2009 Red Bud AMA National
A month or so before the Red Bud AMA National Rusty Hibbs a guy I grew up with and raced with who I had not seen in 20 some years found my website and contacted me. After a phone call we decided to head up to Red Bud for the National and then we would go over to MRP so that he could try out karting.
Again the price is steep for a family to see an AMA race. As with last year it was $35.00 each to get in and $20.00 to park on the back side of the track. As with last year seeing the riders and bikes is a pay for deal. No pit access or viewing of the team unless you dropped another $20.00 per person for the three hour tour. This policy sucks!
As is becoming common with the "new era of motocross and supercross" the commercialism is so over the top you just try your best to enjoy the race while you are wailed upon by non stop commercialism. That to sucks. It gets old and wastes so much time that could be spent RACING!!!!!!
It's amazing that we endure all of this stupidity for the racing. But it's racing so we deal with the money mongers.
The track was as usual, perfect. Having said that I have to say that these new Pro tracks are way over groomed and in some ways have made the racing more like a high speed road race with jumps. Red Bud is still tough but screw all the grooming, makethese gets work.
Another issue this year was Bubba Stewart not showing up for the out door series. Money changed him. Mike Alessi and Ryan Villapoto were out and nobody (ah I'll give some props to Josh Grant) really wanted to win the overall. The racing was good, but in no way is it anywhere near what it was in the Bob Hannah days. Not remotely close, period. Only a handful of the guys will hang it out for a win..... Ryan Dungey (whom I'm not a big fan of) does. This year he really put it out there to win two championships. Actually the 250 race was far better than the 450 race. And the 250 class has more riders willing to go for it. Christophe Pourcel, Jake Weimer, Justin Barcia are a few of the guys who deserve props. In the 450 class, with no Stewart or Villapoto, Chad Reed just rolls on them all. Everyone else including Grant are up/down or just cruise around. Boring.
I have to rant on, Davi Millsaps and Andrew Short need to be replaced as factory riders. Both are mid packers at best. Justin Brayton, good, might be great, not just yet though. Ivan Tedesco is fast, when he is comfortable. Never a real threat like Alessi and Villapoto. And yes I'm picking on the factory guys who just ride limp dicked. These guys make a shit load of money, they need to get some nads and race up front. Thats what their getting paid to do and they are not doing it! Especially Millsaps.
I siad this last year and I'll say it agai. Across the racing board one thing that really needs to happen across AMA racing is an incentive based payout from the factories to the podium. There are to many guys who don't give it their all when they get massive up front contracts. Incentive based contracts with minimum salaries would change that problem.
Also I have to rant on the commercial filled PA crap and the inabilty to hear much about what we paid to see and that is racing. It sucks! You listening Davey Coombs, it sucks when you can't here the PA or the background noise is overwhelming the announcers.
Overall we had a good time. But along with many others, there are things that a track of this caliber needs to do! (and I repeat the complaints over the past 3 or 4 years) . It's not the 70's guys,technically you can fix these problems.
I repeat
(1). The PA system SUCKS! it's useless! The fact that the PA only covers the infield area make it impossible to know what is going on at other parts of the track.
This is an AMA problem.
(1). As with Stupidcross we now get the in your face advertising. Constant reminders about sunglasses, energy drinks (which in reality are not good for people who race and they only real goal is to get your kids hooked on caffeine). It's getting old and after a while it makes you want to NOT BUY products from these companies. The idiot marketers can't seem to find a reasonable ground that makes sense and makes you want to support them.
(2). What about autographs. Are you kidding. That is just about out of the question. First you have to pay for a pit pass. Riders are completely out of view the entire day. The pit viewing is from 9:00 AM - 11:00. The cost is $20.00 per person. The line to get a pass was miles long and still miles long at 10:00 AM. IT SUCKS!
To top it off there were specific times the riders signed. Which is ok but not ok for everyone.
I now realize now how awesome, how cool it was in the old days where rubbing shoulders with say Joel Robert or Roger DeCoster was possible. Those guys were humble and went out of their way to hang out with fans. Of course they didn't have factorys throwing piles of money at them and planes shuttling them intanly in and out of the track. Them days are long gone. Sad, but glad I lived through them. If you missed them, you missed racing greatest eras where real men raced for 20 bux and raced hard for it.
T. Shirts were 25 dollars. Now I have some experience here having produced a few shirts in my time and 25 dollars is insane. Another way to price families out of the event. Having sid that people still seem to be willing to drop hundreds of dollars on over priced clothing. DUH, not wonder everyone is broke.
To get into the event we paid $35.00 each, another $20.00 to park on the backside of the track. When you throw in gas, food and hotel this is an expensive weekend for two. I really feel for the families of 3 or more. But you justify it it by saying "it's once a year".
And finally, the once great state of Michigan which regulary hosted multiple AMA Nationals in Motocross, Supercross, Flatrack, Enduros and Hare Scrambles is down to Red Bud and the National Enduro. Kind of sad isn't it.
We are off to MPR Raceway for a day of karting
