Euros taking over

30minmotos
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5/25/2026 6:07am
30minmotos wrote:
Need an amateur ranking system like tennis has. Scrap the 250 and 450 classes for amateurs. Ride what you want. We need the best racing the...

Need an amateur ranking system like tennis has. Scrap the 250 and 450 classes for amateurs. Ride what you want. We need the best racing the best and it reduces the insane amount of classes.


The only big bike that races differently at the amateur or pro level really are the 125s. 250fs are good enough that they basically race the same as a 450. Clearing the same jumps, same lines, etc.


Enough with the c b and a classes as they are. Have specific qualifying races to sort by lap times, have specific area races that develop a rank for each rider, and going forward you could group into classes by rank. Top 40th ranked in mx1 next 40 into mx2 next 40 into mx3 for that particular race.


nobody would give a shit about a top mx3 amateur so no more sand bagging: your goal would be to crush it and make it to the mx2 and mx1 classes asap, so every race you would do your best to improve your rank so every race you go to you could qualify for the mx1 class.



 

shuggs wrote:
Your last paragraph shows the problem.‘Get to mx2/mx1 asap’Why?  Why does the AMA run the series like MXGP with predetermined age limits.  Granted this would take...

Your last paragraph shows the problem.

‘Get to mx2/mx1 asap’

Why?  Why does the AMA run the series like MXGP with predetermined age limits.  Granted this would take at least a couple of years to bear fruition.  With no way of jumping a class EMX125 - EMX250 - MX2 - MX1 (unless you are TGaiser).  If you think about it backwards from MX2 age limit of 23 then why not age limit of 20 in EMX250 and age limit of 18 in EMX125.  This would surely be in line with min age of 18 to go pro.

Because if you want a shot at getting noticed you would want to be racing in the fastest amateur classes, and beating the fastest amateurs. The fastest amateurs as I laid out would be grouped into mx1 by qualifying speed, and specific races to determine ranks. This would happen yearly and have a points system and specific big races to move up or down the ranks. Each local race would effect your rank; as you will be racing others who are also ranked etc.


I just used mx1 mx2 as an example of how to label it instead of a b and c etc

Brent
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5/25/2026 6:43am

So many great tracks in Holland, France, Germany. 
Safe ones as well without crazy jumps, Parents drink beer and laugh together while their kids ride, they don’t scream at them to “clear the triple”.

Also, EU parents don’t sue the track when their kid crashes . The MX culture is so good there…

14
RDnutz
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5/25/2026 7:38am
Wasn't that the whole idea behind the "Ricky Carmichael Road to Supercross" thing Feld was trying to do?It didn't work out like they wanted, but it...

Wasn't that the whole idea behind the "Ricky Carmichael Road to Supercross" thing Feld was trying to do?

It didn't work out like they wanted, but it seems like the goal was to turn it into a feeder series.

idk. far as I can tell there are 1-2? organized AX leagues already and there seems to be some talent there. The LL thing is extremely limiting about who makes the big time with some arbitrary criteria. College athletic programs are used as feeders for recognizing up & coming talent- so why not MX? MLB has 3 levels of minor leagues to develop the promising guys, and there's FA route. LAST thing I'd ever suggest is consolidating everything under Feld! They'd be better suited to buying Nitro Circus from Pastrana and adding another ring to their exploitative "BIG SHOW!!" mentality entertainment empires.

Juck
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Fantasy
5/25/2026 8:17am
ShipLap wrote:

To quote David Pingree on the weak American future.
 
"It's embarassing."

It is embarrassing. From around the 5th, or 6th grade on, we'd get home from school, fire up whatever dirt bikes us neighborhood kids had, and spent...

It is embarrassing. 

From around the 5th, or 6th grade on, we'd get home from school, fire up whatever dirt bikes us neighborhood kids had, and spent the rest of the day ripping around the trails, and fire roads at the end of our street. (Google earth shows that area fenced off at the access points, sand pits squeezed off by shopping centers)

Or the local sandpits.

On most weekends neighborhood families would pack up and head out to borrego, ocotilla wells, etc...

Bikes were affordable. 

Dune buggies were homemade from old Volkswagen's, and corvair engines.

Then in high school you'd bring your stuff in, rebuild your top end, etc.. (for credit)

A new 125 Elsinore was about $760 out the door. Our kit was Levi's or bates leathers, long sleeve T-shirt, and work boots.

 

I could go on. 

 

Today kids are picked up from school by their mommies, waiting in their minivans. Shuttled home, fed McDonald's and plopped in front of the screen with a video game controller in their hands. 

 

We were products of our environment back then. 

As they are today.

 

I can't speak on what it's like in the US, but people tell stories here in Aus about doing the same when they were kids, and you absolutely cannot do that now. 

