The Moment: Dallas
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 | 10:45 AM
The Moment is brought to you by Factory Effex who is a world leader in graphic kits, Custom number plate back grounds, high end Factory Wheel sets and components; specializing in cutting edge decorative accessories for your motorcycles and ATV.
Tweet
Advertisement | Advertise with Us
Share
Comment
Email
Print
As the column says, the entire race—well, really the entire series—changed in just a moment.
You could make the case that Chad Reed was riding the best race we’d ever seen him ride. He was faster and more aggressive in practice than usual, and spent the first eight laps of the main event trying to set up a pass for the lead on Ryan Villopoto. RV had taken Reed down in a straight fight last weekend in San Diego, and you could clearly see Reed’s determination to answer back in Dallas.
Until one crash sent Reed down hard. As he went over the bars, his foot got stuck in the bike, and when the bike flipped one last time, it yanked hard on Reed’s leg.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Since Reed is normally so consistent and so tough, most expected him to hop back onto the bike. When he couldn’t, it was apparent something was wrong, however, he didn’t appear to be in too bad of shape as he was helped off the track by the Asterisk medic crew. But this was actually a sign of Chad’s toughness, too. His injuries—broken lower leg, torn ACL, broken ribs and a broken vertebre—are massively painful and will take him out at least for supercross if not for the entire 2012 season. And Reed turns 30 in few weeks. He’s looking at a long layoff and more of the same questions about his ability to bounce back, just like he faced after his big crash at Millville last summer.
Reed made his way back from that one to ride as fast as ever. Will he do that again? The answer to that determines just how big of a moment this really was.
Share this article:
Did you like this article?
Check out BAD BOY CLUB
in our Latest issue of Racer X available now.
One of Europe’s fastest young racers, 18-year-old Dutch Red Bull KTM rider Jeffrey Herlings talks about his life, his career ... and his occasional outbursts. Page 160.
Look for the verified symbol 
Impulse Studios
man this is still a bummer....as a huge sx fan i can agree with ya, thats probably the best i've seen him ride in a long time. i just hope someone can step up to the challenge as Reed did and battle with RV, if not he walks away with this title...
atleast we'll still have the West lites to see some bar banging action, cause right now RV is on a different level
Chad Reed has proven himself to be a real warrior, wish him a speedy recovery
I was really SHOCKED to see Reedy go down like that, but in this sport,anything can happen at any time. That's why you can't ever determine the outcome of a race. RC and Fro were talking on Reed's confidence level to ride the way he was riding. Maybe too confident....That's when reality comes up and bites you in the ass. Get well soon Reedy. It's not the same without you out there fighting for the W.
Really a bad thing for everyone. We all want good competition and Reed and RV were really going for it. I really admire Reed's determination to come back from the horrible launch at Millville. We love this sport and when any of its competitors fall, it hurts us all. I hope he heals fast and comes back faster just like he did after Millville.
I wish there was some way to address the two biggest problems with professional Supercross and Motocross: Injuries and domination.
It's a very dangerous sport, no doubt. There have been some advances in protective gear, but until we can get some sort of "airbag" system for riders, I don't see a way around these injuries. I think the track builders are trying to balance safety, competitive layouts and challenging obstacles, but there is no way around the danger factor.
That leads me to the other problem; Domination. At the beginning of the season, there were 5 riders with a good chance at winning a main. Now? Out of 40 starters, that's not a big percentage. (I'd be curious what kind of possible winner ratio other motor sports have) When it becomes only two guys, or even one guy who most likely will win, that makes for boring racing and less fan interest. That means smaller fan turn out, less TV eyes and a loss of revenue which can affect the whole sport. I think the riders kind of "check out" too. I saw this happen during the MC and RC era.
Anyone have some creative ideas to address these two issues?
It's weird how there is a direct similarity from the Millville crash to this one in Dallas. Both times he was chasing Villopoto, in the title hunt and just blazing. Weird and consistent at the same time. Heal up fast Reed!!
@EP74,, I agree, it seems like he may have been "to confident." Just like Millville, he was in his groove and bit off hard.. But, let's not forget that he really didn't get hurt after the Millville crash, then he started riding way more cautious after that.
