Interview - Eli Tomac "These guys are raising the bar above us Americans in motocross"

That was a really good interview.

I'm really hoping that the riders here and the teams , take a close look at this whole thing , and realize we need to focus a little more on our outdoor skill sets if we are going to stay competitive against the rest of the world.

I also think that DC needs ( has to if this is going to work ) is to start getting some different track surfaces to ride on. Seems like all the tracks get super deep , chocolate cake loam and they all start to form really close to the same on race day.

We need the hard pack. We need some deep sand tracks. We need variety if we're going to stay competitive.

SX is great I guess.....but when the riders spends half the year doing just that , we become " Part timers " in MX. And we're falling behind.

jeffro503 wrote:

That was a really good interview.

I'm really hoping that the riders here and the teams , take a close look at this whole thing , and realize we need to focus a little more on our outdoor skill sets if we are going to stay competitive against the rest of the world.

I also think that DC needs ( has to if this is going to work ) is to start getting some different track surfaces to ride on. Seems like all the tracks get super deep , chocolate cake loam and they all start to form really close to the same on race day.

We need the hard pack. We need some deep sand tracks. We need variety if we're going to stay competitive.

SX is great I guess.....but when the riders spends half the year doing just that , we become " Part timers " in MX. And we're falling behind.

SX is more important business-wise in USA. It`s a fact. I don`t see it changing anytime soon, unless you see 50-70K people at the races. Sadly I agree with the post from someone earlier that pretty soon we`ll have GP`s for motocross and USA for supercross.

I get exactly what your saying Jeffro but didn't the American riders like JS7,RC, RJ have the same schedule and they used to wax the GP boys no matter what.

I think it's more of a case of the GP riders upping there game in recent years than a decline in US riders.

Great interview by the way Vital thanks !

Great interview and good questions ..

How about AMA comes over to Europe for a round ? would be awesome , but wont happen

jeffro503 wrote:

That was a really good interview.

I'm really hoping that the riders here and the teams , take a close look at this whole thing , and realize we need to focus a little more on our outdoor skill sets if we are going to stay competitive against the rest of the world.

I also think that DC needs ( has to if this is going to work ) is to start getting some different track surfaces to ride on. Seems like all the tracks get super deep , chocolate cake loam and they all start to form really close to the same on race day.

We need the hard pack. We need some deep sand tracks. We need variety if we're going to stay competitive.

SX is great I guess.....but when the riders spends half the year doing just that , we become " Part timers " in MX. And we're falling behind.

kongols wrote:

SX is more important business-wise in USA. It`s a fact. I don`t see it changing anytime soon, unless you see 50-70K people at the races. Sadly I agree with the post from someone earlier that pretty soon we`ll have GP`s for motocross and USA for supercross.

It may , but I don't know if that will be entirely true.

MX here....is what 99.999% of us ride on weekends ( Speaking of SX vs MX ). If SX was to be the sole purpose for American riders , it'll be focused on something that those 99.999% can't / won't do. It starts to lose touch with what we actually do here. It would become obsolete in my eyes after a while.

People who are interested in moto ( I think ) , after a while would start to crave to watch professionals do what they ( The 99.999% ) are trying to do...MX.

Seems we are at a cross roads here in America. I actually dig SX , but in all honesty , I don't see how SX can survive without MX. It just doesn't make sense. MX is where it all starts , and it's what we all grew up on.

The top GP guys have always been fast though. Pichon, Everts, Ciaroli and now Herlings. It's nothing new. Those guys always won no matter where they went.

I think we are, for the first time in a long time, in an era where there aren't any all time greats racing on the AMA circuit. We went from McGrath to Carmichael to Reed to Stewart to Villopoto to Dungey. You'd have a strong argument if you said they're all top ten all time AMA riders.

So yes, I guess the AMA is down a bit right now. If Roczen and Musquin didn't come over, our field here would be very weak following Dungey's retirement.

SX with its always extending season and major money has obviously added to the AMA MX scene getting weaker. There really wasn't a debate for a long time where the best riders in the world went. It was the AMA scene here in the states. It's not like that anymore. SX has gotten to be such an overwhelming portion of the AMA schedule that you can't just be an okay SX rider and great MX rider anymore. Tortelli and Albertyn are perfect examples. That was sustainable in their day as long as they got through SX injury free (something they often didn't do). Now, the top GP talent stays in the GPs unless they have been exposed to SX at a younger age and can actually compete and battle for SX championships like Roczen and Musquin can. If they don't fit that bill, then they stay in the GPs like Cairoli and Herlings, among many others. 15 years ago, Jeremy Martin would have been offered a top 450 ride for 2016 following back to back 250 MX championships, coupled with a few wins here and there in SX. In 2017, that will get him a factory support ride at best.

