Have you guys ever listened to someone ramble on about something and in that time span say absolutely nothing of importance at all? After watching the video Vurbmoto released called, "What Happened to Local Motocross Racing," I can't help but feel they completely failed at addressing why so many people are not opting to go race every weekend. Their main argument was that training facilities are the cause of so many not racing anymore while also promoting training facilities at the same time. Having someone say training facilities are bad, but owning a training facility and saying they can replicate race days while showing mostly footage of people at training facilities is confusing. Either they are bad and hurting the sport or they are good and helping. Very grey area. Repeatedly they argue that you need to go racing because gate drops are everything and that's the only way you get better. Not once did they address the cost of racing versus the amount of track time you actually get or the absolute litany of classes nowadays to ensure everyone gets a trophy. After watching this I really feel they missed the mark and really didn't dive in on the real reasons people aren't racing. What do you guys think?
Here's the link to the video:
I didn't watch the whole thing, but got a bit of irony after seeing the clip on instagram when they just had an event at LTM, a place with huge turnouts and is about to become part training facility.
The fees are too high for the amount of riding you get and the day is too long.
They phrased the question incorrectly. Should have asked;
“Why aren’t fast amateurs racing locally anymore?”
Vurb is what happens when you do too many whippets in high school
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Is it really too many then?
I think I get what they're trying to do but I also see what you're saying. Lots of words to say not a whole lot. It's basically a PSA on the value of racing and getting gate drops, but I really don't think that's the main issue with the grass roots of the sport. I mean, the issue is that more and more there is no grass roots of the sport, and the reasons for that could fill 5 Youtube videos or 10,000 words on here but they start way before you get to what they're talking about in the video.
If I have $5,000 to spend on racing a year. I would rather race 3 big am nationals a year than 30 local races. It just is what it is. Even if you don’t make Loretta’s they have 6-7 big nationals with full gates that are a blast and have a lot of competition. It’s just the way the sport has developed.
This. Go sit around while they run 12324 kids classes, then get 12 minutes once you're finally called to the gate
I’m sure plenty of guys on here like me age 25-35 grew up with Vurb being such a big deal in the moto industry for the youth. But man they are a disgrace to that memory now. They should’ve came back with a new name, new brand, cuz this “new” vurb has sucked since they came back. Their events suck, their podcasts suck, new videos suck. Literally the only good content they’ve put out since the return is the reuploads of content from the early 2000s. “Shouldda stayed dead.”
Don't hate on the kids. They have just as long of a day as the adults and have to wait for them too.
I agree, the fees get expensive and the race days are very long. We don't get home until 11pm sometimes Sunday nights and both my wife and I have to get up at 5:30-6ish to work Monday morning. 1 of my son's 50cc classes is usually one of the last of the day.
D23 requires 14 weekend commitment. Fat chance when our season only runs May through September (most April races get canceled due to snow / rain). Even our local series within D23 requires 9 weekends: 4 are close to us, but they require at least 4 at a sister track that is 4 hrs away.
This really alienates the slightly less than "die-hard" racers. So, we just go when convenient and most of all, have fun.
I wish our local series would tone it down a bit so regular Joes can qualify for the series without taking up your whole summer's weekends. I was reading past rulebooks and it used to be attainable. Not sure why they changed as we started racing after that.
Local racing is kinda a hassle and a waste. One local series has like 17 races on the same track for the hole year,
Only reason I take my kid racing locally a lot is because of contingency. He usually makes 300-700$ a day. If not for that we’d just be doing nationals and big races.
Also think the local racers (myself included) are not usually all loaded with $$ owning businesses like the family’s you see at the nationals. The local racers with lower income are hurting right now in this economy
Sure did! Always got excited when Vurb would drop their new vid or photo dump from a big amatuer race.
Vurb Selects and Platinums were all time. The new “reboot” of Vurb is like Chinese Democracy era Guns N Roses.
This is the bottom line. It’s why the local nationally prepped practice track gets huge turnouts every weekend, and there’s the same 5 guys racing all the vet classes at the other track 45 minutes away.
Bring back split programs and get these guys in and out. I want to race, but I don’t want to devote 12 hours to ride 2-4 10 minute moto’s when I can do 3 20 minute moto’s in 3 hours for a quarter of the price and go home and still have time to mow my god damn lawn.
I'm from Thunder Bay but race a ton of D23 (mostly off-road) and I agree, 14 weekends is way way way too much for the average person who has other hobbies/families etc. I LOVE racing my bike, but that is a ton of racing to just qualify for year end points.
Why is this? Are you trying to become a professional? Serious question.
Would you race locally if there were full gates?
I can never understand how people can commit to 14 weekends throughout the summer of racing unless they have there own business or don’t work at all. Any job I’ve ever had required me to work a Saturday every now and then. And of course that weekend never lines up with the “off weekend” of the race schedule. Shit even owning my own business at one time I had to work some weekends so not even that.
I never work Saturdays but just the work during the week that it takes after working all day and doing life stuff is tough many weeks in a row. Washing bikes, washing gear, unloading crap, then bike maintenance usually fixing stuff you broke is hard to make time for throughout the week and still cook dinner, spend time with family, mow the grass, etc.
Pit Row
Here’s my take on it and I have been saying all this for a while just never made a video.
Every other weekend is fine because it gives you a break to fix stuff, keep up the house, spend time with family, ect. Racing weekend after weekend is wild. Only way i would have time for that is if I had lots of $ and lots of free time.
Just curious what the thoughts are from any of you who race the Thor showdown series at Lincoln Trail in Illinois? They have really grown that series to the point of averaging 800 entries every round while I constantly hear of low turnouts and tracks closing across the nation. The track was just purchased by Jace Owen who from what I hear plans to keep the racing going and growing, but also start a training facilty there.
Never seen this verb guy but seems like everyone just wants to post photos or videos of themselves holding up cheap ass pieces of cardboard to blowhard your existence ….fuck this..I”m going to pound some sand motos
Scoop or no scoop?
Too lazy to put the scoop on..
The vurb dudes think they’re moto royalty because they put out cool videos 10+ years ago
I think it was 100% spot on.
I love Casey MX (LTM)! I think they prep a little too deep on the classic track and it lost a little of it's former feel, but it's a first-class place.
LT lost my entry when they started doing 1 moto on Saturday and moto 2 on Sunday. Last event I raced there was in the spring of this year. I can go to wildcat creek and race a modern bike at the vet event and be home by 4 pm same day.
Media outlet that for years relentlessly promotes national events as the only ones that matter surprised to see negative impact on local racing....hmmmm.
:D
Yes, I don't like the split days like that. I think they are doing it this weekend. They have been doing a few classes on Saturday and the rest Sunday. That didn't work too badly.
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