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It's coming from sources close to the situation, I imagine. Burkeen referenced a source and, likewise, Mathes seems to have info. Seems crazy to think Eli would not be back on Star
Dump Craig. Keep Eli.
Ducati, in WSBK and MotoGP, are not known for large salaries (relatively speaking), but they apparently focus on very good performance bonuses. I really doubt they thought Eli would even be an option. If he is in fact available, it won't be money keeping Eli from signing with Ducati. Anyone seen Eli on a flight to Italy, or some red truck in SW CO? I can't see him making the jump to a completely unknown bike.
ain't no way he doesn't re-sign with Star. If he retires on that bike, he'd leave it seen as the preeminent bike that is the holy grail. They'll add the necessary ZERO to his check to make this work, if I'm a betting man. Oh, and dump Craig. How is this not the first solution?
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craig gets paid out of the 250 budget, not the 450 budget. these are technically 2 differently structured teams.
no Red Truck sightings (or Blue either FWIW) and I'm about 20 miles West from the Tomac compound.
Correct. So get rid of him and have Eli “under the 250 tent”
If I had to guess, Craigs salary would cover about 1/10th of Tomacs.
I can't see him sunsetting his career on a bike that unknown either. Unless they offered a huge salary, I don't see Eli gambling. Obviously he does not call me at home, I don't know shit, I am only speculating, but he keeps kicking the retirement down the road because he knows he can still win, and wants to go out on top. Taking a gamble does not make checking that box easy unless there is a lot of money to soften the blow if it does not gel with him. And if he is watching the GPs, so far other than a holeshot, the Ducatis are not setting the world on fire with their current riders either. Which oddly enough, Seewer has struggled since he got off of the Yamaha.
RC went to Suzuki to finish his career when they had a brand new bike (RMZ). That worked out fine
Pop, I am not sure that these guys actually get paid when they are out with injuries. I have heard that many top riders have an insurance policy that pays them during their time on the sidelines. Of course, you would need to be making big dollars to buy a policy like that, as insurance companies know you will likely be hurt at some point, so premiums must be astronomical.
That's nice country out there. I grew up a couple hours NE.
He should start his own team on Yamaha, supported by star.
Cabela's ET3 Monster Yamaha
He is an absolute legend of the sport, im sure if he reached out to potential sponsors he might be surprised who is willing to back him.
Get some backup from the US Army / Navy recruitment side, have a half camo Semi - that would be badass and drive referals.
Several riders have commented that it depends on the contract as they can negotiate that up front. Some have clauses about the maximum number of races missed before their salary gets cut or gets taken away. It all just depends.
DEE-T3 Monster Energy Yamaha Racing!!!
Ricky was also famously OK with riding a bike that didn't have a "perfect" setup. It seems most riders nowadays, Tomac definitely included, will not push if the bike setup isn't exactly to their liking.
The thought of Eli on a KTM seems wrong, but from a business/team perspective, it makes sense. If Chase indeed heads to Kawasaki, Eli could fill the role as experienced title threat until he retires, while they get to give Vialle a year or two on the 450 and see how he shakes out without any pressure. And as someone else mentioned, the Tomac family collective personality would seemingly fit right in with the no-nonsense, results-driven attitudes of Roger and Ian Harrison. From a setup perspective, while KTM used to be notoriously rigid, they have apparently been much more flexible with Chase these past couple of years, and I don't think any rider is as much of a headcase bike setup-wise as he is (even Tomac).
Yeah, if the rear end is too low, Eli notoriously pumps up and is a 6th place guy at best.
Pit Row
Not about skill it’s about risk - at what point do walk away with a seemingly perfect life. Eveytime you line up might be the last time you have a normal life.. just the facts…
So Ducati won’t be able to figure a ride height?
To be a titlke contender in SX, the rider needs a bike that can plain the hoops
The fastest guy in the whoops is on an Austrian bike. Moookie!
Why don't they just write his salary off?!
Yeah its probably set up only for the whoops by the looks of his performance on other parts of the track atm
Exactly. Dropping Craig for Eli would work if it was apples to apples. Unfortunately their contracts are more like grapes to watermelons.
RD, RV and Reed were swapping top 3 spots that year. And Reed "only" had a 14 point lead at that point. So not quite on lock but I do agree that was the best he ever looked outdoors. Was a shame it did not come down to a 3 way battle for the title.
The same could be said for anyone that rides a dirt bike, minus the perfect life part. If you’re thinking like that, it’s time to hang it up. Eli is a racer. The man wants to race.
Not saying that, I'm just saying Eli seems to be a guy that needs his bike setup a particular way to feel comfortable enough to push it. He's not an RC type that just rips holeshots and wins on whatever he's riding.
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