Police would be called, fines would be given and bikes would be impounded (if they could catch them)

Can't even ride on public land here that no one uses that already has a track on it. People still take the risk but be prepared to be face the full extent of the law if you're not riding a road legal bike (which no motocross bikes are)

Only way to ride enough to get good in Australia is either have access to a private track or live in south east Queensland where there are tracks open during the week

1

The Shop

D_L118
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5/25/2026 8:28am
Brent wrote:
So many great tracks in Holland, France, Germany. Safe ones as well without crazy jumps, Parents drink beer and laugh together while their kids ride, they don’t...

So many great tracks in Holland, France, Germany. 
Safe ones as well without crazy jumps, Parents drink beer and laugh together while their kids ride, they don’t scream at them to “clear the triple”.

Also, EU parents don’t sue the track when their kid crashes . The MX culture is so good there…

I wouldn’t be so sure about that. 
You have crazy mini dads all over the world…lol. 
Biggest problem is rising cost of life. 
Moto in europe ( at least in the Benelux) runs on volunteers and those are harder and harder to find… Add the fact that almost all of the tracks in Belgium are closed… Doesn’t look very promising for future riders who want to make a career out of it. 

joshd
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5/25/2026 8:41am Edited Date/Time 5/25/2026 8:44am

Wouldn’t it be nice if the ama and mx sports could set up local series all across the country. Maybe the winner from each series gets SX futures deal or similar. Actually help people open tracks and keep them open and profitable. 

Instead we get LL every year, and $600 golf cart passes. Not to mention Mx sports makes more money off the race than the actual track owner. 

1
profmur
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5/25/2026 8:45am

Feld acquired Arenacross as part of the original 2008 motorsports acquisition from Live Nation.  After 17 years of attempting to grow it alongside Supercross, they simply divested it.   It was non core to the Feld portfolio, too small to matter strategically within Feld.  There was simply more value to selling it than operating it. 

Given this history, I doubt Feld has the interest in developing another standalone moto series with separate tracks/venue/ schedule.  

SMX Next has room to grow into the semi pro series missing in the U.S, at least on the supercross side. The inaugural 2026 supercross smx next series felt like a test to see if it worked.  The criteria for rider  invitation to race is not transparent, but that is probably by design.  Perhaps that evolves with time. 

1
The Moth
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5/25/2026 11:19am Edited Date/Time 5/25/2026 11:22am
The Moth wrote:
Jett and Hunter aren't European and Jett spent very little time on a limited amount of GP tracks; his pro career has been in the U.S...

Jett and Hunter aren't European and Jett spent very little time on a limited amount of GP tracks; his pro career has been in the U.S. on our tracks. It took Kenny ten years to get an sx title, MM25 never won one, Vialle only won regional, Prado has improved but not been a title threat. 

It’s not guaranteed that because a rider is fast in Europe, they will win titles in the U.S.  Just because you’ve never heard of some of the names, doesn’t mean talent is not rising up. How many of you heard of the Coenen bros 4 years ago?  What about de Wolf?  

Tumic wrote:
The majority of Jett’s amateur years were spent in Europe. Racing ADAC, Dutch championship and later EMX.And every fan knows what they said about the American...

The majority of Jett’s amateur years were spent in Europe. Racing ADAC, Dutch championship and later EMX.

And every fan knows what they said about the American amateur system when they moved to US. If the team refused to let Jett go pro they would have moved him back to Belgium again since his riding went downhill after they moved.

The main discussion here is not origin, it’s where you grew up and raced as an amateur that formed your fundamentals as a future pro rider.

Fair point, I should have clarified that I was talking about Jett’s EMX career.  Jett learned his fundamentals from Greg Moss and they were applied in Europe, where, yes, riding at places like Lommel and training with Everts helped tremendously. But Jett is a generational talent and that shouldn’t be forgotten in this discussion. 

This idea that there will be a European wave of dominance due to our amateur system compared to Europe’s is nonsense since fast riders are always going be fast. Jett is a good example. Deegan is a good example as well, and that’s my point. Fast is fast and talent is talent. 

Having said that, the amateur system is the states needs a boost and some necessary changes. 

1
mxaniac
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5/25/2026 11:21am
The Moth wrote:
Jett and Hunter aren't European and Jett spent very little time on a limited amount of GP tracks; his pro career has been in the U.S...

Jett and Hunter aren't European and Jett spent very little time on a limited amount of GP tracks; his pro career has been in the U.S. on our tracks. It took Kenny ten years to get an sx title, MM25 never won one, Vialle only won regional, Prado has improved but not been a title threat. 

It’s not guaranteed that because a rider is fast in Europe, they will win titles in the U.S.  Just because you’ve never heard of some of the names, doesn’t mean talent is not rising up. How many of you heard of the Coenen bros 4 years ago?  What about de Wolf?  

