This track cutting has become an absolute joke. When will the AMA/MX Sports actually do something?

TDeath21
Posts
6515
Joined
2/22/2011
Location
Somewhere, MO, USA
Edited Date/Time 9/6/2018 10:31am
This is absolutely ridiculous and it makes a complete joke out of a premier MX championship. There are numerous other egregious examples I could name throughout the last few seasons, but I will focus solely on this week.

Scenario 1:

Benny Bloss gets a terrible start. Instead of staying on the track, he conveniently rides around it, avoiding a ton of carnage and gaining about 20 spots in the process. That GoPro footage on him was so terrible that I don't even need to explain it further. Penalty there should have been extreme. A lap seems fair to me with how much he gained.

Scenario 2:

Chase Sexton goes down right before the rollers prior to the finish. That's going to cost him a lot of time. He will now come into those rollers with no momentum and have to fight through them. Nope. Why do that? He decides to just go off the track and blast down the side of the rollers until he's gained substantial momentum and then comes back onto the track to finish out the section. Penalty there should have been an estimated time gained plus 20 seconds added to his race time.

Scenario 3:

Similar to scenario 2, Justin Barcia makes a mistake and goes off the track just before those rollers prior to the finish line. Once again, this is going to cost him some time. He will have to get back on the track and have no momentum for the rest of the rollers section and have to fight through them. As in scenario 2, why do that? Just continue off the side of the track with the throttle pinned for awhile until you gain enough momentum to finish out the section at a high speed, and then re-enter. Penalty there once again should have been an estimated time gained plus 20 seconds.

Why are the powers that be doing absolutely nothing about these laughable, egregious, and downright terrible track cuts? It's making a mockery of our sport and it makes no sense as to why these aren't strictly penalized. And don't come in here and say it was a muddy track and that's why it was allowed. I don't care if it was a tough track. Stay within the boundaries.

Imagine the NFL allowing players to run out of bounds to avoid tackles. Or the NBA allowing players to dribble out of bounds to avoid defenders. Or maybe the MLB allowing pitchers to expand the strike zone whenever they wanted to. It would make no sense and people would hate it. This is no different here in MX when people go off the track and aren't penalized. In each of the above scenarios, a rider clearly gained a massive advantage by going off the track and did not re-enter at the next opportunity. The result? Nothing penalized. Play on. I just don't get it. I never will. Things need to change.
8
42
|
kb228
Posts
6153
Joined
1/31/2018
Location
Mansfield, OH, USA
8/28/2018 11:17am
Dude its a mud race freakin relax
39
5
Donovan759
Posts
2089
Joined
10/12/2017
Location
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
8/28/2018 11:19am
kb228 wrote:
Dude its a mud race freakin relax
Yup.
2
2
TDeath21
Posts
6515
Joined
2/22/2011
Location
Somewhere, MO, USA
8/28/2018 11:20am
kb228 wrote:
Dude its a mud race freakin relax
Lol. I already stated this in my original post because I knew someone would say that. So anytime it rains I'm allowed to track cut and gain advantages. Got it. Good to know. Great logic there.
6
25
KirkChandler
Posts
1678
Joined
7/31/2015
Location
Oceanside, CA, USA
8/28/2018 11:25am
Ironman was a lot better than Unadilla. The corners were more defined and the main line didn’t wander off the track, and except for a few occurrences where people went off track by making a mistake, it was pretty good.

The Shop

Donovan759
Posts
2089
Joined
10/12/2017
Location
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
8/28/2018 11:25am
kb228 wrote:
Dude its a mud race freakin relax
TDeath21 wrote:
Lol. I already stated this in my original post because I knew someone would say that. So anytime it rains I'm allowed to track cut and...
Lol. I already stated this in my original post because I knew someone would say that. So anytime it rains I'm allowed to track cut and gain advantages. Got it. Good to know. Great logic there.
Exactly. Do it. You will win the D class championship and you won't be sorry.
11
2
FuzzyLogic
Posts
288
Joined
5/18/2018
Location
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8/28/2018 11:27am
While these are all seemingly pretty good examples of times someone has not followed the track to a T, have they ever had a significant impact on the end results? If it is happening lap after lap and there is a big advantage, you have a stronger case.... but a one time thing where there is a foot of mud on the track and you're just trying to get back and going doesn't seem like it's that big of a deal.

