by Chris O'Neal
Mini O's Preview
Sunday, November 18, 2012 | 9:35 PM
Since 1968, Thor has maintained its position as a top motocross apparel brand. From trails, deserts, to the most famous racetracks in the world, Thor supports racing on the track and off with its sponsorship of race reports.
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PrintThe Mini O's has started even though the racing doesn't start until Monday, but the people running the gate said they expect around 5000 entries. Thousands of people with massive setups have occupied and filled almost every parking spot in the whole facility. The tracks are prepped to perfection, food stands are open, neat displays like bull riding, Traxxis RC cars, and almost every motocross related vendor you can think of are set up. But Lazy Days RV's steals the show with a massive fleet of RV's on display, open to the public. Lots of older pros like Mad Mike Jones and Troy Adams, have been spotted helping out younger riders and the factories brought the semi's loaded with bikes.
The pits are crazy with pit bikes, golf carts, and mules going in every direction, non-stop and everyone seems to be having a fun time or running around working. There are bands and events planned for every night and its hard to believe that this is just the beginning, with the amount of excitement going on all day and night. The talk around the pits is about Jordan Smith, Alex Rodriguez, Shane McElrath, Zach Bishop-Burnett, Cooper Webb, and Adam Cianciarulo. Racing starts first thing Monday morning on the Supercross track, the whoops look intense and there is huge jump sections. The weather is absolutely perfect, but it's Florida and can change at any moment.....
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who ln the fu#k are these 5000 entries? new bikes,parts,rigs,gas,entries? to those parents with stars in your eyes.take the money you will spend(piss away) on racing and hospital bills.(way to much pressure for kids to go fast) put that money in an index fund, (you will have plenty to pay for school) and go ride for fun .racing nowadays is just stupid.(unless you are loaded).
Tbone....Racing = Stupid? really?????You should take your money and go buy a new dress.......................
hey kx 250, do you comprehend what you read? I SAID RACING TODAY WAS STUPID. i love racing.probably won more races than you have entered. the cost of it makes it stupid especially if its in leu of funding college and retirement accounts. i make a decent buck,after funding said accounts paying food gas,home health,disability,insurance, for a family.oh property taxes. there is some dough left to get couple of used bikes for my son and i to go ride on weekends! 8000$ bikes 1000$ pipes 5000$ parts (thanks 4 sTRKS). x2. yea unless you are loaded it seems pretty stupid to go racing!
Adam Cianciarulo just had surgery last I knew. Unless people are just talking about him.
I'll have to rob a bank when we're ready to go to Loretta's!!!!!!!!
As a parent of an amatuer motocrosser, I have to semi-agree with T Bone. My sons been racing locally now for 12 years and we haven't done any nationals until this year. I always told him that it will be really expensive, so we'll wait until he has the speed to possibly win his class. He acheived that speed this year, so we went to World Mini. After everything was all said and done, It cost me approximately $2000.00 to race 3 class' and everything else involved, gas, lodging, food, etc and I only had to travel from California. This cost was also after spliting the total bill with another family we traveled and lodged with. The promoter basicly rapes your wallet, it's pretty rediculous what they charge you for and how much they charge. Not to mention, I had to take a week off work to attend the race. I don't know how some of these parents race every national, taking tons of time off work and still have a job. They all must be self employeed or supported by Obamaracebucks. Ha Ha, but it's really not funny!!
TBone is correct. I'll never forget the year I decided to try and see if I could qualify for Loretta's. I got to the track the morning of the race because that's the only day I could get off of work. After an hour wait to get through the gate and then get a parking space for my one bike in the back of my pick up truck I was told they didn't take checks or cards at registration. I then had to load up all my things, haul a-- to the closest ATM in town, and then go through everyting again just to barely get to the gate for 3 laps of practice. I was literally the only person there without a trailor and only one bike (and this was ten years ago).The majority of my competitors woke up there that morning in their motorhomes to a leisurely breakfast before going to practice on the track they had already walked and examined the entire previous day.The reality is, if you or your parents don't own your own highly successful business, seriously, just stick to Saturday night racing at your local track. The unfortunate thing is that the fastest rider in America right now is probably some kid in a trailor park that would be lucky to even own a clapped out 10 year old yz 80. What's worse is now that 2 strokes are fully done for, the door is pretty much shut to anyone that can't invest atleast $15-20,000 a year to something that is guaranteed to not pay your bills or put food on your table. I remember in the 90's the thing you always heard from the promoters was "We want motocross/supercross to be more like Nascar...looks like that's finally happened.
Four strokes didn't do this. In case you've been living under a rock, our economy took a shit. Inflation is going on right before your eyes. Wages are going down, prices are going up. That is not a direct result of 4 strokes in MX. Look at what a YZ250 cost before this economic shit storm and what they cost now. In fact, look at the price difference of the 1998 YZ400, a 1998 YZ250 and then compare that to the cost of a 2013 YZ250 and the cost of a 2013 YZ450.
If four strokes were the result of more expensive bikes, why has the YZ250 slowly increased in price with no major changes since 2006?
As for parents running their bank accounts in the ground and getting credit rich in hopes of hatching the next RC4, good luck to them. It is a prime example of irresponsible people breeding irresponsible offspring.
Ok... Let's look at some numbers. 2012 YZ 250 = $7000.00. 2012 YZ 450 $8500.00. After market exhaust for YZ 250 = $350.00. YZ 450 = $1000.00 + Replace blown top end for YZ 250 =
I know a very fast local pro who did very well this year who is not going to race next year because he said he is not getting any support anymore. He doesn't even want free bikes, just a little help and he said he doesn't get it.
Look at what that YZ250 cost in 2006. You can't compare the aftermarket to the cost of bikes. There are way too many variables. Stick to the price of bikes as that was the initial argument.