St Louis (spoiler)

[Okiewan]

He says it's easy... just pin it.

Yeah. Okay. Sure. I'll remember that.

 

[mtk]

I like how he not only saved it, but never even slowed down.

Reminds me of Kenny Roberts talking about his YZR500, which would do some nasty headshaking. "If you just wheelie it, it stops."

I swear, he and RC must use a wheelbarrow to haul their cajones around.

If I'd have had RC's little "incident" I'd have had to stop and pull the seat cover back out of my butt. Or at least empty my pants.

 

[Ando400]

"Why would he do that? .... Also, who wants to schlep around Europe all summer in a motorhome when you can race and then fly home and see your wife, ride on your own practice track, etc..." quote from mtk (don't know how to do quotes properly??)

For exactly that reason - that he can move out of his comfort zone and prove that he can win consistently, anywhere in the world. It's easy to stay in your own country, fly home to your family every week, practice and race in a familiar environment.

That's not an excuse for the overseas guys not to win, but they are doing it just that little bit harder. Until RC goes to Europe and wins (consistently over a season, not just a single MXDN race), there will always be some doubters who will say that he couldn't do it. He probably doesn't care, and I agree that he is the best around at the moment, but I for one would like to see him take on the Euro's in their own backyard.

 

[YZ165]

It's easy to stay in your own country, fly home to your family every week, practice and race in a familiar environment.

:think:

 

[D Lafleur]

"
Until RC goes to Europe and wins (consistently over a season, not just a single MXDN race), there will always be some doubters who will say that he couldn't do it.

Didnt he smoke everyone at the last MXDN with a knee that kept popping out of joint? If my competition smoked me and then had to be helped off the bike at the end I would feel like the 6 inch tall man. You would be hard pressed to back up the fact that RC is not the man at this time, whoever you are.

 

[john3_16]

Yeah didn't RC come from way behind and then leave em way behind ? After all the championships and race wins, if there are still doubters at this point then they'll never admit who's the best motocrosser.

 

[marcusgunby]

Yeah didn't RC come from way behind and then leave em way behind ? After all the championships and race wins, if there are still doubters at this point then they'll never admit who's the best motocrosser.

No but he did win fair and square and beat everts in his own back yard, some people just think if you have like 100 ama wins why go for 110??? why not go for a whole new championship?

RC also did the mxdn(in the UK mud , when he was much younger) and got lapped about 6 times while everts showed the whole world why hes the no1 for mud riding. So it would be nice to see RC do a world series and prove he can beat the rest of the world riders, im sure he could but that doesnt give him a championship.

If you take the view that nothing matters outside the US shores, then you wont see my point of view on this. :moon:

 

[D Lafleur]

If you take the view that nothing matters outside the US shores, then you wont see my point of view on this. :moon:

Marcus, as an offroad racer, I am one of those Americans that does care what happens outside the US shores. The motocross scene has changed quite a bit from the early days. Most of the Motocross riders tend to be jump specialist, however the Europeans and some of the Americans can do it all even when the track has deep ruts and mudholes. I like riders like Everts who can competively ride a motorcycle in all conditions. PS any Doug Henry fans on here need to check out what he did last weekend at the Florida GNCC.

Cheers

 

[mtk]

" It's easy to stay in your own country, fly home to your family every week, practice and race in a familiar environment.

Uh, yeah. Considering that the lower 48 of the US is a larger land mass than all of Europe, competing around the US is just as difficult as going to Europe. You cross country lines; we cross state lines. The difference is that the money is all the same here and everyone speaks English. The competition here is also better.

What RC did a half-dozen years ago is meaningless to me. He got lapped, big deal. He also spanked 'em soundly in 2003. That's more relevant than what he did as a 16 year-old kid. He's a better rider now. He's also beaten the best the world has to offer here in the USA. Didn't Everts race in the USA a few years ago? Funny, I don't recall him being crowned champion. So much for his claims to fame. Going for a new championship? Are you kidding? This is like Valentino Rossi deciding that since he's got a bunch of 500cc/MotoGP World Championships he's going to head off to AMA Superbike racing to see if he can win that one too.
After you've beaten the best in the world, what would winning a lesser title mean to him? Just because it's called a "World Championship" doesn't mean it's better.

