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Factory teams race for multiple reasons winning and pride, selling bikes,R&D,etc. . But in the end if they are not selling bikes they will not be going racing. I was speaking more of a future contract with them . A way to keep him around if his body will not allow him to ride at the level he can when 100%, and do it 100% of a season.
If he was able to race and be a brand ambassador if the results were not panning out. That might be a way for Kawasaki to justify keeping him. I like AC and hope for the best for him. But if kawasaki was paying him to win a title, they had to know how much of a longshot that would be back when they redid his contract a year and a half or so ago. Them having Tomac as his teammate, now Anderson. Unfortunately AC has been filling the second guy role. He has the skills to be the top guy. But his health issues hold him back .
Not every racer is paid to win titles. Only 1 or 2 guys each year can win a title. And it becomes a longer shot each year AC gets hurt. I hate seeing it, injuries kept me from ever getting very far with racing and I feel somewhat robbed of reaching my potential, a much much lower potensial . I can not imagine how hard it has been for AC . Being right there on the edge of being the guy .
Appreciate the insights, and I fully believe he has a career ahead in the booth but it’s not for another few years. He’s a moto dude, built tough and not a quitter. he will continue to fight and continue to dig through what he’s dealing with. He won’t retire unless he can’t physically get on the bike anymore only 27. HEP or Triumph. We will find out come October
I get the impression that if he cant hold onto the bike, why would he even want to put himself in that kind of danger.
But but there should be an asterisk on your statement. He hasn't lived up to expectations not because lack of performance but lack of health (injuries).
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Satellite team or retired in the booth.
Right now he is out with a new finger injury. I think that the holding on thing is an issue if he pushes it. If he rides a little less than 100% its not as much of a problem. It's a nerve issue I believe.
I have some funky stuff going on with nerves in one of my feet. I can not feel it if somebody touches my foot, or if I put my foot into Hot or cold water it feels the same. But I can feel it fine to walk and kick, shift, pedal a bike. And then sometimes if I'm sitting at my desk or in a piece of heavy equipment for a while it will go numb. One time I got up to walk and fell down because my foot was numb and I did not know it when I got up. He talked about it in an interview a while back. And I remember thinking about my experience .
I could be wrong, but I was thinking that it became an issue if his arms started to pump up. I normally do not post something if I am not sure of it. So I am including a disclaimer that I could be off on the details.
They already have a brand ambassador.
Phoenix Honda replacing Wilson since he is planning to retire, correction Fire Power Honda...whoops
if Forkner stays healthy all year and maybe comes out with a 250 title, i imagine Kawi will look his way. They’ve invested so much into him to not give him a shot at the big class.
Ac wont be at kawy next year.
His buddy Betts seems to be doing ok after retirement from baseball so maybe he’ll take that as a cue that it’s fine to pull the plug on one thing and move onto the next
In a prefect world…
Sit out the Nationals and really, REALLY focus on fixing/healing his arm.
Steadman Clinic…Stem-cells…ALL OF IT. Come back for 2025 SMX…
OR…
Join the HRC/JCR Dakar Squad and have some fun around the world in 2025.
Honestly, if his arm is not cooperating and continues to be a problem, I’d be stoked to simply see him invest in serious healing and do whatever he needs to do to be happy.
Note: as I read some of the absolutely stupid ignorant negative shit that some of you post, I have to remind myself that this is the internet & there are far too many ass holes with access to their mom’s computer.
Manny
Hopefully the booth. I dont think his body will let him keep going.
Wilson rides for Phoenix Honda?
I thought the Rocky Mountains would be a little more rocky than this
I suspect AC will have many options. I could see him getting a degree and having a successful career outside of the industry.
Wow. We have such lame fans in this sport. If he's talking about Forkner in that comment I bet he feels dumb now. Ha
Pit Row
I can see him being an ambassador to Kawasaki, McGrath won’t be doing it forever.
I can see him becoming a racing ambassador for something like this. no matter how it all played out, he knows he's good, he knows he's fast. Josh Hill whose career ended much sooner is like that. if I'm Josh Hill I'm thinking, yes I was probably the fastest of anyone at times, and that's not such a bad place to be. there are many unspoken mantels for riders like that. Adam is certainly one, and he has a career somewhere regardless, he's just too talented in all areas of life. at least it seems to me. if he wants to heal and dig deep and make a massive push to dethrone the peloton in 2025, he still is of that echelon, but if he took a premier role with a new brand, it would also make total sense.
Dean rides for The FirePower Honda Team, not Phoenix Honda.
RV and MC were both doing that job at the sametime for a while. And I was saying that it would be more of a deal like Josh Hill is doing. Still race when he can. So it would not be an all or nothing racer or ambassador deal. It would be whichever one would fit at the time.
He is still too good of a rider, and too valuable as far as the amount of attention he can bring to a team or brand to not be worth trying to make it work. I have no idea if the $$ amounts could line up so that Kawasaki and AC could agree on a deal like that. But for a rider like him who really could still grab heat wins and podiums in the 450 class even with his health issues on a good night , it would be crazy not to try and keep him.
Who do You replace him with that brings both better results AND a larger fanbase? Companies spend a lot of money on adds on Youtube and other social media. I think somebody like AC is worth trying to make it work somehow.
Yeah, That John Denver is full of shit Man!
With some ppl saying Ac to triumph. Who thinks that kinda deal would be enough for monster to sponsor the whole triumph team.
AC is a pretty big/tall dude with a unique setup. I doubt that will help Triump much for their future riders.
I also can see that happening.
Seeing as there is abit of salary talk what do you think someone like AC’s salary is. I imagine when he first went to 450 it was pretty big coming off a title and kawis investment in him. Imagine when he re upped it was less and Anderson is the big money maker in that that team. I’m guessing 500k-1mill? Somewhere between there. I know we have a rough idea of salaries in this sport but it is always been abit of a mystery. AC has said he would put it out there on his pod like other forms of Motorsport. Darren Lawerence was pretty open in the video Alpinestar did of Jett just after he won the title that if he was 450mx champ it was a 400,000 increase in his salary the following year so that was a cool insight. Always just wondered what the “second” 450 rider on team is getting. I was guessing around 500k to 1mill is the ball park.
Best post Boomslang has ever made, just saying.
I wouldn't put much faith in his sources. They guaranteed Dangerboy didn't go under the knife...
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