Euros taking over

DF14 is French. I'm not sure where he was raised, but I'm pretty sure he was born in Avignon

This is something that has been going on for a while now. The level keeps declining, no wonder we have seen older 450 riders keep on racing when there aren't that many new riders coming up because of the lack of quality riders.

I thought it was interesting when Matthes said on a recent podcast that he doubts KTM only hires Prado and L.Coenen as their 450 riders in -27 in case Tomac decides to retire because they "need" an American on the 450 to sell bikes. The question would be the following, who the hell does KTM sign with an American passport and the talent level and potential capability that matches guys like Prado and L.Coenen? There isn't one. Deegan is not available, they tried the Sexton experiment and i doubt they want anything to do with him. And those two are the only American riders that have the capability to straight up win 450 titles the coming years. 

Look at the 250 class. The top 250 riders with American passports are relatively speaking old and their ceiling is most likely boarderline top-5 level 450 riders. Definitely not someone that might one day challenge Jett Lawrence.

Edit: A fun fact, Justin Cooper is probably regarded as the next guy in line that will take a major step up and fight for more wins and maybe even titles when Roczen, Tomac etc retires. Check this out, he turns 30 next year.

In before this turns to the inevitable shit fight.

I’ve never been able to understand the amateur system in the states.

Dudney is going to shock people this summer with his speed

Yeah, the GP guys are in a great spot. Though the track situation is getting worse every year, dramatically. Just listen to Lucas Coenens interview with Weege. In Belgium they had plenty of tracks to choose from when he was younger, and now there are only 2–3 tracks left in the whole country (??). Is that actually true?

In Germany Ive NEVER heard of a new public track opening, only tracks closing. With tracks shutting down left, right, and center, I don’t see the “system” being in a good spot at all, and I’m worried for the future. You cant develop talent or attract new riders if there are barely any tracks left to ride.

The Antipodeans shall reign supreme

Who runs the American amateur scene? 
Therein lies your problem…. 

"who the hell does KTM sign with an American passport and the talent level"

Ken Roczen has an American passport!

The Spanish and Italians dominate MotoGP. Once the domain of American and Australian racers. 
They have a refined pathway. From mini bikes to GP. 

The French had a similar pathway for MX for a while. We saw a few graduates. 

If you want to make it in MX in Australia now - you better have your own track, because there’s no where to ride enough to get to the required level without a private track. 
 

These things go in cycles….talent will rise to the top, no matter where they are from….judging by the number of kids on 50”s and 85”s absolutely ripping at local tracks, I think USA will be fine…it is understood the Euro”s mainly focus on outdoor Mx, so they have raised the bar in that discipline…….

Too early to tell but Dudney could be the next big thing. Also I haven't given up on Adams yet. But he better make it count next year 

Overreacting 

It’s designed to make Davey Coombs money and that is all

I don’t want to make this another Euro vs USA fight, but man I would love to see some extra classes at the outdoors just like in MXGP. A futures class for 250s and a 125cc class just like EMX125 and EMX250 are in Europe. EMX250 is too big imo though

Yes yes yes! I think what they're doing with WMX is obviously pretty cool, but how come they get more exposure than the futures (or SMX NEXT) class, the riders that will actually make it into the pro ranks, that should be the focus imo. I think SMX next only races two nationals or something, why? As an european it was always hard to understand for me how the only big focus seems to be Lorettas in the US.
The step from the amateur program to the pro ranks is so steep in the US, it feels like most riders aren't really prepared?

Also agree with the EMX250 class, it really has gotten out of hand, too many races. There are many riders that would be immediately top 10 in Mx2, meanwhile Mx2 has several weekends with only 20 riders lining up.

There is a lot of talk about the EMX classes that race alongside the GP classes, but remember that each European country got their own national championships that is a full series.

Many countries have more or less a mini format of the GP’s where the youth and junior classes run the same tracks etc as the pro classes with full length motos.

And on top of that many of the best racers from each country race the EMX series to. 

So the kids grow up doing a lot of real racing in full length motos 20 to 25+2.

Training facilities is close to nonexistent so you practice on your local shitty tracks on the weeks and race on the weekends.

Compared to the US amateur scene where the top kids ends up on a training facility and ride the same track most of the year with the same people. They do some LL qualifying and race LL’s but it’s hard to compare that to the experience the European amateur kids gets from growing up racing in a larger variation of conditions.