 

[dirt bike dave]

That RC guy is always taking the easy way out. When will the man learn that he will never get anywhere in life with that attitude :laugh:


mtk's Rossi analogy is spot on.

If the toughest competition was in Europe, RC would probably be racing there. The man thrives on challenges.

 

[marcusgunby]

That RC guy is always taking the easy way out. When will the man learn that he will never get anywhere in life with that attitude :laugh:


mtk's Rossi analogy is spot on.

If the toughest competition was in Europe, RC would probably be racing there. The man thrives on challenges.

a agree he likes a challenge, but i dont think he likes leaving the us much.

I heard rossi wanted to take up F1 or rallying?? new challenge.

Like i said im sure he would win a world title but it isnt guaranteed, also no one has posted the point of winning the same championship over and over again-the only challenge i see for RC is bubba and he might take a few years to mature-by then RC will probably hang up his boots.

BTW Everts did a world enduro round and won first time out.

 

[XRpredator]

BTW Everts did a world enduro round and won first time out.

but he gets his ass handed to him every time he tries to race a National. :nener:

 

[marcusgunby]

At least he tries :nener:

 

[mtk]

Michael Schumacher seems pretty damn happy to win the same championship, over and over and over again.

As for not liking to leave the US, why is that surprising? It's called home and most people are fond of it. Why on earth would anyone want to put up with all the hassle to go race in a second-rate championship series?

Not guaranteed a World title? Are you kidding me? He's utterly dominated the AMA Supercross series this year and has done the same in the AMA Motocross to an even larger degree (two perfect seasons in three years), against the best riders on earth. Yet the has-been's and wanna-be's in the World Championship would somehow rise up and beat him? :rotfl:

 

[pace]

Anyone who believes that it's a given that Ricky would immediately dominate on ungroomed, gnarly, deep-mud Euro-style tracks, against the guys who ride them day-in day-out, has likely never attended one or is just plain misjudging how conditions can heavily favor one rider over another. On his turf.. sure, he's gonna smoke them. On their turf..? In front of thousands of fans booing him..? And against local racers who have nothing to lose and everything to prove..?

RC is my favorite pro rider, and I would argue he's the greatest motocrosser that ever lived. But I'd have to say he has very little to gain, but potentially a lot to lose by racing in Europe. It's not going to happen, and I can't blame him for it. It would be analagous to Michael Schumacher coming over here to race Champcars on our imperfect street circuits, where wall-rubbing and wheel-to-wheel contact are de rigueur.

 

[Anssi]

Anyone who believes that it's a given that Ricky would immediately dominate on ungroomed, gnarly, deep-mud Euro-style tracks, against the guys who ride them day-in day-out, has likely never attended one or is just plain misjudging how conditions can heavily favor one rider over another.

Have you actually watched the nationals and the GPs the last few years? The AMA national tracks are much gnarlier than the GP ones, and if anything, the faster and easier tracks on the GP circuit might be a disadvantage to Carmichael.

It would be nice to see RC race against Pichon and Everts, though.

 

[john3_16]

This is like Valentino Rossi deciding that since he's got a bunch of 500cc/MotoGP World Championships he's going to head off to AMA Superbike racing to see if he can win that one too

Well said MTK...MotoGP is to AMA superbike as AMA motocross is to the "world MX championships"...For some reason if it's called the "world" championship everyone assumes that the winner is the best racer on the planet because of the name of the title...Heath Voss is the 2004 world supercross champion, right ?



If anyone has anything to prove it would be Everts...

