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From where I'm standing, Sexton's best bets are Ducati in the USA or whatever he can come up with in Europe...which would probably have "allowances" for SX in the U.S.
Also, even after Prado's weird year, I'm not joining the mob on throwing all of this on Kawasaki's shoulders...he DID run a PC/KMC set-up at Anaheim and he won. Then he went back to losing his shit...again.
I'm not hating on the kid; but, his history with "set-up" at his previous teams wasn't all that great...all the while his team-mates were doing pretty damn good.
Or did we all forget about that?
In the Big Picture...I want...we NEED...for this dude to get his shit together and get back out there and COMPETE FOR CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Hey, Chase? Go find someplace that'll make you happy and...
GET SOME WINS!
https://youtube.com/shorts/h5I_Op4EXdI?feature=share
Who Will Save Mookie?
Is Chase on speaking terms with the team, have decent personal relationships? If so, he might as well stay and give the new bike a go. Any other team is a guess as to whether the bike will be a fit.
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Sexton said he plans to be back riding in October, of course no one knows what bike. Matthes seems to be speculating more, probably because Chase is getting close to getting on a bike.
It's the only way to go, for both parties. Staying would result in just the same shit again and it would be a wasted year for Sexton and Kawasaki.
Matthes was saying something about Tedder on the SMX podcast mashup. ML, what’s the smoke?
Sexton signed a contract and should honor it. Prado should've as well.
If not, they both should've returned some of the money, or have been benched without pay.
Otherwise, what is the benefit to the companies for signing a contract?
On the other hand, you can't force a rider to ride their best if they are unwilling. It's worse than money down the drain, because their reputation is damaged.
It seems that the honorable thing to do here is for Sexton to stay, make it work, and bring value to Kawi.
Sexton getting hurt is the only reason the talk calmed down. Go back to around the time he got hurt and nobody thought he'd be back. Nothing has changed. Just like Prado last year, nothing official was going to happen until the season is over, so with him not riding it just became a waiting game. Season's over and now it's time to get down to business. There's no way sexton sat back and watched Prado do what he's done and thought OK maybe I'll stay after all.
Sexton's championship days are over. Jett could beat him consistently, now Hunter has raised his game, Deegan is on 450s, Prado is here, Cohnens are coming, and Davies will be 450 in '28 - if not outdoors '27. Chase can and will still win, but the championships are over. As evidenced by Eli's early season SX form, and Prado now, Sexton should have stayed Austrian.
I know its not going to be an easy season but if I were Kawa I'd try to get Jo and Kitchen up
Agree, but should’ve stayed Honda.
I honestly don't know what the rationale was with giving Malcolm a 2 year contract. We've seen every 250 rider move up outperform the older 450 guys, even though those that moved up have been worse than a lot of the 250 riders they raced against.
Results from last night, RJ, Marchbanks, and Smith all comfortably in top 10 and these 3 were I would say worse than Jo and Levi. We also saw several stay competitive with Deegan in many races (Jo was one of the few who could match up Deegan at times in outdoors), whereas in 450s, the guys outside of the top 3 are no where near Deegan's level.
If Chase is out, then I hope it’s 250 SX and 450 MX for Levi next year.
He watched the Prado debacle with a front row seat…
And then he signed with that same team…himself.
I’m getting the feeling he’ll need to “buy” his way out of this one. His agent better be one helluva negotiator. 🤣
So, where to next? What’s gonna cause that bike to “tuck the front”? 😎
Honestly, signing Mookie for two years is fine. It's great PR. He'll be in the mix more than Marchbanks will indoors. Who else could they have signed this season? RJ? He's still very unproven on a 450 indoors.
The smart move for Kawi, besides this is to lean into the home grown team build.
Move up Levi in 28 no matter what.
Move up Seth or Thrasher in 29 if either of them win and stay healthy for PC the next two years.
Marchbanks has more time to grow and build too.
If Chase goes back to KTM would that change your tune at all?
Pit Row
Good question, but no I don't think so. Honestly he is at the age now where many riders have retired anyway. Even if he stays Kawasaki I believe he has wins left, but again, his championship days are most likely over I feel. I would like to hope not, and Prado and Roczen have proven me stupid, but it feels the odds are against Chase.
They definitely tried to sign RJ after he had already committed to Ducati.
Doesn’t matter. A factory ride is a factory ride. Kawasaki desperately needs a shot of positive PR after their latest episode with Prado & Sexton. Malcom provides fan favoritism and a guy who doesn’t generally bitch & moan about bike setup…at least publicly. He’ll be in the top-10 consistently and will keep Kawasaki from being the pariah it’s become recently. Mookie will end his career there & be just fine.
Sounds like you may know something…. 😉
KTM may just hate Kawi and love winning this much to do this.
Why do people keep saying Chase to MXGPs? lol IMO he stays at Kawi because he doesnt really have anywhere else to go. It is what it is, hopefully he keeps his head down and tries his hardest and comes out firing. He’s won on the bike, so it is capable.
Somewhat new 2027 KX450 coming as well. Not a lot of changes, but hopefully just enough to make a positive step forward Sexton and Marchbanks.
Factory level expectations for Mookie are probably not what they are for Chase. And that's not an unusual dynamic for a factory team. One thing Mookie has done that a lot of fifth to tenth place guys haven't is win a race by being the fastest guy on track. Not holeshot and run away, and not in triple crown format, but pass the top guys to take the win in a regular race format.
Mookie on a 2 year deal is a terrible executive decision. guess Kawi really is bent over a barrel here. Fahey has taken a once-glorious team to near record lows. Maybe Canadians are too nice? Maybe Engineers shouldn't manage teams? idk. sad for someone who bleeds green.
Chase was wicked fast on the pumpkin! 💪👈
Kawasaki was not negotiating from a position of strength, doubt they had much choice on giving Malcolm 2 years if they wanted to sign him.
Chase to KTM is an easy sell. KTM admits they had shock issues, which was nearly all of his issue there, and fills the void left by losing two fan favorites for two foreigners. Chase admits the grass wasn't greener elsewhere and shows some humility, signs bonus heavy deal, they kiss and make up. He gets back on the bike he went 40th to 1st on and won a title on and gets back to work.
Work with me here, I'm trying to manifest this into happening.
The entire chassis is new. that alone is a big change.
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