Posts
287
Joined
7/22/2011
Location
Tampa, FL
US
Edited Date/Time
3/4/2013 6:51pm
I posted this before and was underwhelmed by the lack of comments..........
I’ve been a lurker on the moto websites for years but decided to finally join some sites since the exciting year in SX is being followed by a great 450 championship battle. Great television for both SX and MX too. I have followed racing since the early 1970's and love being able to watch many races live and nearly all within 24 hours of the event.
Just recently I bought the August issue of MXA as I hadn’t seen an issue in close to a year. Nice surprise seeing article about Danny LaPorte and there are bunch of pictures of Danny sporting the classic JT gear ( he was one of my favorite riders and the JT stuff was THE gear back in the day). Towards the back of the magazine there is a piece by Jody Weisel “When Worlds Collide” that addresses a lot of issues facing the sport of MX around the globe. He spares no criticism of the various entities involved in MX on both sides of the pond and also raised a number of issues regarding MX Sports.
Until this article I didn’t realize there wasn’t a MX Sports riders points fund like they have in SX. One rider my son is friends with doesn’t understand the six dollar processing fee on rider entries at Nationals now. Considering the amount of sponsorship dollars coming in to MX Sports this six dollar fee feels like nickel and diming the people who obviously are a huge part of the program since without the racers there would be no races. What other "shows" do performers have to pay to participate in? Why nick the guys struggling to make it from stop to stop? With travel expenses, repairs, the poor economy, etc., when will you see the first national without a full 40 man field?
As I understand it there has also been a reduction in the amount of passes racers get for their friends and family too. No points fund, a six dollar processing fee on entries and fewer passes in the midst of what appears to be great sponsorship packages from Lucas Oil and Rockstar leaves me scratching my head.
I think MX Sports has done a great job with the Nationals and promoting them, but I’m just trying understand how MX Sports justifies maximizing their profits to this extent.
I’ve been a lurker on the moto websites for years but decided to finally join some sites since the exciting year in SX is being followed by a great 450 championship battle. Great television for both SX and MX too. I have followed racing since the early 1970's and love being able to watch many races live and nearly all within 24 hours of the event.
Just recently I bought the August issue of MXA as I hadn’t seen an issue in close to a year. Nice surprise seeing article about Danny LaPorte and there are bunch of pictures of Danny sporting the classic JT gear ( he was one of my favorite riders and the JT stuff was THE gear back in the day). Towards the back of the magazine there is a piece by Jody Weisel “When Worlds Collide” that addresses a lot of issues facing the sport of MX around the globe. He spares no criticism of the various entities involved in MX on both sides of the pond and also raised a number of issues regarding MX Sports.
Until this article I didn’t realize there wasn’t a MX Sports riders points fund like they have in SX. One rider my son is friends with doesn’t understand the six dollar processing fee on rider entries at Nationals now. Considering the amount of sponsorship dollars coming in to MX Sports this six dollar fee feels like nickel and diming the people who obviously are a huge part of the program since without the racers there would be no races. What other "shows" do performers have to pay to participate in? Why nick the guys struggling to make it from stop to stop? With travel expenses, repairs, the poor economy, etc., when will you see the first national without a full 40 man field?
As I understand it there has also been a reduction in the amount of passes racers get for their friends and family too. No points fund, a six dollar processing fee on entries and fewer passes in the midst of what appears to be great sponsorship packages from Lucas Oil and Rockstar leaves me scratching my head.
I think MX Sports has done a great job with the Nationals and promoting them, but I’m just trying understand how MX Sports justifies maximizing their profits to this extent.
He had bounced one with me last year, I didn't want to wait the 3 or 4 days to see if it would clear.
BB&T charged me 6 bucks to cash his check.
You can afford to run a 4stroke, you can afford 6 bucks to pay someone to process the work required
to run.
At that level, it's a business. Have you looked at your phone or electric bill lately?
The Shop
In regards to the phone or electric bill comparison, the phone/electric companies are not charging me to create services others are paying for. Tracks are charging the performers that are bringing in the customers so they make money on both ends.
I'll bet if you talk to a track owner, and delve into the expense side of running a race, your eyes may be opened a bit. Ever notice how many new tracks are popping up in your area? In our state, and surrounding areas, they are either closing or the promoters are getting out and one or two of the remaining seem to take over an existing operation. As for new operations coming in, I have to wonder how profitable they are because in the end that is the real reason for people to get that started.
Have you noticed over the past 5 or so years a number of National tracks no longer in the mix? Not that having a national isn't lucrative, but if you don't make the needed improvements to your facility or happen to hit an off weekend, there is potential to bomb out.