To me it would seem that the doubters need to call out Everts to come and race here...To all the haters just how many perfect seasons does Everts have against the world's best ? How many SX championships does Everts have ? Everts would get smoked racing SX..How many times has Everts won a SX series then switched to outdoor MX and won there too? RC is already dominating the toughest competition in the two toughest series, no need to race there because it really wouldn't prove anything.



RC race the "world" championships to prove he's the best ? You're kidding me right ? And maybe we'll see Rossi come and race AMA 600cc superstock to prove he's the world's best too.

 

[Ando400]

There is no doubt in my mind that RC is the best in the world, I also have little doubt he that could and would win if he competed in Europe. BUT coulda/woulda/shoulda is not the same as "did". My point is that he could be a more complete champion by doing something different.

I also agree that the AMA SX/MX series are also the pinnacle of their respective disciplines. However the AMA series is not a true world championship, neither for that matter is the FIM GP "World" Championships in its current guise with most rounds in Europe and a few token rounds outside (I think this year it's Japan and South Africa).

Competing overseas is more than just distance - it's culture, language, food, currency, climate, not being a short drive/flight from family and friends when the going gets tough etc. I applaud the guys who take on this stuff in addition to the challenges of their sport.

Does RC care if he nevers wins a championship outside the US? Probably not. Would I like to see him try? Hell yes. Would he be a better champion for it? In my mind - Absolutely.

 

[marcusgunby]

Seems to me if RC wants a challenge then he needs to go outside the US-everts was about the only rider to have rc pass him, then pass him back about 4 times, when was the last time we saw a AMA rider do that out doors?

Like i said i think rc would win and it maybe the world series isnt what it should be, but the AMA DOES not have the world best riders going against each other each weekend, it has a fair share of good riders but most of the ones that actually have pushed RC are ex world gp riders-tell me thats not true???

 

[oldguy]

it has a fair share of good riders but most of the ones that actually have pushed RC are ex world gp riders-tell me thats not true???

I'll give you Reed but when has Langston, Vuillemin, Brown, or Marmont even seen him on a track? I guess the only flaw in recent series is the pushing him because with the exception of reed nobody else has consistently been able to run RCs pace.
We are starting to see a small chink in RCs style as again last night he was willing to push in over his head and just hang on when facing the threat of being the first looser. Last night (daytona) unlike most other times it bit him hard enough that he went down all the way instead of looking like a weeble.
Gotta give him credit tho he admits when he gets beaten straight up by a faster guy.

 

[marcusgunby]

So tort has never pushed rc?

 

[oldguy]

So tort has never pushed rc?

I guess to say pushing in my mind (as small as that is) would not be a race here or there but a threat every week and reed in SX is really the only rider capable right now. Outdoors in 04 Windham had something for RC.
I missed Tort but I wouldn't say he was able to push RC on a consistent basis mainly due to injuries and he now isn't at the same level (close but not consistent enough to say he is pushing). I don't recall if Albertyn was a GP champ but I also don't recall them running the same class much.
RCs ability to hang it all out and still stay relatively injury free (has he missed any race start due to injury other then the 04 SX season?) is what really separates him from the rest

 

[marcusgunby]

Tort was amazing a few years ago-coming from beind to win some -but his injuries caught up with him in the end, he needed the starts -that was his weakness, this was back in 2000 but they had some great races.In that season only Tort and Cobra beat rc-all i can say is if it wasnt for GP riders the ama series would be the most boring of any in the world.

 

[oldguy]

-all i can say is if it wasnt for GP riders the ama series would be the most boring of any in the world.

And if RC :boss: and a couple top US riders went to Europe their races would get interesting :cool:
It really is to bad that in order to race the US nationals and SX series it is a year round endeavor. Also can't blame the top guys wanting to race where the real money is.

 

[oldguy]

It is really to bad that the MXDN has gone to the point that it really doesn't encourage our top riders going over and having everyone racing together. Would also be great if the logistics weren't so tough to get all the top in the world together for a true series of champs spread over the continents.