On the flip side the European tracks is not even close to being as fast as the American tracks so when it comes to going flat out on a smoother track the American kids got the upper hand but the European kids often has a better race craft and are more prepared for pro racing when they reach that age.
 

Exactly what I was going to say. Its cycles. Honestly the only time I really care about American talent is for us to win the MXdN. I love all the MXGP guys coming over and doing well and winning titles. When I was a kid I hated JMB with a passion. He was spanking my heroes. I dont care anymore. I just want to see the best in the world all on the same track

I honestly don't know how the American amateur system works.  In fact, I didn't know we had a system.

I thought your parents bought you a bike and you raced every track you could get to and if you got good enough and your parents didn't run out of money and you survived...you raced some qualifiers and if you did good enough you raced Loretta's.  If you set that place on fire and are 16 you turn pro and maybe you get a ride or you pay your own way like 90% of others.

I need some learnin' fellas.  How does our system work?

Good point, last weekend they were 5 championship races happening at the same time:

Germany ADAC MX Masters

French Championship

Dutch Championship

Italian Championship

MXGB (British Championship)

Kinda ridiculous when you think about it. 😅
 

The Swedish championship ran last weekend to. 

Same city as Tom Vialle and Thibault Benistant.

It’s trash. 4 lap races. Basically in every local race across the nation you’ll see kids getting lapped in a 4 lap race from riders in the same class.

Each class has between 3 and 20 riders becuase there’s so many god damn classes. 

There’s no grouping by speed only by feelings and I identify as a c or a b rider etc.

It’s a joke:

Let’s all overreact!!

I was at the Loretta’s regional at Pala yesterday to see a friend and it was cool to watch the up and coming talent. Lots of fast kids from 65’s on up riding the ‘pre National’ track.  

However,  while sitting at table waiting for my tacos, I couldn’t help put over hear about the drama that surrounds our amateur scene, money travel, help, cheating etc. etc. 

was also parked between a super supportive family of a kid that wasn’t the most talented but they were stoked to be there and having a good time and on the other side the ‘moto dad’ absolutely grilling his kid about getting 5th. F bombs and all, money this, time that, travel this blah blah blah.  Kid was ripping, charging with perfect form through the checkers but you could see back at the truck when getting grilled it wasn’t fun for him and could easily see him walking away from the sport at some point…

Worth mentioning, the Lawrence brothers, Davies, and Minear are not Euros, the Cohen brothers are not racing any US series' (a one off or two does not count), and as much as I want DeWolf racing here, same story for him.

That is not to take away the fact the foreign riders are not coming here with the throttle on and our current US talent seems stagnant, but this thread has slight exaggerations to make it sound worse than it is.

riding and racing in US used to be organic and more grass roots driven. Now organized, too selective, and WAY too expensive for any consistent waves of new riders to emerge. Environmental regulations prohibit most attempts to make new tracks (when we could just ride our bikes from our house to any undeveloped lands until forced out) Add to that most kids now want to be internet celebrities living through their phones instead of top athletes in dangerous sports and this is a dying pastime. All that's left is "Spectacle events" and traveling circus roadshows focused on max profit generating entertainment with no passion for the sport.

I think a huge factor that no one talks about is the Geico team going away. Huge part in getting amateur kids to the pros and having big teams like Star does. Now there are only two HRC 250fs in America, and minimal amateur support. 
 

Blame the "Loretta's culture" that permeates amateur racing.  Too many classes, too much sandbagging, too much time at training facilities instead of lining up to race.  Add to that the upcoming age change to 18 for a pro license and you'll be hard pressed to get many kids make it thru the pressure cooker from 50's until they are eligible for a pro license.  Burnout is real.

Give the sport another 10 years and it's going to look very different.  Almost all outdoor sports are shrinking.  Motocross won't be unaffected.  If you look at the demographics of race sign ups you can see where the holes are already.  Wait until all the current vets 50-70 continue to age out and see what the financials look like to your local tracks.  If you think finding a place to ride is an issue now, give it another 10-20 years...

And the tracks are too risky here. Look at euro tracks. Flowing hills, uphill singles, down hill singles, many turns linked by turns. 

Here it’s all jumps.

The risk here is so high. Participation shrinks. The classes make racing zero fun. The tracks make riding zero fun.

A few Euros come over (mostly to disaster) and all the sudden “the Euros are taking over!” This leads into a rabbit trail of “look at how weak the Americans are. They have nothing. We need to go over and conquer them.” Lol