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).
The Shop
Having already been sidelined for 12 weeks while he recovered from a hand injury Reed opted to ensure both he and his KX450F finish the race without injury or damage.
By the end of the 20 lap main event this strategy proved to be the smartest option by far. Reed took the chequered flag in a solid fifth place whilst team-mate and championship contender Ryan Villopoto and rival Ivan Tedesco fell victim to the unforgiving and unpredictable track.
“The track actually became quite dangerous as there was no maintenance done before the main,” Reed explained.
“The approaches to several jumps were rutted out leaving no margin for error. A number of riders including myself did voice our concerns regarding a number of different aspects of the circuit but unfortunately for the riders the much needed track maintenance was not carried out.
“It was a simple case of me riding the race focusing on ensuring no unnecessary risks were taken because although I am not in contention for the Supercross title my main priority is defending my motocross title,” he added.http://chadreedracing.com/2010/04/reeds-road-to-recovery-continues-at-st-louis/
Whipmeister duuude...xcellent pts brah!
Seriously, you're exactly right though!
However, I agree 100% they should have listened to someone with the experience of CR. and fixed it to his satisfaction,
Then again, the track turns to shit during a race too,exposed concrete,ruts on jumps with exposed rocks,ect.
Seperates the men from the boys. Doubt you will find anyone saying this unless they are bitching about the track. If that is the case then are they still a moron?
Go big or go home. I don't remember seeing that one.
About a million guys jumped that same jump.... There were several posts that had it in there that several of the racers jumped the same thing and didn't have a problem. Once again that is a factual statement, do you have a problem with that one.
It's their own fault they got theirselves busted up. Several posts that attribute the injuries incurred to a racing accident and/or misjudgement. Sorry but that is what it was.
1) http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/MotoRelated,20/Chad-Reed-arguing-with-tra…
You'll find most of those comments in that thread. I'm not going to dig each and every one out for you. They're there.
2) I just rewatched the race. Reed said, "The jump face is too steep," (I think he was talking about the landing, not the takeoff because that's what they worked over later). "the slightest little mistake will end in tears" when he was discussing what he said to Gallagher with Erin.
3) I single-framed Villo's crash. His front end didn't start to drop until he bailed. His feet were clear of the pegs by several inches and hands off the bars before the front end rotated down. Coupled with CR's comments, I believe that Chad believes that if that landing were a roller the chance of getting hurt would be greatly reduced. Since two major stars had their season end right there, I'd say he got that pretty much SPOT ON.
But for those of you who enjoy watching half-full gates, I know I'm not going to change your mind about anything.
Pit Row
God you people amaze me. WAH WAH. It's a dangerous sport and a few people got hurt. Hell fill in all the jumps and make it a flat track.
Sure crash and burn is appealing from the perspective of a casual fan but does this element of risk actually put more new fans in stadium seats on race night?
It is!
Each week, each race, get the top guys, heck 1 of each color, their team managers and simply have a chat after the 1st practice. Racing is dangerous enough. SX is dangerous enough. These things can happen anywhere at anytime sure I get all that. To long you say, or he came up to short you say, look, the tracks need to be challenging but not career or season ending. Difficult, but smart safe tracks need to become paramount. Between the 250 & 450's which are now the norm, it has to work & be competitive yet safe & doable for all.
Safe & doable for all. 250 & 450, hero to zero!
For me the issue & problem is clear as day, & I respect them all on all the sides that it takes to through together a SX race at this level, but to ignore dangerous issues, or not act accordingly is what it is, totally unacceptable. If I was in charge heads would roll.
Why? Cause it's always something. And this is major to me.
All the teams now that we're in the 4stk. age spare no expense motor wise. 4stks. can hurt people by virtue of the many moving parts alone, so none leave anything to chance.
The same work ethic needs to be applied here. I know the many and none I'm sure wish to see any hurt, top guy or not, & again it happens all to easy most of the time, but when the fire alarm rings heed the warning, and this time it was a band aid deal.
Piss poor judgement across the board.
Unacceptable!!!!!!!!!!
Dave O.
Bob caught a big one with this bait. Congrats Bob.
Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him.
Reed:
"The last jump before the whoops, it's just really, really steep and
pointy... the smallest mistake and it's going to end in tears, if not worse...
tried to give advice to mellow it out. We don't need to be carting people out of here."
[Later] Emig:
"... this is what he was talking about. After the first turn area, double, double, triple in.
And it was that sharp peaked last jump that he was talking about" [Bobcat on screen working the landing jump].
[Later]
[carting people out]
At each round of our National series, we now have a meeting involving riders/teams, promotors, track builders, and sanctioning body before we send 'em to the gate for real.
It appears to be working from where I'm sitting. Better yet, there is a much better relationship between each of those little special interest groups now that they meet and talk regularly.
It's not all that time consuming, and may be saving a lot of shit.
When Kenny spoke ALL listened.
Road racing is extremely dangerous, extremely!
Tracks, good bad and otherwise ALL listened.
In other words, his word was good enough for ALL.
Heroes to zeros, if there were track issues it was simply dealt with.
That same mentality needs to be had here regardless of,
scheduling,
time,
lack of time, whatever, make & take the time.
That's how you get it right.
This has nothing to do with the ease or difficulty of the track itself as some above seem to write. Build stuff that challenges them all. But as in anything, build them safe. The racing can challenge all the best, but as you tweak the set-up of the bike itself, they need to tweak the tracks as well. Can't have 1 without the other. When you don't, you have this. Multiple injuries from 1 event shouldn't be happening.
This is way beyond crying wolf every time a guys falls off.
Dave O.
But I get what you are saying. If one of the top guy says the track is dangerous, they ought to listen.
I would go one step further than your suggestion about team involvement after the 1st practice. I think a couple of riders ought to be involved up front in the track design. Both from the 450 and the 250 ranks. They have done it before. Wasn't it a couple or 3 years ago where RC, KW, and JS all designed one of the track? KW's had that big gap jump over the start straight.
Post a reply to: from some very "inside" people at the sx races