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I grew up those years in the lower mainland. I remember local fast guy Steve Friesen getting a 7th in the 125 class at one of Seattle double headers in 87 I think. There were a dozen or more locals trying to make mains in Seattle and Washougal.
I think we're finally starting to see the effects of the post-covid economy, similar to what we saw during the Great Recession. There was a delayed hit because powersports saw a huge surge in sales during the worst of it, but the market has since corrected and now it's hurting like everything else.
They're probably tired of putting on a show and not getting paid. I really like seeing the privateers out there, but I can't imagine the expenses they have to pay just to show up and then not make hardly anything if anything at all.
back in my era in the 1970's and into 80's all of us dreamed of being sponsored and racing for a living. SoCal had hundreds and hundreds of aspiring racers. Some lucky few got local sponsorships and maybe bikes furnished from local dealerships and a small % got selected by DG, FMF etc. for fully sponsored rides. Fewer still got full factory rides- so the rest of the majority had to be privateer if we wanted to keep racing and dreaming. All the still living of us mostly bench race and drink beers in the garage and tell tall tales about what coulda been with 1 lucky break 😄
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The reality for most of those privateers is they will never make main events and earn a factory ride. What is the incentive for guys barely getting into the top 30-40 range. What is the entry for the rider and mechanic $ 350 range ? Give those guys free entry is a small step. Just think when we get to 30 450 riders showing up.
Great pic Mike 👍🏼
Looks like Anaheim ?
Weather was just as bad last year and there were double the amount of XC2 racers.
Has any journalist ever asked Feld "Why do the riders have to pay an entry fee?" They are the reason you're selling tickets and have a TV package. What do the entry fees go toward?
Also bikes are way too expensive. New 450 $10K? Add in exhaust, graphics, suspension, plus expensive gear, travel, entry fees.
To- 20 in 450 SX should make 200K year. Top 20 in 250 SX should make 100K. Not breaking even to make a main event is laughable.
On that note, do the Dirtwurx operators have to pay an entry fee to operate the equipment? Do the medics have to pay? Likely no because they are performing a job; same is true for the riders, they are doing a job for feld.
David pulley junior. Jumped up to 450 for an (ironically) shallower field than regional 250 and free pass into the night show. 7 laps down in the heat.
I'm getting emails for last minute discounted car track days. $150-200 off regular fee trying to fill a paddock. Didn't happen last year.
When the fans realize someday this sport is run like a circus because the parent company founder is literally fucking Ringling Bros, you'll all start to be happier.
But be nice to Ken guys, his net worth is ONLY $2.5 billion, and he needs to send another $10 million to Boston U, $1 million to FSU for their LITERAL clown college, and then god fucking knows how much he sends to Israel.
https://www.forbes.com/profile/kenneth-feld/
Will never forgive them for laying off their staff the second fauci panicked
Haha yep, 250 class became anyones title to win when he made the leap to 450's.
Shouldn’t cost the guys to race, have a credential, or a mechanics pass.
Dunno about the pros but I know I have $20- 30,000 more a year in disposable income now that both the boy and I have stopped racing. There is no ROI in motocross.
I haven’t looked but there’s gotta be close to 20 factory bikes now in 450. Besides injuries you have 2 at Honda, kawi, Yamaha, hep has 3 ktm has 3 husky has mookie Ducati has 2 triumph has 1 beta has 2 there’s 18 right there plus all the support teams. I don’t think it pays to get 8th in the lcq.
Good question and topic👍. Lots of good answers and insight here. IMHO it is the cost vs risk/reward. Nightmare scenario: It may well end up being all corp/company sponsored teams on the gate. The same 20 or 30 riders for 450 and 250 class at every race. A rider gets hurt, line up the substitute rider.
Pit Row
your ROI there is the time spent racing with your boy that is priceless.
The sad fact is racers that are the real performers are all subcontractors plain and simple. Subcontractors that pay to perform.
Qualify for the night show 250 gets $1000 450 $1250
Don't make the night show in either class? You get $0 …. See you at the next round.
This is what they ALL were paid in 2025 Supercross
https://wewentfast.com/2025-supercross-purse/
And if we end up like that, it'll look mike a MXGP gate with 18 competitors in total for each class...
Agree. So was the time in the ambulance, the ERs, the surgical clinic, etc, etc.
We play a lot of golf now and spend our $$$ on that. It's funny how in 18 months of golf we haven't had a single injury. And we very much enjoy that time together too. No ROI there either, but I never worry when he heads off to golf with his buddies that I'll be getting another call that's he's been hurt. I miss moto a lot but I can live w/o the stress of knowing it's always about when and how bad, not if.
Jerry Robin got paralyzed for less than $30k in income. He probably spent 2-3x that amount just getting to those races. Let that sink in....🤔
Years ago I tried to get a simple donations website www.helptheprivateer.com going that every rider could put in their PayPal email on so the fans could send them a couple bucks.
I gave up the the domain name helptheprivateers.com recently so if anyone would like to pick it up and move it forward please do.
How can that be? Don't they know how much more affordable this is compared to other forms of motorsports (like so many like to crow when this comes up)? Doesn't that magically make it better for them? 🤔
From '20 to '24, houses around me tripled in price (thank God I already have one). Food prices are similar. Everything skyrocked (like this is news to anyone). My income didn't increase and I imagine a lot of others have the same experience. Hard to participate in an activity that relies on disposable income when there isn't any after paying for necessities.
Over the years I have noticed that lots of good Privateers usually race for 2 or 3 years before the money pit gets too big and they start racing local $$ races. Its always trying to catch that carrot for the teams to employ them.
EIDave used to arrange for a couple privateers every year to go to Germany all expenses covered to race their 3-4 German SX races often making more $$$$ in those few races than they did racing the entire season racing here.
The big carrot now is making the playoffs $$$
What maybe 25 guys can carry competitive speed on a pro motocross track? Risk reward is just to high. Then there is losing money to participate in a professional sport. It’s amazing how many guys show up honestly. 2 solutions. Make tracks easier or get guys paid. There is zero appetite for either.
Feld is running a business not a charity. They shouldn’t give free entry to riders. Also, the phrase “way too expensive” is relative. If riders can’t afford it, don’t race. I don’t see the issue here.
Yeah. And they make their millions in ticket prices and merchandise. They don’t need to milk the riders who are generating their profit already.
I agree, they don’t NEED to, but it’s their business and they can do that if they want. If you want to change it, buy Feld🤷🏼♂️
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