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Funny comment I read on another thread talking about Pala's "cheap money"... lol, what is the definition of "cheap money"? I'd like to get my hands on some "expensive money".
I can't argue with Jody's bottom line on this whole conundrum: it was a difference in length of the term, that neither side could get past. I continue to respect and appreciate what he does for the sport, and I hope we will continue to work together (though admittedly sometimes in different directions) to help the sport grow. I count on his opinion, his knowledge and his passion for motocross.
There are a couple of things that have been posted that are not accurate, or at least there's more to explain....
BOTH Pennsylvania tracks got one-year deals; I just did not make that clear in the earlier post. And yes, the plan is to move one to the Southeast in 2011. The other one has some work to do if it's going to remain.
There are NO automobile tracks on the schedule, and there will never be one with more than 35,000 seats because that makes it a supercross, as defined by the AMA's contract with the Supercross series. But a place like Barber Motorsports in Alabama would be a great location (and it's a motorcycle track, first and foremost).
"Proximity to Los Angeles" doesn't have a damn thing to do with TV production or budgets. SPEED is located in Charlotte, NC, NBC is in New York City, and the folks who film the races are from all over the map. The cost is the same -- many, many times more expensive than I ever thought it would be.
As far as smoother tracks go, we're always damned if we do, damned if we don't. People get hurt, and everyone complains the tracks are too rough and dangerous. Smooth it out, people complain the tracks are too fast and dangerous. Bikes are so much different and more powerful than they used to be, and the stakes much higher for today's top riders. There is a sweet spot in there somewhere -- Thunder Valley was too smooth for the first motos, perfect for the second. Jake Weimer said Red Bud was rougher than he's ever seen it, and he won (that was the race where Ryan Dungey somehow endoed on a banked turn). Anyone who's ridden Loretta Lynn's knows how well a track that is both rough AND groomed can be for racing....
And for the record, there is no deal with Pala Raceway or anyone else at this time. I have never stayed at Pala Resort, I have never gambled there, and I have never ridden there, but I have been there twice. It has a lot of potential, just like Glen Helen, Honey Lake, Competitive Edge and a few other California tracks. (And if you're keeping score at home, in the two years I have also been to Barber, three different tracks in Georgia, two ski resorts in Utah, a large park in North Carolina, Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA, Arizona Cycle Park, and I am headed to Camp Woodward in central Pennsylvania soon, as well as another place in North Carolina and one in South Carolina).
From here, we have to move on. We have a series coming up and a lot of very good tracks and riders, not to mention the fans and our industry, expect a quality championship. I plan to deliver. And for anyone who doesn't think I put the sport of motocross first and foremost, come out to the races and work alongside me for the weekend. If that doesn't change your mind, nothing will. But at least you will see a good race, and I will have someone to help us get the job done.
DC
MX Sports
The Shop
And the beer's still cold......
As fans of the sport (and Vital abusers) we would all love to “know it all, or have access to it” when it comes to the future of the sport. As a fan of the NFL I would like to know my favorite teams exact plans for this year (and I own some of that crap stock the Green Bay Packers sold a number of years back to fund the new stadium, so I’m part of the ownership, right?), but I’ll never be privy to that data. We’ll likely never see the road map that MX Sports has designed for their vision of promotion of US Motocross, but if their history is any indication, we‘ll surely be on the same road with them…….Or not (as in the case of Glen Helen). I can’t even imagine defining a business plan that would “coral” all of the variables into one straight line for a vision of the future of motocross, but I am damn sure that we have the right guy leading it! Keep up the good work Davey!
Kevin Z.
I have every confidence that outdoor MX is in the best hands.
BP
Everyone wanted DC instead of YS as well, and now they criticise him, he has a vision just like Luongo, let them get on with with then in a few years, we can decide if it was a success or not.
Davey can see Loungo's idea's are accurate and well thought out and they are helping the GPs in the long term, it sounds like he is adapting some of it to the US and using his own ideas too to hopefully grow the sport in the long term in the US, imo SX should be the sideshow to motocross in America, not the other way round.
Time will tell but you have to give him a chance there will be growing pains just like in the GPs and the economy won't help. But in the 6 years Loungo has has had GPs they have become much more professional, and are the benchmark for outdoor motocross organisation and the racing is still great, this despite what people in the US who have never been to a GP might say. But I put that down to patriotism against what they see as a rival series instead of accuracy.
