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/1174582
CN III VOICES W H A T Y O U A R E S A Y I N G P6 Letters to the editor can be sent to voices@cyclenews.com. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News. Letters should not exceed 150 words and are subject to editing. Anonymous letters won't be considered for publication and each letter should contain the writer's name, address and daytime phone number… Editor "We should just have two classes in the Motocross des Nations, 250cc class and a 450cc class, and run them just like we do a national or grand prix with two motos per class instead of three total motos" Empire of Dirt MX of Nations Steve, I agree that MXoN could use some upgrades, but your idea of 20 riders (or is it just 10) per region seems a bit unwieldy. The Open class is a redundant anachronism that could certainly be disposed of. I have floated an idea sort of like yours for a few years that also just needs a gutsy promoter. What I would like to see is an AMA Pro Motocross versus MXGP series, as in days of yore. Each side would designate their top 10 riders based on series points (and regardless of nationality) to race in a four-, or better a six-race series, half on U.S. tracks and half on Euro tracks. That would settle the superior- ity question each year and provide some great MX racing, extending the season four to six more weeks. Maybe Monster Energy could deep six the MEC and provide sponsor- ship, or Red Bull could take up the challenge. Jack Atkins I disagree with your plan and also the reasoning behind it. If you attend the event it is very exciting and the outcome is usually up in the air until the final lap of the third moto. Even though the Dutch team was pretty much a lock to win going into moto three, the podium was uncertain and indeed with Paulin's bike quitting on the last lap shuffled France off the po- dium and the UK onto to the podium. I can't help but feel that this is an- other plea for a change simply to get the U.S. Team back on top. The way things are at the moment all the rule changes in the world won't change the fact that on an outdoor track the GP riders are just faster than the U.S. riders. During the broadcast Jeff Emig alluded to how much better the U.S. Team's outcome would have been had it been run on a supercross track. My proposal to get Team USA back to being competitive involves changing the schedule. The reason the U.S. riders are finishing behind the GP riders is due to the focus on supercross here. The training, techniques and riding styles required for supercross success are just dif- ferent than going fast on an outdoor track. So, I suggest shortening the supercross schedule to 14 races, increasing the number of outdoor nationals to 14 races and lobbying to get a U.S. GP as one of those events. Paying points toward the outdoor championship for the U.S. GP would encourage, or force, the riders in the outdoor championship to go head to head against the GP riders. Riding against the GP regulars prior to the MXoN gives the U.S. Team a chance to calibrate their speed against the competition. Finally, instead of end- ing the outdoor nationals 5-6 weeks prior to the MXoN, add a significant break of 1-2 months between the end of supercross and the start of the outdoor series and finish the outdoor championship just two weeks before the MXoN. These changes would make Team USA more competitive at the MXoN. Phil Dilmore I also believe there needs to be a change. Besides changing the name back to Motocross des Nations, I feel the 'Nations needs some fixing, too, but my idea is super simple. First of all, we need to get rid of the Open class. What is the point in that? Seems silly to have what is realistically two 450cc classes. Back in the day, yes, it made sense to have three classes because you had, well, three classes: 125cc, 250cc and 500cc. You don't have that anymore. Instead, we should just have two classes in the Motocross des Nations, 250cc class and a 450cc class, and run them just like we do a national or grand prix—with two motos per class instead of three total motos and a mix- mash of bikes sizes. You can still have one throw-away score if you want, but why not just run the MXdN just like you do an AMA National or FIM Grand Prix? Plus, fans get to watch four motos instead of three. So, instead of three riders per team, you just need two, and, heck, most countries can come up with at least two real good riders and be competitive. Plus, it saves on the cost of sending over three riders; two would be a little bit cheaper. And, you wouldn't have riders from the same country crashing into each other! Congratulations to The Nether- lands for getting their first Motocross of Nations win. They deserved it. And thanks for trying Team USA. Stuff happens. Jack Morales