A Five Year Plan For Pro MX

Rupert X
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Edited Date/Time 1/24/2012 5:42am

http://www.therupertxshow.com/?p=38


Please, take the time to read it, especially if you are concerned about the future

of motocross in America.

Let us know what you approve of, what you disapprove of and, any

comments you'd like to launch.

We respectfully ask that you keep an open mind.

And greatly appreciate your review.
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BuDtySer1
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8/31/2009 1:46pm
Sounds like a lot of great ideas.... who's putting them into place?

Not sure about this one:
- NASCAR Infield areas investigated as future World Class Motocross sites

IMO, a national (or World Class) caliber motocross track needs to be dug into the side of a mountain... leave those NASCAR staduims for SX.
BuDtySer1
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8/31/2009 1:46pm Edited Date/Time 8/31/2009 1:49pm
BuDtySer1
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8/31/2009 1:47pm Edited Date/Time 8/31/2009 1:49pm

The Shop

ProMed
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8/31/2009 2:57pm
Yet another BIG reason why Sir Rupert X should be given the keys to the sport without any restrictions.
Rupert X
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8/31/2009 3:01pm
BuDtySer1 wrote:
Sounds like a lot of great ideas.... who's putting them into place? Not sure about this one: - NASCAR Infield areas investigated as future World Class...
Sounds like a lot of great ideas.... who's putting them into place?

Not sure about this one:
- NASCAR Infield areas investigated as future World Class Motocross sites

IMO, a national (or World Class) caliber motocross track needs to be dug into the side of a mountain... leave those NASCAR staduims for SX.


Thanks for your input and your service -

"who's putting them into place?"


The greatest question regarding the MOST SIGNIFICANT DOCUMENT IN U.S.

MOTOCROSS HISTORY

Sadly sir, that's an answer I can't provide you with.

Hopefully, somebody will listen .
holeshot100
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8/31/2009 3:31pm
The sport needs strong outside sponsorship. Thus the sport needs same day TV coverage to attract big sponsors. That TV coverage won't happen on Sunday, so get used to Saturday races. I am sure enjoying the best coverage ever as a fan.
yosmithy
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8/31/2009 3:39pm
So, just for the sake of asking. Why are Saturdays, better for TV?
burnside
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8/31/2009 3:45pm
yosmithy wrote:
So, just for the sake of asking. Why are Saturdays, better for TV?
Less big sporting events on Saturdays....
cpj36
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8/31/2009 5:11pm
yosmithy wrote:
So, just for the sake of asking. Why are Saturdays, better for TV?
burnside wrote:
Less big sporting events on Saturdays....
Or less Nascar on Sat. What else does Speed really cover?

They don't have the races but spend all day Sunday talking about them, before and after.

They have the trucks and those are Friday and Saturdays. We have a long way to go before we can even compete with Nascar rain delay.

Neckcar used to be like mx, same guys winning over and over, they fixed that by making it easier. Maybe faster tracks like we now have would be ok if there was more opportunity to recover from a bad start, they have four hours and pit stops. Faster tracks may allow lesser skilled riders to win but what good is it when you put 6th on back at a disadvantage off the start?

If Nascar was running 50 lap sprints without stops the start would be the race, just like what we have but they would fix it now. Some of these first turns are a joke, how do you make up time when there's less to slow anyone down and on a 250f everyone has them pegged anyway?
lumpy790
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8/31/2009 5:43pm
I like most of it but......WMA deserve the be a full time part of the show........do not agree with being black flagged after being lapped. Do you really want to see a 4 or 5 racing the track for the last 10 min of the motos?
P
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8/31/2009 6:31pm
I don't like dropping the WMA either. That is some of the best weekend all weekend IMO.


P
P
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8/31/2009 6:33pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 1:54am
I don't like dropping the WMA either. That is some of the best racing all weekend IMO. (sorry for the multiple post)


P
mcphilly
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8/31/2009 6:49pm Edited Date/Time 8/31/2009 6:51pm
Good stuff , I would only change a few things .