Don't kid yourself, with the 4 stroke movement, rigs, pit vehicles, and everything else that goes along with going to a moto race, you have either be well off or have some sort of decent backing. Unless you can run top 3 in B class at Loretta's or make some noise in the top 10 at the nationals, you are riding for the love of riding and not much more than a dream. It's a great dream, but none the less, a dream.
BUT...
I think there is so much to putting events like these on, and DC and crew always act with the sports integrity at heart, I am sure there is a valid reason if not a few....
They need the money. Like any business. Watch the pennies and they turn into dollars. What's wrong with that?
Last time I ran, it cost me 25 bucks per class. 50 dollars to sign up for an amatuer race that had no possibility of paying me anything.
MXSPORTS, for a 6 dollar fee, gives you the right to claim your kid is a National caliber rider. Can you not recoup that
from a dealer, sticker manufacturer or powerwasher company?
MXA is good at criticizing every other company, but I want to know what they do to help the privateers.
The amount of free passes was slightly reduced so that the event promoters could sell more actual tickets.
Every dime from Lucas and Rockstar goes to TV production (and it still doesn't cover it).
We are working on building a points fund but its been very difficult in this economy the last three years.
DC
MX Sports
If so, prob just sour grapes. Where was Danny when the series AMA was up for grabs? How many series has he put together and run?
Is he on the hook for a million dollars a year? Besides putting together a sub 200 pound 250 KTM, which used a very expensive pipe he was connected with, what does Danny know?
Second, as far as I know, every motorsport has an entry fee, but did you realize how many of the elite motorsports offer no purse at all? There's no purse in F1 or MotoGP. There is an end of the year points fund, paid to the team. It's the team's prerogative (via contract) on how much of that to pay their drivers/riders.
If your issue is entry fees, how about your local roundy-round car track? That's a "show," no? They charge spectators to come see a "show," right? But those drivers pay entry fees also. NASCAR has entry fees.
You need entry fees for two reasons. One, to keep every yahoo who owns a motorcycle showing up to race Ricky Carbuckle, Ryan Villyfloppy and Bryan Spongy. You have to charge a fee so Mr Yahoo thinks twice about dropping a few hundred bucks to drag all his shit to the track only to be last in qualifying and a danger to everyone on the track. Two, entry fees release the promoter from liability or the insinuation of being an "employer." By paying to race, it shows that the rider is freely and willingly to compete and take the risk and not doing so through obligation to the "employer." By not being an employer, the riders are not in a position to claim unemployment benefits, injury/medical insurance or require any type of OSHA compliance. The track owner and/or promoter is not an employer, and requiring the racers to pay to play is evidence of such. By the way, riders are usually not "employed" by teams either, they're independent contractors.
DC
MX Sports
Pit Row
Im one the the few people that have seen and lived the progression on MX Sports in the last 13 years going from Amatuer to Pro. Its been amazing and every year gets better. People need to stop whining and learn to enjoy life...instead of just trying to find the next thing wrong.
So true in all business i know what i am going to do to you way before you can stop it.
Coomb,s what the big deal that Mark posted. (Dump the TV program pay the riders and people will go to a nat if thay are about moto
He asked and DC came on the board and answered. Enough said.
Credit card fee's? Now you are nickel and diming my sensibilities. I bet they won't accept a check or cash?
Villoflippy and spongey are less impressive when they are beating up on guy's who's ice cubes melted in their cooler before the first moto's start.
I like DC too......but you Davey cheerleader bodyguards need to give him suggestions too. Not every criticism or suggestion to him needs to be argued away to protect against made up petty expenses.
You do know that Dungey started a lap down and already knew that since they lapped 9th in the first moto the worst he would do was 9th or so?
Doesn't sound like top 5 is a big deal any more for a supported rider why not make them pay more to park in the front and show off the cordless drills?
I actually have to agree with Motogrady, that these tracks run a business. Much of this is the related to the economy, and tracks need the money.
Unlike 35s mom, we haven't moved out of the am's yet, so my experiences come from that direction. It is the signup fees, ten dollars to mx sports for each lorettas class at the qualifiers, $40 for each class to the regionals, transponder fees, fees for lap times,more sign-up fees at the regionals, lorettas costs, pit vehicle costs, extra vehicle fees, etc. It appears that the mindset is that you are this far and we can squeeze another couple of bucks because where are you going to go.
I know costs for the tracks and I can assume mxsports have increased, but this sport has to compete with other forms of entertainment and it is getting to the point where the average racer is getting priced out.
You wanna know why we don't see too many privateers racing out of their pick ups and vans anymore? (Because they dont have to!)
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