@PING 2

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**Before we get started this week, we want to make things a little interesting. Out of all of the questions submitted over the next week, Pingree will pick the best question for a prize. Next week's prize will be a Vital MX T-shirt or hat.**

Ping,

Is the addition of Musquin and Osborne into the remaining SX races, plus a stronger/healthier Webb, more likely to hinder Tomac or Roczen for the championship run?

JLbarnes

JL,

That’s an interesting question, assuming we get back to racing and finish this thing off. If you look back over this season, and others before it, Eli has proven that he can come through other riders better than Roczen. Ken has had health issues and injuries that have hindered him, so it’s difficult to draw an even conclusion. I don’t think the addition of these guys near the front will have more of an impact on one rider over the other, it will come down to which rider can get starts and execute for 20 minutes. I think the factor that is much bigger is how each of them is staying sharp during this break that will extend for an undetermined amount of time. Are they still riding every day? Will they even race the nationals (if there is a national series)? Will they focus on the one championship that has eluded them both? Are they taking a break now to peak again in the fall? I don’t have these answers and, frankly, I don’t think they do either. How do you prepare for races that haven’t even been announced yet? The word is that they will run the remainder of the races between September and November, but that’s all subject to change based on what this virus hysteria does in the coming months. There are so many factors at play in the title run and so few points between the two, it could be one of the most dramatic finishes to a championship ever. 

- PING

Ping,

Over the years, what has been your favorite MX bike to ride?

Tomday289

Tomday289,

When I was racing, my favorite bike was my Bill’s Pipes Suzuki in 2000; that thing was a missile and handled better than any bike I’d ridden before. My TLD/Honda 450 Supermoto bike was incredible also, and the feeling of 70 horsepower and 100% traction is something everybody should try. Since that time, I’ve had the good fortune of riding every single new bike that was produced, as well as a slew of project bikes built with the help of the finest companies in the industry. I’ve lived a charmed life, if we’re being honest. This week I got to test my latest Race Shop build, a 2020 YZ125, and it definitely makes my favorites list. The cylinder and head are the very same ones pulled off of Ryan Villopoto’s bike last year when he raced the 125 all-stars event. The damn thing is a bullet… look for that test up soon. 

- PING

Ping,

Why are all of your questions about two-strokes? Are you pushing some agenda or what? I swear every week there is a question about them.

Chaney

Chaney,

Are there two-stroke questions this week? And you do realize that I can only answer the questions sent to me, right? If there are two-stroke questions, it’s because people are writing in questions about two-strokes. It’s not like I’m steering a question about protective gear into something relative to two-strokes. Thanks for the sweet question. Hey, tune in next week when we feature an all-two-stroke column next week!

- PING

Do you have burning questions that need answering? E-mail Ping at ping@vitalmx.com. Want more? Click the @PING tag below to quickly find all the previous columns. Remember, the best question from this next week of submissions will get a Vital MX T-shirt or hat.