Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but paid users have great benefits. Paid member benefits:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2024 SX, MX, and SMX series (regularly $30).
Some of us are a little more involved and do not have the room to "speculate"
Not being a dick- but this hits too close to home for a few of us!
Go support your local family owned racetrack.
Before Monday...
Carry on.
The Shop
When we scheduled the event nearly two months ago, it was with the full expectation that Clark County would move from what the state of Washington was calling Phase 2 to Phase 3. After we had a successful regional there in early Jully with maybe 1,200 entries, we fully expected to be able to return with the pro event, but we also expected the state to be in Phase 3 by mid-August. Here's what happened since the initial June 24 outdoor recreational-use letter that allowed the regional event to happen, but were very concerning for going forward with a pro event:
In June Governor Inslee produced "Safe Start Washington: A Phased Reopening County by County." It was anticipated that a three-week period would be required for a county to move between Phases 2 and 3.
* June 26: Governor Inslee mandated masks statewide.
* July 3: Governor Inslee suspended all counties progressing any further from their current phase, due to Covid-19 activity in the state.
*July 8: Clark County remained in Phase 2 (due to July 3 suspension) and no longer met the requirements to progress to Phase 3. Positive Covid-19 cases continued to increase. Subsequently, Clark County's application to progress to Phase 3 was returned by the State to Clark County, due to the facts in the application no longer being applicable. Clark County was told to rewrite and resubmit the application.
*July 16: Governor Inslee suspended all major indoor/outdoor entertainment and reduced Phase 2 gatherings to five people.
*Jul 29: Governor Inslee extended indefinitely the hold on counties progressing to the next phase.
*August 17: Clark County remains in Phase 2 with no established date to progress to Phase 3.
The amateur event now planned for this weekend met the requirements laid out in the June 24 recreational-use letter, but the current guidance from the state does not contemplate all of the peripheral activity associated with a pro national motocross event, including substantial numbers of working individuals for TV production on two different networks, our extensive medical unit and related crew, dozens of officials, and the number of crew members for most of the teams (they exceed five people, and they do not meet the requirement of being members of a common household, a provision that was not in the original June 24 guidance).
I am very sorry that the difficult decision was made not to send all of the teams, privateers, officials and TV trucks across the country to Clark County, given the uncertainty of permission to host a major professional sporting event with many, many crews of more than five people, due to the reopening hold in the state of Washington.
I hope Washougal has a very successful amateur motocross event this weekend. We have been friends and working partners with the Huffmans for 40 years. We will be back in 2021.
DC
Racer X
What Davey said above sums that up as well. I have no idea why this is controversial here. Sure people are disappointed, but the reasoning is clear as day.
R I P P E D. A W A Y !
I don't disagree with their decision to cancel the race. I would rather have had the race up here, but I understand the reasoning behind it.
Unfortunately, they thought that things would automatically go from a stage 2 to a stage 3, and that just isn't realistic. Even with the previous stage 3 limitations, the event maximum was 50 people. I don't think that would have been feasible to hold the race in the first place.
Again, no bashing of MXSports for cancelling the race. That was their call, and probably correct with the fluid nature of the situation. But to say that there were new restrictions instituted after the event was cleared to go that morning just isn't true.
You can dislike Inslee for any number of reasons, but he didn't promise that any county would automatically move up in the stage program, nor did he institute any new restrictions suddenly between the morning that things were "good" and the time that the decision was made. Inslee hadn't put any new restrictions in place for at least a couple of weeks, so this suddenly becoming undoable because of new restrictions on the 13th or 14th is not true.
Again, I probably would have made the same decision that they did. Scheduling the event at all was a gamble, and the stakes weren't getting any better for them. Of course all of the involved parties would rather stay put for another week and not spend a lot of money on an event that could be cancelled at any time. That's all that needed to be said, really.
*Jul 29: Governor Inslee extended indefinitely the hold on counties progressing to the next phase.
The term indefinitely has not sat well. I also think many counties felt this would not apply as they are not anywhere near the larger cities and are frankly shocked that restrictions continue where it is not at all necessary (such as Clark County). I am betting from Jul 29th, to Aug 13th, there was discussions and questions asked between the county, MXSports, & The Huffmans, until they realized it could not happen with all counties now stuck locked down indefinitely (which means until after the elections).
IMO, there is not a single reason on this planet Clark County should still be held to a phase 2 restriction, and obviously everyone involved here felt that the governor would never keep restrictions where it is completely unnecessary as well and made plans based on reality that our governor is successfully ignoring.
Sorry for the folks reading this crap who don't live in WA, it is a real mess up here
Interesting. I assume those networks are MavTV and NBC Sports? I always assumed it would be the same crew working both broadcasts, just with a different logo shown on TV. Is that not the case?
Pit Row
That is always a highlight of the season.
So no other state has phases?
*July 16: Governor Inslee suspended all major indoor/outdoor entertainment and reduced Phase 2 gatherings to five people.
It should have been canceled at this point as there is an obvious chance that the shit could go south and we wouldn't be in "what Washington state is calling stage 3".
Since 7/16 we have and will be putting on events with the states consent with more than 5 people. I get that Davey can't call out the OEM's for making the decision for him but it is what is is folks. I'm just glad we all get to enjoy some racing, whether it be from our couch or the fences! Thank you Davey and crew for making it happen!
Maybe, just maybe, the cards would be different if they would have put all the west coast rounds together so y'all didn't have to zigzag across the county like you do every year! I've been scratching my head on that decision for years now...
This is my home and have been working here for damn near 30 years now. Am I a little butt hurt it got "ripped away"? Damn straight I am because this is the best week of the year for me as well as people from all over the world I'm sure.. but I know that we'll be back better than ever next year. Now let's quit calling people out for being a little upset over it, for whatever reason. It's not just people from the NW getting riled up about it..
Post a reply to: Washougal Canceled?