Get well Reedy.. Wanted to see you at Daytona....
Well, the season went from awesome to boring in one crash. Now the question will be. Will a KTM win a championship? Nope. There's no way Dungey is gonna get anymore race wins. Well, maybe if RV crashes. I guess the best part of the SX races now will be where JS7 will crash. Oh err I mean when JS7 will take over MC's SX wins record. Oh wait that cant happen this year right? I thought I heard it wasnt just do-able it's STEW-ABLE.
It looked like Reed just had a brain fart at that point. The front end droped like he hit neutral or something. Too bad because it looked like he had something for RV. The tougher tracks seperate the men from the boys, but simpler tracks hurt less riders and the racing is closer. It's a tough call.
Reeds crash at Dallas was very similar to the JS7 crash at Daytona last year.... Both guys had a unanticpated trip of going over the bars and slamming into the ground very hard and Reed obviously had it worse.a bum deal indeed...The debate after Reeds Millville crash for some was "it looked worse than it was and Stewarts crash at Daytona was much worse to walk away from"....now you see after the crash in Dallas and how similar it was to JS7 at Daytona, Reeds millville crash although spectacular to watch was not too bad afterall....all these guys are tough....Obviously JS7 hits the deck more than the others and that boy gets back up after some spectacular crashes and gets back in the fight....same with RV ...I guess since Reed doesnt hit the deck hard too often, when it does happen more attention is focused on it.....RV, RC, JS7, Grant, Pastrana all have had these type of season ending injuried....unfortunatley, nobody is ammune....
As fast as Chad went down and out, RV could too.. Dungey will be the last man standing
@DanRad - some sports use staggered starts or weight penalties to even out the competition but the thing is in those sports the vehicle is the deciding factor - contributing to 80% (or so) of the result with the driver resulting in 20% of the equation.
In steeple chases they add weight to dominant horses where the rider is less afactor
MX is the opposite of that I would say. It would be anti-sporting to penalize a rider (so to speak) because of his talent, genetics, trianing, bike..etc in my opinion.
Sadly it looks as if we will have to deal with a two (or three at times) horserace to finish out this season...I geuess we'll have to focus on the batle for third going forward.
So happy we have the 250 class
Get well Reed...Canard...Morais...Short and I am sure I have missed a few...
It a shame this happened,,,this will surely change the history of things to come...RV just has to play it safe,so not much exitement there.
And as for Reed....This time off will give him toooo much time to rethink stuff and I dont see him ignoring the fact of age and health risks with a nice family and any financial situation taken care of for life with no problem.
I think he will fully develop his insurance policy called 22 motorsports and take it to the next level.
They need to change the format to create a better event as a whole. For example, one of the most exciting events in all of Nascar is the All Star race and most of it has to do with the exciting format. It's a 100 lap race with up to 3 segments. There is a mandatory pitstop, there is a 10 minute break between segments. The racing is close and guys are aggressive.
SX and MX need a new format in my opinion. There is absolutely no way that changing the format will make attendance and fan interest worse. It can only make it better if it works. I think a radically new racing format could really spice things up. Look at how successful the U.S Open is and the racing format was a bit different.
I think you go a step further and try something radical. Maybe a 40 lap main event. Break it down into 3 segments. 15 laps in segment 1. Take a 5 minute break. 15 laps in Segment 2. Then take a 3 minute stop to change tires and refuel. Then finish it off with an awesome 10 lap race to the finish.
It's radical I know, but imagine how interesting it might be to work in a pit stop and see the mechanics work as well. It couldn't make it any less interesting, I can promise you. And 40 laps is nothing for these top guys. Right now a race is only 15 minutes. I'm sure they have the fitness to go another 10-15 minutes or something.
The purists will say no. But honestly, there are a lot of ways to make a race more interesting and you can add in some elements to bunch the guys back up during the race. I have followed motocross for about 25 years and I stopped going to the races long ago because there is hardly any racing action anymore. Guys check out early, the riders get spread out and it’s difficult to make up time on a short track with only 15 minutes of racing. The only exciting part of the supercross race is the start and the first few laps and then it basically turns into a bore fest. A new format could really change this and add more excitement.
