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Watching old supercross races and I wonder if Jeremy McGrath would have been so dominant if Laracco could have figured out the starts. Many of the races he was riding faster than McGrath, but when you get bad starts night after night it makes it hard to beat someone like McGrath.
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Does Eli ride like he did all 2017 if he wasn't in a points hole?
Hard to say! LaRocco was balls fast, but he had to be to make up for a lot of shit starts. Kiedrowski too!
Cheers, Crush
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LaRocco seemed to get in a groove as the race went on . Even when he got a decent start there were times when he didn't make up time on MC until like the halfway point when McGrath started just managing his lead.
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I don't think Mike could ever sprint like MC.
His charges from the back were amazing to watch and I also wondered if he should be beating McGrath more. However, MC's results speak for themself. He is The King.
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the funny thing i find is after all these years there isnt a que of guys asking him about how he trained ,i ve never seen a fitter rider than laracco ,the guy was only getting going at 30 mins lol . plus as op says his starts really killed him , the record book s will never show how fast he was
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Had these timed mains been in place all along, The Rock would have quite a few more wins IMO.
I was a die hard fan of his. So I may be biased.
Alright Lunger, Let's Do It
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Nobody could touch McGrath no matter how good of a start they got. Anyone who got a holeshot on him was usually quickly passed and MC would check out.
LaRocco had strange luck. Anytime he was having a good race he would have a strange mechanical issue or crash.
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And Chad the Chump Reed goes out, rides just fast enough to make the main and then just cruises so he can beat LaRocco's record of mains made. He couldn't be a pimple on Mike's ass.
Anyone but Ralph!
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Knobbyjake wrote:And Chad the Chump Reed goes out, rides just fast enough to make the main and then just cruises so he can beat LaRocco's ...more
I completely agree with this. And don’t want to hear about this shit about he’s old... Laracco was a top 8 rider up until he retired. Not this “can’t even win a last chance qualifier” has been..
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Location: MO, USA
Larocco did get the start on McGrath several times. McGrath still won. St. Louis 1999 McGrath started second and Larocco first. McGrath passed him and checked out.
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Knobbyjake wrote:And Chad the Chump Reed goes out, rides just fast enough to make the main and then just cruises so he can beat LaRocco's ...more
Devenhallen wrote:I completely agree with this. And don’t want to hear about this shit about he’s old... Laracco was a top 8 rider up until he ...more
Better to be a has been than a never was. I wonder if Knobbyjake could even get into a SX heat race or LCQ...I know I couldn't.
Many thanks to everyone helping me out this GNCC season: SRT Offroad, Acerbis, FCR Suspension, O'Neal Racing, Evans Waterless Coolants, Rekluse, Twin Air, Braking Brakes, Carbsport
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Location: Warren, OH USA
And to the OP, it's LaRocco, not Laracco
Many thanks to everyone helping me out this GNCC season: SRT Offroad, Acerbis, FCR Suspension, O'Neal Racing, Evans Waterless Coolants, Rekluse, Twin Air, Braking Brakes, Carbsport
Profile image credit Ken Hill Photography
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Harescrambled, even at my best I couldn't. The point is Larocco tried his hardest every time he went on the track. Reed is going out just to get a record. He was OK in his time but that's over, don't just go out there riding around to get a record that is held by a guy that gave his best every time. That's my gripe.
Anyone but Ralph!
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Ya but Chad Reed has won first place a lot more i think? Therefore he might get a pass on this whole lcq injured foot he got a podium last year thing?
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Edited Date/Time:
Perhaps Mike should show up on a factory Honda to qualify He might just have it in him.
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Location: Boise, ID USA
I agree with everyone saying McGrath would have still been dominant. I was just watching old races and seeing how quickly LaRacco was catching up it makes you wonder how things would have turned out if he could have started up front as consistently as McGrath. I still think McGrath was quicker, but if LaRacco was up front every week pushing him and forcing him to ride hard all moto long every week would he have made more mistakes and possibly crashed more often leaving more chances for LaRacco to win? Of course we will never know, but just my take away after watching the 93-95 seasons again.
