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Mike Craig entered the chat.
I helped an Amish family get their buggy out of a ditch this morning . After getting it back on the road and making some small talk . The father told me he was making the turn to head back home and he "sextoned the front end and landed in the ditch. "
I disagree because I think the big difference is no one is going to believe him if he says the Yamaha sucks.
When he was at Honda, there were reasons to think there could be issues with the platform. Chase got there at the end of Kenny's time there - which we should all remember Kenny was constantly messing with bike set up and being close but unable to finish championships. "The Honda Curse" was still in effect. Chase hadn't won the 23SX title and the Lawerence's hadn't moved up and become the juggernaut they are.
His first year at KTM, some one will have to remind me, but I really don't remember much about bike set up being discussed with Chase, it was more just, dang, Jett's here and he's winning everything and Chase is adjusting to this new bike. SX went that way and then MX Jett's gone and Chase walks to a title. Year 2 we all know how that went. Team relationship went south, then the shock fade issue came and that was the big problem.
Now here we are with Kawi... a team that has a reputation for stuff like this. I'm not saying Chase has been right about everything, but I'm also saying he probably hasn't been wrong about everything.
But I will say for certain, if he goes Blue and starts complaining, nobody is buying that.
Just heard Big Lew's spin on the review pod. Definitely agree there aren't any highlight moments on the Kawi (and that there probably won't be any). But his defense of Sexton is not good. The "passion" and "desire" that Sexton seems to posses, the way he wants to be peak Chase Sexton "tomorrow", is clearly the issue here. He had so many highlight moments with KTM, he even went from last to first at Hangtown! But his "passion" and "desire" to be peak Chase Sexton clearly overshadow those highlight moments.
We actually saw that play out in real time when he tried to pass Webb in race 3 at that triple crown even though he didn't need to, and in doing so he pissed away a win. That race is a perfect metaphor for Sexton's journey onto the Kawi. He was in a position that was good enough to win, but he could only focus on the imperfections and ended up throwing it all away.
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Marchbanks shows the bike is capable of 5th place. Which is great for him. He has yet to show that it can go the speed that it takes to win. Which is a whole different level. There's too much smoke here with Prado and Sexton to just say the bike is perfectly fine.
It's also just unrealistic to expect everything to be perfect immediately and throw a tantrum if it's not. I refuse to accept that he has exhausted all options in improving himself and eliminating his own mistakes. I think it would do him good to put things in perspective by comparing MX to other motorsports where machinery really is a huge part of the equation and you stand no chance of winning unless you're on the top 1 or 2 bikes/cars.
Quartararo is arguably in the top 3 most talented and complete riders on the MotoGP grid, and a great day on that Yamaha is a 10th-place finish. He hasn't won a race in about 4 years! Acosta is moving heaven and earth trying to make the KTM competitive as a generational talent and still can't win. The Hondas have been trying to kill their riders for multiple seasons now, and even Marquez had to leave in the end to start winning races again. F1 is even worse for all of this -- the best driver of all time wouldn't be able to win even in the 4th best car at any given time.
In the grand scheme of things, Chase has far more control over whether he can be competitive on the Kawi in motocross and supercross than almost any other athlete in motorsport who makes a mistake and signs with the wrong team at the wrong time. What Ken did on the Suzuki this year just wouldn't happen in most motorsports because the biggest factor in our sport is still the rider, and that's what makes it so cool
That’s not unrealistic though.. Chase could get 5th all day on the Kawi in his sleep..
The difference between 5th and 1st is usually half a second a lap.. those minute differences are the difference. Chase is a typically a good starter, we haven’t seen A green bike out front from the gate since.. shit idk, Eli was a bad starter on Kawi too.
My point is that’s the bike is amazing yes, but to get that extra half second, something is lacking.. and when Chase has that feeling (whatever it is) he DOES Have the speed to run with Jett..
It is painful that the team is scared to use production stuff because then the bosses in Japan could ask themselves why the invest so much in works stuff while it doesn't work.
Kawasaki USA finds it more important to show that their R&D is the real deal instead of creating the best possible bike for their rider.