Just my 2 cents.
Reed has really been showing his intestinal fortitude with coming back from injury or near injury. I hope that we have not seen the last of of Two Two.
As for those who continue to harp about injuries and making the sport safer. Please stop. Yes, we want to se advances in safety equipment, but at the end of the day, it is the inherent risk and the conquering of that fear that makes this the sport that it is. Nothing would have help CR's injury in this case. he hooked the bike and tore an acl.
Sheesh, if you want to compete in a no risk sports, playor watch ball games.
I haved been where CR is, and even worse, and I still get back on the bike to ride and compete (yes at a local level). I know the risks as do all these guys, and they take it because they love what they do.
People should not piss on this or disrespect it by thinking that the guys who do this want it so tamed down or risk free as to not be the sport they love any longer.
Man, Machine, and possabilities. You get that or you do not.
For the contrarians...I am NOT advocating that there should be safety infused inall aspects of the sport, just not so much as to crush the spirit of what SX and MX are.
You mean DUNGEY will be the slowest man standing!!!!!! That guy is terrible!!!
He makes himself look so bad!!!! Hes gonna get beat by Windham before the year is over. Go KDUB!!!!
@ Amer1can, You got some ineresting ideas there. They totally need to make the mains 20 + 2 laps at least.
@AMER1CAN - some of those ideas are very interesting - to bad the AMA FELD and the FIM rule the sport with an Iron Fist- the riders should decide their fate not some beaurocrat that has never booted up - y'know?
Well hopefully stewart comes alive and challenges RV but its crazy to hope for rv to get injured again he's already been through a horrible one. People are cruel and mean to ask for that. So then to be fair are you saying then that its dungeys time to break his neck too? just idiotic folks! RV is my guy but yeah I hate this to. Things happen every race unfortunately but we hope its just a washout or catchin a haybale but mostly good clean battles. We all need to have more respect for all the riders that ride clean and show respect for the other riders.
Get well Reedy. You will be missed.
DO NOT COUNT OUT RD5 YET. Mark my words. 13 points can swing in one race, and if past history remains true, it will happen.
Also, as another idea to my first idea. After the first segment, send them back to the gate, but invert the order of the gate picks. Last man gets first game pick all the way down to the winner of segment 1 gets last gate pick. After segment 2, have a 3 minute pit stop and the gate picks would be determined by who can get tires and fuel changed the quickest and back to the starting gate to pick a gate.
I'm telling you that these ideas would work and add more excitement and drama to the race. Mix in some segments, perhaps invert gate picks after a segment, add in a quick pit stop and then a dash to the finish.
It would work. I guarantee it. Hell, it just sounds exciting as I type it out. Imagine seeing it in action!
Thank you Open_Class, couldn't of said it better. We all know what can happen ever time we throw a leg over the bike. Ride Smart.
CR did look supper confident and faster than i have ever seen him, he had the pressure on and RV was starting to make little misstakes. well done CR. HE WILL BE BACK
safety gear will not make you bullet proof. I had both acl fixed started wearing knee braces, only for them to snap my fib in a stupid low speed get off. NEck braces are no different, wear them or not, they don't guarantee no injuries.
@pizzacorner,, I don't think the Honda has anything to do with TC-41's crashes.. Those are just mental errors. Brayton is doing ok, and so is KW, considering his age. Hahn gets hurt constantly..
JS7 will be the only one to run with RV ... orange aint gonna do it !
with Reed out now this championship pretty much belongs to Weimer
hahaha.. yeah i know.. kidding kidding
RV could face backwards and beat the Dunge, JS could possibly be some competition.
My dad could beat RD on his Penton.
Nobody bummed more than me that Reed is hurt.So who will be the fill in rider.It looks like it might be Tommy Hann.
@AMER1CAN, some interesting thoughts. How about bringing back the semi's and making the mains 25 minutes plus 2 laps. I hear what your saying though, there is not enough racing through out the night.
@fred, I thought you would be a good pick for 22 Motosports. With some Woodfords to pour down both tanks and a 300 pound pit toosie, you can't lose.
