A Simple Fix
Friday, July 28, 2023 at 2:44PM Washougal Race Within a Race...A Big Joke!
The AMA 450 Nationals have become boring. Yes Jett and Chase are fun to watch but there is no drama or excitment. Too many top riders still out hurt. The Two Stroke race at Washougal was a chance to give the fans something to get excited about but as usual the AMA/Pro Motocross fumbled the opportunity. It was nice to see a payday for some guys that rarely see much of a payout. However, imagine the race if the two stroke engine restrictions were dropped for this race. Carson Brown might have been top ten or maybe more riders would have been on two strokes. Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki may not like it but KTM/Husky/GasGas/TM might love it. The new fuel injected 300's would add some excitment. curiosity, debate to a dull series.
While we think about change, how about going back to qualifiers instead of the very boring timed qualifiers. Sure some guys on a punched out two stroke would occasionally knock a factory rider out of qualifying but thats racing and the fans would love it.
Just my random thoughts!
MX43
Reader Comments (4)
Good ideas that should have been already implemented if there was truly any interest in growing the sport. Instead, the riders get more races (Playoffs?) with less off time to recover from injuries or burnout.
Washougal
I agree with you somewhat about the 450 class. It was the same last year only it was Eli and Chase out front and gone from everyone else. I’ve enjoyed watching the privateers have a little bit of the spotlight this year. As far as I’m concerned if all the so called other star riders were back it wouldn’t make any difference it would just be more riders 40 plus seconds behind Jet and Chase. And I wish they would shut up talking about how Chase is probably going to pass jet within the next couple of laps and when that doesn’t happen it’s going to be within in the next few laps. Chase has been within a second and still hasn’t passed Jet. We can see what’s going on; stop the hype until it happens.
The 250’s have been a lot of fun to watch this year. I was not a fan of Degan but you can’t help root for him, his riding is spectacular to watch. And this championship may come down to the last moto.
I agree I’d like to see two strokes allowed in the 450 class, I assume they’re not because of the investment the manufactures have in the four strokes. I don’t think we will ever see qualifying motos again it’s much easier for the promoter to put a bunch of riders on the tack at the same time and simply time them. The loser in all this is the race fans.
Seems to me the new let’s all get together as one big happy family has resulted in the outdoor MX being short sheeted. They have less races than before, there wasn’t any real break between Super Cross and outdoors, I believe a couple of the World Supper Cross MX races are during the current outdoor sires and as time goes on a lot of the Factory riders will opt for Super Cross and the World Super Cross and skip the outdoors altogether. Personally I enjoy outdoor, it’s our roots.
Sometime in the near future the powers that be in this new format will have to do something to protect the outdoor series or it will die, after all we all enjoy watching the stars I’m not sure we are willing to pay for something less. Interestingly the MXGP races are not affected by any of this other bullshit. Sadly if the US outdoor series stumbles maybe we will all become even bigger followers of the MXGP series’? I think some already feel it’s a tougher series anyway.
I would be sad I’m an outdoor guy.
Doug 21J
Allowing a larger displacement 2 Stroke EFI motor would be great. I grew up riding 2 Strokes and still love the sounds of a well running 2 stroke. I don't profess to know how the powers brokers that make the rules could accomplish this, and frankly i don't care. The sport should be about Skills. Not which OEM has the biggest wallet to throw at building a bike.
The current AMA rules for engine size have always been unfair to two strokes. Allowing 300cc 2 strokes would make the races more interesting. In the 250 class allowing 150cc 2 strokes with leaded gasoline would make life for privateers a lot easier. Currently a competitive 250 is beyond the reach of most riders.