If the people with a real vested interest in the results are able to look past it, I'd be willing to guess it isn't that big of an issue. To answer your question, it will be addressed when these people see something that is egregious enough that it made a difference.
5
1
Zaugg
Posts
1083
Joined
9/1/2012
Location
Not California, CA, USA
8/28/2018 11:48am
It was a mud race...get over it.





1
4
8/28/2018 11:48am
I trust the officials at the races to make these judgements not keyboard warriors and Monday morning quarterbacks.
13
5
Kelz87
Posts
1339
Joined
7/21/2018
Location
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Fantasy
8/28/2018 11:52am
Bloss didn’t have a place to even enter the track, there were large banners lining that entire turn if I remember correctly
neysbo
Posts
2014
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Edelstein, IL, USA
8/28/2018 12:06pm Edited Date/Time 8/28/2018 12:06pm
Sexton did get docked one position. Did not hear of any other penalties
MXMattii
Posts
5075
Joined
3/6/2010
Location
BE
8/28/2018 12:13pm Edited Date/Time 8/28/2018 12:17pm
Back in the day, they got mud races...


MXdN 1998- Foxhill Reeks 2 from Matthias VE on Vimeo.



Go to 30 minutes and you will find Everts waiting at the bottom of the hill, till RC, Dowd, ... all were out his way so he could get to the top of the mountain haha! EVERTS MOUNTAIN!

But cutting the track? Noh that was something they didn't do back then.
3
1
tek14
Posts
4927
Joined
1/26/2014
Location
Vantaa, FI
8/28/2018 12:24pm
Have to agree first ones. Was looking GoPro they had on live and could not believe he could just ride service road around couple corners passing most of riders and many that went down as they used track not service road. Someone should add that video here and crying will end.
3
1
TXDirt
Posts
7786
Joined
7/29/2015
Location
Plano, TX, USA
8/28/2018 12:25pm
OP has a legitimate gripe and you can go back over the last few years to see completely egregious track cutting with seemingly little to no penalty at all.

Example: JMart makes mistake going up one of the hills at Millville I think it was, and instead completely cuts the track. All on camera and all for the world to see. I believe he got a very small penalty that didn't change the results. So hell, why not just cut it all the time then.

But OP is right, the track cutting is out of control. Mud race or not.

By the way, here is the Martin track cut. He certainly didn't gain anything, but his HUGE mistake certainly didn't cost him anything either. Thanks to the good ol' track cut.

https://youtu.be/wo2bhzazGow
8
2
nm143
Posts
33
Joined
4/14/2014
Location
CA
8/28/2018 12:27pm
I was surprised by the Bloss incident as well. He rode a long ways along the side of the track and jumped back in nearer the front of the pack. If he slowed down and re-entered right away he would have been behind the main pack of riders instead of pulling back out ahead of them 2 corners later. Can't say I thought that was fair.
5
loftyair
Posts
2900
Joined
7/3/2009
Location
riverside, CA, USA
8/28/2018 12:32pm
They could post up 'special' markers, go within those or docked. Just here and there, insides of corners, each side of certain obstacles. Other than those, just 'suggested', like seems they all are now.
aeffertz
Posts
12594
Joined
7/16/2015
Location
La Crosse, WI, USA
8/28/2018 12:32pm
I trust the officials at the races to make these judgements not keyboard warriors and Monday morning quarterbacks.

