Cycle News

Cycle News 2019 Issue 35 September 4

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1162518

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P126 CN III OBSERVATION CHECK BY KIT PALMER W e've been down this road many times be- fore when it comes to designing the perfect motocross points system. I feel the formula we have now is good. It's not perfect, but it's been working pretty well for a long, long time. If it never changes, I wouldn't be disappointed, and life would go on just fine. That being said, I'm not op- posed to trying something differ- ent, though. I think change, in general, is a good thing. Every so often, the idea of a playoff points system in motocross comes to the surface, especially after when both the 2019 FIM MXGP, MX2 and AMA 450MX Championships were clinched at least one round early this year. It was actually four rounds early in MXGP and three rounds early in MX2. This isn't good for any championship. And, Cooper Webb came within just three points of clinching the 2019 AMA Supercross title a round early, too. So, I admit that I'm open-minded to a playoff system in motocross (supercross, as well), as long as it isn't always meant to whittle everything down to a single, winner-take-all, final-round showdown to determine a cham- pion. I do not want that to happen, just something to prevent cham- pionships from being clinched before the final round. When it comes to an individual sport, such as motorcycle rac- ing, championships should not always and purposefully be rigged to be a final winner-take-all race. If it so happens that way like it can now with the current system, great! Pre-designed winner-take- all championships, however, are fine for football but not motocross. Yes, it might be exciting for the fans to have a final-race, you-win- and-you-get-the-number-one-plate system, but that's not fair for the racers and the teams they repre- sent. A real championship needs to be played out over multiple rounds/races/motos. I guess that's why I've never taken the Motocross of Nations too seriously as far as being a genuine champi- onship. Don't get me wrong; the MXoN is a fabulous race; I love it. It's entertaining to watch, there is tons of pride on the line, it's fun to be patriotic and cheer on your country's riders, and I look forward to it every year. It's a race that proves who has the best three motocross riders in the world—on that day, on that track. MXoN winners deserve to celebrate hard, cheer loudly, brag boldly, and wave their flag proudly when it's over, but, to me, the MXoN doesn't always prove which coun- try has the three best motocross riders in the world, which some people take to heart. If the MXoN played out over several months, on a variety of tracks, with plenty IS A PLAYOFF SYSTEM IN MX WORTH CONSIDERING? Could a well-thought- out playoff system work in motocross? PHOTO: ROB KOY

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