Supercross 2024

[oldironnow]

hacksaw wrote

every race should be in mud. this was great.

[oldironnow]

I was wondering about the blacked out sections of helmets. Wasn't understanding it.
But in this video the announcers mention it's a throwback livery race.
Is that what was up with the helmets?






.

[motogrady]

 
They make some kind of teflon tape like stuff that some of the guys use.  Supposed to help the mud slide off.  That might be what it is.  

[motogrady]

 On another note, I believe it’s not this weekend, but next
is Round 5.  They head to the East Coast.  The 250 East
series starts up. We will see the Triumph Factory and their
new 250 make its debut.

I know, they have been making motors for motogp 2,
and they did do the Daytona 200 thing.

But this might be a bit of history.

Triumph, Factory Triumph, goes racing!

[m143]

motogrady wrote

But this might be a bit of history.

Triumph, Factory Triumph, goes racing!

And they are serious about it.
Way cool!

[oldironnow]

m143 wrote

motogrady wrote

But this might be a bit of history.

Triumph, Factory Triumph, goes racing!

And they are serious about it.
Way cool!

Very cool !

I wonder why they didn't roll out with the start of the season.


.

[motogrady]

oldironnow wrote

m143 wrote

motogrady wrote

But this might be a bit of history.

Triumph, Factory Triumph, goes racing!

And they are serious about it.
Way cool!

Very cool !

I wonder why they didn't roll out with the start of the season.


.

Well, their 450 isn’t ready yet.
Only they, the 450s, run I think a 17 round series.
The American Supercross 250 class is divided into
2 series.  The 250 East and the 250 West.
Each run about 8 rounds apiece.
Both crown a Champion.

Originally, the 250 class was broken up to make it a kind of feeder class.
By having an East and West it cut the travel for families & guys that were trying to get started in the sport.
Keep the cost down.  

Usually, if you want to make it, you start at around 4 years old.  You run local races, and try to qualify for Loretta Lynn’s.   Yeah, that Loretta Lynn.

There, you try to win Championships as you get older.
That’s where the factories start looking.
At 16, if you have enough points you qualify to run AMA East or West 250.

I’m not sure, but if you win an East or West Championship
they move you up to the big boy class, the 450s.

[motogrady]

Thing is, the 250 East and West have become big Championships in their own right.  
It’s a big deal to win one of them.
There is good money there, and you get your name in the history books.

That’s not the only way though.

Local AMA events are broken down into D, first year beginner.  C, kind of the squid class, B, guys that are pretty fast, and A or Expert Class. These are all Amatuer classes.  You race for trophies and ribbons.

Then Pro Class. You race for money.

I think moving up thru the classes 1st gives 5 points, 2nd
4, down to 5th giving one point.

30 points acquired you move up a class.

Once you turn Pro they give you a license which qualifies
you to run either 250 or 450 Nationals.

[motogrady]

So, really, theoretically,if you’re a 15 year old guy that is pretty good in the dirt or woods, it is possible to work your way up the local ladder, make expert, get your pro license, and then
signup to lineup next to a Factory rider when the Nationals come to your town.

And nobody can stop you.

And believe it or not, every now and then, usually in a mud race, some local pro gets lucky, has a good day,
and wins one of these things.  

[motogrady]

Sorry ‘bout the rant guys.  

Back to the thread, it’s been mentioned Triumph wanted the extra month the East 250 goes off to really just get ready.  

[oldironnow]

That was a great explanation.
No sorry needed !

Thanks for the series data regarding Triumph’s entry point.


.

[motogrady]

Here ya go Oldiron.

https://racerxonline.com/2023/09/23/monster-energy-supercross-and-pro-motocross-2024-schedules-revealed#

Scroll down a bit, you will see we just did San Diego.
Jan 20th.  

All 17 rounds the 450s run.  

It’s noted it’s a 250 West round.
Plus the KTM kids series, that’s the kids.
I think the futures is for guys in their teens.

Anaheim 2, this week coming is also a 250 West event.

The week after, it’s Detroit.
That will be the first 250 East round.
All different 250 riders. Different series.
That’s the series Triumph debuts.

At the end of the year there will be a 450 National Champion, A 250 West National Champion,
and a 250 East National Champion.

[hacksaw]

East and west participation trophy’s

[motogrady]

hacksaw wrote

East and west participation trophy’s

lol…….This ain’t no field meet where the bitch tries to bite a  hanging hotdog.