A spot just opened up on the podium. Cant wait to see who steps up!
I am totally about RV.He has always been a hard charger,true ,hardcore battle it out kinda guy.But,actually think it may now be harder for him.because he now has to ride in a defense mode.Might even see him make more mistakes because he may not be having to ride at his true speed.Know what I am saying?
Nobody will be riding Reed's, I mean Honda's factory bike....Besides,Reed has already stated at this time he has "zero interest putting someone on my bike".....the "benefit to cost ratio doesnt even come close"......
I agree on Reeds toughness, he barly needed help after a few minutes. We have all seen Stewart flail around on the track like he was going to ber crippled only to find out he was just bruised. Yes, I'll catch hell for that remark, but you cant deny its truth.
And I think the Honda is a junk handling bike too, We hace Canard hurt on it all the time, it has buit Shorty, and K-Dub has crashed more than ever, and now Reed.. It has cause tons of crashes, way more than that Yamaha everyone blames..
GOD WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN?? WHHYYYY??!!!!!
@mxmofo, you say Brayton is doing OK, didnt he just have a bad get-off in San Diego in practice?? Thought he couldnt race??
@therealmofo,, Yes, he did have a bad crash (mild concussion I think). He's been racing...
@therealmofo,, you have to remeber that there are WAY WAY more Hondas racing out there than Yamahas..
I am all for bringing back the semi's AND making the mains longer but what AMER1CAN is saying, is that after a short while the race for the lead gets a little boring.(not so much this year though). So basically, making the riders come back to the line to start again would solve that. Maybe instead of one main you have a 2 or three moto format, like the Monster Cup was. I will say this, the pit stop thing and getting the mechanics involved is intriguing.
Allow two strokes (250's and 450's) back in the game.
So do we think Reed's leg getting caught caused some of his injuries? Kind of a strange thing to happen twice...a similar thing happened to Stewart when he crashed in the whoops at SD--he was caught on the bike before he even hit the ground, so his leg got jerked around in the air and he was pinned down for an eternity. I guess he was lucky he could walk, let alone finish the race.
Such a bummer for Chad. His comments make it sound like he's planning on returning next year, but, like with Canard, the layoff is so long he has plenty of time to rethink things.
Please let the East Lites go to the end without major injury. There are 8 guys at least that can make it interesting at the front.
J.Stew might be better on the dirt back east, so which is more likely, 5 wins for James or 10 wins for Ryan? Actually they can both reach those numbers, but Dungey would have to go winless.
I don't understand why people are bashing Dungey. So far he has won a race and has not been outside the top 4 despite several bad starts. Some people blame the bike, others blame the rider, but for what? He is still ONLY 13 points down and yet people talk about him like he hasn't done anything to deserve to be there! Some of you have such a double standard of not wanting to see a dominate rider, but you bash anyone that doesn't win every race.
i dont think people are bashing dungey but they are watching the races and dungey looks like a top 5 guy yes if rv crashes or has a realy bad start dungey might get a race win....but comon you race to win not to ride around and wait for lets see 1 2 3 riders go down in front of dungey wow 3 rd place pass wiemer wait rookie weimer for second wupedo................go rv an stew ...wait i dont think dungey has passed rv or stew unless stew was on the ground....thats a fact.............
Like Mike Tyson once said: Everybody's got a plan........until they get punched in the face.
I think, based upon his comments and actions leading up to race time that Mr. Reed planned on running RV's pace that fateful Saturday evening if he found himself in a similar situation to the SanDiego race.
This is the second AMA series in a row that 22 has removed himself from contention while admriably racing to win, I have to wonder if he had an insurance policy bonus set up for this season too?
Chad's about the toughest MF this side of Doug Henry, so I definately think he can come back and be as good as ever but would not blame him one bit if he called it a career and jumped into a Lucas Oil offroad stadium truck and raced with the rest of the retired champs....
You have to find a way to bunch the riders up again. Having segments does this. And about inverting the order after the first segment where first place gets last gate pick and last place gets first gate pick, I know what you are thinking, "what will cause people to not sandbag just so they can get a better gate pick". Well there is a very simple solution to this. Each segment has points awarded just like the single main does now. The better you do in each segment, the more championship points that will be earned. This way you have an incentive to try your best no matter if the order is inverted for next gate picks.
