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By Steve Matthes<br />
Don’t even get me started with<br />
how the USA has to change their<br />
mufflers and fuel to conform to<br />
the MXGP rules. Maybe it’s time<br />
for Team USA to sit this one out?<br />
At least until they can get some<br />
sort of help for the costs (they<br />
sell tickets) or rules or timing?<br />
Oh and hey, before you say<br />
“Whatever Matthes, you’re just<br />
saying this because Team USA<br />
has lost so much” and to that<br />
I would say A- I don’t care how<br />
Team USA does, I’m Canadian<br />
and B- I’ve been saying this for<br />
years, even when Team USA was<br />
winning.<br />
Think I’m crazy? Well we asked<br />
Mitch Payton from Pro Circuit<br />
about this very same stuff “We<br />
have a massive expense to get<br />
over there, and they’ll (MXGP<br />
people) say, “Well, it’s just a<br />
fly-away race like we do in the<br />
GP’s.” Well, we’re not used to<br />
that. It’s not the same fuel rule.<br />
It’s not the same sound rule. It<br />
really is a pain in the butt, but<br />
you want to be patriotic and all<br />
that stuff but now we have so<br />
many races.<br />
The 450 guys are tired by the<br />
end of that. They’re hurt. They<br />
need to get a surgery to fix<br />
something and all that, so we’ve<br />
got to work on the schedule or<br />
do something. If it’s two weeks<br />
before Monster Cup, we have<br />
obligations to go to Monster Cup<br />
because it’s a big race for our<br />
title sponsor, and it’s another<br />
event that we have to go do. So I<br />
would say the same thing.”<br />
If Youthstream would offer the<br />
stars of the event something to<br />
help out? Shipping costs, help<br />
with flights for team (and yes,<br />
Team USA brings too many<br />
people to this race), maybe a<br />
promise that every third MXDN<br />
will be in the USA, adjustment of<br />
their calendar even, something,<br />
anything to help Team USA make<br />
this event a little more convenient<br />
for them might make a difference.<br />
I myself don’t get it, you’d<br />
think you would want to cater a<br />
bit to the ones that make a difference<br />
in the event.<br />
I know Australia and New Zealand<br />
and even my beloved Canada<br />
show up and race this event<br />
with no help and some of the<br />
same issues that USA has but<br />
not all of them…mainly 29 races<br />
all year long. And sorry, you<br />
guys aren’t selling tickets like<br />
Team USA and you don’t get the<br />
flack that Team USA does from<br />
the fans if you don’t win. Simply<br />
put, Team USA is trying to do it<br />
right because they have the most<br />
to lose. Unlike some of the other<br />
countries I listed above. “Maybe<br />
there’s something they can work<br />
out with the promoter to help<br />
fund that so we go, or else let’s<br />
just stay home,” Payton told us.<br />
“Honestly, our guys will get flack<br />
if they don’t do good at Monster<br />
Cup. We got to get focused on<br />
what’s important to us and we’re<br />
supposed to - over here, our biggest<br />
importance of our manufacturer<br />
or our title sponsor wants<br />
us to be good at supercross.”<br />
So if you want think I’m off my<br />
rocker for thinking that Team<br />
USA should bypass this race,<br />
maybe try telling Mitch Payton<br />
that. He’s on the same page as<br />
me for the most part. Team USA<br />
or not, I’ll be there but I’ll also<br />
completely understand if they<br />
didn’t show up. Why bring a knife<br />
to a gun fight?
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