Iconic Riders Talk The 50th Anniversary Of U.S. Pro Motocross

1972. Five operatives are arrested at the Watergate hotel for breaking into the Democratic National Committee. Comedian George Carlin is arrested in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for saying the “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television”. The Oakland A’s beat the Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series. And the birth of the outdoor motocross series is born in the U.S.

Seems hard to believe that it’s been just 50 years since motocross came into its own in the U.S. After all, oval flat track racing had already been around for 50 years by then. Surprisingly, one of the original extreme sports got its start as an annual American Motorcycle Association (AMA) event when six European riders came across the pond and raced in a series called the Trans-AMA that got what is now a staple of motorsports in the country. From riders loading their race bikes into panel vans with no trainers or national sponsors to a sport that now sees 18-wheeler transports, teams supported by nearly a host of mechanics and trainers, to race academies and national broadcast deals, what has become the outdoor nationals is lightyears from its earliest beginnings.

With the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series declaring that 2022 is the 50th anniversary of the outdoor nationals, it seemed more than fitting to talk to legendary racers across the years, the head of the series, and the track operator for one of the series’ most-iconic courses that have been through it all.

Roger De Coster, Brad Lackey, And Broc Glover On The Beginnings Of The Outdoor Nationals

A triumvirate of pioneering motocross in America, Belgian Roger De Coster, Californians Brad Lackey, and Broc Glover detail the beginnings of the industry and how it’s changed. All three are AMA Hall of Fame members. All three have accolades that would place them on the Mt Rushmore of motocross. Combined, they represent six world championships, seven U.S. outdoor championships, and four consecutive Trans-AMA championships (De Coster)

De Coster, who is often referred to as “The Man” chalked up a record 36 500cc Grand Prix victories in Europe before being invited to take part in the Trans-AMA, an invitation-only event to showcase the best racers from Europe to America. He has never left the sport being team manager for Honda, and Suzuki, joining Red Bull KTM in 2011. He’s now the Official Motorsport Director of KTM and Husqvarna North America, overseeing all race efforts for the manufacturers.

Glover has been an analyst on television, and Lackey moved into training books and videos and raced in the over 40 class (he won the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) title in 2000).

All of them came into the sport when European manufacturers such as CZ, Montesa, Bultaco, Maico, and more ruled the sport. All that changed in the early 1970s when Japanese companies Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawasaki jumped into the fray.

“The attitude with the European factories was if something broke on the bike it must have been something stupid that the rider did,” said De Coster, and all the others in this exclusive interview with me for Forbes. “That all changed when the Japanese got involved.” De Coster went on to say that the approach was completely different. When something broke, you would go to the closest post office and send a telegram to the factory describing what broke and they would re-design the parts.”

In a sign that motocross was then in its infancy, De Coster said that many times he would drive to customs to get bikes from the factory that had been shipped to the U.S.

And it went further.

Today, athletes are specialized in a particular sport, and this includes motocross. Nutrition, training, data analysis, and feedback are all part of the sport. But in its infancy, it was not uncommon to see riders smoking in the pits before races, and diet was nothing considered.

“I was the first rider to have a physical trainer,” said Lackey, the first and only American to win a World Championship. “Understand, it was far different than the trainers that are in the sport today where everything is designed around the sport. But given the rigors of motocross, it was important to be in shape and I saw the value in that.”

Another change has been track design. Following in the steps of how the Europeans laid out tracks, it was not uncommon to simply walk out into a grassy, area with elevation changes, and stake a course out that followed the natural terrain (Lackey did just this with the 1977 Trans-AMA race at what is now Sonoma Raceway). As speeds have increased, and the increased growth of supercross, tracks are all highly groomed and watered.

“Like Michael Jordan would adapt to the rules and conditions in today’s NBA, so too would today’s top motocross riders,” said Glover. “But it has changed quite a bit. I think there needs to be a more balance between the early terrain tracks and some of the elements such as tabletops and rhythm sections that have come over from Supercross. I think it’s gone too far.”

Part of the changes in track surface over the years has been due to changes in technology and racing facilities getting creative. It was not uncommon for tracks to have a “blue groove” in sections as hard pack clay in places like California would become as “forgiving” as asphalt. Many areas of the tracks could not be watered and groomed by bulldozers.

“My late father and the small group here at the track designed ways to better water and groom the track over what was more or less garden hoses to start,” said Amy Ritchie, whose family has been part of one of the jewels of the outdoor motocross series since the early days, RedBud. ”Basically the track would have a bulldozer taken to it in the early spring after the snow had melted and that was it. Now we have three, what I would call, state-of-the-art water trucks that were built from scratch and dedicated equipment to condition the track, not just before races, but in-between motos.”