In conclusion, the rise of SX and the fact that the AMA scene doesn't have an all time great out there for the first time in a long time is leading to a weaker US MX scene. Add this onto the fact that top GP riders aren't coming over for reasons mentioned above, then you've got yourself the result of what we are seeing right now.

Side note: It really sucks that MX fans don't get to see all the best going at it for an entire series. Any sport that doesn't have a way to get the best to always compete against each other is just frustrating for fans of that sport.

jeffro503 wrote:

That was a really good interview.

I'm really hoping that the riders here and the teams , take a close look at this whole thing , and realize we need to focus a little more on our outdoor skill sets if we are going to stay competitive against the rest of the world.

I also think that DC needs ( has to if this is going to work ) is to start getting some different track surfaces to ride on. Seems like all the tracks get super deep , chocolate cake loam and they all start to form really close to the same on race day.

We need the hard pack. We need some deep sand tracks. We need variety if we're going to stay competitive.

SX is great I guess.....but when the riders spends half the year doing just that , we become " Part timers " in MX. And we're falling behind.

kongols wrote:

SX is more important business-wise in USA. It`s a fact. I don`t see it changing anytime soon, unless you see 50-70K people at the races. Sadly I agree with the post from someone earlier that pretty soon we`ll have GP`s for motocross and USA for supercross.

jeffro503 wrote:

It may , but I don't know if that will be entirely true.

MX here....is what 99.999% of us ride on weekends ( Speaking of SX vs MX ). If SX was to be the sole purpose for American riders , it'll be focused on something that those 99.999% can't / won't do. It starts to lose touch with what we actually do here. It would become obsolete in my eyes after a while.

People who are interested in moto ( I think ) , after a while would start to crave to watch professionals do what they ( The 99.999% ) are trying to do...MX.

Seems we are at a cross roads here in America. I actually dig SX , but in all honesty , I don't see how SX can survive without MX. It just doesn't make sense. MX is where it all starts , and it's what we all grew up on.

I feel exactly this also, but The people at Feld DO NOT CARE one bit about what you just said. To them it is just another entertainment cash flow stream like all their others.

If I was someone for whom money was no object, I would provide the funding to increase the nationals to 15 rounds. Then I'd make the payouts for the top 20 riders so lucrative they could not refuse to ride the series. I would provide the funding to make every track's facilities world class. And I would have a rule for participating that said anyone who participated in a "supercross" series would be ineligible to ride the outdoor nationals.

I would kill deathcross and return the sport to its roots, where it all started.

I remember a time when factories hired a rider with ok supercross skills but could deliver an outdoor title. Lamson & Kiedrowski are ones that spring to mind.

Indy sx, 40-50 thousand,fans. High point 10k. Easy to figure out. Need more outdoor fans, simple.

TDeath21 wrote:

I think we are, for the first time in a long time, in an era where there aren't any all time greats racing on the AMA circuit. We went from McGrath to Carmichael to Reed to Stewart to Villopoto to Dungey. You'd have a strong argument if you said they're all top ten all time AMA riders.

So yes, I guess the AMA is down a bit right now. If Roczen and Musquin didn't come over, our field here would be very weak following Dungey's retirement.

SX with its always extending season and major money has obviously added to the AMA MX scene getting weaker. There really wasn't a debate for a long time where the best riders in the world went. It was the AMA scene here in the states. It's not like that anymore. SX has gotten to be such an overwhelming portion of the AMA schedule that you can't just be an okay SX rider and great MX rider anymore. Tortelli and Albertyn are perfect examples. That was sustainable in their day as long as they got through SX injury free (something they often didn't do). Now, the top GP talent stays in the GPs unless they have been exposed to SX at a younger age and can actually compete and battle for SX championships like Roczen and Musquin can. If they don't fit that bill, then they stay in the GPs like Cairoli and Herlings, among many others. 15 years ago, Jeremy Martin would have been offered a top 450 ride for 2016 following back to back 250 MX championships, coupled with a few wins here and there in SX. In 2017, that will get him a factory support ride at best.

In conclusion, the rise of SX and the fact that the AMA scene doesn't have an all time great out there for the first time in a long time is leading to a weaker US MX scene. Add this onto the fact that top GP riders aren't coming over for reasons mentioned above, then you've got yourself the result of what we are seeing right now.