The women need there own class . I like the Idea of the 150 class as you would see a lot of fast kids ripping on 125s and big bore kits , BUT letting the top women from a separate race get seeded into the race is not right in my opinion. If the women want to race the men than they need to qualify with the men . Besides the kids in the potential 150 class would be lapping all the women anyway and they would be getting the black flag so what good would that do for the girls spirits?
They would all be racing in the back with each other and you might, might get one or two every now and then that would run inside the top 15 . So I would keep them separate and if they want to try and make the top 40 in the men`s class so be it

I can`t say a agree about black flagging the lappers . I think that lappers add to the excitement of a good up front battle and adds another challenge .

Why have a Max age of 26 in the 250 class? What if you are a JunkYard Dog type and get a late start , or you you turned pro at 21 and got hurt for a few years ? I think it was better back in the 80s and early 90s when it was normal for a lot of the top factory riders who raced the 250 class in SX to race the 125 class outdoors. Both classes are going the same speed anyways so I don`t think it really matters how long a rider stays in the 250 class.

I am all for the 4 lap qualys .....Timed qualys are gay .


And for making the the landing ramps more forgiving , how much more forgiving can you make them ? The tracks of 15 years ago were way more gnarly than they are now in every aspect and you didnt see nearly as many riders getting hurt back than as you do now because riders new there limits . That was one of the cool things about going to the big national and SX races was watching the TOP factory riders jumping insanely crazy stuff. You don`t see that any more because the tracks are so smooth and tamed down that every riders pretty much jumps every jump on the second lap of practice...That to me says that the tracks are not challenging enough. MAKE THEM HARDER....MAKE THEM EARN THERE MILLIONS AND PROVE TO US WHY THEY ARE SO BAD ASS .


I say make them where kidney belts too lol
kwhite199
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8/31/2009 7:02pm
I agree with the others about keeping the WMA class. I think they do need their own class. I also have a question about the facilities. I am not sure how much these tracks actually make off of a race ..maybe somone can help me with those figures, but I think it may be hard for some of these track owners to make the stated changes. I am all for letting the two strokes back in on equal footing. I'm not sure the factories want that, but I can't see how it would hurt those that still want to run a two stroke.

This is definitely a start and it is good to see that somone is trying to come up with ways to grow the sport.
DC
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8/31/2009 7:03pm
Interesting stuff Rup, lots to digest.

I know you are a fan of a long weekend, but not one of the top riders (and hardly anyone else in the paddock) has complained about the one-day format. I know some fans like the weekends longer, but most fans would rather see as many of the top riders are possible competing, and the two-day format (which means four days away from the home and shop) was hurting their chances of seeing the top guys. And the Saturdays helped immensely with live and same-day TV. I couldn't make it to Southwick, so seeing two hours of racing on Saturday night (plus Budds Creek as a warm-up) seemed pretty cool to me.

Thanks for sharing all of your thoughts and ideas, see you at Steel City.
DC
MX Sports
8/31/2009 7:50pm
i read the whole proposal and saw several things that i agree with. not all, but quite a few. for a sailor, Rupert has some insight into our sport. i'm an AMA Life Member and i have seen many changes to AMA Professional racing that i just didn't get. no one will agree to all of Rupert's ideas, but at least they are out in the open where they can be scrutinized, criticized and discussed by fans, riders, teams, promoters and the factories. it has never been that way. just ram it down our throats, we don't know what we want or what's good for us. we'll be good sheep and take it. DC sounds like he listens to our ideas and complaints. is he the final decision maker? he hasn't said that. it's probably a pretty big table up there in West By God. we'll see what happens next year. one thing i just can't get a handle on though. what the hell is this one day format i keep hearing about? everything happens on saturday? so the riders don't have to be at the track on friday for anything? what happened to registration and tech? i bet it's on friday. that would be two days, thank you. backpedal to 1977, you could register on Sunday morning, tech your bike on Sunday and actually race that same day. oh, and post enter too. that's a one day format.
jbomx363
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8/31/2009 8:02pm
So when are you starting your own WORLD CLASS series?

I disagree with the majority of your proposals.
Pdub
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8/31/2009 9:10pm Edited Date/Time 8/31/2009 9:20pm
2014 is looking like a good year for motocross...

[edit] Uh, except for the phasing out of WMA...
WORCSRacer
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8/31/2009 9:33pm Edited Date/Time 8/31/2009 10:27pm
About the best thing you suggested was 4 lap qualifying. One hot lap does not establish you have competitive MX speed. Needs to be the best composite time of consecutive laps.



