No, you don’t have to, but you might lose your spot when it’s open to everyone who did not get a chance to do the area qualifier are able to begin signing up on Wednesday. DC Racer X

Neoman, I found this in a Frank Melling book called "Moto Cross: The Big Leap" from that era... Is this maybe it?

https://mxsports.com/2020/05/18/regional-championship-schedule-announced-for-the-2020-monster-energy-ama-amateur-national-motocross-championship DC Racer X

That's great news. We expected maybe 750-1,000 for the Bulldog GNCC in Georgia over the weekend, ended up with a record for that event of something like 1,825 riders... The regional schedule will be out her in a couple of hours. It will be a different ... more »

Man, it tacked up nicer than I thought, and lots of lines and berms by the end. I had left around 2 and it was getting good. Thanks for posting! DC Racer X

I remember when did that! He once did something similar at Loretta Lynn's 1985 when a hurricane knocked out the third set of motos. He tried building a track on the infield and they raced one moto--his Senior class--before it became hopeless. But he ... more »

I think my brother-in-law Jeff Russell made the decision, based on all of the rain and the fact that people really wanted to ride it while it was all covered in grass. Had they disked it up before the rain on Friday and Saturday morning it would have ... more »

It rained all Friday and then turned into snow early Saturday morning. We kept it grass because that's what everyone wanted, and after an hour of bikes on the track it tacked up nicely and was perfect. Fun but cold opening day after a long time waiting.

We all know too many people that made a go at professional racing as a career, did not have a back-up plan (like a high school education) and struggle now. We wanted to give them what most other sports have, and that's a scholastic tie-in to help them ... more »

First, not the sanctioning body, just the series and event promoters. Second, when you ask someone to come to town early to help out with press, you're asking them to give up a day of practice/training back home to be there early to help out with local ... more »

These are not "demands" by any means. It's okay not to come to press day if you don't want to. But if you say will come, and want to ride, please be available to the press. That's why it's call "press day." It's not mandatory for anyone. If you don't ... more »

Marketing themselves and their motorcycles and the races they enter are a big part of the job of being a professional racer. The promoter doesn't pay them to do press day, but we do allow them to ride the track for extra practice in return for helping ... more »

Thanks for the compliment, and I'm not dodging anything. I have explained this many times. There are six major OEMs in this sport right now (soon to be seven) and they invest more money in three championships--AMA Supercross, AMA Pro Motocross, FIM MXGP--than ... more »

Good point. Reasonable, fair criticism and opinions are fine anytime, just not the excessive and unreasonable nonsense we saw (and heard and read) from that unfortunate episode. Almost every professional sport asks that of their athletes and teams, it's ... more »

Same place they are for SX and MXGP, sorry. DC Racer X

It's not what you think, and it has nothing to do with "saving that cash." If you want to come and ride press day, you have to show up for the press functions and appointments, like morning talk shows or appearances, and not just show up when it's time ... more »

DirtBikeMike, what a very cool photo! Did you shoot that? That's the epitome of Marty's class and grace right there, and on a horrible day to boot... DC Racer X

He has always been incredibly kind and funny. If I recall correctly his career got derailed in one notorious crash that also took down Marty Smith and Jimmy Ellis, in the first turn at the Houston Astrodome in 1978. Tony tore up his knee badly, Marty ... more »