The Gossip - Old-School

Welcome to the first edition of The Gossip!

Each time I think of something worth thinking about, I'll post it under this title. It is more of a thinking man's article than that of pure entertainment or of information. It is purely my opinion, and isn't backed up by any research or facts.

Today's Gossip is old-school.

I, by no means, can consider myself old school. At best, I can only emulate what my idea of old school is. I'm talking about back in the day when riders didn't need a track to attend, merely a time. When the motocross gods of yesteryear learned their skills in California's hills, Utah's moonlike desert, on grandpa's land, or on public property. When public property was public to all takers, when cops let kids play baseball in the streets, shoot hoops, or ride their motorcycles with some friends.



I found myself pondering the same question over and over: Why are the older pro's still so damn fast and consistant? For example, McGrath could still get top five well after his retirement with no real training and effort. I mean, he looked out of shape for even by McGrath standards! Mike Larocco was still very competitive in his latter years. John Dowd still practically owns Southwick, and Kevin Windham is still absolutely flying. And don't forget the ole' red dog like some of the factories did. Hell, in the latest Transworld, Shorty writes practically an entire page about how he is pissed Timmy Ferry keeps hunting him down in races.

So what is it that makes these "old guys" so damn good. In my humble opinion the answer includes growing up on the two stroke, combined with less of a purely competitive nature to their riding. That may not make sense, so let me elaborate.

Most riders these days coming up are very singular when they train, ride, or prepare for large amateur nationals. Current amateurs have one goal in mind now; winning races. That means all practice is dedicated to getting faster on the race track. Back in the day, riders had that aspect of competitiveness, but the way the got there may have been different. Older generation pros learned to ride in the hills of California, not testing themselves purely against the clock and track, but against the terrain and their balls. This led to a huge ability to be strong technically on the bike for whatever the track throws at them. Look at the old motocross videos, Terrafirma etc... All the riding is filmed off track, in a free ride situation. I think that may be why McGrath is able to enter a hill climb event, and get first or second or whatever he got. That is also why he can enter the step up freestyle event and do extremely well off the cuff.

It amazes me that the same pro's who were top five while I was growing up are still top five now. Not to discredit this amazing wave of talent entering the ranks now, but for example after a couple years, Davi Millsaps still isn't winning week in and week out. He is close, but not there quite.



James Stewart was the last two stroke hold out. He proved that talent was king, not the bike you rode; that the rider, not the bike won races (although he may have had the fastest 125 ever built).
I truly feel that the skills learned keeping a high strung two stroke on the pipe at all times produce better riders. It is sad, but most current novice class riders on 250f's, would lose at least 4 seconds a lap if they switched to a 125. They wouldn't know how to shift constantly, how to feather the clutch in the corners if need be, or how to carry maximum entrance and corner speed in order to clear obstacles. That said, the current top amateurs are still sticking to the two stroke for a large part of their career. With the current most competitive super mini bikes being two strokes, the extremely competative two stroke only schoolboy class, and the lack of a four stroke 65cc equivalent bike, many top amateurs still learn on a two stroke. But those days are coming to an end soon. The wide, easy to use four stroke power band is a nice thing to have, and it's coming to all bikes, like it or not.

What really saddens me, is the cost of four strokes. It is killing the little guys in our sport. I currently would have no hope at fielding an equal mod class bike at Loretta's, and my family is well off. It is no longer a "mere" grand for a pro-level, nationally ready full mod motor, and possibly entire bike (suspension...graphics). Now, be prepared to spend a grand for just the exhaust (some exaggeration, although some systems are more than the millennium mark). I may continue this in another post.

All said and done, do yourself a favor. Stick with the two stroke for as long as possible. It's cheap, teaches great skills, and sounds better than anything on earth, especially those fart machine four strokes. I know from personal experience, that a box stock 125 can win the intermediate (B) class at almost any local and semi local race in the country, I've done it.

Thanks for reading, check back for exciting site updates coming soon!

Enjoy This photo.

Bliss

4:59 A.M.

You snap awake, turning off your alarm clock one minute before it's set to ring. You quietly set your feet on the ground, ease onto your feet, and turn on your bedside lamp. You throw on your favorite shorts, slap on a t-shirt, grab some socks and head towards the garage. It's 5 in the morning, and your going RACING BABY! But not before you load your bike. You open your garage door to a dark, but soothing morning. Your skin prickles ever so lightly from the still unseen humidity hovering off the ground , and you practically bounce to your truck tail gate. Nothing like the summer nights in Texas.

The night is still quiet, people are still peacefully locked away in their houses, getting ready to have a peaceful Sunday. Little do they know that, on this very day, your absolute peace is LOUD, OBNOXIOUS, challenging, WARLIKE. War with your competitors, war with yourself, and war with the track soon to be in front of you.

5:10 A.M.