Side note: It really sucks that MX fans don't get to see all the best going at it for an entire series. Any sport that doesn't have a way to get the best to always compete against each other is just frustrating for fans of that sport.

Great post !

I think the GP riders are equal to the AMA riders, sometimes superior depending on the conditions. However the vice versa is also true. Our predictions can sometimes fail us completely just because a rider is having a good day (or another a bad one) and in fact does happen to agree with the track - e.g I personally wouldn't have predicted Anderson running with Herlings round Maggiora.

So, one off races are certainly interesting and can potentially signal a trend, but they also have to be taken with a pinch of salt to some extent. The top riders in both series are very comparable. Just quickly out of interest, during the various slides I noticed some black box things on the side of Eli's Kawi, extra cooling?

I happen to like deathcross and motocross. I'm glad we have two series here. So what if all they do is ride mx over there. Besides Herlings and AC (who are very rare special talents) they aren't that much better. Tomac made short work of their GP champ from last year. Hell look at the 250 class coming up. Didn't look that head and shoulders above our current crop. Some years we have the best riders. Some years they do. I would hate if all we had to watch all year long was one long ass outdoor series. If some riders are good enough to get a GP ride, and feel they aren't interested in supercross, by all means go to the GPs and make us proud.

RJ Hampshire,. I ll.leave it at that lol.

Rowlands wrote:

I get exactly what your saying Jeffro but didn't the American riders like JS7,RC, RJ have the same schedule and they used to wax the GP boys no matter what.

I think it's more of a case of the GP riders upping there game in recent years than a decline in US riders.

Great interview by the way Vital thanks !

Don't forget the 250s this weekend

SX is awesome and what really took USA to a new style that dominated the world for years! The euros may have picked it up but MX ain't going away in our lifetime.

Time the US elite rode MXGP

I know there are a ton of things to work out, but it could be done.

A rider like Tomac who suffers with the long schedule, could do season more similar to AC & JH. Bin SX off.

I can imagine your going to say they need SX for a decent pay cheque. My guess would be if the true world best raced MXGP the outdoors would increase in popularity. That will enable more money to be brought in in all sorts of ways.

Have a few GP's to keep USA in the loop.

Riders should choose SX or MXGP. rather then trying to do two different sports.

Could put 'moto' in a big stadium. Try it a few rounds. 2-minute lap times, long, with only a couple jumps. Only 1 premier class, run what you brung. 450, 350, 250, electric, 2-stroke. A support class too.

Rowlands wrote:

I get exactly what your saying Jeffro but didn't the American riders like JS7,RC, RJ have the same schedule and they used to wax the GP boys no matter what.

I think it's more of a case of the GP riders upping there game in recent years than a decline in US riders.

Great interview by the way Vital thanks !

Hut wrote:

Don't forget the 250s this weekend

Yeah AMA 250 have the upper hand at the moment. Although if apply the 23 years old rule I would say with the AMA guys left there not that big of a gap speed wise.

RJ Hampshire killed it though no excuses from the euro's he smoked them, but I genuinely think Seewer and Jonass are able to beat him.

Eli goes up against the world. He doesn't win. Suddenly all of American motocross is inferior to the Euros? No Baggett. No Anderson. No Webb. No ZO. No Bogle. No Martins. No Savatgy. No Dungey. (yea. I know. But he wasn't retired until a few months ago). Filling out the gate with a lot of guys few have heard of just to have the race? The guy that wound up 11th in our 250 series goes out and nails down a 1-1? Yeah. The sky is falling.

KCCO.

People, even some here constantly attack this forum for the clueless Vitards. In reality, everything he said has been discussed here for the last week. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are people here that are as knowledgeable as most anyone in the motorcycle industry. Possibly more on some things because it's usually being viewed or learned from the other side of the fence. I'll add the disclaimer that I'm not trying to put myself in this group, I've ridden since I was 7 years old but it's never been my main activity as an adult, it has always been my main love though. I don't have the week in and week out racing experience. Spread out over 47 years my amount of races would average probably somewhere in the middle between one and two. But I do like to analyze things and if I pose a question it's because I am genuinely interested and feel I'll get answers from people with more experience and knowledge than me. Pissing people off is just a little perk. If the manufacturers aren't watching this site and at least weeding though the BS for the gems they really are doing themselves and their customers a disservice.