Jett also lived with Roczen's parents and trained there. It's not completely black and white, he's certainly got influences from both. I believe Van Halen summed it up perfectly. Best of Both Worlds.

4
The Moth
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5/25/2026 11:22am Edited Date/Time 5/25/2026 11:23am
The Moth wrote:
Jett and Hunter aren't European and Jett spent very little time on a limited amount of GP tracks; his pro career has been in the U.S...

Jett and Hunter aren't European and Jett spent very little time on a limited amount of GP tracks; his pro career has been in the U.S. on our tracks. It took Kenny ten years to get an sx title, MM25 never won one, Vialle only won regional, Prado has improved but not been a title threat. 

It’s not guaranteed that because a rider is fast in Europe, they will win titles in the U.S.  Just because you’ve never heard of some of the names, doesn’t mean talent is not rising up. How many of you heard of the Coenen bros 4 years ago?  What about de Wolf?  

mxaniac wrote:
Jett also lived with Roczen's parents and trained there. It's not completely black and white, he's certainly got influences from both. I believe Van Halen summed...

Jett also lived with Roczen's parents and trained there. It's not completely black and white, he's certainly got influences from both. I believe Van Halen summed it up perfectly. Best of Both Worlds.

I agree, well put. 

1
Landonious217
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5/25/2026 11:42am

The fact that the US moto scene dropped the most important class in moto history in developing riders (125) because Honda would get a bloody pussy is complete clown show. 

The euros didn't seem to give a shit what Honda wants and even added new manufacturer that also produce two strokes (fantic). 

It's very clear we need a "minor league" for pro moto ages 14-17 125 class that runs the same schedule as the big boys. It's logical, therefore it'll never happen. 

5
RDnutz
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5/25/2026 11:46am
profmur wrote:
Feld acquired Arenacross as part of the original 2008 motorsports acquisition from Live Nation.  After 17 years of attempting to grow it alongside Supercross, they simply...

Feld acquired Arenacross as part of the original 2008 motorsports acquisition from Live Nation.  After 17 years of attempting to grow it alongside Supercross, they simply divested it.   It was non core to the Feld portfolio, too small to matter strategically within Feld.  There was simply more value to selling it than operating it. 

Given this history, I doubt Feld has the interest in developing another standalone moto series with separate tracks/venue/ schedule.  

SMX Next has room to grow into the semi pro series missing in the U.S, at least on the supercross side. The inaugural 2026 supercross smx next series felt like a test to see if it worked.  The criteria for rider  invitation to race is not transparent, but that is probably by design.  Perhaps that evolves with time. 

thanks for painting the bigger picture on AX and Feld connection. I'll read between the lines and assume they divested because they couldn't' make buttloads of profit with it. My original inquiry was not so much related to if AX was a great business model or anything, but in the conversation of where the next generation of riders comes from and wondering if teams were paying much attention to any current AX racers who've had some success and might be worthy of a ride or support at some point to race the SX and AMA programs..

profmur
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5/25/2026 12:09pm
profmur wrote:
Feld acquired Arenacross as part of the original 2008 motorsports acquisition from Live Nation.  After 17 years of attempting to grow it alongside Supercross, they simply...

Feld acquired Arenacross as part of the original 2008 motorsports acquisition from Live Nation.  After 17 years of attempting to grow it alongside Supercross, they simply divested it.   It was non core to the Feld portfolio, too small to matter strategically within Feld.  There was simply more value to selling it than operating it. 

Given this history, I doubt Feld has the interest in developing another standalone moto series with separate tracks/venue/ schedule.  

SMX Next has room to grow into the semi pro series missing in the U.S, at least on the supercross side. The inaugural 2026 supercross smx next series felt like a test to see if it worked.  The criteria for rider  invitation to race is not transparent, but that is probably by design.  Perhaps that evolves with time. 

RDnutz wrote:
thanks for painting the bigger picture on AX and Feld connection. I'll read between the lines and assume they divested because they couldn't' make buttloads of...

thanks for painting the bigger picture on AX and Feld connection. I'll read between the lines and assume they divested because they couldn't' make buttloads of profit with it. My original inquiry was not so much related to if AX was a great business model or anything, but in the conversation of where the next generation of riders comes from and wondering if teams were paying much attention to any current AX racers who've had some success and might be worthy of a ride or support at some point to race the SX and AMA programs..

Np.  I was making a connection to a few different points being raised in the thread.   The question about AX as a feeder series, and the lack of an official semi-pro series in the us that would be similar to emx series in Europe.   

Occasionally you hear about a rider coming from ax to sx.  Hunter Yoder, Michael Hicks, etc. It seems more like exception than the norm.

 

1
Mavetism
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5/25/2026 12:12pm
The Moth wrote:
Jett and Hunter aren't European and Jett spent very little time on a limited amount of GP tracks; his pro career has been in the U.S...