Here's my suggestions:



Works Bikes? Nah, just keep improving the breed. Hell any current MX bike is better than 95% of the people that ride them. Kyle Regal is doing great on a nearly production 450...



Get the Direct Factory Teams out and let the era of Factory Support Teams begin.



Seeing 100 riders making 100k to 200k a year is far better than watching the 3 or 4 top guys suck all the cash out of the sport.



Two or Four strokes, leaded fuel and equal displacement. If it works for Vet classes it will work for the Pro's. I love the 2 strokes but IMO, 4 strokes will win no matter what anyway. At least Team Billy Bob's Barn will think they have a chance at winning for less money.



NPG maybe you ought to raise the payouts at each round by 50% a year for the next 5 years. Really come on, when a guy doesn't even make the top 20 at a non major PGA event and makes more than the total AMA Pro purse... Spread the wealth don't just pay more to the top guys, pay more and deeper.

Tracks like RedBud and Millville can't afford it? Sorry then maybe they don't belong on the AMA tour.





DirtDgr
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8/31/2009 10:25pm
Construction of permanent bathrooms for women only at all events by 2010.

Sounds nice but could not happen.

I have never been to any facility other than a stadium that can accomodate 10,000+ spectators(women) with flushing toilets.

Do you know what it would cost? Well into seven figures I'm sure if you could even get the county to allow it which is very doubtful. Add in some ADA ones to boot and you would put every National promoter right out of business.

Putting Outdoor Motocross in a NASCAR facility, too me strikes the very heart of the tradition and very soul of motocross.


The only thing that may be remotely possible is the "flushable" outhouses. But even that would be big bucks.

Personally I think live TV is hurting ticket sales at the moment. I am not convinced live TV is what we need.


I like the rest of it for 2010 as long as the National is "additional" and not a replacement!
DirtDgr
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8/31/2009 10:35pm
[quote]Tracks like RedBud and Millville can't afford it? Sorry then maybe they don't belong on the AMA tour.[quote]


You have no idea how much money it takes to put on a National Motocross and how little the promoters actually make. You would be humbled if you knew the truth! Trust me when I say every outdoor promoter is in it for the love of the sport!

WhipMeister
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8/31/2009 10:49pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 1:54am
Great piece. I give it an A-.

One point I think needs more emphasis: It needs to be a stated bullet point goal to reduce frequency of injuries. (Yes, I see the brief discussion on tracks and equipment. Expand it, please.) It is impossible to develop a loyal and enthusiastic fan base when most of your 'stars' can't even line up for the majority of your events. Fans=greater rewards (see below). Most of the risk can be mitigated with thoughtful track design that puts a premium on margin for error over pure thrill.

How many RV, MA, JS, KW (I'll explain), JG, etc, etc fans relegated their enthusiasm to BASS masters level this season? Why JS and KW? Well, the equation for the teams is reward > risk+expense. IMO the reason you see so many SX only deals these days is that's where the equation works for them. MX? Not so much.

How to address it? Can't increase reward without more fandom. The expense is what it is. You only have one thing in your control to manipulate. So manipulate it.

Fat Fingers
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9/1/2009 1:35am
Qualifying - Whats wrong with timed qualifying? Is there any other motorsport that has qualifying races? You are going to see the guys race soon enough.. maybe some of the suspense of who will win is gone if you have qualifying races.

Max age for 250 class - I like that one. The sport needs a premier class, 3 good years in the 250 class is good enough.

40 minute + 2 laps - Bring it on! I bet there will be lots of black flags. There may only be about 10 riders left on the track after 40 minutes.
shaner708
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9/1/2009 2:26am
I definitely think that racers should qualify for a national by RACING, not turning a single fast lap. I like the age limits. I think it would be very hard to have a 150 class though, I don't know if the OEMs would jump on board, and if they didn't you'd see alot of young kids on old ass equipment. I'd love for the two strokes to make a return though, it would be interesting not only having equal displacement, but also seeing which bike each rider would choose
teggers
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9/1/2009 2:37am
DC wrote:
Interesting stuff Rup, lots to digest. I know you are a fan of a long weekend, but not one of the top riders (and hardly anyone...
Interesting stuff Rup, lots to digest.