But not yet; you still need to get the ramp, load your bike in the the back of the truck, which can sometimes feel like war, and try not to forget one glove, or one helmet pad, or one of your nuts as you load your gear. Finally, as you throw the ramp in the bed of the truck, scan for your gas can, gear bag, stand (sometimes called the side of your truck), and ice chest, you hop in the truck as you try not to peel away. Your excitement makes your insides feel like they're bouncing across stadium whoops, but you keep them in check. When you hit the highway, the light of morning can just be seen in the far horizon.

6:35 A.M.

"Sign here please" says the twelve year old manning the entrance gate.
It snaps you from your stupor. Your excitement begins to climb again. You see all the campers and tents peacefully sitting inside the premises, all the trucks and bikes glistening from the morning light. The dew lingers on each bike, truck, and tent still trying to maintain its grasp before the day's heat removes from the item it has claimed overnight. You sign, pay the 10 bucks to enter, and slowly drive across the pit area to your favorite spot. You park, stretch, snort, spit, and do whatever other weird shit it is you do before unloading the truck. As you unload, you see a couple of the mini dads getting their future superstars bikes "extra" ready, checking, rechecking, and even rechecking their rechecks on the Yamaha PW50, being cautious to not wake the little tyke sleeping in the truck.

6:50 A.M.

A couple of your riding buddies pull in next to you in a mini convoy, two in one truck, two in the other. You exchange pleasantries and point out how great the track looks, but don't converse too much with them, you still have to race them later, and don't want to get too pleasant. You mosey over to the sign up booth, put yourself in two classes, saying hi to the various people you recognize. It's gonna be quite the day.

7:15 A.M.

You then proceed to walk the track. You may have ridden it 20 times in the past year, but just to make sure, you walk every inch. It's quite the spectacle, actually. You pause on top of the largest jump, looking around at the entire track, and see true beauty. The morning fog lingers 2 feet above the track. Riders encompass the track's compound, inspecting every pebble, every muddy patch to look out for, every new nuance from the passing of the tractor's blade the night before. Suddenly, a sound cracks across the track.
"wuuuhing!"
"wuudududING"
"whaadadadadaWHAP!"
"WHAP! WHAP! WHAP!"
"WHAAAAAHHHHHP!"
The last sound hangs in the air as the engine is shut off.
The sound of your local pro's two stroke 125 getting warmed up. It sounds so unlike your buddies 125; the slow, "boorrING" sound his makes replaced with that of a distinct new sound which slaps the air with authority, crisp, fast to rev, but even faster returning to idle.
The bike defines tuning at its pinnacle.
Then you hear a new sound.
"Rung"
"rrruung"
"BaaaRUNG"
"bruuuuuuuAP."
"BRAAHHHHHAAAP. brap, brap, BRRAAP!"
The same pro's 250 now shuts off. It too assaults the air, stimulating your senses at the same time.


Then the smell hits you, a sweet, yet pungent mix of race gas and premix. The smell sets off your subconscious, sparking moments of every race you ever attended with that same unique smell present at each one. Adrenaline begins to pump.



The day may be young, but the racing soon to transpire is.... not.

Daytona SX

No word can ever describe the Daytona Supercross, but a few that come to mind are:
-bad-ass
-brutal
-epic
-unpredictable
-unique
-defining
Let's not forget brutally exciting as well! The Daytona SX has a history much its own unlike any other venue in Supercross, and I'll have more on that later.
This year, after watching two somewhat amazing races, I could do nothing other than write some thoughts down.

- The "Lites" Class -

How amazing is Trey Canard? The kid has already smashed through the walls of conventional wisdom not just once, not just twice, but now a third, and very un-conventional, time. He just keeps winning. Given the first race circumstances with Villapoto's wreck, one could have thought it was a fluke. The second race, with Villopoto clearly showing his dominating speed and desire after an uncharacteristic Villopoto moment, had some people thinking yet another "lucky break" for the ole' 48. But this Friday night proved that Canard is no fluke, as he stomped everyone, including the new two, into the ground.


And what a stomping it was. If ever a rookie were to have a race to prove the neigh sayers right, this was it! Torrential rainfall, the track a complete slop, extreme pressure from who many are calling the next big thing (Villopoto), a change of his routine schedule with the gate dropping 24 hours earlier than usual, and a lack of a mud racing background to boot are only a few things presented to the young rook trey, yet he still won. This kid knows how to work hard; he may not have always been the fastest, but in the last couple years, he made a choice, and it shows.

But don't count Villopoto out yet! The championship at this point must to look like Calculus to a sixth grader, damn near impossible. But, some sixth graders have done Calculus, and Villopoto has some serious fight. I think the real story with him has to be the injuries. No reporting agency has the full inside scoop, but we do know his bike setup was changed to accommodate that injury. Think about that for a moment, if you have to change your bike from what is fastest to what feels better because of an injury, and speed is at a premium, it must be major. I also don't think Josh Grant helped Villopoto's wrist with the wall incident either (understatement of the century).

