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I remember you saying Eli didn`t go for it at Ironman because he had points lead to protect. I guess it doesn`t apply here, eh? lol
It`s just one of those days.
As far as your chart goes, since 2000 the SX title has been won only by Reed for a foreigner. East and West is half competition.
Nationals have been much better but still the talent that comes are world champions which I always mention. Reed and Langston always wanted to race here but needed the GPs as a spring board.
In the late 80's early 90's there were a ton of Americans winning the GPs and they were not AMA champions and every 'GP' rider that has won national titles here has been a world champion already and of course they can come here and compete for wins and titles they have already proven them selves to be the cream of the crop in the GPs. It is uncommon for Americans to go to the GPs unless its a last resort so stats will always be skewed in favor of GP champions and since 1989 at nearly 15 world champions have come stateside although hopefully more Americans go to the GPs in the future, if you dont love SX, go to Europe because it will be hard for someone to get a ride in the states without being excellent at both.
Also Mike Brown never won a world title, won plenty of races but no title. The last American to win the World Title was Moore I believe in 94.
MC going SX only helped one thing though, you start your list at 99 because Albertyn won the title and before that you would have to go to 91 when JMB won. Albertyn came here in 95 after winning three straight world titles but was left in the dust more often than not by Emig and MC with Larocco beating him alot in 1995 and Henry in 98 only winning two races from 95 through 98. When MC went SX only in 99 the door cracked open for Albee and when Emig went too far down the rabbit hole the title became wide open and Albertyn had his chance and took it like the champ he is. So MC going SX only certainly helped Albee.
here is a good view of US riders and results in MXGP
Thirty-four American riders have won Grand Prix’s since Jim Pomeroy took their first at the Spanish GP in 1973. A large portion of those winning the USGP when it visited American soil, but many have found their success on the tough European circuits or in places like Japan, Indonesia and Venezuela.
Villopoto and Thomas Covington joined 10 other American riders to have won a single GP, those being Zach Osborne, Rodney Smith, Chuck Sun, Micky Dymond, Jimmy Ellis, Mike Guerra, Donny Hansen, Ken Howerton, Eric Kehoe, and Marty Moates.
The list of American riders with two GP wins are Ron Lechien, David Bailey, Mark Barnett, Danny Chandler, Bob Hannah, Mike Healey, Mike Kiedrowski, while Mike Brown, Broc Glover, Johnny O’mara, Jim Pomeroy and Marty Smith won three each.
Three American riders have won four GP’s each, those being Ricky Johnson, Jeff Stanton and Tallon Vohland, while Danny Laporte and Billy Liles won six GPs apiece.
The first ever American motocross world champion Brad Lackey won nine GPs, former 125cc world champion Bobby Moore won 12 GPs and multiple world champion Trampas Parker won 13 GPs. The winningest American rider in the Grand Prix series is another multiple world motocross champion in the late Donny Schmit. Schmit won 15 GP’s in his career in Europe.
Tomac - 2 GP wins
Covington - 2 GP wins
Webb - 1 GP win
Nelson - 1 GP win
Hampshire - 1 GP win
If MX drew a bigger TV audience or a bigger live audience the money would be there. MX racing is much harder to follow and the riders get strung out and the racing isn't close a lot of the time. SX is easier to watch live, and is much more of a show than MX. I like them both but a casual/newbie fan may get bored with MX faster than SX.
We as MX/SX fans need to find a way to bring in casual/new fans if you want to grow the sport. Casual fans turn into rabid fans and the more rabid fans you have the more $$ comes into the sport. If people demand great TV coverage and are willing to pay for great coverage, the TV deals get bigger and the $$$ flows. Look at any ball sport, their TV deals are stupid huge. How do we get to that level or near that level? Do we need better stars? Bigger Jumps? More PR/Advertising, prime time slots on network TV? Or are we just always going to be a fringe sport loved by many, just not enough to make it mainstream. Do you even want MX/SX to be mainstream? I think MX/SX is doing pretty good, this year the 450 talent pool is down a bit, but it will rebound. The TV coverage is pretty decent now, could be better, but at least we get nearly all the races close to live now. I think it will survive just fine. Herlings isn't going to ruin American MX/SX any more than Tomac will ruin MXGP.
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