I know you are a fan of a long weekend, but not one of the top riders (and hardly anyone else in the paddock) has complained about the one-day format. I know some fans like the weekends longer, but most fans would rather see as many of the top riders are possible competing, and the two-day format (which means four days away from the home and shop) was hurting their chances of seeing the top guys. And the Saturdays helped immensely with live and same-day TV. I couldn't make it to Southwick, so seeing two hours of racing on Saturday night (plus Budds Creek as a warm-up) seemed pretty cool to me.

Thanks for sharing all of your thoughts and ideas, see you at Steel City.
DC
MX Sports
I just got home... have not been able to read the link yet...

Saturdays are working just fine. I am old school as they get, but my Mom (82 years old) looks forward to some type of MX that night....sometimes live.

Saturdays work too - for the riders. One day events are a lot less stressful. I hated the idea, originally, but I like it now.

Now, if we could racing back into qualifying......fast laps are bullshit.
Kinetic1
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9/1/2009 4:06am
I see just a few problems but the biggest obstacle I see is money. You have produced an outline for the sport that would cost millions of dollars to implement. Where is the money coming from? I like most of your ideas though. The women need their own class though. Even Ashley isn't anywhere near fast enough to race with the boys and the women deserve their own series to be able to race in. I like the cc for cc racing as well. The tracks need to be harder not easier though. Harder tracks produce fewer injuries as best I can figure. I don't know why but that's the way it is. Maybe because speeds are lower? Mandatory protection is a big plus also. Good luck Rupert.
DirtyFilter75
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9/1/2009 5:39am
DC wrote:
Interesting stuff Rup, lots to digest. I know you are a fan of a long weekend, but not one of the top riders (and hardly anyone...
Interesting stuff Rup, lots to digest.

I know you are a fan of a long weekend, but not one of the top riders (and hardly anyone else in the paddock) has complained about the one-day format. I know some fans like the weekends longer, but most fans would rather see as many of the top riders are possible competing, and the two-day format (which means four days away from the home and shop) was hurting their chances of seeing the top guys. And the Saturdays helped immensely with live and same-day TV. I couldn't make it to Southwick, so seeing two hours of racing on Saturday night (plus Budds Creek as a warm-up) seemed pretty cool to me.

Thanks for sharing all of your thoughts and ideas, see you at Steel City.
DC
MX Sports
X2 good job this year DC. I know some are critical but it was pretty sweet to watch the race Saturday night. It was an epic for all time in my opinion.
SteveS
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9/1/2009 5:54am
Qualifying - Whats wrong with timed qualifying? Is there any other motorsport that has qualifying races? You are going to see the guys race soon enough...
Qualifying - Whats wrong with timed qualifying? Is there any other motorsport that has qualifying races? You are going to see the guys race soon enough.. maybe some of the suspense of who will win is gone if you have qualifying races.

Max age for 250 class - I like that one. The sport needs a premier class, 3 good years in the 250 class is good enough.

40 minute + 2 laps - Bring it on! I bet there will be lots of black flags. There may only be about 10 riders left on the track after 40 minutes.
Qualifying races for a major motorsports event? Daytona 500, for one.

Every short track in the country running stockers or sprints, for another.

Flat track.
jbomx363
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9/1/2009 6:11am
DirtDgr wrote:
[quote]Tracks like RedBud and Millville can't afford it? Sorry then maybe they don't belong on the AMA tour.[quote] You have no idea how much money it...
[quote]Tracks like RedBud and Millville can't afford it? Sorry then maybe they don't belong on the AMA tour.[quote]


You have no idea how much money it takes to put on a National Motocross and how little the promoters actually make. You would be humbled if you knew the truth! Trust me when I say every outdoor promoter is in it for the love of the sport!

That's the biggest crock of crap I hear. In it for the love of the sport may be part of it.... but the cash is the other, and the major part of it all.

That has been the reason and excuse for years and years why Nat. Tracks haven't made infrastructure improvements. Those that make the improvements deserve to keep their nat, those that don't should be kicked to the curb and replaced.

This year, it seems like almost every Nat has tried to show they've taken things seriously and upped the ante to have premier facilities.

I'll assume you're part of the Hangtown crew by your user name?



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