Posts
14387
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Compton, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
8/18/2014 1:48pm
After watching the GP's on TV and seeing some of the tracks/pics and scenery posted here, why would a young MX'er not want to spend a couple or years racing across the pond for a World Title?..You only live once, right?..
Lots of respect to the riders that do give it a go! Hope Covington can find his groove soon. (probably won't find it at Valkenswaard
The Shop
Never underestimate the importance of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross tour in the eyes of a young athlete. Combine the experience, rewards and exposure of that with outdoor motocross and you have quite a compelling career path for kids who grew up worshipping Jeremy McGrath more than Joel Robert.
DC
MX Sports
Personally I think he might well have struggled a bit and could be looking at privateer rides by now whereas he might stand a better chance nowadays?
From the sounds of a few posts here since they've been on TV in America...just those broadcasts have changed a lot of peoples opinions about them...no reason to thing an up and coming amateur (or their parents) won't watch those races and have a change of mind about them.
That, and Herlings and Cairoli smoking the American riders the past two MXdN's is helping a ton too...the argument that the GP's are a B series no longer holds water (when Herlings and Cairoli retire, then it will be though).
It was a great move for Zach to go to Europe, just as I think this is the right move for Covington at this point in his career. Zach had been racing pro for three years to that point and guys he started with -- Villopoto, Dungey, Grant, Canard -- were moving up the ranks without him. The change of pace, the new responsibilities, the life experiences all helped make him a better rider (he was already a really good person).
Covington needs more time, and he has a unique opportunity to get that right now in Europe. He will also come back a better rider, and with a whole bunch of new life and racing experiences.
My point of the first post was that we as fans can sit here and talk about how great it would be to travel the world and race on different circuits and different countries every weekend, but to a teenager with a shot at a pro motocross career, they see it all much differently -- they want to race at Anaheim, not Uddevella. The lure of the jam-packed crowds, the TV coverage, the money, the lifestyle, it all adds up as a pretty amazing challenge.
Let me put it in another sport's terms: probably every top football (soccer here) prospect grows up wanting to play in Europe as a professional. I can't imagine a soccer-playing kid with world-class potential would choose the New York Red Bulls over a shot with Barcelona. Maybe at the beginning or end of their career, like Beckham or Henry, but not at their peak. They want to play at Barcelona or Real Madrid, Manchester or Arsenal... It's so much bigger, and they are so many more chances to play and get paid, and that's what they see growing up.
Now think about what SX/MX in America must look like to a young rider.
(EDIT: For what it's worth, I grew up wanting to be like Heikki Mikkola and race at places like Namur, Farleigh Castle, Sittendorf... I was lucky enough to get to do some races in Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and it was a great experience, no doubt. I just think things are different now, as the growth of supercross since the eighties is a huge reason.)
DC
MX Sports
I wouldn't want to go, either.
He raced a few meetings I commentated on,and raced a few twin shock races too, I think his temperament was similar to the likes of. Schmidt , Moore. Etc .. which leads me to ask have any true west coast racers come to GP,s .. I m sure Lackey was SoCal based , but what about Moore , Schmidt , vohland, Parlker, , I think the are mostly southern and mid west guys.
But bad luck and crashes (and sand) haven't been going our way lately. I don't think we're getting any slower, but as a team we just haven't been getting it done the last two times (which coincide with RV not going, but that's racing.)
I don't get why it always breaks down to U.S. against them, but it makes the between-races-waiting somewhat tolerable!
DC
MX Sports
Pit Row
You've also elaborated on Zach's example more than I needed to,it was no doubt the right thing to do at the time,a British team is a big plus,you know the banter that goes on! Rides were maybe taken and would have been for a while,now those riders you mention and more have moved on and things opened up, he's gone back home to a great team,although he's a few years older,just as Covington will be,making it is making it at the end of the day
We test in Italy over Easter , it's a cool place , way of life there is beyond laid back, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Czech Republic are cool, we might do a race there if the flight pan out right
DC
MX Sports
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