What is the current state of the sport? And where do you see it going in 5-10 years?

On a local level the insurance deal is probably going to continue to take tracks out. This morning I waited to see if my closest one(1 hour drive) was even going to be able to open.
Looks like they will. If not my closest option is 2 hours or if I want to hit Hangtown 3 hours.

50 years into this and I do not plan to stop but Mountain biking is 15 minutes from the house and that becomes an easier decision what to do when I have some time off.

As LB said theres way more to the sport then being a track jock. 

I got into the sport trail finding with my dad and brother and some local friends. No schedule testing days, no sitting all day at the races to ride for 40 minutes. Just a Saturday morning meet at the trail head if you wanna ride type shit. It was church. 

Oatfield?

Tulare?

Btw, whatever happened to the Lake Madera track? 

Looks like it worked out.

Man Lake Madera is homes.

Oatfield and Tulare are both up and running.

Little okie is still alive and well and just completed a series.

Over the last decade or so we lost 

Madera Fairgrounds, Hanford, La Grange, Hollister Hills(fake state water issue) and  Porterville.

Didn’t want to put the track name out there as they were offering an update(last night) and are open.

Doesn't matter to me if this sport grows or shrinks.  I just like the challenge and fun of riding a motorcycle.  When I see hundreds of kids leaving school on their e-bikes....  it makes me think that a decent percentage of them would end up on motorcycles when they get older.

There's nothing wrong with not pushing your kids in to racing MX, but youth motorcycling can teach a kid all kinds of KSA's that are hard to come by at a young age and provide a good foundation for athletic ability and responsibility. 

I would recommend getting them on a balance bike around 3 then an electric balance bike around 4 or 5. This gives them a foundation and familiarity of balancing and working a throttle and brakes that will be very beneficial if they do get into motorcycles down the line. These don't need to be fancy either, I've had good luck with just bikes I got off Amazon for a couple hundred dollars since they are mostly ridden on sidewalks and yard or park grass. 

There's so many domestic and geo-political x-factors in the mix right now I think everyone in every industry is just keeping their head down and working on what they can control rather than trying to look 10 years into the future. That sucks to say, I wish there was a clearer path to what the world will look like when my kids are graduating high school, but I hope I can make riding and at least watching smx every week a part of our lives in that time. 

No matter how hard each of the key players in the industry work their butts off to grow the sport into an equal presence as MLB, MLF, MLB, NASCAR...etc.; no matter how much the industry invests into SX/MX futures, electric bikes, and doing everything they can to offer SX/MX as a family oriented experience; this sport will never reach those levels as long as the number one guy on 250s acts like a child and thinks its cute to make some off colored comment about 'rubbing one out' in the interview after this morning's qualifying.  There's no call for that.  Kids are watching on tv; kids are at the track in the audience.  If this is the best the sport has to offer, parents aren't going to continue to bring their kids to the races or support the sport.  Yamaha and the AMA need to sit this jackass down and teach him some professionalism, if this sport wants to continue to grow.

100% too much emphasis on the pro,s. & LL.   Local racing is alive & well.  I talk with a lot of after market industry people they all want 125 racing to make a come back.  D16 has a popular 125 & 2-st class that has the highest #,s at the track.  There needs to be a 125 c & 125 vet class 30+ 125 would be perfect.  At 30 guys are set with a career & maybe a family . And they want to race , camp out & hv fun.  I did a non ama local race at last min I skipped practice actually I got there late long story. It rained all night & was as 6am I didn’t think they would race .  The starter pointed at 1 side took 2 steps & the gate dropped I was just putting it in gear . 30,50 same gate drop the start is on a steep uphill.  So I,m last a corner a hill straight away next corner to a drop into a valley a table top a straight then a hill jump . When I land finally I had bikes in front of me I can see . I land off the hill hit the inside rut into a steep hill to the biggest drop off . I jumped 4ft from the rt so I wouldn’t land on a rider. And I landed on the steep bank that goes up high to the grass , Lucky I saved it . I rode wo all out to catch up .   Then it’s fun the 450,s peppering ya with roost , they brake early I had to slam the brakes on not to smash them .  A hill jump land hit the rut inside a 30+ new yzf250 was outside rut he was there 1st . But I got him with inside to out side then steep uphill hill into a drop .  He went banzai & passed me on the straight I cut inside on a rt to block him coming out it didn’t work . Hit the rollers into a banked berm he rails it I cut inside bake slide pivot & passed him back . Then I spirit to to get away .  Other motos 5 of us diced I woukd get 4 but the lead of the 5 got away .  1st corner my groin gave me a sharp pain  , numerous injuries back, leg is numb, never in shoulder, etc.  But it’s a blast racing .  Pic is not on top of hill there was people up there too .  To watch the 125,s race