So I say give DC 6 years and then see where the nationals are at. Motocross has to move on it cannot remain the same, Loungo seen it 6 years ago and changed it, DC I think sees it too for the US series.
The same people that criticise Loungo will do the same to DC, ironically there will also be those that will support DC doing the thigns they would criticise Loungo for too, but they are both trying to grow the sport...that means change, it doesn't mean everything both will do will be perfect, mistakes will be made, but change is inevitable. Time will tell if DC's vision of change will work, but he needs time.
"THEY" are very few, I believe there is a huge majority on MX Sports side of things.
You have never been to a national, so don't call those who have never been to a GP ignorant. It's quite hypocritical, even for you.
DC
MX Sports
I didn't mean your vision was exactly like Loungo in the literal sense, I meant you have a personal vision to grow the US series just like he does with GPs. I never mentioned road race tracks...and I specifically said you had your own ideas...
Obviously both have different ways of going about it but it is same basic idea to improve the sport and the series by bringing it to a bigger audience and bigger sponsors which seems to come from infrastructure and facilities... However, where did the tents in the Pit lane come from? not the GPs?
It was sean who mentioned taking a leaf out of the FIM book and the macho Americans who disagree...and he has been to both. I was reiterating the point.
As far as not attending a national.. I sent you a pm on that. I have been to 3 supercrosses and even rode at Glen Helen twice and I do watch every national on tv and have every series from from 1996, I follow the US racing as much as any American here, I see it as another World class series to watch.
And I was actually trying to defend what you are doing in the previous post.
Pit Row
I am also the first to admit they seem to have dragged their feet over the years on other issues.
I will still keep my fingers crossed that they may find their way back into the schedule but realize things need to keep moving forward.
DC
MX Sports
DC, the releases and responses that have went back and forth aren't fully clear on one thing.
Did Glen Helen have a fully signed contract in place for 2010 and the issue was a 'new' contract, or was it that the contract for the 2010 National hadn't been fully agreed to yet?
If it was the former, then Glen Helen would seem to be at fault for not living up to the terms of the existing contract.
If the latter is the case, then it would appear that MX Sports would be at fault for advertising a race they had no contract in place for, therefore causing several hundred, perhaps thousands of people to spend money planning to attend.
If that is the case, it is amazing that an organization like MX Sports would have published the schedule they did without the venues fully locked up. That is the real issue to me, not the "sanctity" of any single track. As has been pointed out, the sport has lost many "sacred" tracks in the past, but if "moving the sport forward" is the goal of MX Sports, then certainly scheduling and publishing an event for around a year without having a contract for that event is most certainly not indicative of that goal.
Overall I've been pleasantly surprised with the direction that MX Sports seemed to have wanted to take the Nationals (as compared to what I thought other organizations were hoping to accomplish of course) but if this truly wasn't a fully contracted race and the public is just finding out about this now then it really calls into question the judgement of the organization.
That sentence should be enough to put this to rest......but sadly it isnt.
Having been to a few nationals, I will say this. If you want to be a dirt grubbing sport, like we are now, then keep things as they are. If you want to become a bigger sport and attract NEW faces to the races, tracks will HAVE to improve their onsite infrastucture. We are core, we dont mind driving 2, 4, 12 hours to get to a track out in the middle of nowhere. We dont mind sitting in the sun, and the dust for 8 to 12 hours. Because we race also. You want new people, you have to crater to them to entice them to show up. OR you have to have a tv package so they can become consistent fans watching, which actually is better for the growth of our sport cash wise/sponsor wise, than new faces at the track.
DC, you are doing just fine. Stay the course.
It is the closest track to my house, but I really never ride there. If Pala does get the race, I will lose even more respect for MX Sports. If they would of just come out and said "we are looking to go in another direction," I could of understood. This bs of giving them a one year deal so Pala could get the ducks in a row, is a chicken shit move.
Props to DC for coming on here and trying to set things straight. Respect given for that!
I guess I'll let it go.. Afterall Guy B said it isn't the biggest story of the year, somehow Reed and Stewart being injured eclipses a national track not being on the circuit.. Even if he feels differently, he isn't the kind of guy to have a public opinion..
Glen Helen did not want to invest / upgrade so they were offered a 1 yr deal to see if they would perform.
They rejected it. the deal is off.
From a PR standpoint it was not the brightest thing MX Sports could have done.
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