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The problem I have with Colton, is he is endangering others, even if he doesn't worry about himself. Outside of danger is the sense of fair play. I'm well aware this is a sport in close quarters and that means riders will get together. He has taken it upon himself to become a one man wrecking ball, I'd have to watch again, but during the night he had between 5 and 10 incidents where he was the cause. Same thing at Vegas if not more. It appears there will be no referee's or warnings, so the gloves are off and he is turning it into a bare knuckle street fight. If that is the kind of rider Husqvarna and Rockstar want to have represent them, then they should not say a word to him. It is highly unusual to have fans booing riders on the podium.
Outside of all my bitching about something that was fun to watch, he is his own worst enemy. He likely would have won the race if he had just been patient and kept it on 2 wheels instead of being on the ground lap after lap. If he even has a team mgr. they might have some advice on that subject.
But the other riding in the main was a bit weird. Seemed like he panicked and went crazy and ended up losing more time.
Would be hard with lappers not moving and everyone wanting the same line. But Colton is doing one thing and thats getting people talking about the races, riders and sponsors which is good for the sport.
As for fabricated drama, I don't at all think that is going on from the series itself, there is way too much going on in these races to be able to control what happens out on that track. It's seriously chaos out there on a level that TV will never even get close to showing. I do, however, think Colton is kind of playing a part on his own to help grow his brand and bring some recognition to the races. He's always been extremely aggressive and his own worst enemy at times, but it seems like he's really come out swinging this year and it's back firing a little bit. Endurocross fans aren't stupid though, they remember stuff like this and I don't think it's appealing to a whole lot of people. That's just my take though, my untalented ass is in no position to be critiquing what these guys do so take it for what it's worth, I'm a fan of both and can respect both of their approaches.
Like you said though, at the end of the day it's entertainment and that's never a bad thing.
It is hard to blame him for those incidents and it is quite foolish to blame the track builder or design unless you rode the track. There was lots of room on the inside to make that cut into the no joke lane.
I can tell you first hand that everyone had safety on their mind. In that photo is John Gallagher, Eric Peronnard and myself. We were watching it closely.
We will always make an adjustment in the name of safety and will look at the course design in Denver with an eye toward safety for the racers.
Thanks to everyone who joined us in Reno.
I am a passionate advocate of Endurocross, you may have noticed that I do my best to bring awareness here.
As excited as I was for a format change, in practice after 2 races I am disappointed, mainly because it is so confusing. Mind you, I am not some passing spectator, and I am still confused. I'm sure you're aware that there are constant discussion's about the SX format also. I realize that a commitment was made to a format, but you seem to be open to feedback or you wouldn't be here. I believe Endurocross is small enough to make changes and adjustments mid stream.
Seeding 8 into the main is cheating the fans who want to see them ride. 1 lap races for gate position are entertaining, but gate picks have very little value in Endurocross. With as few Pro's as there are available to fill the gate, a multi moto format seems tailor made for Endurocross so that we can see the top rider's in races that matter.
If you check the SX thread, the Joker lane gets no love. I would suggest that if you want the pro's challenged, and the amateurs to come out, the Joker lane should be used for every lap on the pro's, and be really hard. I get that the idea is to create track position drama, it just seems like you are trying too hard to manufacture it.
I do believe as your guest does, that Endurocross does provide the most passes, lead changes and excitement of any form of 2 wheeled sport. I do believe it has the potential for a larger growth as a result of that. It doesn't have to be a niche sport.
1 night of racing and 2 nights of questioning the Champion's riding style or officiating are only a small part of the subject.
I know you have been a supporter ( not that anyone looks at Vital) and it is appreciated.
The reason for some format changes this year have been to put the riders on the track more often in a "racing situation".
Your points are not unreasonable. We are committed to the format and I think you will find it makes for an exciting championship run. What the racers/ teams think is important and we listen then consider how to adjust.
The Bonnier Group and all of us directly involved are working very hard to make Endurocross something very special. As DC or many other people here will tell you ....it is a methodical process that requires unending work and constant thought on how to make it better.
Thank you for the input.
EnduroCross Night Show Flow Chart
How do qualify for the Super EnduroCross main?
IRVINE, CALIF. (September 21, 2017) – To boost the excitement of EnduroCross, some changes were made to the night show qualification process. This format now has the top Super EnduroCross (Pro) riders facing off three times during the evening. This played out well in Las Vegas, where Colton Haaker and Cody Webb traded barbs in the qualifier, bracket race and again in the main event.
The new format also allows for the top Amateur and Vet riders to earn a spot in the Super EnduroCross main event. For the Amateur and Vet riders, it is optional to accept the opportunity to race the Super EnduroCross main and any rider that enters the top twenty in Super EnduroCross points becomes ineligible for the Amateur or Vet classes.
To help make it easier for the riders and fans to follow the new format, we have created a flow chart that shows all of the night show racing.
I'm not looking to qualify or go pro, just to have some fun! and fun it was.
All you moto guys should really try one of these.
While I might not have ridden the track I was right in front of the joker lane in the mechanics area, my son did race it and I talked to other riders so hopefully it's not foolish for me to say the joker lane was in a REALLY bad place. Riders had to square up to take it, they couldn't just come down the inside. My kid saw one of Colton's crashes there and was looking over his shoulder when he took the joker lane, he shouldn't have to do that.
The new format totally make sense to me, but we live and breath EX. I think the fact that there was a need for a chart just shows how hard it is to follow. As a wise man in the industry once told me, if it takes more than two sentences to explain something you've lost half your audience.
I just read my post back to myself and boy do I sound negative, LOL! Which isn't the case at all, we're ready to get to Denver for more racing! Hopefully we'll find a nice hard matrix there
Pit Row
TomZ. The entrance of the no joke lane was at the bottom of the biggest jumps landing and on the start of the apex to a sweeping turn. Guys are going to land and get on the gas and shoot down the inside to hit the apex of the turn. How is that not the track builders fault. While on the subject of the no joke, all you guys are doing is wasting needed floor space for 1 lap of the entire night. The no joke hasn't played into any of the results so far
I helped with the track build and we all walked passed that for days and missed it. When Colton hit Cody there I asked myself how the hell I didn't see that coming. I also looked at the Denver plan to make sure we don't get that situation again. Your looking at a million things getting the track done and you think you have it all covered.
Dan
How many other incidents happened there besides his? None that were on the stream.
I don't know if there were more incidents or not. Colton can say it was his fault. But I can tell you there wont be another set up to the no joke lane like that. The purpose of the no joke lane is to be a lot slower than the main line to help initiate passes in the main. That one you had to go into very slow and the angle you needed to take was 90 degrees to the main track.
Thanks.
Post a reply to: Reno Endurocross, Round 2 Bench Racing Thread