We need more racing action and drama. And we need to work in the pit crews during the races somehow. Have a mandatory pit stop and lets put these ace mechanics and teams to the test. They are just as valuable contributors to this whole thing so lets make them part of the show too. They do it in Nascar and it works great. The pit stops are full of excitement.
I'm not saying we need to do everything like Nascar, but they are probably are closest cousins in motorports with the way the team concept works and drivers, and points and etc etc. The things they do works. Why don't we try some of those things.
Doing something like this will make things more competitive and provide viewers with a better experience. Like most years, the racing has been boring overall. Only 1 or two guys are competitive. You get good starts and you check out. 20 laps at 45 second a lap. I will not pay for this. I record it on TV and watch the mains.
Let's face it, the most exciting thing is when someone gets a bad start and we get to watch them go through the pack. We need more of this. I think SX/MX would gain more viewers with a different format. There would absolutely be no hard in doing something different. It can only improve things. More viewers, more sponsors, mo dollars overall.
This is a pipe dream because I know it's not going to happen. But I wish something would/could be done.
@RHRHMOP
'Insurance Policy Bonus' ... 'this season too' ... WTF?
The way you worded it ... ?
Explain...
I agree with a couple other guys on here, those Hondas are getting guys hurt bad. K-Dub hasnt crashed this much in his whole career, and he went down hard last season while leading and twice this year now. Trey Canard has crashed hard a few times and has been out constantly from crashes, Brayton went down hard and thought he had a concussion, and now Reed may have ended his career from a crash, ALL ON THE SAME HONDA.. Seems more than a coincidence.
Two two bad for reed he never had what it takes to dominate and he never will.
We just watched him push his limits and we can see the results welcome to the RV show too bad Stewart can't pull his head out.
Last season the T'V guys mentioned several times that if CR won a certain number of races that he had an Insurance policy that would pay him a huge bounus.
Dungey is 13 points back because he is consistent. He does not have the speed to keep up with RV or CR. After those two guys you have JS7 (inconsistent), KW (old), Weimer (rookie) and Metcalfe (haha he rides a Slowzuki). Dungey is faster than those guys. So, yeah, awesome Dungey is king! I think he would be doing the same on a Suzuki. Kid just doesnt have it anymore (not sure if he ever really did have it).
So if the Honda 450 is a death machine, and Justin Barcia is out to murder everyone what will happen when the two get together?
I think Stewart will take some wins soon because RV is so far ahead.Carmichael used to leave Reed by once he had enough points.RV can take 2nd and 3rd places with his eyes closed til the end and still win the championship
@CZMark I would need to loose about 70lbs and 25yrs before I could be ready to give it a try.
@Jldart007. Reed won 7 out 13 motos and was leading the 14th moto before crashing in the outdoors.Thats pretty dominate in my book.You might be a little bit stupid.Ok maybe a lot stupid.
The guys that think the Hondas are causing crashes is just to funny....
@fred, you would great on the podium with tons of fun. You can only dream. As for the Honda thing, just coincidence. All of our current bikes are capable of spitting you over the bars. But that is just my thought, not going to go on this whole Honda conspiracy theory thing.
@CZmark and mxmofo1 those Honda statements are pretty amusing.CZMark I wish I was good enough at any point of my life to get on a SX podium.I would love Tons of Fun to carrie me up on that podiun live a little baby.
@DanRad - Add a point system for the heats as well. JS and the Dunge might be closer right now if that were the case.
I cant believe the stupid comments you morons leave on hereW hen one of you can even attempt to get a pro card or even qualify for a race againts these guys then you might have something to say.I wont even mention actually winning caause two laps in you would prolly pass out.All this trash talk is uncalled for. I dont care if you are a fan of somone or not you never wish bad on them cause this is a dangerous sport and every one on the gate knows that .Why do you think they train so hard and get paid so much .Anybody remember the fonze bam its over
I just got to say that it was only a couple weeks ago that everyone was crying that there was not enough coverage on tv.Now I am reading how some poeple are not gonna watch the races anymore cause Reed is out.It is all about ratings and if people stop watching then there should be no crying when it isnt on tv.I feel for Reed but I am sure he would agree with me.Keep watching cause in this sport anything can and does happen.
