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Edited Date/Time
3/4/2021 6:05pm
What is your Mount Rushmore of MX/SX race mechanics? Who are the best all-time in your eyes?
I'd say:
1. Goose
2. Skip
3. Carlos
4. Williamson (Has a perfect season to his name and back to back to back to back 4x SX titles.)
I think it's only fair to take their rider's wins and titles into account. Some of you old heads will have to chime in on the best wrenches from the 70s & 80s that some of us are unfamiliar with.
I'd say:
1. Goose
2. Skip
3. Carlos
4. Williamson (Has a perfect season to his name and back to back to back to back 4x SX titles.)
I think it's only fair to take their rider's wins and titles into account. Some of you old heads will have to chime in on the best wrenches from the 70s & 80s that some of us are unfamiliar with.
Brian Lunniss.
Ozzy.
Jeez tough crowd
The Shop
Jim Felt
Eric Crippa
Bill Buchka
Am I forgetting anybody?
Goose and Skip have to be at the top.
Goose, JBone, and my Dad on Rushmore
Dave Arnold
Keith Macarty
Privateer mechanics definitely have it harder off and face more adversity throughout the season and they have greater overall responsibilities.
Factory mechanics fly in and out of the race, get to rebuild the bikes each race with whatever new parts they need, don't have to touch engine or suspension internals, don't have to change tires, only have to look after the primary race bike, and they probably don't even build their own wheels. They have a suspension guy, engine guy, software/electrical guy, tire guy, and team manager all in their corner to take that stress off them. Yes these guys are all great mechanics, but to some extent they are just a product of their factory environments that give them the resources needed to do their jobs well.
Rookie
Skip
Ozzy
J-Bone
Carlos
Honorable Mention
On a serious note, it's really hard to judge this. Goose and Skip are always acclaimed because they won a lot of races, but not many of us are privy to what goes on behind the scenes, which is probably where most of what makes a good mechanic comes out.
Pit Row
The rest in no certain order would be:
Jim Felt
Dave Arnold
Brian Lunnis
Rick Ash.
All these guys could port cylinders, build pipes, mill heads, weld frames, and tune suspension.
Just because a guy like Goose gets lucky and gets to wrench for RC because no one else is available after RC fires a guy, doesn’t mean he is a great mechanic.
Today’s mechanics don’t have to do as much, because there is a suspension and motor guy. I don’t want to call them parts changers like some do, because obviously they understand the bike and how it works and can work on it, they just aren’t as in depth as the guys use to.
Not to many are like Kyle Defoe, he can build your motor and setup your suspension, he is doing wonders helping McAdoo set up his bike.
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