The 250s, each event purse pays around $6,000 for a win and maybe $1,500 for last place.  

The 450s it’s around $15,000 for a win and maybe $2,000
for last place.  

If you can get Dial Soap or Corona Beer, whoever, to slap a sticker on the bike, money from them.

There is The Title or Championship bonus.  
That can hit a million for the 450s.  
Maybe half for the 250s.

Then team salary.  
If a guy can get a ride, the top 250 guys have been known to get over a million to sign a factory contract.
Heck, some of em have it in their deal, performance money I think it’s called, for every lap they lead.

That’s why, to just make main, 250s or 450s, East or West
is a big deal.  

If you’re a local guy, riding your own bike,
and you spend $750 in gas, entry fee and food to
get there, and you make the main, even last place in the 250s you might pocket $1,000 for that weekend.  

You don’t get a 9th in a heat race, or a 4th
in the last chance qualifier, you don’t make the main.

And you go home broke.  

[whatarush]

Thanks for the great info Grady. I didn’t realize there was so many groups in each class, as I’ve never watched the triple crown qualifying.

With Peacock, I was able to watch them yesterday. I was amazed there was some many rides trying to make the heats/races.

I thought it was awesome when 40 year old Billy Laninovich made the main via the 250 LCQ.

As for the 250’s. Do you know when they started the 250 West/East Showdown in Vegas?

[motogrady]

The triple crown is a kind of new thing.
It goes back how motocross was scored in the old days.  
Back then they did run 3 motos quite a bit.
It was mainly 2 motos, 45 minutes each.

That many say went back to the very origins of motocross.
In Europe, they would race from 1 town to another.
Across fields, thru woods, whatever, and most of the time
it took about 1 1/2 hours.
When farmers started fencing fields off they went to a closed course, 2 45 minutes motos with a break half way thru.  

But, especially at the local level, 3 20 minute motos were common here in the states.

The AMA, looking to mix things up brought back a kind of hybrid of that.  Biggest difference is the time of the motos,
much shorter now, and the way they score the motos.  
They only do this a few times a year.
Next week they go back to basically dirt track scoring.

Been a good series so far.  
It’s close. 7 or 8 guys are still in it.

The 18 bike, the rookie Lawrence, is finding out life in the 450s ain’t no cakewalk.
He gets a year under his belt, he’s gonna be the next big thing imho.

https://youtu.be/UJcczPMB788?si=aOqzUFTh-fYtaSa0

[motogrady]

As far as Las Vegas and the shootout I dunno.  
If I remember correctly all that came about around the time they started pushing the 4 strokes. Late 1990.

They made the rule that you could run a 250 4 stroke in the 125cc class.
To help sell that they called it the Lites.
You can still run a 125.  
But it’s really rare. The hp advantage the 250 4 has, hp wise is just too great.  

I believe it was then they split the 250z into East and West.

The shootout I believe is the only time both East and West
combine both classes.
For those guys, it’s a big weekend.
Bragging rights as who’s the fastest 250 guy head to head,
and heck, It’s Vegas Baby!

[motogrady]

I believe the 250 West guys take a break now.
This next event will be the start of the 250 East guys.  
Hagen Deegan is the wonder boy there.  His dad was a National rider. His sister is racing NASCAR trucks or something.
From what I hear it’s a stacked field, a few sandbaggers that really should be riding 450, a few really good legit young guys are running that class.

Plus, it’s Triumphs first showing.

Ya. Next week is gonna be interesting.

[motogrady]

The 450s.

Hondas Australia Boy delivers.

https://youtu.be/3kQHBh-XGW8?si=HXEJDoE3TfHsEg8aHe 

[motogrady]

The 250 East guys.
Best racing event so far imo.
The heat races were exciting.
The LCQ was good.  
And the main ya.  

Forkner was a phenomenal, cocky young gun
that almost got killed, heck, about 3 times when he came into the pro ranks.  

There is a picture out there somewhere,
of his chest/abdomen from his 2nd big wreck from 2 years back.
Basically opened him up from his throat to his navel.
Last year it was a total knee reconstruction.

To see a guy come back from all that, is a good thing.

Triumph had a good showing.
They are the guys in bright neon yellow.
Sowell, their vet guy delivers a 6 th in their debut.
This, after both their riders and bikes have the crap beat out of them in crashes.

Ya, the 250s this week are worth watching.

https://youtu.be/eQ-_F3-ex5Q?si=-p332goMIZSCshhQ