Really bummed about Reed - hate to see any of these guys get hurt.
Not that we shouldn't be looking for ways to make the series better, but before we get too carried away dreaming about SX format changes, let's review the lessons learned from the Micky Thompson Ultracross series. They tried variants of some of the suggested changes and the results were mixed at best. .
all of this blaming the bike is just too funny. do you think maybe the crashes have something to do with the speeds at which ALL of these guys are riding? with all of the money that gets thrown at every top rider's bike, you gotta figure they're all pretty damn good. i mean, how bad can $20,000 suspension be, right?
Cr22 honda is not a honda it is a works bike the only thing honda is the graffix and maybe the plastics
@AMER1CAN They did the "inverting the order" deal in the mid 80s. Unfortunately, pro motocrossers tend to be bigger cheaters than NASCAR racers. They were all trying to sandbag for a better gate pic in the second segment. Well, Rick Johnson didn't and he called them out on it at the podium. The race is on youtube, or the RJ speach is.
I hope Reed heals up ok. The racing certainly needed him. While he recuperates, I hope he keeps his doors locked and blinds closed. I can just see Tony Alessi knocking on/peeking in the windows. "Chad! Are you in there? I wanna talk to you about Mike riding your bike. I see you in there! Let me in!"
Bead boy, I believe it was called the Rodil Cup. If I recall correctly the gate pick was based on heat race performance. What American is suggesting is different. Although it's a creative idea but segments and pit stops in SX are not the answer. How much are privateers at a disadvantage as it is, and now they have to bring a whole pit crew when a majority of them are barely making it to the next race. I think having a 2 moto format would be better. More starts = more chances of bad starts for the points leader. Although there are also the logistics of TV packages and airing a race that is lasting that much longer. It's not that simple.
American and others have some interesting ideas. I thought the Monster cup had some interesting format ideas. Just like the Nationals, I like two (or three) series points paying motos with the overall determined by the Olympic Style (1 for first 2 for 2nd etc.. lowest score wins the overall)
I think it would be really fun to put 2 strokes back in the mix. Fans would have more tribes to root for. It's probably not realistic with the Factories (though there is a bit of a four stroke backlash from the bike buying/fixing public).
Can any of you NASCAR people tell me; How many line up for the final and how many of those have a realistic chance of winning? Currently, we have 40 starters, 20 in the main with only 1 or 2 realistically having a chance to win. The lites (sic) seem to have more possible winners, at least right now. It sure seems like we've had the same crop of potential champions in the 450 class for a long time. Hopefully when Barcia, Wilson, Tomac and Roczen move up, we'll see some better competition.
@beadboy27
Read my answer how you fix this problem with sandbagging. You award championship points for every segment. Provide the incentive and there will be NO sandbagging.
@Motohead279
Each rider on that gate has a dedicated mechanic. Have a pit stop and have the mechanic change out tires and refuel. See how fast they can do it.
I know these changes will NEVER happen but they would make the races more interesting. A 14 minute main event with only 1 maybe 2 riders in contention is completely boring. For goodness sakes, there is hardly any good racing across the entire field.
Having a few segments and bunching up the riders and perhaps inverting the order allows the privateers to compete more, and makes the contenders race through the pack. The cream is still going to rise to the top, but we as fans would get a way better show.
Look, I'm a die hard mx'er. I have raced a lot over my life. Qualified for my fair share of mains in both SX and MX in the late 90's. I've been retired professionally for a good number of years so now I have more of a fans perspective on it. As a fan, it's utterly boring watching these races. Unless you are totally addicted to the sport in every single way, then yes, its rather boring even to the extreme athlete type fans.
Forget all these radical ideas then, how about just a dang 20 minute main? I mean, who wants to spend the time, money and resources getting all the way to a half empty stadium with the family to see a friggin 14 minute main event. That's pathetic.