Ricky Carmichael On Today’s Rider Talent, And The Development Path

Arguably the greatest motocross and supercross rider of all time, Ricky Carmichael entered the AMA Motocross Championship series in 1997 until he retired in 2007 before moving to NASCSC
AAR
R. He won the 450cc outdoor motocross national championship seven times and, Supercross Championship in the 450cc class five times. Like De Coster, he has remained highly visible in the sport both on the broadcast side, and now as a consultant to Triumph who is currently developing off-road motorcycles, including one for motocross that is expected to join the manufacturing ranks with the national outdoor series. Given that he came into motocross as it had grown out of its infancy into the sizeable industry it has now become, he continues to have a good feel for today’s talent and how it is being developed.

“Our sport has such incredible talent right now,” said Carmichael. “Eli Tomac has been kind of the standard bearer for quite a while but there are guys like Ken Roczen… there’s the Lawrence brothers and so many more.”

One thing that has changed is something not dissimilar to professional stick and ball sports: the athletes are much more amicable toward each other, either due to increased salaries or opportunities with other teams.

Carmichael noted the sport has less animosity between the competitors during the ‘70s and ‘80s when “those guys wanted to kick each other’s asses.”

“There were times I was lined up at the starting gate and I wouldn’t look over at my competitors and they wouldn’t look over at me – there wasn’t a lot of camaraderies. It doesn’t mean that today’s riders are any less competitive today but I see the athletes definitely communicate with each other a little more, which makes it fun. I believe — I really do believe –that is because the rider aren’t as miserable as we may have been due to fighting for a factory ride.”

Both Carmichael and Glover spoke of differences in how riders are now developed. As manufacturers, sponsors, and athletes want to become more specialized, much like the development in NASCAR with ARCA, Formula 2 and 3 with Formula 1, and Indy Lights for IndyCar, motocross and supercross have begun embracing development facilities.

A motocross bike you purchase off the showroom floor – no matter the model – is what a factory rider is largely racing. And as riders start all going to these development academies, they’re living and breathing racing every day. “The riders are all exceptionally talented and fast,” said Carmichael. “What you may see less of is unique riding styles given riders are being taught by similar instructors.”

Ken Roczen On The Health Of Today’s Motocross And Supercross Series

Ken Roczen hails from Germany but has been competing in the U.S. consistently with the outdoor motocross series and the supercross series. One of the stars of the sport, he is part of the continued linage of a sport that is now celebrating 50 years as an industry and sees one of the hallmarks of what makes racing today most competitive.

“As I was coming into racing and looking at the top riders in the series, you would see two or three riders that were at the top and were more or less expected to win on a weekly basis,” Roczen said. “Now, it’s common to see 10 or more riders at the gate that can win on a given day which has created parity within the sport.”

Like riders before him, Roczen sees that specialized training and data from the teams have gotten dirt bike racing more with the times. “It felt like we were a little bit behind the times [of other sports}, he says. “We had a lot of trainers that were from different athletic disciplines that weren’t specific to the type of training and conditioning we require. That seems to be changing.”

The History Of Motocross Enters A New Phase

Motocross has changed dramatically over more than 50 years. From stripping lights and extra weight off motorcycles designed with the street more in mind to the water-cooled, disc brake, highly specialized racers of today. It is a sport that lives in breaths by the everyday enthusiast that partakes in amateur races around the country. While motocross and supercross have become staples on television garnering regular coverage and the media rights that accompany it, it will always be fueled by event attendance. The industry is healthy but has recently taken steps to increase its profile.

While both are AMA sanctioned, the outdoor motocross series, and supercross, which is held in football and baseball stadiums, have been distant cousins. Given that each of these series is less than six months long, riders in the wide-open outdoor series will be part of the supercross series.

In a competing media and sponsorship landscape Lucas Oil Pro Motocross and Monster Energy Supercross have partnered to create the SuperMotocross World Championship which begins in 2023. The partnership will allow the two to shop media and sponsorships across their respective series, and offer up a unique playoff and championship race that will be held in the iconic Los Angeles Coliseum.

“It made good business sense for both of us to partner,” said Carrie Coombs-Russell, Chief Executive Officer, MX Sports Pro Racing that is responsible for the U.S. outdoor series.

“I think the world’s in this transitional period of media,” said Dave Prater, vice president of Supercross for Feld Entertainment who runs the events. “Both organizations still feel like linear television is very important but realize streaming is a large part of our model given the young demographic So we’re out trying to get the best media deal for all the fans, as well as a deal that benefits both companies.”

As to racing itself, Roczen sees how coming out of the pandemic affected the sport.

“It seems like the feedback that we get from the fans has been that they’re super stoked with how hungry everybody is and the kind of racing that they have been able to watch. I’m just as stoked to be out there for them. I’ve just really enjoyed racing outdoors lately and it made me make me want to do this for longer.”

There is a saying in motorsports that while things may change over time, in the end, it all boils down to racing. De Coster, who is still engaged in the sport and has seen greats come and go embraces what motocross will continue to be.

“There’s one thing that has always been the same and always will be the same, and that is winning,” the 77-year-old Belgian racing icon says. “It will always be based on the state of mind and how much you’re willing to do to reach it. To be able to win is being able to look at yourself and say ‘Where are my weaknesses? What do I need to improve?’. That’s always going to be the same. That is why the riders of today are amazing at what they can do.”