Jett Lawrence thinks Euro local weekend warriors have more skill than American amateurs.

Edited Date/Time 10/17/2021 2:00am
I probably wouldn't take it that far, but something definitely needs to change starting from the bottom up if American racers ever want to be on top again.


https://gatedrop.com/jett-lawrence-on-emx-v-the-us-amateur-system-and-t…
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dkurtd
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10/12/2021 7:37pm
That's what happens when American kids are growing up at training facilities and only taking a handful of gate drops a year. And for the most part riding the same training track/conditions all year. I've said this for years, nothing beats gate drops.

I don't know for sure but I would bet the Euro kids are getting a lot more gate drops on different tracks and conditions than the American kids.
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10/12/2021 7:56pm
Just some pandering to the Euro media...nothing to see here.
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Titanium
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10/12/2021 8:03pm
Couldn't agree more with the "4 lap sprints" on the LL qualifiers and Regionals. Its too much about the start and not enough about conditioning/endurance. Loretta's itself is a different story of course. MX originated as the original "Extreme" endurance sport..
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Sully
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10/12/2021 8:16pm
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products of that system your whole career?
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The Shop

Titanium
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10/12/2021 8:23pm Edited Date/Time 10/12/2021 8:27pm
Sully wrote:
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products...
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products of that system your whole career?
That's a different topic.. Tendencies point was the US system could use some tweaking and Jett made some good observations IMO
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fins227
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10/12/2021 8:33pm
Sully wrote:
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products...
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products of that system your whole career?
There’s money in dirt bike racing here.

Who cares who’s amateurs are faster? It’s a hobby, there’s less than 100 pro riders world wide making a living doing it, and it could all disappear at anytime.

If your lucky enough to race on the weekends, have fun! And it really doesn’t matter who’s faster.
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Heggo
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10/12/2021 8:42pm
Sully wrote:
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products...
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products of that system your whole career?
Because SX. Because they can and they did and have been success. Because their goal and English (version of) language too would be easier.
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Johnny Ringo
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10/12/2021 9:29pm Edited Date/Time 10/12/2021 9:33pm
Bold statement from a guy that went to Lorettas’s in 2019 and Mini O’s in 2018 and won 0 titles.
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Moto Nomad
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10/12/2021 9:30pm
Sully wrote:
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products...
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products of that system your whole career?
I have a hunch it might be the millions of dollars flowing into his bank account. Just a hunch, though.
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10/12/2021 9:31pm
Sully wrote:
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products...
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products of that system your whole career?
Titanium wrote:
That's a different topic.. Tendencies point was the US system could use some tweaking and Jett made some good observations IMO
Yup.
KirkChandler
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10/12/2021 9:38pm
Prepped practice tracks have made American racers soft. I’m guilty of providing those prepped tracks because they are more fun to ride and that’s where the money is at for the paying customers.

But for the riders trying to get to the top they need rough, they need technical, and they need competition. American Motocross dominance was at its hayday when riders were practicing at places like Palm Avenue, Central, and Croom and they raced all the time.
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C.Worthy
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10/12/2021 10:32pm
Bold statement from a guy that went to Lorettas’s in 2019 and Mini O’s in 2018 and won 0 titles.
He brought it up on the Whiskey Throttle Show too. That’s sort of his point. Amateurs here are racing barely around 6 to 10 laps if that for a 12 to 15 minute race if they’re lucky. It’s a sprint with not enough time to make things happen and race.

He said the amateurs here struggle when moving to the pro ranks because they aren’t used to longer racing time with more laps. They also don’t know how to race a longer race since they’ve grown up racing sprints. His stance is Europe doesn’t have that issue which makes it easier to transition into the professional ranks since their amateurs race longer races very comparable to the pro series. Develops better endurance and race craft to prepare you for a professional career.

Who cares if he has no amateur championships. He has a Professional championship title! How many guys will win Lorettas and Mini O’s but will never win a pro championship title? A LOT
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#434
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10/12/2021 10:59pm
Bros, just compare the videos of your practice tracks and the euro ones. In Europe most tracks get the absolute minimum amount of maintenance possible. That’s the difference. You don‘t learn anything riding cookie cutter tracks.

And to all you guys saying: but he didn‘t do shit at LL or it‘s a media thing. Grow up, he‘s one of the few who really can compare.
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SilverSpurs
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10/12/2021 11:14pm Edited Date/Time 10/13/2021 1:47am
Chad Reed- what would he know- has been making the same objective criticism as Jett.

Too many classes to fit in, too few meetings and too short motos.

Maybe no coincidence that 4 out of the 6 2021 Outdoors places were guys with MXGP/EMX experience.
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Motofinne
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10/12/2021 11:40pm Edited Date/Time 10/13/2021 2:58am
The strange part of this whole thing is how so few people are wanting to make things better. The answer is always SX is such a big part of it nowadays that there is nothing to be done, nothing to be learned by how things have developed in Europe the last decade.

