Why aren’t there Americans left in Motogp

Have you seen some of these kart tracks? Completely unsafe, at any speed, for mini motos. Plus, many kart tracks can barely afford insurance for karts. Mini-motos is a whole other pile of cash requirements.

 

It depends on the kart track honestly.

 

I violently disagree. Maine for example has ONE remaining track where minimoto is allowed, and it's continued existence is not guaranteed at the moment. NH, nada, Mass... big zippo. There are kart tracks in all three, but they almost universally do not allow minimoto, period. We made progress with one in NH, waiting to see how 2024 goes before counting them converted, but they're the odd exception. The next closest opportunity is NY and NJ.

 

True, but there is a percentage of the younger people on scooters who enjoy riding and transition to motorcycles as adults. They become the grownups that you see flooding parking lots with thousands of motorcycles at some GP or SBK races.

 

Absolutely valid point. As is that (almost) all those commuters buy helmets, jacket, tires, oil and lots of other stuff that supports a healthy local motorcycle industry in general.

 

I'll disagree, in-part, to the rich kids game statement. the main reason the US was not a traditional front runner in soccer is because our players did not play like the rest of the world does. Essentially, it would be the same as if every Euro country decided to play American Football. It's simply a different game because it's ingrained in the culture.

In regards to roadracing, if we had a population of 5,000 young kids that trained with Spanish or Italian kids on Ohvale's, Flat track, motocross, and supermoto bikes everyday, we might have a shot.

 

100% agree on the exposure part. You need much more in terms of available facilities and just pure numbers.

On the soccer part, I will stand by my original statement. I've been involved in the sport for over 50 years in one form or fashion, and the pathways to playing pro, even overseas at the 2nd division are largely dependent upon a family income level that's above average. Lots of exceptions (I raised one) and it's improving continually, but the biggest gains would be when advancing out of regional travel play is sponsored or subsidized.

 

And Richard Petty and Elvis....

 

There are racers in Europe looking for less expensive bikes too. And they can go pick them up in person.

 

As far as 20+ years ago I'm talking about things like American Honda paying for Hayden to go to Europe.

With the ohvale thing it literally did happen, the last few years the winners of the mini cup have gone to Spain and competed.. what didn't happen and was absolutely feasible was help from motoamerica financially, or literally any other way to help the select kids and parents get over there or even advertise it here which didn't happen. There were people from motoamerica that paid their own way to go over and help and support the kids. That's wrong imo and motoamerica could help with that.

 

It depends on how you approach it (like anything). Around here you can play rec as a kid and that’s a couple hundred a year which is cheap. You can then get into playing travel soccer and that’s where the money starts adding up. You could get away without travel but that’s stacking the deck against yourself. Then there’s indoors and paid pickup games and private coaches.
If your goal is play HS around here, it starts costing because it’s so competitive just to make a hs team here. Last year it was something like 160 kids trying out for ~ 50 or 60 spots.

in the real world and not nova soccer can still be a cheap sport but this is Hell and Nothing in Hell is cheap.

We were joking last night about how much it costed for the kid in lacrosse and how it’d be now almost triple if she was rising up today. Would be cheaper to send her dirty track racing with the goal of letting loose the cannibal on you and WERA .

 

Welfare check on @dsapsis .

 

Yeah, it’s used incorrectly but I didn’t care and I thought it was funny.
I sometimes find the stupidest shit funny in my old age.