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One would think Luongo would smell blood and try to orchestrate luring top American riders to MXGP. It'd be a strategy to shift the balance from AMA motocross to FIM motocross once and for all. The goal wouldn't be to make the fans happy; the objective would be to marginalize American outdoor motocross as a mere national series for riders who aren't good enough for MXGP. (Consider AMA road racing vs. MotoGP; consider that MXGP already aspires to be "MotoGP on dirt.") Then riders would have to choose.
After that the crosshairs would be on Supercross: reduce it to a domestic freakshow for second-rate riders, on the level of IndyCar. I guarantee you this shit has occurred to Luongo.
American kids grow up watching SX and US Nationals so that is their dream growing up. They hardly even see anything related to the GPs and races aren't on TV here, I don't see many 4-16yr olds buying subscriptions to watch riders they don't know race on tracks they will never see. It's also has to do with the offers kids turning pro get, I doubt many American amateur phenoms get offers from factory mxgp teams just bc it's known that our riders stay home and often have deals already in place long before they even turn pro.
There's no insentive for anyone to do it besides the rider wanting to prove themselves in the GP's after success here and by that time they're to burned out to even want to put in the effort.
Most recently Zach Osborne raced in Europe. (2008 - 2011) and no one even remembers.
A hundred years ago, when Jim Pomeroy raced in Europe and was back in the US for the Daytona SX, the AMA would not even let him race. Like some amateur, the AMA told Jim he did not have enough qualifying points to line up at his own countries pro races.
After Brad Lackey became the first ever American to win a World Championship, he did not even have a ride the following year.
The most attention and excitement I’ve seen about an American and the GPs was when Ryan Villopoto started the series a few years ago. I presume that is largely due to the internet and being able to watch him in action.
A top rider either in AMA/SX or GP's makes a lot of money and has no need to move over for the money part. So the only reason a champion would move over is because he wants to. I wouldn't be surprised to see an American trying MXGP after he has won all in the US, just for the change of scenery or to show the world that he is the best.
I don't see Herlings going to the US, however if he would dominate the next 5 years like he did this year (a big if considering him getting injured every year) i can see him thinking let's do a year of AMA outdoors to show i'm also the best over there.
Tomac doesnt strike me as the type of guy that wants to do this, and Anderson hasnt won anything in outdoors yet, cant see him going before he wins a title. Barcia has declared interest but i wouldnt consider him a top american (as in championship contender).
Pit Row
So.I think that's pretty good idea send youngstes to Europe before they are coming pros in the US. Seems like so far this program is working
Your CCM sounds great! I do have a distant memory of Donny on that big CCM, was it white, seem to recall?
Back in the day remember doing a couple of races against the CCM Factory owners son, think he was on a big Armstrong CCM and he beat me very easy. He was a fairly decent rider I think, unlike me! hahah.
Just remembered another couple of US riders who came over and did good, Jim Gibson, he did very well and he may have even won a couple of GP's even and think he got 3rd in the championship.... Bader Manneh did okay also seem to recall. There were probably quite a few more also that I cannot remember.
As already said, some of them possibly would have won US titles had they not been in Europe, like Schmit, Healey or Vohland also maybe and probably many more. Vohland seems to go under the radar but was at times right up there with Everts/ Tortelli and the very best of them seem to recall. Browny also at times took it to the top Euros but wasn't so consistent. Then we got Liles, beast of a rider- probably would have cleaned up the 1990 500GP Title against the very best of the Euros, Geboers/ Thorpe/ Nicholl and more. It probably wasn't only Lackey who sacrificed US titles to be in Europe. Donny Schmit was an absolute animal and eckon highly likely he would have won more US titles had he not come to GPs', think he did in fact win the 86 SX125 US title.
Probably even more super US riders who came over when you look into the history and stats.
Onething for sure stands out to me- JMB... GP Champion x2 / US Champion- SX and MX x3 and then he goes road racing in the Moto GP's and is up at the front at times... or thereabouts- incredible really. Not sure that will be repeated! Credit to that man!
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