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From a speed perspective? Sure.
From a maturity level and understanding longer term thinking? Probably not.
People generally do a lot of emotional and intellectual development during those early to mid teens that defines a lot of their later lives. The vast majority of them are not fully ready to make important decisions at 13-15 years old. Anyone who believes that they are is looking at it through the dusty lenses of age (or is youthful enough to not understand in the first place).
Again, you have a solution with no problem. You used Ward as an example, yet it didn't even apply to him at all.
So again I ask, what is your major bitch here? Do you really need to taste blood of children racing against older men in order to satisfy a gladiatorial fetish of some kind?
He threw out the Deegan name, but does OP know if he even has a problem with the rule?
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Logic tells us that there have been 12-15 year olds that could also be competitive. That’s a race I’d like to see.
James Stewart was the exception at 16. Even Ricky and Travis were 17 before they turned pro, and all were on 125s, not 450s. Today's 450 is not for children, no matter how good you think they are...
DC
Racer X
Thank goodness we saved Matti. He won the Qualifiers and 1st moto, but was surely a risk to himself and others…
Slow day in Morgantown?
Didn't Travis turn pro and win an outdoor title at 16 though? He and Stew are the only 2 to have outdoor titles at 16 correct?
Which just goes to show the 16 rule is just fine in professional motocross/supercross. It's not everyday you have 16 year old's turning pro and winning titles. It's quite rare.
edit, MXA quotes him saying he was 15. DOB 7/15/72
Osaka SX 11/13/88
Because dirtbikes don't have license plates. Final answer, Regis.
I'm failing to see any connection there, literal, figurative, or conceptual, other than the vehicles both have wheels, albeit a different amount of wheels.
Pit Row
And of all the guys you mention--Triples, Tortelli, Lechien, Bradshaw, Reynard, Roczen--only Roczen ever won a premier-class AMA title. They all got hurt early and often, which is exactly what would happen to a 15-year-old on a 450 in SX/MX, but we'll never take that chance because it's the wrong thing to do.
And there's never a slow day in Morgantown, but when I see something as stupid as your argument here, it's fun to bench race a little, knowing I won't be wasting any tear-offs... (just kidding there, I do enjoy a good bench race and good ideas, I just don't feel like this is the direction SX/MX should go in this day and age)
Carry on.
DC
Racer X
DC
Racer X
I remember watching JS7 race Broc Hepler on 80s back in the day, probably around 2000, at High Point, if nothing else that would be cool to see. Hepler kept JS7 honest too until he got a flat, I think they had such a big gap on 3rd he still got 2nd.
MXGP has maybe 18 actual races a year; AMA has 30. Teams do not want two-day events, they are already on the road for too long. I wish I could change their minds but I can't. And I don't think anyone wants SX-only deals for many, which is what we had before.
DC
Racer X
Post a reply to: Pro age rule, youth wasted? Kitchen and Kilroy aren’t the only fast guys in the amateurs.