Yes, this is another supercross format change thread. With all the non-sense being thrown around I figured I might as well add mine into the mix. After listening to some of the discussions on Gypsy Tales it got me thinking.. and I think there is some real meat to the theory, albeit with a few tweaks. Here we go:
450 Class - The elite of the elite only - F1 Style - Full Works Bikes. Limited number of "seats" with 2 man teams. The best dudes and the top factory's going all out with cutting edge tech, equipment, personnel, etc. Each team can man a reserve rider or call up from the minors (more on this in a few).
250 Class - A true feeder class. Bikes are based on a stock spec platform with limited development allowed. Heavy emphasis on promoting futures riders that are ready for the big stage. No restrictions on the amount of riders per team like the 450 class. Big factory teams can build their bench with talent (Star/Geico model), but small teams can still compete due to the stock spec rules. West/East Regions remain mainly to manage attrition. Less races for the young guns to stay healthy for and it adds another layer of difficulty to those who promote to the 450 class.
Futures - Same as current. Would be cool if they could make it a 125cc class, but that would get some push-back from a few certain manufactures.
Minor Leagues (for lack of a better name) - Completely separate series that captures fall out from the Youth focused 250 class and the "limited seats" Elite 450 class. Minors would have 250 and 450 classes. Some rules in place to keep the playing field level.
Friday Show - At select rounds (or all rounds?), run the minor leagues on Fridays. Make it a championship. This is where the current crop of Privateers would live. Racing other privateers for wins and championships, and maybe an opportunity to be called up to a big team one day. It would be it's own showcase on a Friday that would also build some hype for the big show on Saturday.
450 Class Practice Format - 2x 30min practice sessions on RDL
450 Class Super Pole - Added to the night show to set gate picks for the mains. This would fill the heat race/LCQ void in the 450 class. The longer practice sessions would also add more time to watch the elite guys with a cool opportunity to see them dissect things like bike setup and strategy with the extended time on track. For Triple Crown events Super Pole would be ran on RDL.
250 Class Format - Traditional format - Free Practice, Qualifiers, Heats, and LCQs all remain the same. Maybe some sort of qualification system from Futures or 250 Minors.
Triple Crowns - No adjustments needed. Select rounds with Futures racing their own championship.
Points for Fastest Race Lap and Super Pole - Nothing massive, but award those who can put a lap together.
Rider Radios - Take the nod from F1. Bring in team/rider interactions from Practice and Race. Relay safety information. Get rid of pit boards!
In my mind this seems like a great evolution of the current format. Some of the big benefits would be a decrease in overall track time and track breakdown throughout the day. Less riders on Saturday by putting the majority in the Friday night program. This would give the Saturday Elites a better track to race on at night and maybe just maybe that would lead to less injuries? Who knows. There would be more racing for us fans to watch! Friday and Saturday programs. There would also be a clear road to the Elite 450 class and add a level of prestige to the 450 class that it deserves.
Flame away 🤪
Wait for it…
I'll get it started.
OPs ideas.
Go deep 😎I think you need a 450B ( non factory ) main in there somehow some way. Seems like the 15- 22 guys would like the idea how having a shot at a podium instead of getting lapped.
The support class should be just that. Supporting the "Headlining" act - the 450's
The Shop
Free shipping: VITALMX
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
You forgot the super final, have the best 250 racers compete on track during the 450 main.
Other than that I don't see how it could fail.
What's the problem you're trying to solve?
Elevating the sport by elevating the 450 class
Lappers/Slower Riders
Track Degradation
A clear road map for amateur's
Just to name a few..
What makes those things problems and how would your proposed ideas be a solution?
I'm glad OP saw the humor in my post. Too many here have a stick up their arse.
....but I'm not a fan of the proposals. This sport is already unrecognizable as it is.
Lets do away with the start grates, start blocks, holeshot devices, RPM lights and other stupid things that eliminate "skills".
Enforce the blue flag rules as is.
Getting rid of the privateers is the worst proposal people are making.
Superpole is a waste of time and boring.
With Superpole they could use DartFish to overlay the top 22 best racers simultaneously. No need to even do the main. With extra time in the program they could extend the press conference.
Elevating the sport by elevating the 450 class - I agree with Gypsy Tales on the point that the hero's of this sport could be put on a more elite stage. F1 has a pretty good model in the way it promotes drivers through feeder series with the goal being a seat in one of the 20 available cars to race in the F1 championship. Why can't a system like this work for Supercross? The sport is growing regardless, just seems like an evolution is coming and probably going to be needed at some point. Why not take the nod from an existing series that works well and makes shit tons of money for all involved? I'm not saying SMX will ever be as big as F1, but it can definitely be bigger.
Lappers/Slower Riders - Kenny last weekend. Need i say more..
Track Degradation - Seems like in all the interviews with the riders the general consensus from them is that the track is shit by they race their mains on it. Yes they are the best of the best, but does that mean they need to race the shittiest version of the track? Could a less worn track tone down some risk for injury? Could a less worn track race better? Valid questions that a more focuses Saturday program could solve.
A clear road map for amateur's - As Danial Blaire said, the Futures program is the first legitimate road map to supercross that's ever been. Why stop there? Let's have a road to the cream of the crop 450 class with clear division between 250s and 450s. And a legitimate minor league series for the ones that can't make it to the top and/or missed a shot due to injury and want to fight their way back into the conversation.
Does your ticket for Friday also get you in for Saturday? extended presser, Good luck with that! The riders seem miserable having to sit through the ones we have now… So I’ll ask as well, what is it you are trying to fix and why?