2
Stuntman949
Posts
2857
Joined
11/10/2015
Location
San Clemente, CA, USA
8/28/2018 1:14pm
I trust the officials at the races to make these judgements not keyboard warriors and Monday morning quarterbacks.
aeffertz wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2018/08/28/283654/s1200_3CD3AD49_6232_4F68_8F4B_BB6CD0C3923E.jpg[/img]

aaaand saved to desktop

Thank you for this
nealb129
Posts
338
Joined
1/22/2017
Location
Taylors, SC, USA
8/28/2018 1:20pm
I’m impressed with so many using such a big word like egregious.
2
Mr. G
Posts
4225
Joined
12/23/2009
Location
Riverside, CA, USA
8/28/2018 1:23pm
There is a simple solution. Just go back to the rule where you get back on where you go off.
10
Mr. G
Posts
4225
Joined
12/23/2009
Location
Riverside, CA, USA
8/28/2018 1:24pm
Got off.
Mr. G
Posts
4225
Joined
12/23/2009
Location
Riverside, CA, USA
8/28/2018 1:24pm
Went off. What's up with my grammar today.
8/28/2018 1:33pm
Spring creek incident shoulda been a moto DQ. come on now.
1
Mit12
Posts
2203
Joined
6/23/2014
Location
Lake Havasu City, AZ, USA
8/28/2018 1:35pm
When it comes to going off track one needs to look at the safety of the rider and other riders. The rules say you must re-enter the track in the first safe available spot without gaining an advantage. This wording can be a very open argument. The teams and the AMA look at the situations on a case by case bases. I think they do a pretty good job of policing this. Like anything you can pick it apart if you want.
2
TXDirt
Posts
7786
Joined
7/29/2015
Location
Plano, TX, USA
8/28/2018 1:40pm
Spring creek incident shoulda been a moto DQ. come on now.
You can see the folks up the hill running to get out of the way because even they assumed Martin would be re-entering the track just past the banners where they were standing. You know, like you are supposed to do.

Nope. He just cuts the track. It's funny to watch them stop moving out of the way after they see what he is going to do.

But yup, he should have been DQ'd for that moto. Worst track cut I can recall.
early
Posts
9890
Joined
2/13/2013
Location
University Heights, OH, USA
8/28/2018 1:45pm
Handing out penalties in Moto based only on what the tv cameras catch is not a good habit to get into. It works for stick and ball sports because most of the time there is a single point of consequence (where the ball is). Having said that the Martin deal is ridiculous.
2
Flip109
Posts
3460
Joined
6/15/2007
Location
USA
8/28/2018 2:02pm
It’s mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter! Haha

I trust the officials to make the right call. In a mud race I’m cool with a little more leniency.
8/28/2018 2:15pm
MXMattii wrote:
Back in the day, they got mud races... MXdN 1998- Foxhill Reeks 2 from Matthias VE on Vimeo. Go to 30 minutes and you will...
Back in the day, they got mud races...


MXdN 1998- Foxhill Reeks 2 from Matthias VE on Vimeo.



Go to 30 minutes and you will find Everts waiting at the bottom of the hill, till RC, Dowd, ... all were out his way so he could get to the top of the mountain haha! EVERTS MOUNTAIN!

But cutting the track? Noh that was something they didn't do back then.
I was there that weekend.......cutting the track probably wouldn't have helped much haha.
Foxhills is an incredible track to ride in the dry (the camera doesn't do those drops and banked corners justice) but it really doesn't hold ANY water.
Mr. Info
Posts
1671
Joined
5/3/2010
Location
Perris, CA, USA
8/28/2018 2:21pm
You need to just let it go. Believe me let it go.
4
yak651
Posts
8712
Joined
8/26/2006
Location
Appleton, WI, USA
Fantasy
8/28/2018 2:57pm
Yeah when it snows or rains during a football game they let them play wherever they want...
4
3
cable
Posts
1253
Joined
6/11/2008
Location
Rockford, MI, USA
8/28/2018 8:23pm
ty wrap the banners to the yellow track markers(foldy things). inside corners especially. a few may get taken out occasionally.. this is professional racing.
1

Post a reply to: This track cutting has become an absolute joke. When will the AMA/MX Sports actually do something?

The Latest