Reed talks MXoN

Reed and Villopoto on the team USA MXoN team and funding

If you want an honest and intelligent answer on anything motocross related, Chad Reed is one of the best people to ask and, on the Title 24 Podcast this week, Chad Reed gave his view on the MXoN and what it needs to have a stronger future with the Aussie believing the event needs more funding to get the best guys every year and the money not just going to the promoters.

Reed said: “So if you’re bringing, Levi, for example, it’s got to bring two bikes at minimum over there. So they’re shipping two bikes or creating that up along with all the personnel. What would something of that, that magnitude look like flights, hotels, bikes, shipping, all that stuff? What would that, what would that look like to you? From a cost perspective. Just to like, donations first, like a roughly for just me of how I expected to go and race donations and what it took for me to go and do it at the level that I did it. You were looking at just 100k for one guy.

“And I believe that that’s only gone up, you know, flights are more expensive, freight’s more expensive. You know, we were in the early versions of fuel injection. So, you know, now you have an engine guy, you have, you know, ECU guy, you have suspension guy, now data guy and ECU guy somewhat collaborate. And so there’s, you know, plus then you have a mechanic and then now teams have got crew chiefs. You’re looking at five to six team personnel prior to even the rider getting on a plane. And I don’t believe whether you call it spoiled or not, but no top rider should be ever jumping on a plane and going anything less than business class. So you’ve got a 10 to $15,000 ticket. Then he wants to take his girlfriend. You’re not going to put them in the back. Mom, dad, you know, like it’s endless. And I stand somewhere in the middle.

“I use Jeff Ward as an example, because I saw a comment that he made and he his comments were it was in his contract that he had to do motocross of nations if eligible. That is not true today. And though this event personally means a lot to me because I’m probably more old school than new school, but I also believe that our sport of motocross and supercross isn’t growing because of that thought process.

“So I’m in favor of the event. I absolutely love it as a fan. Like it’s the only race that I pay for. I don’t watch MXGPs. I watch the highlights and stuff like that with my kids, but I generally love Motocross of Nations. There’s just no other event (like it).

“And I have to think that it’s a very well, you know, successful weekend. Like I would imagine that the promoters make a good return. And so taking the Jeff Ward perspective, I get it. I respect it. And I have one foot in and the fact that you should always represent.

“But then as somebody who has children wanting to do this sport and as somebody who’s been there and done it, and I want the sport to grow, want the sport to be bigger and better. I side with Star racing and the Deegans, and I believe that everything should be provided. I do believe Haiden Deegan shouldn’t get on a plane for less than a business class seat and things like that, because, I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong, but I just I did it and I paid for it all as a team owner. Like we were really lucky.

“I’ve never been on Team USA, but I kind of hear enough to understand that there’s things. But like in respect to Australia, Australia is really lucky as a as a federation or like motorcycling Australia as, you know, Australian industry to sports, which is more our Olympic division, provides funding. We have through Australian government, we have grants and funding there.

“And so we were always really well taken care of from the Australian side of it. I mean, it was still always an extremely expensive project and a project that continues to be something that they have to create funding and I see other sponsors and stuff like that.

“And so, you know, commenting on it and it’s like here’s from a business standpoint, only take my emotions out of it of what I think or don’t think about the event.But like business is about business, right? And it’s like when you’re bringing the best riders in the world for a promotional company to make a lot of money, in my opinion, one of the biggest races of the year. I mean, there is is there a bigger race than des Nations? I don’t think so. And I have to think that they do really well. There needs to be more funding.”