How about Mondays on holiday weekends?
2 gate drops. Privateers start first w/ a 30sec gap to 2nd gate drop of factory supported riders. Eliminate the blue flag completely. We'd see some creative passing on this format. $100,000 bonus to any privateer who manages to land the W.
The crowd would lose their shit if they were a part of watching it.
I like it. But what a surprise, people completely resistant to new ideas and change.
Yup. They want to ban Weston Peick before he had a chance to improve
Not having a gate of 22 guys that can legitimately run the pace for the entire main. God bless Chiz but he’s old enough to be Jett’s dad 😎Move the guys up that can do it or continue on with 7-10 guys that have a legit chance at a win and the balance just out chewing up the track making more dangerous…
Just imagine the excitement when they go to electrics on top of that!
Pit Row
What we really need is is Supercross Hooliganism. That would elevate the sport in a mainstream sense. Had a thousand fans rushed the track after that red flag was thrown it would be front page news all over the world.
lol
Elevate the 450 class: What is the specific goal of improving the feeder system and what does it mean to put the sport on a more elite stage? It all sounds nice on the surface but they are phrases that lack substance. Is the "elite stage" more money? Mainstream publicity?
Lappers/Slower Riders: Lappers are a moving obstacle. It takes skill to work through them and allows the best riders to shine. Accidents do happen,but accidents happen everywhere, like Roczen's shock exploding last year and ending his season. If you wanted to eliminate lappers you'd have a 10 person main event. I think that would make the race less exciting, but you can do that without all of the changes you proposed.
Track Degradation: Where are you proposing less track time. With 2x30 practices I think that's actually more track time. How is track degradation an issue? If it's safety related, wouldn't a slower more technical track have less serious injuries? We've also seen Jett and Hunter get injured on the first lap while the track is in decent shape.
Road Map For Amateurs: Yes there could be a more clear-cut road map, but what problem are you trying to solve? Talent Development?
I think there is for sure room for improvement but the ideas your proposing don't seem to address any specific problems.
Ok Boomer Ed. Good job.
GenX ,Good try.
I don't know if I've put it on here before or not and I'm not totally sure if or how it would work but I like the surfing model where they have a Championship Tour (CT) and a Qualifying Series (QS)..
The CT would have a 'Fast 40' in both classes that are in the show every week no matter what, but would have to get a certain number of points during the season to stay in it for the next season and maybe the bottom 10 or 15 get turfed and you'd have another smaller QS that could qualify you into the next year to replace them.. Maybe the CT guys in danger could enter the QS as well to stay in (I dunno how that would work though haha)
Maybe the QS races could follow the CT or have their own smaller venues..
No need to change the night show (unless you wanted to run the QS main in there somewhere) but I'd suggest the advantage would be the more privateer riders in the CT could approach sponsors with a stronger ROI instead of I'll try every week but might not make it in.. Also maybe they'd get a little traveling allowance or something (HA yeah right) plus you could have injury wildcards from the QS if needed (HA IF needed) plus the QS could get a following (You guys like ya College sports) and the faster guys in that series could tell sponsors they'll be getting the attention at that event for their ROI..
Since you asked for the flame job, I will.
I mean no offense of course, but half the threads on here lately are people chucking out their pet ideas to fix Pro racing - the thing that least needs addressed in this sport.
450 Class - F1 structure: only works in F1 & MotoGP due to Concorde agreement and the series paying a huge amount of costs. Zero interest in this from promoters and is unlikely to grow overall numbers
250 Class - stock(ish) rule: sounds ok but leads to Balance of Performance (BOP) type arguments for OEMs to continue, safety concerns/whining, claiming rules have always led to fiascos
Futures - already effectively a 3rd class
Minor Leagues - Feld has issues filling stadiums as is, who/what/where would this be staged? Basically describing arenacross? Idea has some merit if paired with existing events and was req'd as a pathway to big show
Friday Show - complete non-starter as it shifts the entire build/infrastructure a day earlier, not viable at most events
450 Practice - why not 1x 30min?
Super Pole - these are usually pretty boring
Bonus points - just incentivizes guys to ride their brains out laps 1-2. Watch 250s if you want this.
Radios - adds very little at best ("uh, try harder"), hugely distracting/dangerous at worst. Intensity is very different in SX than F1
I wish there was just two main events. Maybe one with the full 22, and then whoever gets in the top seven or something goes in for a second super main event so the best dudes don’t get screwed by bad starts, lappers, etc.
Something like that would be sick
Get rid of the ktm kids race. Use that time for track prep. More skid steers. Get 15 of em out there for every break. clean up the rhythm sections . they could even clean up the whoops. 2 skidsteers going in unison each way. meet in the middle.
I would like to see full works bikes with no weight limits.
There are only 3 Yamaha's, 2 Honda's, 2 Kawasaki's, 2 Suzuki's, 2 betas, 1 husky, 2 KTM's and 1 gas gas. Only 15 factory riders eligible for the Main?? Now take Tomac, Lawrence, Lawrence, Prado out 11 riders at the gate, some race.
If the 250 class was a true feeder class you’d call up Max to fill in for ET etc…
What happens when guys inevitably get hurt? Do you call up 250 guys in the middle of their championship? Also lappers would still be an issue because of how technical and how much variety there is, there will always be a big gap between 1st and 22nd. It’s fine as is
Post a reply to: Nuke the Privateers, Minor Leagues, Super Pole, and more....