We are talking 2.5 sec a lap currently. I have said it the whole SX season, chase is about 1-1.5sec off his normal pace.
Seems to be more for MX since he could run Jetts pace on the KTM.
A2 and Salt Lake City proved the bike is perfectly capable - they need to give Sexton the EXACT bike that won Salt Lake, and tell him that what he is gonna ride from here on out. No more fiddling with settings and parts swapping. The bike can do it, now he just needs to do his part.
Prado (unsurprisingly) always started up front and pulled multiple holeshots on the Kawi.
What exactly is the problem with the Kawi? Reading between the lines it’s stiff and won’t turn?
Chase should not throw the bike down and his a head case but Kawi obviously has their own issues.
I washed the front and crashed on Sunday. When I caught up to the group I immediately said I pulled a Sexton.
watched the vital post race show.
ML and Lew talked about the whole "ghost ride" thing for 10 mins. Both of them allude to the fact that they have heard EXACTLY what happened. Guess what they never tell the viewer? Why not just fill us in on what you heard/saw? Obviously your customers (this board) are talking about it...why not spill it?
He looks like a primadonna bitch just like Prado, Reed and Roczen used to be.
He bitched training at Stewart compound years ago and later admitted he was a know it all bitch.
Bitched at Honda.
Bitched at Ktm.
Bitching at Kawasaki now, he should be fucking fired and black listed, he signed the contracts after riding the bikes.
Hes only hurting himself.
I'd like Jeremy Mcgraths personal opinion, he already weiged in last year on "prada" Prado .
Jesus Chase seems to need a Louis Vitton manpurse at this point. Not doing himself any favors.
You're gonna make him ride a SX bike outdoors for punishment? That's sick
It must be much worse than we can imagine, otherwise they would just say what happened.
I was just getting ready to post the same thing.
All these talking heads know someone who saw the whole thing go down and they know a lot of details....but none of them will report it. I usually get it, that they have to be wary of keeping their relationships with the teams on good standing, but this one kind of irritates we.
Adam Entiknap mentioned Keir got involved, going after Marchbanks after Garret went at Chase. What does all this mean? Did Garret just stick a finger in Chases chest, punch him? Lots of yelling?
Did Chase actually ghost ride his bike or just get off and let it fall over?
Pit Row
Why hasn’t Hunter, Deegan, Cooper or the rest of the riders complain about their bikes after Sunday, non of them beat jett. Has to be the bike, right?
If the ghost ride was as bad as is being alluded to, and Kawi does NOTHING about it, that's says a lot about Kawi to me.
I like Chase but this kind of stuff can't be tolerated. Maybe they're worried about optics after the Prado circus last year, but good Lord take some sort of action or else they will continue to look like a clown show.
If Keir went at Garret 86 him from the pits. In my mind moto dads and moms are not part of the team.
Has he had a better set up since Salt Lake?
Maybe. Chase got 4th at Hangtown Moto 2,
Hunter, Jett and Deegan beat him.
SLC: Hunter crashed and Jett and Deegan weren't racing.
16 pages, HFS!!!
stolen screenshot but lol
I have not read this entire thread but has anyone mentioned Chase dad and the effect if any he has on Chase and these situations. I don't know them but ive seen riders in the past have parents baby them along and hold there hand so to speak and speak out on stuff concerning there child. Again I don't know either of them just putting this out there to see where it lands . Could be time to split off to himself and just figure out that bike and ride it .Im a chase fan but I don't like anyone ghosting a bike in the pits.
Have to believe if it wasn't that bad, just let the bike fall, etc, that someone would have said so by now. And if his dad involved himself in any way at all that wasn't trying to control his kid, then he's gotta go. Firing or suspending chase is far more complicated but telling dad to turn in the headset and never come back should be immediate if he was involved at all. What's chase going to do about it? Get mad and quit?
Track talkers mentioned his dad had words with Garrett also.
If Chase nearly hit Garrett with his bike during his little huff, and Keir decided Garret was the one who needed his behavior adjusted rather than his own son, you really don't need to look much further to understand the dynamic at play.
My dad ghost rode his bike into the pits at a vet national because his bike was having carb issues and cost him a top 10. Can’t teach that level of passion.
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