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If manufacturers are saying that SX is at the top of the sport, that says it all.
People don't have to like it, but it's a fact.
Personally, I prefer MX over SX. I'd rather have an MXGP or AMA National title than a Supercross title. I do enjoy Supercross, but for me it's just there to fill my winter until outdoors start.
The next French rider to go to the US is Benistant imo.
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On the other hand i must say i am a bit suprised there arent more aged out MX2 riders trying to get a fill in ride for the nationals. A guy like Henry Jacobi doesnt have a ride for MXGP for next year (yet?). If i'm him i'm trying to get a fill in ride for the Nationals next year and translate that ride with a bunch of good results into a deal for 2022. I mean he got 5th in MX2 overall in 2019 with a bunch of podiums, i would think he should be able to score top 5's as a fill in.
He prefered to face a new challenge instead.
There's no argument on which series is higher paying, do any supercross riders pay for their rides? Maybe, but not on the level in MXGP.
Prestige I will agree is a little subjective, but im looking at it from the standpoint of the teams. I thought this was pretty clear from my posts. You can go back and read it, I point out where my argument for prestigiousness is. Respect and Admiration, to me, is a direct reflection of how the teams treat their riders.
Teams in Luongo's series right now are not offering GP podium guys and moto winners contracts; and are instead choosing guys that would be lucky to finish in the top 10 in the series once in their career. Thats not a prestigious series, or else teams would be clamoring to get the best riders. That shows me that the teams don't care much about that championship, or the respect and admiration a decent finish brings.
And I hope you aren't serious about him easily getting top 5s as a fill in. He had ONE top 10 overall finish this season, was in the top 15 barely in half of the races (7 of 13). He isn't going to miraculously get into a top 5 spot over here on an unfamiliar bike, etc.
And no he doesnt need a crystal ball to know which riders will be injured. He just has to wait and see which 250 riders won't line up for the outdoors season when the sx season is getting close to finished.
Yeah obviously sx pays more and gets more eyes and sponsors and all that.. I appreciate and get your reasons..
But for me growing up (and still at 42 haha) my absolute dream was to compete in the GPs and race in far away countries against dudes that speak different languages haha, so for me it's got that awe and honour about it (I don't wanna think about all that other stuff haha ignorance is bliss)
I do love watching sx though but it doesn't really give me the pucker
I guess it's Rachel, Monica and Phoebe situation haha
But the 5th place season finish in 2019 only included 2 overall podium finishes, not a bunch of them. He finished outside the top 5 in most of the races, and without going through race by race it’s likely that the top 5 overall was more a matter of attrition than actually being the 5th fastest rider overall in the series.
I don’t doubt that he could have some good finishes with some good starts at the right tracks, that’s how that series can work. But 3 podiums in 75 GP starts simply isn’t the type of resume that screams that someone could easily hop on a new bike and crank out top 5 finishes.
It he can’t get a 450 ride in Europe, I’d agree that he may want to look at anything that may come up for the US Nationals. But the difficult part of that for a rider like him is that it’d probably only be a temporary, low paying gig. Unless he’s practicing SX like crazy, even if he surprised in the Nationals I’m not sure what competitive team would give him a Nationals only contract. Especially for the 250 class.
I truly think that the only way to get more people to agree on what is the “premier” series now would be to hybridize the GPs.
Run 8-10 “outdoor” style races, and 8-10 “SX” style races in the same series, and mix them in so there’s no more than 3 of any discipline in a row. Improve on the way that NASCAR throws in a few road courses, and get the best riders from every country in the series.
At that point, the US series (both MX and SX) would become more of a high level feeder series, but overall it could really grow the overall MX/SX worldwide exposure.
Problem solved.
It would be fucken excellent though
😎
I’d love to see something like that, though. I have no problem with the top American riders leaving the “National” series (and the stupid FIM/SX series is still effectively a National series) and doing a World Championship if it is clearly head and shoulders above our series. But that would probably need to include both disciplines that the “original” sport has evolved into.
It’d probably be closer to the GPs of the 70s and early 80s where it seemed like there was always specialists who ran up front depending on the type of terrain that the race was held on that weekend.
He had 9 top 3 moto finishes out of the 32 he raced. Before he got injured he was in contention for 3rd overall in the championship.
Anyway, i don't think US teams are knocking on his door as the next great thing, i'm just saying i am surprised that guys like Jacobi who have proven to be a top 5 rider in MX2, but who have aged out MX2 and don't get a ride or lose a ride in MXGP don't try to get a career in the 250 class. Both SX and MX, but getting an entry via a fill in ride in the outdoors.
Get a fill in ride (outdoors) or even go the privateer route if you have some sponsors, actually perform (quite important without the sx experience) & get noticed and translate that in a ride in SX.
It is probably quite hard, but i would think it would be better then not having a ride in GP's.
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This however will depend in teams willing to gamble on them, but in the last 3 seasons about 10 top 250 guys have graduated/forced up so now or the next couple of years seem/are a bit dry in 250 talent, good timing for someone Ferrandis-esque.
I hate the ama vs gp shit fight my dream of a perfect Motocross series is to scrap the AMA turn GP's to a proper world series just like motogp and formula 1.
Add 6 or so American tracks to calender and finish in America, then have supercross ran strictly in America since the euros will be In America they can choose to race supercross.
Again it worked for DF on 250, he has no MX2 championship and had he stayed in Europe he would be making far less money, even worst he could be another Pauline/Desalle casualty or riding for peanuts.
I am not too worried ; as there are about 10 properly paid rides in 450 in mxgp, whereas the class is deeeep (any top 10 rider can win a moto at the mxdn and in my mind in the nationals), there is still a high probability that some top 250 riders need a few more years to fully develop like Osborne or Ferrandis did, and also have a longer career.
What do you mean another Paulin/DeSalle casualty? They had very long successful careers. Over a decade on factory teams. Outside of titles It doesn't get much better than that.
Okay, in all fairness Covington DID have 8 extra motos in order to get his 18 moto podiums, but he podiumed in 45% of his motos versus 28.1% for Jacobi. And it's no secret how that turned out.
Now don't get me wrong, if Jacobi is not offered a ride in the GPs, doesn't get a fill-in ride for the GPs, and somehow gets a fill-in ride for the Nationals he should definitely think about taking it. But it'd be pretty silly at this point to make that 'Plan A' unless he has been racing a LOT of SX races in Europe, Australia, etc. In fact, if he is able to travel to the US at this time with all the pandemic issues and stuff, it might be a wise choice to find someone to come over and train at SX with if that is even a thought of his. If he can do it on the cheap, and find a good team to ride with for training, he just might be able to figure out if he could get SX down in a season or two.
I DO think that an overseas rider can potentially get a decent ride if they can reasonably battle for a top 5 in 250SX and compete for podiums outdoors, but it'd be an uphill battle the more that time goes on and they don't get the true SX experience.
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