3/20/2018 8:14 AM
Edited Date/Time: 3/20/2018 8:32 AM
The Lites class is really a story of economics. It has nothing to do with "rider development". Teams exist for one purpose, to sell bikes. Imagine we forced all of the top 10 guys from both coasts to race the 450 class. That would be an extra 20 more dudes trying to make a 22 rider gate. Obviously, many of them wouldn't make it. Additionally, there would be many others outside that group, that normally make it, that wouldn't. In this situation, the lites class is completely watered down AND you have really fast guys packing their bags early. Lites bike sales would probably suffer without a premier guy or guys showcasing the bikes. Meanwhile, you've got those 2 or 3 seconds a lap faster, premier guys packing their bags. Careers would be much shorter, bike sales would suffer, and in the end, the economics of it all would kill the sport.
Currently, we the fans get more doses of elite speed instead of forcing really fast guys to go home. The East and West are the absolute fastest lites supercross series' in the world. The fact that they're considered a feeder class makes no sense to me. Some guys are awesome lites guys but crappy 450 guys and vice versa.
I think ZachO is a unique example of a late blooming phenom. Forkner is simply taking the normal path of being a phenom. ZO's maturity is helping him in this title chase, but it's also schooling Forkner for future chases.
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1. Context!
2. Context!
3. Context!