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Straight Rhythm?
Historically it has always happened once a year, and that shouldn't change. Talk to the greedy promoters of the US series who pile on a heavy schedule at the riders' expense to make bunches of money. That leaves the MXoN with a scheduling issue and it makes it difficult for teams and riders. The Hunter bros backed out because they want a break, Star pulled, Kawasaki said no Levi, Marchbanks isn't going...
Back in the 80s and 90s, teams gladly went and paid expenses because they weren't overwhelmed during the regular season, and teams were smaller and could afford to go. Rob Andrews bought his own bike in 1985 because Kawasaki would not provide one for him. But he had to travel 700 miles to Germany whereas from the US to France is over 4,000 miles. You can't just pack a two-stroke in the back of a box van trot off to Europe. The MXdN has been a time honored event, where teams and riders were honored to go. Now, with sx/mx/smx/team prep for upcoming season, resting from injuries and the like, it has strained on everyone just to get to the event. It's a completely different ballgame now than it was 30 or 40 years ago.
That is a brilliant take on how the MXDN is now looked at from the American riders point of view.
There was a time when there were still Nationals to be run. And still guys wanted to go. If I remember correctly Emig and Larocco were battling for the 125 championship and they both went. I think there was 2 rounds left to go after.
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To counter that. Why can all the other off season races offer so much in purse money to attract racers. But not the mxdn? Which has better turnout and more viewers than these other races?
Fix that and the date and how often it is won't matter.
It's all of the things you mention and they all matter. Risk of injury is real, MXGP soaking the teams and riders for cash and the fact that it is perfectly scheduled for your MXGP series but completely out of wack for the American series. So what's next after the messy schedule, no money, and risk of injury? How about making a few million dollars racing SMX. That's what Jett, Hunter, and Deegan have all decided. I would expect that if MXGP wants to continue it's current policy of totally financially screwing the riders, the teams, and the manufacturers, the MXDN will die off. Big changes needed to the financial structure of the MXDN before these added races such as SMX lure all of the racers away from MXDN.
92 race created the best mx pic ever. Emig rode out of his skin to beat Everts . That’s like beating Herlings today in the sand.
“What if you’re wrong”?
I think all euros need to look in the mirror and try to figure out why the interest in MXDN is fading. Try to figure out the reason so many great racers from the MXGP series choose to move to America to race. The problem is the FIM and MXGP as a whole in regards to how the MXDN is run. Stop gouging all the riders and teams and maybe they will be more inclined to compete in your series. Why does MXGP and Luongo believe that it's OK to make all the money from the race and share nothing with the riders. Not just that but actually charge them for the privilege to race. That whole thought process is bonkers. America and AMA racers owe the european FIM and MXGP absolutely nothing. Straighten out your own house before bagging on America for not being interested in racing and paying for the privilege to do so. in Europe. America provides better support, more glamorous racing series (supercross) and more money to be made for the riders. MXDN will not continue for long if it continues being run as it currently is.
You seem to be very confused about the global importance of this race. Just because the US delegation seems to struggle with it annually doesn’t mean the rest of the world feels the same way. You never hear about Belgium or France struggling to field a team. It’s fine that you don’t see the significance, but don’t think everyone sees it that way.
How many countries send riders that don’t race the GPs?
Hey here's a thought maybe we should ask Donnie Hansen if it's worth it to go to Europe and race MXD'N for pride and no money. Ask him how much it benefited his career longevity and his bank account and whether or not our guys should put their future earnings aside for it?
It seems to mean a lot to fans around the world or they wouldn’t show up every year. It’s ethnocentric to think it matters less now.
”Maybe if I had not won the 1981 MXDN, 1982 Supercross Championship and 1982 250 National Championship, it would have been a little different.”
Seems to rank the mxdn pretty high…
https://motocrossactionmag.com/mxa-interview-donnie-hansen-on-his-bitte…
Canada
Yep also seemed to matter to a lot of Americans last year too
For most Olympic sports there's still a world championship of some sort every year. Olympics might take the place of it in Olympic years and carry more prestige, but the grind is still there every year. Not too many sports are going multiple years between some form of premiere international competition.
A lot,even my little country is represented regulary and we are bloody amateurs.
Pit Row
The winning team the last two years had a rider that races neither MXGP or AMA.
USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, Venezuela, Japan, Finland, Slovakia, Portugal, Ireland, Iceland,... Do I need to continue? Great Britain last year aswell.
And, a lot of countries only have 1 GP-rider (McLellan for SA, Mikula for Czechia, Talviku for Estonia, Watson for GB, Zanócz for Hungary, Germany only selected wildcard GP-riders this year, Denmark has an AMA- and two EMX-riders, Bauer is the EMX125-champion for Austria, and so one.
Season is waaaaay too long. 17 rounds of SX and 11 rounds of mx and then 3 SMX playoff rounds plus optional international SX plus mxon? It’s ridiculous. Here’s your choice;
Do you want 3 SMX playoff rounds or do you want mxon?
Who says the MXDN is fading..? It's bigger than ever within every other MX country and it'll be standing room only (if you're lucky) at Ernee. What is "fading" is the US industry's enthusiasm for it. Just because that's true doesn't make it true everywhere else.
I agree with the issues with Luongo and MXGP money, but the MXDN is a standalone race that isn't anywhere near "not continuing". I do agree that Luongo should be sharing the money with the people that make the show but it's becoming a convenient excuse for the likes of Deegan to swerve it every year. Maybe he shouldn't be expected to take a financial hit (he can afford it) by riding, but when someone makes as much noise as he does while wrapped in the Stars and Stripes, he should back that up. After all, he's making a lot of money out of that image.?
It's interesting you make a big point about the US scene being the biggest and richest, yet it's the one that always cites cost as the reason for not going?
If it is Infront’s most profitable event, they should probably be offsetting some of the costs for the riders and teams who actually make up the event. Asking the actual participants to completely fund out of hide, and take on the risks for a once a year event, and then collecting a big profit, is slimy business. That seems to be the model for MXGP, but there they can work with sponsors well in advance to cover costs for a season. Sponsors can also be a factor for MXDN, but that would vary greatly from team/rider and is likely more difficult due the late announcement of riders. I also don’t think riders should expect this type of event to be a big $ event. There is a balance there IMO.
Of course I have no idea what the numbers are, but they are welcome to correct if those assumptions are incorrect.
If we think this year is an issue, wait until next year.
OP isn't wrong. The model is broken. There's zero incentive for an annual event that requires huge cash from the OEMs, the riders get nada, and risk their careers. As more and more riders back out, things are not going to improve. US based riders are going to only attend when it's here in the States, for better or worse.
"world racing schedule" as in: everyone knows what it is and pretty much when it'll be held, and it's been that way for 60 years. It's only recently we're getting everything scheduled slap bang when the MXDN is on, then everyone throws up their hands and says "oh, the MXDN is in the way!" 🙄
Post a reply to: All this MXON talk misses the biggest point