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101
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12/12/2019
Location
Emerado, ND
US
Edited Date/Time
5/17/2020 11:59pm
Been thinking about a lot of guys that just appeared and disappeared since we have been watching so many old races during this time. Who do you guys think? Here are some guys that come to mind for me.
Austin Stroupe
Zack Bell
Nico Izzi
Travis Baker
Gannon Audette
Darryn Durham
Could you consider TP199 as a bust?
Austin Stroupe
Zack Bell
Nico Izzi
Travis Baker
Gannon Audette
Darryn Durham
Could you consider TP199 as a bust?
Also, to be considered a bust has to be weighed against how much hype you came in with. I don't think Baker, Gannon or Darryn came in with anything close to the hype of guys like Alessi, Millsaps, J-Law as vtec said. Bradshaw would be considered a bust compared to the hype coming out of the 125 class. Same for JS7. Or Bogle, Wilson, Barcia, etc. etc.
The thing is, it's all relative and Amateur is not the same as 125/250 class, which is not the same as the 250/450 class.
I personally don't think any of these guys were "Busts" except for very few like Izzi who threw his career away, or guys like Hill or Hanny who had a ton of potential and just didn't put in the work. I don't consider anyone a bust due to bad luck, team circumstances, injuries, etc. They're all great riders who made it to the top .1% of racers in our sport.
The Shop
OTOH, he has incredible success in charting his own way, based on riding skill and infectious enthusiasm.
But Izzi's problems stemmed from his injury followed by his team owner backing him into a corner and told to take pain pills and ride or lose his ride. He made the decision and the rest is history. But I chalk his end result up to injury also.
I wish JLaw would have kept his same personality but put in the work and commitment to winning. He was just naturally hella fast.
JS7 doesn't really belong in the conversation, but I think a few key decisions made differently would have resulted in 3 or 4 more championships. The TV show and moving to Yamaha on the 2010 backwards engine were two key decisions specifically. Not saying he would have won more, but things took a dip in that time period. Not a bust but more of a what more could have been.
Without a doubt, he is one of the successful motorcycle riders of all time.
It's usually not a single issue that causes someone to not reach their potential, but rather a series of events and decisions combined.
But in general, I wouldn't consider anyone a bust for reasons outside of their control, especially if they managed to make it to the professional level.
Pit Row
I enjoy watching everyone on the gate, they're doing stuff on a dirt bike I could or will never do.
Good for all those dudes for making it into the stadium, that's a huge accomplishment.
Most of Travis's potential laid outside of the myopic moto community from the very beginning with all his video features before he ever raced a pro moto or SX. Travis was a star outside the community of hardcore moto guys.
Tracis raced moto as part of an overall plan to be bigger than the sport and he achieved it. He was never moto or SX only. It was always a bigger plan and he executed it to perfection and became arguably the biggest action sports hero ever. All while winning a national championship. How many guys dedicate their lives to get just one championship? Vitually everyone. Travis accomplished that while back flipping in his backyard and on his way to global domination as an action sport athlete.
So in my opinion, potential achieved in this sport and others.
we all know how hard on your body the sport is and how easy it is to get major injuries, we all know how expensive it is to race at top level, we all say you are just as good as your last race, we all know how adictive opioid pain killers are......
i think it is very unfair to blame a young hot racer that takes those pain killers to deal with his injuries, and to keep racing and holding his contracts, and finds himself adicted to opioids and his life goes the wrong way......
i think it is wrong to blame them and they should be helped not criticise.....
its easy to point out nico izzi, but like him there was a lot more, some you know, some you dont even imagine, if there was a lot more tests, those cases could have been stopped and those pain killers could have been taken out of the sport....
but this is a subject that every one avoids, and it keeps happening, and talent keeps being wasted......
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