@DanRad
To answer your question, almost everyone in Nascar can win an event on any day. This is because in Nascar, the machine is 90% and the driver is the other 10%. In motorcycle racing, it's the complete opposite, the rider is 90% and the bike is 10%.
That's what makes it that much more imperative that SX/MX do something to make things more competitive and exciting for the fans.
Its not how many times you get knocked down chad, its how many times you can get back up..... Your my hero.....
I think they might have toyed with the 20 minute main before. I think that would be a good start. I would love to see 2 main event races (mx format) but the program would run too long, unless they got rid of the heats and used qualifying as gate selection. Since stasrts are a big part of the race, the more starts you have the more there is a chance that say the points leader getting a bad start.
They have done 2 main events as well just like MX, but the fans in the stands have no idea what is going on then as far as who got what. They've also tried a one main outdoor race for the same reasoning. Anyway, those ideas are out there a bit in terms of wanting to bunch guys up time after time. Not even a hardcore MX fan would know what the hell is going on. Pit stops do not exist in SX/MX and forcing them to be made? It only favors those who aren't in shape, so you penalize the guy that worked the hardest which seems completely backwards. In any sport where it is all about the athlete, you will have domination unless several are evenly matched. Right now the issue is several of those guys being hurt and the tracks needing more passing opportunities. If there is only one spot for passing on a track, you aren't going to see many passes regardless of how bunched up they are forced to be. Plus starts are dangerous enough, and this format makes them start another 34 times during one SX season. On top of that, many injuries occur when they are bunched up so this format increases that factor as well. SX survived (and grew) during the decade that was McGrath.
anymore than a few paragraphs , and no one reads it .....long winded replys are boring .... how to fix supercross .... just watch the racing boys !
I use Nascar as a comparison just because I think there is or can be a lot of similarity with how it's marketed and how races are ran. The comparisons pretty much stop there. I find Nascar horribly boring because making 4 left turns for 250 laps is boring. I'll watch the last 10 laps of a race if I happen to flip to it. The one race I do enjoy is the All Star race, which I think is formerly called The Winston. I may be wrong. The difference is the format is so much better. They do segments and sometimes invert the race order and it makes for a pretty exciting event. And instead of 200 or 300 laps it's only 75 or 100 laps making each lap that much more important.
@TheChosen1
"I really think you are a johnny come lately asscar fan that wants to make supercross long enough so you can actually get a buzz from your weak American beer."
How about debate my ideas rather then slinging insults. I don't think who I am or am not has any basis here either. The ideas I have presented stand by themselves. I simply illustrated that I have been around motocross my entire life. Instead of a racer, I am now only a fan so I am looking at this purely from a fans perspective. everyone I have talked to generally agrees that the races are boring. These last 2 years have been better for sure with Reed, Stewart, RV, RD, and a few others in the mix. We haven't seen that in a good number of years. However, of that group, only 2 maybe 3 are serious contenders and now with Reed out, it's really now just a 1 man show.
Part of me is a purist. All I have ever known is basically doing a 2 moto format and then of course at Loretta's you get a 3 moto format, and then in the pros qualifiers and a single main event. I get that. I like it. It's been that way for a long long time. But what is the harm in doing something different at the AMA/FIM level? The best guys are still going to win. But I think a few changes will make the racing better, more competition from privateers, and overall just a better experience for the fans. Surely you don't argue with wanting that right? A better experience for the fans would be great!
@Amer1can--The Chosen 1 cant debate without slinging insults. He is a typical Eurotrash American hater who doesnt have enough intellegence to debate any other way. The best thing to do with guys like that, is ignore every post until they go away. Just dont respond to thier ignorant insults, ever..
The championship isn't necessarily over. Villapoto is winning because he is riding a better bike. Look at the Nationals last year. Dungey kicks his butt on his home track then Villapoto comes to Unadilla with the 2012 model and he wins. That is an advantage in technology; not rider capability. The engineers at JGR and KTM need to up their game--if they do, it can be a series.
What the sh#t? First it was the yamaha, now its the honda hurting people. Sh#t happens no matter what you ride. These are factory bikes. They make the bike work for the rider no matter what. IF, they know what they are doing, and have enough money. Just a mistake/mis-calculation. Nothing more, nothing less.