After listening to his explanation I do feel bad for being a little too hard on Tomac this last week, I don't think he or anyone in his camp read any of it or should care. But I do feel like I went a bit overboard and I hope he comes back next year a little more consistently like the guy on Sunday than he was this year.

mxb2 wrote:

Indy sx, 40-50 thousand,fans. High point 10k. Easy to figure out. Need more outdoor fans, simple.

The new era has just passed outdoors by, there are plenty of things that it has happened to. People like to sit in comfy seats with their $10 beer, not bake in the sun all day in the dirt. Each successive generation has gotten softer. I don't think there's any bringing it back. The outdoors need to figure out how to strive in this new reality. Selling the viewing of it from any couch in America is going to be the new reality. I could see a GP or two attracting a large crowd here but it's not going to be as easy as putting up a few banners in a hole in Carlsbad.

pilotdude wrote:

I feel exactly this also, but The people at Feld DO NOT CARE one bit about what you just said. To them it is just another entertainment cash flow stream like all their others.

If I was someone for whom money was no object, I would provide the funding to increase the nationals to 15 rounds. Then I'd make the payouts for the top 20 riders so lucrative they could not refuse to ride the series. I would provide the funding to make every track's facilities world class. And I would have a rule for participating that said anyone who participated in a "supercross" series would be ineligible to ride the outdoor nationals.

I would kill deathcross and return the sport to its roots, where it all started.

"I would kill deathcross and return the sport to its roots, where it all started".

If that were to happen, it would kill the industry altogether. SX puts fans in the stands and makes money for the comanies in the industry, there's no question on that. MX does not. SX is a more watchable experience for casual observers. This past season I took my 70 year old mom to her first SX event and she loved it. Had a ball! She's been around racing, Nascar, MX, road racing, etc her whole life with my dad loving motorsports racing. She said it was easy to watch because of the short race formats (good for people with ADD). I started taking my wife to some SX events about 2 years ago. She too had a great time, thought it was fascinating. It's a great venue for casual fans and non-hardcore MX folks. It's a "production" or "show", not just a race event. Like it or not, that gets the seats filled and TV sets on with eyeballs watching. That in turn drives revenue.

I get that you are one of the hardcore MX fans, I too love it passionately. I'm glad if you had so much money that money were no object, you would put so much into MX. But the reality is, unless you win the lottery that's not going to happen. And if you did win the lottery and still did what you claim, you'd likely go broke eventually because it would be an sustainable financially losing venture. The solution is, getting fans in the seats and on TV. To get better riders, the industry needs to pay riders more money - but that doesn't happen without fans in the stands.

I don't know what it takes to get more money pumped into the industry. I just know that if you take away SX, it would be far worse for the industry instead of better.

WhipMeister wrote:

Eli goes up against the world. He doesn't win. Suddenly all of American motocross is inferior to the Euros? No Baggett. No Anderson. No Webb. No ZO. No Bogle. No Martins. No Savatgy. No Dungey. (yea. I know. But he wasn't retired until a few months ago). Filling out the gate with a lot of guys few have heard of just to have the race? The guy that wound up 11th in our 250 series goes out and nails down a 1-1? Yeah. The sky is falling.

KCCO.

RV did not help this arguement at all. He left the US as the best rider and went over to the GP's as a rider that did not want to race anymore. You might say he was forced to race by Kawasaki and Monster? He won one race out of the 4 or 5 he started got hurt and quit. Unfortunately because of money we will probably never see a top 450 rider from either side go race the other series. I can not imagine Tomac making the same money going to the GP's or Hearlings making the same money over here. I believe it was Everts that said this years ago when asked about coming over to the US to race.

mxb2 wrote:

RJ Hampshire,. I ll.leave it at that lol.

Yo;u tell em',. bud-.,dy

I would love to see a mx championship with the best riders behind the gate. Do 5 rounds in Europe, 5 in the US and 5-10 elsewhere where there is a genuine interest for mx. Try hard as hell to get a decent tv deal. From a business perspective mx shouldn't make their schedule fit the sx schedule. Do your own thing and do it better than today. Mx is a big sport compared to sx in reality

Racing the full world championship would be a bit different for RJ from racing your home GP or the des nations. Ask RV.

There is one world motocross championship, that's MXGP, it's the measuring stick for being the best mx rider in the world.

If you want to be the best SX guy, race in the USA. It's pretty simple, those are the two biggest championships in the world.

Not to take anything from Hampshire but he had a heavy home court advantage. Florida weather is unlike anything those guys face, yesterday didn't prove anything about being superior to the other 250 guys. But confidence is a big deal, someone better sign him because he's going to win next year.