Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but Premium users receive great benefits. Premium benefits include:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
That kid caught my eye and rips. One of the few KX65’s in the field which is a big disadvantage. His results on paper don’t show his speed. He fell a lot, but got back up and passed a ton of riders over and over again. I enjoyed watching him throughout the week.
This thread has been a reckoning for me.
1. I think…hell, I know..:there are some crazy ideas about how many kids/riders live and train at “the compounds”.
2. There’s a father-n-son team, here in, that is MotoAF…& we need to get them some solid support.
3. There are some seriously butt-hurt and angrily bitter mofos that can’t let go of the fact that there are families that go seriously deep for moto…and it’s sad…and pathetic…and, fuck it: I’m not wasting anymore time on those bitter little douchebags.
4. Matthes, if he TRULY cares about this sport…needs to get some of the 4th, 5th, 6th…15th place families on his show and his podcasts and tell the back stories about these amazing racers…their families….and…HOW they got into Moto and HOW they got to LL’s and HOW they love our sport:
So stoked on the regular Joes and Janes that crushed it in the mud.
Get some!
How about Luke Yepez, the PW ripper who lost his boots and finished in his socks. Talk about determination! I think he's 6 years old or so?
That’s SO Old School Little Kid Kool!
The Shop
Free shipping: VITALMX
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
I remember rolling up to the line for my first moto at the Dade city LLAQ in schoolboy one and any shred of confidence I had was gone when I read the names on the jerseys. Me and one other kid I raced with locally were the only ones that weren’t in a training camp from the time we were 6. Vowed to try again when I’m eligible for an age class.
Matthes doesn't have to do shit lol. He covers professional racing not 15th place amateurs.
Steve hates the amateur scene he’s not doing any interviews with anyone but maybe the next big thing. Maybe ML or Daaaaark could do that?
Every single kid we know that raced this year is a training facility kid. Maybe not full time year round, but they spend a significant amount of time working with trainers throughout the year.
What I find odd is that it's more 50 kids than anything at these facilities. My kid has been living at a facility for a bit and there's only been a handful of big bikes out there, but a ton of kids on 50's. All of the big bike kids were at Loretta's with the exception of a couple that are pro and 1 other.
Understand though that Loretta's is the peak of amateur racing. You don't luck in. The kids out there racing are the ones who have put in the work. Not saying a weekend warrior can't make it, but it's only getting more difficult. Frankly, riding on the weekends just isn't enough for that level. If you aren't doing 3-4 days a week on the bike, your chances are very slim. Even the C classes are stacked full of kids who live at facilities.
How come Europe produces so many good racers without facilities?
Your last sentence is the thing that irks me about all this. No doubt nobody lucks into a spot on that gate, but I really wish it didn’t have to come to the parents of a C class kid betting the farm just for their kid to wind up 25th O/A. The thing that scares me about all this is I’ve seen in other types of racing where the cost to compete rises so much the series/sport ultimately is it’s own demise and falls in on itself. I really hope we never make it the point of some other motorsports I follow.
Darren Pine attends school regularly and he won a few motos and almost two titles. He trains after school.
https://www.vurbmoto.com/vurb-roundup-who-is-darren-pine/
Yes there are still a few.
Mackenzye Brocato finished 7th OA in the WMX class and is a true weekend warrior. Finished in the top 5 in Girls classes previous years. Has the ability to win or be Top 3 if she trained at a complex even if it was part time but chooses to be a kid and enjoy other sports, plays 3 different sports in high school.
Van Oliver competed in 65 Ltd and 65 Mod 10-11 this year was his first year at LL's and doesn't train at a complex.
Tinley McCoy competed in the Girls class and had top 10 lap times all week, she also would have made it in 65cc as a girl but power valve failed in the 3rd moto at the regional. I believe she was 3-5-DNF at her regional in 65 class. She trains with her dad at their home track but not at a complex all the time.
Tinley was at the same training facility as my son prepping for Loretta's. She definitely spends significant time with coaches and is not what I would consider a weekend warrior.
Darren is a great kid and works his butt off. I know his family well and spent some time with them this week. Darren is out at TTMX daily after school. Darren has ridden 3+ days a week with a coach for several years. Definitely not a weekend warrior.
I hate that he had 2 championships slip away from him this year, but that's part of it. Hopefully we will see him with some factory support soon.
As someone who had this same mentality after getting whooped at Pro ams and A class races since the age of 18, hate to break it to u but the 25+ class isn't a shred easier lmao. I actually wish I could go back and put more effort into making it in college boy instead.
Yeah to say weekend warrior is definitely a stretch and almost disrespectful to how hard he showed he works. But with that being said, a kid that still goes to school and does this well is not quite normal these days. Mainly why I brought him up.