Jett and Hunter aren't European and Jett spent very little time on a limited amount of GP tracks; his pro career has been in the U.S. on our tracks. It took Kenny ten years to get an sx title, MM25 never won one, Vialle only won regional, Prado has improved but not been a title threat. 

It’s not guaranteed that because a rider is fast in Europe, they will win titles in the U.S.  Just because you’ve never heard of some of the names, doesn’t mean talent is not rising up. How many of you heard of the Coenen bros 4 years ago?  What about de Wolf?  

mxaniac wrote:
Jett also lived with Roczen's parents and trained there. It's not completely black and white, he's certainly got influences from both. I believe Van Halen summed...

Jett also lived with Roczen's parents and trained there. It's not completely black and white, he's certainly got influences from both. I believe Van Halen summed it up perfectly. Best of Both Worlds.

Didn't Hunter train with Kennys dad while Jett was mainly training under Harry Everts during that time? Just making sure lol

mxaniac
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5/25/2026 12:27pm
The Moth wrote:
Jett and Hunter aren't European and Jett spent very little time on a limited amount of GP tracks; his pro career has been in the U.S...

Jett and Hunter aren't European and Jett spent very little time on a limited amount of GP tracks; his pro career has been in the U.S. on our tracks. It took Kenny ten years to get an sx title, MM25 never won one, Vialle only won regional, Prado has improved but not been a title threat. 

It’s not guaranteed that because a rider is fast in Europe, they will win titles in the U.S.  Just because you’ve never heard of some of the names, doesn’t mean talent is not rising up. How many of you heard of the Coenen bros 4 years ago?  What about de Wolf?  

mxaniac wrote:
Jett also lived with Roczen's parents and trained there. It's not completely black and white, he's certainly got influences from both. I believe Van Halen summed...

Jett also lived with Roczen's parents and trained there. It's not completely black and white, he's certainly got influences from both. I believe Van Halen summed it up perfectly. Best of Both Worlds.

Mavetism wrote:

Didn't Hunter train with Kennys dad while Jett was mainly training under Harry Everts during that time? Just making sure lol

I think both we're true, so I googled it.

While Hunter Lawrence lived with Heiko for approximately 2.5 years (starting around age 17) to navigate the GP series, Jett, who was younger (around 12–14 years old at the time), also resided at Heiko’s home in Mattstedt, Germany. The entire Lawrence family had moved from Australia to Europe in 2016, initially staying in Holland and Belgium before settling in Germany.  During this period, Heiko provided housing (including a caravan initially), training facilities, and mentorship to both brothers.

1
Brent
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5/25/2026 4:13pm Edited Date/Time 5/25/2026 4:29pm
D_L118 wrote:
I wouldn’t be so sure about that. You have crazy mini dads all over the world…lol. Biggest problem is rising cost of life. Moto in europe ( at least...

I wouldn’t be so sure about that. 
You have crazy mini dads all over the world…lol. 
Biggest problem is rising cost of life. 
Moto in europe ( at least in the Benelux) runs on volunteers and those are harder and harder to find… Add the fact that almost all of the tracks in Belgium are closed… Doesn’t look very promising for future riders who want to make a career out of it. 

I know Belgium has lots of problems with the tracks closing. Sorry.

The entire business park is closing in on Lommel, parking is impossible outside of Lot B.

They were trying to close that track completely as well before it got protection from the government.

Ive been to a few local events there, sure there are a few dads hammered on Juplier screaming, but its not nearly as bad as it is with Mini dads in the US...

1
LP31
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5/25/2026 5:36pm
The Moth wrote:
Jett and Hunter aren't European and Jett spent very little time on a limited amount of GP tracks; his pro career has been in the U.S...

Jett and Hunter aren't European and Jett spent very little time on a limited amount of GP tracks; his pro career has been in the U.S. on our tracks. It took Kenny ten years to get an sx title, MM25 never won one, Vialle only won regional, Prado has improved but not been a title threat. 

It’s not guaranteed that because a rider is fast in Europe, they will win titles in the U.S.  Just because you’ve never heard of some of the names, doesn’t mean talent is not rising up. How many of you heard of the Coenen bros 4 years ago?  What about de Wolf?  

mxaniac wrote:
Jett also lived with Roczen's parents and trained there. It's not completely black and white, he's certainly got influences from both. I believe Van Halen summed...

Jett also lived with Roczen's parents and trained there. It's not completely black and white, he's certainly got influences from both. I believe Van Halen summed it up perfectly. Best of Both Worlds.

Mavetism wrote:

Didn't Hunter train with Kennys dad while Jett was mainly training under Harry Everts during that time? Just making sure lol

Both grew up near me and practised a rough as guts illegal track near Beewah.(Roys rd) They also rode at QMP midweek (Hunter) and our old local sand track at Coolum.

Rough as and great training ground then went to europe.

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