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About the same results as his first 4 in 2024. He went 13, 7, 11, 12.
Some of you act like he's never ridden a dirt bike before. He's a world champion with exceptional skills. Between the Kawasaki and KTM practice supercross tracks I'm sure he's spun a couple thousand laps.
He's qualified on top, won heat races. He's holeshot and leads laps. Looks like he's got the hang of things to me.
So why the poor results? He can't blame the Kawi anymore.
We all know how much those laps at the practise track gives you race experience under race conditions. That's why every rider always nails the settings every year and isn't lost when they get on the race tracks 🤦
Chase should look up to that Spanish rider whom didn't leave his team until the bike tried to kill him for the 500th time, and I'm not taking about Jorge. MM93.
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You’re talking about the Japanese? Or the Austrians?
I personally think both make great bikes. Now if you’re referring to Kawasaki KHI and their inflexibility, then I think we all get that.
Japanese paper company for 6 years. When I first got there it was a very comfortable, relaxed and encouraging place to work. Then all of a sudden my Japanese fellow engineers and chemists become extremely quiet and sullen, no more jocularity as before. When I asked what was up they told me that a different Japanese company had bought us out; a very strict, overbearing management culture. It was like a switch being flipped. I have heard historical stories involving Kawasaki and Suzuki as having overbearing management cultures and the main reason KR94 is having success is Suzuki has stepped away and let them do what they want with the old warhorse RMZ450. Maybe the current Kawasaki USA MX team managers are in place because they mirror Corporate Kawasaki aand are willing to toe the line.
How many seasons do the SMX future kids have racing supercross?
My logic is that since his return from injury, he and the team have decided to tone down the SX effort and have been concentrating on outdoor prep.
This also means taking no further risks in SX for this year & making sure they hit May 30th fit, prepared and injury free.
Just my thoughts on why JP’s recent SX results have tapered off..
Perhaps that is a possibility. Looking forward to the outdoor season.
I think you hit the nail on the head.
Prados literally said multiple times this year hes not going to push in sx and is just trying to learn.
Which would explain his results.
I think Chase signed the Kawi contract before the Prado stuff last summer got really out of hand.
Man I really hope it all turns out for the good and we get 2024 Prado back this summer. I can't wait.
The same.
Still ridden SX less since they have been on SX tracks for years. And of course, not all of them.
It's simple. He gets a start he goes for it as long as he doesn't take to much risk. Midd pack start or pace to high, he just backs off and logs laps. 4, 5, 10, 15 really doesn't make any difference at this point.
I could see him take some more risk if a podium is there and it's close to end of race.
As you said, log laps is the goal and he has also said he isn't comfortable yet being midpack since he doesn't know how much room he has, how others ride, how tracks develop, what could potentially happen and so on.
I just don’t see how all of a sudden the KX450 is so bad and “dangerous” that it’s a death trap or cursed or something. James Stewart made it work, Ryan Villopoto made it work, Chad Reed made it work, Garrett Marchbanks is making it work. Phil Nicoletti made it work. So when did it get so dangerous - the ‘24 model?
Fwiw, Prado had never ridden another bike other than a KTM (even in his jr days), when he rode the KX.
I mean, heck, Rick Johnson won the 1984 motocross series on a basically production YZ250, against works Hondas. “But that’s different…” 🙄
I don't have access to their financials, but unlike you, I know the history of the company. The Castiglioni brothers used to own Ducati, and the company did very well. The company is now owned by the Audi Group, which is owned by Volkswagen. They have plenty of money. Whether they're spending it is a different question.
Spending money on SX racers is pretty stupid if you think about it so they would be smart to hang onto it
Pit Row
Stewart had some gnarly crashes on the KX, Carmichael left Kawi for Honda because they wouldn’t update the bike (he left after 01, the kx didn’t change till 03), Villo made it work but like Weimer said, the bike beat Villo up and second motos were challenging for him, Reed was on Factory Kawi for not even a whole season and left that team mid season, he made the Kawi work under his own team which wasnt a factory effort. It’s a trend Prado brought to light finally
That’s just simply conjecture and not all the truth. That’s pretty much the story for every manufacturer.
Are you really bringing in what JS7 did on a carbureted KX450 to this discussion? 😅 And is Garrett Marchbanks actually making it work? It hasn't gone well for him either except a couple of bright spots.
Last 2 rounds were rainy. he absolutely sucks when it's any kind of wet. Almost lost his 2nd GP title because he would go from 1-1 on dry to 16-18 results in the mud. Not sure why, but that has always been the case and probably won't be any different outdoors. See High Point last year.
Nashville he should have been in the top 5, maybe even a podium after Kenny crashed. But he threw it away in the whoops when he tried to pass Hill for 3rd. STL 4th. Detroit Webb took him down when he was in 2nd. Riding wise he's been doing fine, at least in the dry. But it's also his first time on rutted east coast tracks. He has no clue how the track develops. All the riders he's racing know more or less which lines are fine to take in the first laps but probably not after 15 laps. He's learning all that every week, his competition learned that 5-10 years ago.
Also the only goals this season are to make it healthy into outdoors and gain experience. He's checking both boxes so far.
“But that’s different…”
Yeah, man. About 40 years difference. Sport's changed a little since then.
Didn’t the Castilioni Bros own Cagiva?
CAstiglioni GIovanni VArese
does that make sense?
;-)
Chase was on the gate last night?
So RJ didn’t win in spite of the bike and mgmt? RV and JS didn’t win despite of the bike and mgmt? So it’s impossible for Chase, Marchbanks, Febvre, or anyone to win or compete on it? Yeah, okay.
At what age do you think they start riding legit supercross tracks?
Ducati is owned by Audi, they seem to have plenty of money to road race successfully as well. They HATE to lose. It is a pretty safe assumption, perhaps not accurate, but safe.
They did. They also got involved with Ducati as I recall. I don't know if they owned them outright or if they just invested in the company though
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