new precedent?

The AMA does not handle GP's

nor the USA for that matter...

JT seemed to go out of his way to tell us all, including Jo, that he wasn't mentally ready for this race. Now JT has something all over his face and it ain't egg!

While I agree that what Haiden did was bad . I only think that parts of it should be against the rules.  The taking out of another rider part should have a very strict penalty in cases like what he did. Multiple hits over and over.  This time karma handled it. But it could have just as easily been Shimoda that got hurt. 

 I think the AMA should have been harsher on Levi for that takeout. A written warning for ruining Deegans chances at the title seems a bit relaxed. For a clear takeout like that , even first offense should carry a penalty that makes it not worth doing.   

It would be difficult to enforce a not racing forward rule like many of said.  But the take out part would be easier to see . Make a rule that if a rider is clearly slowing up like that and that rider or a member of his team takes out  a rider  during the bunching, then its a very strict penalty. 

It would keep the racing cleaner, and if a rider still decided to risk bunching the pack up. They would risk that big penalty that would make it all for nothing. Or even worse than all for nothing.  

The bunching can help create drama and make for an exciting race , if You get rid of the possible take outs. Then the rider could still try and bunch up the pack and hop that other riders could get in between them and the rider they were trying to gain points on.  But then some sort of rule against blocking a clearly faster rider from passing might be difficult to enforce too and could result in similar dangers of riders being blocked and taking bigger risks to pass. 

 I don't really know how to fix it exactly, but the part with taking riders out should have a big penalty. I would hate to see somebody injured badly all for money and a title. 

 I am not a fan of riders taking each other out, I hate how it impacts a race and the risk of injury.  

JT did nothing wrong by mentioning bunching. He was asking if Diaper Boy would resort to it,  and Diaper Boy did just that. 

You can absolutely "bunch up" your competitors. The rider in front is free to ride wherever on the track he pleases and at whatever speed he wants. If this causes a traffic jam, so be it. He merely has to be wary of getting passed in that situation. 

Letting a rider pass so you can line him up for the kill shot is another thing entirely, and should be condemned. 

The comparisons of Bunching Up to allow others into the battle vs. slowing to actively target another rider are not correct IMO. What Deegan, and de Wolf, did are much worse. I have no issue with a single last lap move, but repeated attempts to crash another rider are a whole new ballgame that should not be allowed.

Sorry guys, I guess it's my fault.  But I'm all for bunching them up, and I'm all for cat and mouse.  I don't want to watch boring boat races.  I can go watch a regatta if that's really what I want to see.  This is dirt bike racing, not sailing.  Let there be contact, and penalize accordingly if it crosses the line.  It will always be a subjective as to what is racing forward, what is bunching them up, or what is playing cat and mouse.   If you don't like contact in our sport, go watch badminton or bowling.

Sounds like you'd be better off watching demo derby, football, or mma.  What went on in the last round wasn't normal. You can't even name 5 races since the beginning of time where moves like that were made. Thats not racing, thats a circus. 

No thanks to all of those.  I just want to watch some good racing, in a sport where rubbing is racing and anything excessive gets penalized.  Deegan took a risk to win the championship and it backfired on him, so that's the risk he and others must decide if they want to take to bunch up the pack or play cat and mouse.  I've been on both sides of the bunch 'em up scenario and it plays out both ways.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it backfires.  

As for Deegan, I think what he did was over the line, but he wasn't going for the "kill" like all the pitchfork warriors here claim.  He was slowing up and putting Jo under stress and trying to force a mistake.  In the end, it backfired on him and he fell just wrong on a slow speed tipover and broke his collar bone.  Maybe he'll think twice about doing this again.

Regarding a circus, if you haven't noticed yet most people outside of moto do consider it to be a circus.  And yes, this SMX format they created promotes exactly that, a circus where winner takes all after having to survive the extremes on the track.  Jo survived everything that was thrown at him, and so he wins the big bucks and he's the champ.  Congrats Jo on surviving a very hectic race scenario, you earned that one.

Overall, I agree, but what Deegan did was over the line. Overtly slowing up and targeting.

Yeah, I agree it was over the line as well and would've deserved a penalty after the second contact made.  But when he slowed up in the sand they didn't even touch, and the other contact was pretty minor.  Haiden definitely has the skill to go for the kill if he really wanted to punt someone hard if that was his goal, but he wasn't doing that.  He was playing cat and mouse, and he made light contact with Jo and it ended up backfiring on him:

The best rules are those left unwritten. Moto is cool exactly because there is so much leeway for the riders to make decisions. We don’t want it bogged down with rule after rule, that would only sterilize the sport we love, which we love for its primitive nature. 

The problem is honor, or the lack thereof. Our society and culture lacks honor, sportsmanship, pride, and principle. These attributes don’t pay and can’t be rewarded monetarily. This goes beyond our little sport and you can’t make laws (rules in this case) which forces individuals to  realize the rewards of these traits. It’s a social/cultural problem. 
 

I'm OK with bunching up. If you want to slow down the pace, so what. We should not be able to decide your motive for slowing down. If you think it's in your best interest to do well, that's on you. Maybe a brief moment in time to get your heart rate down, maybe to "bunch up your competition. What I have problem with is slowing down to let someone into a position to punt them out of the race. Instant black flag should take care of that. A black flag or 2 would take care of this discussion real quick.

TM

If riding slow on purpose is illegal better lock up Prado and throw away the key