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This month I would like to start by giving some much needed thanks to some people that I don’t thank enough. First to my wife who helps me with everything, to John Willis for letting me write a rider tip in his awesome magazine, to all of our motocross school students for your support and good times, to all the sponsors out there who support thousands of riders, to all the track promoters who without you we wouldn’t have this sport, and to all the parents who are so supportive of their kids and who volunteer countless hours to make motocross prosper. I am sincere about this, and I find that if I take the time to thank those deserved people, I am making a difference in the sport of motocross.
This months tip is not just for the riders, but for all those that are part of this sport. Unfortunately sometimes we all can be a bit guilty for criticizing, complaining, getting mad, and basically bring negative issues into the sport we hold so dear. It’s no secret that modern motocross is becoming a sport driven by money, and when the passion and love for the sport starts to be replaced by money, selfishness and lack of positive things, we get to a point of unhappiness. After all, motocross at the professional level is ENTERTAINMENT. Nobody like to lose, and there will always be only one winner of each moto, but what fans really want is good bar to bar racing. If you want to be one of those people on the podium, it will take some hard work and dedication.
Understand, I don’t want to sound negative myself, but I feel that by writing on some of these issues, we can all start to pull together and make our sport better instead of worse. Carrell and I are constantly criticized, hey, we build tracks, have a school and voice our opinions. I was told along time ago, “If you are not doing anything, you won’t be criticized”. Why does our president get criticized the most? Because he does the most! If nobody is critical of what you are doing, maybe you are not doing anything. Track owners and promoters get bashed, and if you are unhappy at a track you frequent, maybe you should have a talk with the track owner. If you don’t like something you see, have some positive ideas to make it better, maybe even volunteer to help. If the sport means anything to you, it should be easy to help out, even if it costs you time and money.
One thing is for certain, you just can’t please everyone. For example if we build a section at a public track, how do we make it perfect for pee wee’s, beginners, novice, women, old dudes, intermediates and pro’s? We can’t. Many will disagree with what I have to say here, but if we try to make tracks too safe, and the obstacles so easy, then the riders who have paid their dues the longest, i.e.: vets, pro’s and intermediates, they will not be challenged, and not improve their riding skills. Without risks, there are no rewards! Motocross is one of the original extreme sports, it’s for the tough, and it’s not for everybody. I have been involved in motocross since 1972, and some of you that are reading this maybe longer, and our ideas of what motocross was, is and will be are different than somebody new coming into the sport, we see a bigger picture, and I feel a responsibility to share that with them. We have to pass the torch to the new generations with care not to lose this sport all together.
If you are reading this and want to know how you can help, maybe start just by being friendly to the guy pitted next to you, pick up a piece of trash, fix a fence, volunteer some time, help a needy family, tell the person who just beat you, “great
ride" or just do something POSITIVE. Next time you feel like criticizing, take a look in the mirror, it can make a difference, YOU can make a difference!
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