right away wasn't as easy as it should have been.

Like I said, it was their 50th, and they had a lot going on; it was our first national of the year and we had a lot going on. Joey Lancaster from the OG Dream Race was there to help last year, and it went much smoother. As I have said before, I wish we had a sponsor and budget to hire him to do them all, but we don't. It will get better, but for now please remember it's a series of exhibition races meant to be fun, and they have been. We just need to do a better job with organizing this part of the day.

DC
Racer X