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Big LaRocco fan here. Good start, bad start, pretty much the same result. It just took him too long to get going. Outdoors, MC was no match for him.The thing I hate for him was being on the desNations team that broke the streak. Kiedrowski should have withdrawn. His broken finger had to have held him back.
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wreckitrandy wrote:Big LaRocco fan here. Good start, bad start, pretty much the same result. It just took him too long to get going. Outdoors, MC ...more
Yes on 500s outdoors very few could keep up with LaRocco , he could really make a 500 do what it was supposed to do ....
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Location: Halifax, NC USA
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Location: Fort Dodge, IA USA
Knobbyjake wrote:And Chad the Chump Reed goes out, rides just fast enough to make the main and then just cruises so he can beat LaRocco's ...more
Devenhallen wrote:I completely agree with this. And don’t want to hear about this shit about he’s old... Laracco was a top 8 rider up until he ...more
Plus Brayton is only 1 year younger than Reed.
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McGrath was the perfect fit for SX success. Get good starts, hit sprint mode immediately and check out. Even getting good starts I don’t think Mike could have matched MC’s early race speed
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Location: Perth, AUS
Knobbyjake wrote:And Chad the Chump Reed goes out, rides just fast enough to make the main and then just cruises so he can beat LaRocco's ...more
Devenhallen wrote:I completely agree with this. And don’t want to hear about this shit about he’s old... Laracco was a top 8 rider up until he ...more
Yeah, I think Reedy will take his career record over LaRocco’s every day of the week.
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Location: Avon, IN USA
Knobbyjake wrote:And Chad the Chump Reed goes out, rides just fast enough to make the main and then just cruises so he can beat LaRocco's ...more
Reed was on pulp a while back and steve asked reed about some record mike held about being the oldest rider to podium and reed straight up said "im better than mike"
Shit like that is why i dont care for chad.
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Location: AZ, USA
Knobbyjake wrote:And Chad the Chump Reed goes out, rides just fast enough to make the main and then just cruises so he can beat LaRocco's ...more
Devenhallen wrote:I completely agree with this. And don’t want to hear about this shit about he’s old... Laracco was a top 8 rider up until he ...more
His record is shit.. he’s been around awhile... whoopdedoo, a couple championships.. terrible comparing the last two decades of riders..
Let’s get to the hate companies have for him... the entire reason he had to start his own team and the very reason his biggest sponsor is a motorcycle dealership..
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The Rocks fastest laps were always like lap 18. I really thought he was going to get that title in 2002. Fricken Travis!!
Alright Lunger, Let's Do It
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Location: Perth, AUS
Devenhallen wrote:I completely agree with this. And don’t want to hear about this shit about he’s old... Laracco was a top 8 rider up until he ...more
ando wrote:Yeah, I think Reedy will take his career record over LaRocco’s every day of the week.
Devenhallen wrote:His record is shit.. he’s been around awhile... whoopdedoo, a couple championships.. terrible comparing the last two decades ...more
Ok
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Devenhallen wrote:I completely agree with this. And don’t want to hear about this shit about he’s old... Laracco was a top 8 rider up until he ...more
ando wrote:Yeah, I think Reedy will take his career record over LaRocco’s every day of the week.
Devenhallen wrote:His record is shit.. he’s been around awhile... whoopdedoo, a couple championships.. terrible comparing the last two decades ...more
His record is shit? You should go back and do your homework. Fewer riders have had better career stats than Reed and fewer yet took the path to success he took to achieve what he did. Its clear you don't like Reed. Thats cool, to each their own. But his results over a LONG time speak for themselves. But saying his career is shit is just plain uninformed, or you are just in denial.
"If you don't put your work ahead of your talent, you won't win." Mike Babcock