Imagine if that would've been the mentality over here when US was on average better in pretty much everything regarding moto.
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10/13/2021 12:49am
if you have ever been to a euro practice track, and then seen the groomed watered American versions, you would know this to be true,

america has way more riders, because its way more fun, euro practice tracks are hard core and rough as fuck,
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tobz
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10/13/2021 12:58am
Rv touched on it on a pulp cast a few days ago. Euros ride on the most brutal shittiest condition tracks for fun.
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10/13/2021 1:08am
Sully wrote:
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products...
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products of that system your whole career?
SX.
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10/13/2021 1:13am
Bold statement from a guy that went to Lorettas’s in 2019 and Mini O’s in 2018 and won 0 titles.
I’m sure he’d swap his outdoor title for a LL title any day….

He’s prob in the best position to comment. He’s seen both ends of the stick and just won a title!

But honestly how do you think these fast kids in the States would go heading to Europe to race even EMX?!
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WCRider
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10/13/2021 1:25am
I remember when I was young people said that Carmi was training on a gnarly sandy track a lot in Florida. Zero maintenance during weeks. Not a secret, a lot of riders can be fast on a flat track but not that much on gnarly tracks.
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MO 23
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10/13/2021 1:33am
Sully wrote:
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products...
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products of that system your whole career?
Because he probably wants to race supercross, make more money and living in an English speaking country helps too.

It’s not an attack on the US, just stating his opinion on the amateur systems between the two. And he is one of only a handful with first hand experience at both. I think it’s great to hear his opinion.

I think we all can agree that there are some issues with the US amateur system. Huge money early on, short races and it’s pretty staggering how little the guys race, although that does seem to be somewhat improving.

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fanger
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10/13/2021 1:37am
I'm sure there's reasons, it does seem like a bit of a head scratcher that there isn't a full time amateur class racing the nationals.
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Sandusky26
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10/13/2021 1:44am
USA Amateur racing is about making money.

No not talking about the racers.
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10/13/2021 2:39am
Sully wrote:
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products...
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products of that system your whole career?
Because the kid loves Donuts
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Johnny Ringo
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10/13/2021 4:06am
Sully wrote:
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products...
Why come to the states to race all of the products of that system, then? Why not stay in Europe to race GPs and the products of that system your whole career?
MO 23 wrote:
Because he probably wants to race supercross, make more money and living in an English speaking country helps too. It’s not an attack on the US...
Because he probably wants to race supercross, make more money and living in an English speaking country helps too.

It’s not an attack on the US, just stating his opinion on the amateur systems between the two. And he is one of only a handful with first hand experience at both. I think it’s great to hear his opinion.

I think we all can agree that there are some issues with the US amateur system. Huge money early on, short races and it’s pretty staggering how little the guys race, although that does seem to be somewhat improving.

An opinion that a weekend warrior would work over a guy like Hymas or Kitchen is pretty inflammatory.

Let’s see how well a weekend Euro rider stacks up at A1 against some of the B class kids racing SX futures this year.
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Sandusky26
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10/13/2021 4:34am
An EMX250 rider just came over to race our National’s and did damn good.
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Park Boys
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10/13/2021 4:36am
Bold statement from a guy that went to Lorettas’s in 2019 and Mini O’s in 2018 and won 0 titles.
I think Jett is generational there is no denying that and longer races and more gate drops would only improve the situation here but it’s not like Jett came over and killed it here in the amateur system with all this skill from Europe. Had he come over here and whopped everyone’s ass then it would be different but he did not. More often than not he was beat. Lommel don’t mean Jack all over here.

Couldn’t agree more though that at the big amateur nationals have it be just the actual amateur classes that mean something. Who cares about +40 c titles at wherever.
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Johnny Ringo
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10/13/2021 5:42am
Bold statement from a guy that went to Lorettas’s in 2019 and Mini O’s in 2018 and won 0 titles.
Park Boys wrote:
I think Jett is generational there is no denying that and longer races and more gate drops would only improve the situation here but it’s not...
I think Jett is generational there is no denying that and longer races and more gate drops would only improve the situation here but it’s not like Jett came over and killed it here in the amateur system with all this skill from Europe. Had he come over here and whopped everyone’s ass then it would be different but he did not. More often than not he was beat. Lommel don’t mean Jack all over here.

Couldn’t agree more though that at the big amateur nationals have it be just the actual amateur classes that mean something. Who cares about +40 c titles at wherever.
No denying Jett is generational? I think there’s plenty of room to deny that still.
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DGE.532
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10/13/2021 6:25am
Professional practice riders spinning endless meaningless laps on the same prepped track day after day with their bros all doing everything exactly the same way doesn't produce great racers. Is that how guys came up back when we were on top? Nope.
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yz133rider
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10/13/2021 6:31am
4 lap motos is insanely dumb.
My local series I follow does 6 laps and even that is borderline. Because even 6 laps is 11-14 minute motos depending on lap time.
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