Speaking of which, what is up with Josh Grant? This was his year to prove he is a winner, his year to become a new champion, and his year to move on to better things. I think he may be the newest Ezra Lusk, and that's a shame. With Villopoto showing weakness, 4 (I believe) years of experience, a healthy off season, and a great bike, he has ZERO excuses. The kid is talented, everyone knows that, and he isn't a fat blob by any stretch of imagination, but something doesn't seem to click come main event time. Good luck to him, I'd love to see him break through.

- The "Supercross" class -

If you watched the race, it was exciting. For a mere 4 laps, that is! Reed struggled at first, in my mind maybe a little to aggressive for the track, and experienced more than one off track expedition. And yes, I said expedition, as each off track instance was one where he checked his backs, got anal cavity searched, boarded his plane, and took a vacation. He cheated! At the beginning of the race I have no doubt his run outside the lanes was beneficial, and his re entering with Windham the last time was complete cheating. That said he was fastest. I'd like to tell you about the other racers on the track, but from what was shown on the the telecast, I honestly can't, they received no coverage.

Chad Reed. He has absolutely pissed me off this year. He has had a "I'm better than you, shove off" mentality since his little "Hiatus", which I'd rather call his "I don''t wanna get beat again" time. The entire year he off handedly mentions about his "problems" needing to get worked out, but never mentions what. It is getting old. He is an amazing rider no less, and deserves a lot of credit. He was clearly the fastest tonight, but bad luck struck at quite nearly the worst time it could have. Having completed 11 and 3/4 laps out of 12, his bike, as the Brits say, expired. When it first happened, I leaped from my half seated, half laying position and shouted and emphatic "YES!" to the T.V. thanking the motocross gods for the vindication upon Chad Reed. Now it was a race! I still assumed the bike would run, but it wasn't to be, and his bike truly did, expire.
You have to feel for the guy here, he put in a very inspired showing, was clearly the fastest on the track (or pond), and gritted out damn near 12 laps of hell.


Kevin Windham; my boy! I, along with tons of fans, love the guy. Maybe it's because America loves an underdog, or maybe it's because he is just that cool, but either way, he is always a fan favorite. I hope he continues to have fun: maybe one race night we will all get to witness the god like Windham many speak of. Still, even though he hasn't proven he is clearly faster than Reed yet, he still managed a couple wins thus far. I'm glad he won Daytona, I'm glad he choose to ride this season, and maybe I'm just plain glad, because otherwise, I wouldn't even watch the races.


Speaking of which, is it just me, or was making the riders race in those conditions absolutely STUPID?
If we really want to grow the sport and expand to larger audiences, how is showing a mud race going to accomplish this? If we want Nascar like status, maybe we should implement some Nascar like policies. One that comes to mind is postponing racing during wet conditions. I don't mean when there is a little muck, but the conditions this race were atrocious. Supercross was invented to showcase the high flying, talented riders our sport has to offer. Not the feet locked in skiing position, slow, rolling of obstacles that mud racing presents. Had I personally went to the event, I would have felt jipped of my ticket price, and stayed only because I had spent that hard earned money. (racerx photo)
Imagine this, your Ricky Carmichael, you spend tons of effort designing, what looked like, a bad ass track. You even suit up and rode it to ensure a good design! Then, mother nature runs its course, and your masterpiece becomes a master-mudpie. I would feel disrespected having my track raced in such condition.

Which brings another point. Imagine your a privateer. Not the kind with paid for equipment, and a salary of some sort, but the kind who shows up in a pick up truck with your one bike. You decide to give it hell, manage to make the main, only to learn you must ride in those conditions. You are now putting your bike on the line, your health on the line, and your pride on the line, for NOTHING. All the who's who are going to write off any good finish you have anyways. They will say, "well with the mud, he got lucky." Now your bike is ruined, your most likely poorer because the promoters hoard all the ticket sales money, and you've gained nothing towards a deal with a team because of the the inclement conditions and their view on your luck. I'd say no thanks, I'll show up next year.
Congrats to Jacob Marsack for finishing third.

The T.V. coverage was pretty damn boring too. They literally only showed the leader of each race. Nascar doesn't do that, they show the RACING, whether it's the rubbing for first, or for last. The broadcast team should go thank Yamaha and Chad Reed for his bike blowing up. It made the telecast interesting. I honestly would have said Daytona was the worst race of the year if it weren't for Reed's bike letting go. Speed needs to take a page from the Canadian motocross broadcasts, nothing gets me excited about racing like those guys!
Things they do speed doesn't:
-Showcase all racing on the track: I have literally seen broadcasts where the winner of the race is only seen when he crosses the finish line and on the podium, if he wasn't battling someone, they don't show him.
-Less rider analysis, more rider hype: They at least get rider names out there, giving them exposure
-Get excited about racing: I love listening to them talk, or shout, or yell, or whatever it is they do, because it is interesting, something neither Ralph Shaheen or Jeff Emig are.