There's a big difference between hating and just staying in your lane. Steve is an amateur racer himself, I doubt he hates it. He just probably doesn't have the mental space for it. His full time job that includes flying all over the country and doing hundreds of podcasts a year (almost 2000 total so far) is dedicated to the professional side of our sport. Imagine if some clown came up to your office and said if you really cared about your work you'd vacuum the floors too. There's plenty of room for someone to take up the gauntlet of quality content on the amateur side to see if it would really be worth the time and effort financially.
I agree! I love his content so i hate to see him get pulled into this.
It would be an amazing podcast for someone (like Matthes that has talent as an interviewer) to interview the amateur riders and their families. It's only interesting if the interviewer asks the right questions and moves the show along.
Matthes is the king of this
Pit Row
Where is the camp located ? I ran across a Milwaukee news story on Busse on yt. He has a heart monitor. I plan to join Denmark again 200 bucks for a yr you can’t beat that. I ran across a couple Houghton vids . The 4th gear wo double double looks fun. A little bit similar to red buds old double double.
My kid finished 10th overall in both 65 7-9, and 7-9 limited at LL this year. Best moto was a 4th. Completely stock bike too, didn’t even touch suspension. Even ran the stock maxis tires on the bike (except for the 3 mud races when I put a mx14 wheel on).
He goes to normal school, and we just ride. Don’t do any training. We do go to a Monday night class thing at a local track with like 10 other kids for 3 hours, but we only do that once every 3 weeks or so on average.
He would love to be homeschooled though and train. Told him if he won LL we would lol
so many kids on 65’s are home schooled and at facilities it’s crazy. I know a few, and they weren't even fast enough to qualify for Loretta’s lol. I totally understand it and support it though if you can afford it and have the time.
You don't have to answer this if you don't want too, but I was just curious how much it costs to build a competitive supermini for LL?
The race one is about $12k to build. It is a 112cc. We ran it for racing only in 2022 and 2023. Did have to put a new crank in it at 32 hours.
The practice bike is a 105cc and was about $11k to build from new. Had that since 2021 and put 120 hours on it.
I have no clue how to post multiple photos in one post anyo…
I pushed for Darren Lawrence to coach his own kids and never leave them with anyone else, I have a few other riders doing the same, so coaching the parents along with the riders is my main goal, Going alone for very short periods is ok for self growth but I guessing Deegan done most his work with family also. It is all about time though, every other sport you go to regular training and mx needs it to.
Nolan rips. That's a great result.
I know an engine builder who built a few LL’s championship winning superminis and he called them his little grenades. One of these bikes had 15k just in motor mods.
Congrats on your boys achievements he’s got some skill that’s for sure.
Sorry I couldn’t get internet the last 2 days, Verizon sucks. Carter runs a camp or school. That’s cool he has a lot of pro experience & is fast as hell. I hv a lot to do when I get home my van trans is not rebuilt yet & I hv to get it setup. Build 2 bikes outside. Get a new insurance plan, etc,etc. My body is hammered wrist , hand & shoulder is real bad. Get my stuff done & ride at Denmark since it’s close & I can ride & get the bike setup all day . I never rode the fc revalve yet. Mod engine is apart & the bike. Once I,m caught up & in riding shape I might contact Carter. I will be in a hurry to get up to speed. Oct 8 is the last points race. I,ll probably be racing 40A it’s the only class I hv a shot at a championship. Race the 125 class also mathematically out along with 50+. I,m in Houston now yeah it’s a little hot.
Same mindset ends up infecting every youth sport. People become convinced that to be successful you have to follow this intense path and it becomes self fulfilling prophecy because everyone just buys into it without giving it any thought. They get talked into it by people whose livelihood depends on others believing the lie. Making the next sacrifice becomes almost a security blanket for the parents. Allows them to put all the burden on the kid. If they don't make it big it won't be because mom or dad held them back and said no. It won't be because mom and dad considered the law of diminishing returns and wanted their kid to have a balanced childhood and an education. It's just a lie that a kid with talent will go undiscovered or won't reach their potential unless you go all in early. It's just a lie. I used to have to fight my wife on it all the time. Other kids doing this camp or going to this private coach, we have to let our kids do it too so they can keep up.... years of saying no and somehow my kids are doing just fine and even still enjoy what they're doing. Very freeing once you realize the whole enterprise is built on lies.
Not to be disrespectful but you might want to dip your feet into 40b/c before a if you haven’t raced for many years and your body is all busted up. I haven’t raced for a couple years but 40A was pretty fast last time I did…maybe so you in the 50+ class some time, only tracks I will consider are Ridge, Tigerton or Motosplat and maybe Aztalan vet weekend
Post a reply to: Weekend Warrior LL Kids