I know this might be a little hard for some of you die hard southerner’s to take, but I think we can learn something from those guys out in California. I started riding motocross late in life. I did not get my first bike until I was 34. I had just come off a fifteen year cycling career and I still had great fitness and I was looking for something to do. I bought a KXF250 and headed to El Cajon. That first year I learned the hard way. I didn’t break anything, but I was a hazard to myself and other riders around me. That was in 2004 and that year was a tough year to start Motocross. In 2004 there were 36 permanent/ fatal injuries in a 200 mile radius. That means between San Diego county and Valencia California there was an average of 3 life changing injuries per month. That really got my attention. Not only my attention, but the rest of the industry as well. These accidents hurt the industry. People stop riding and racing, which has an obvious affect on the motorcycle market. Something needed to be done in a hurry. It started with exactly where it should start; the local tracks. Most tracks in So California were supercross style. Each had it’s main attraction like an amusement park. Elsinore has Quadzilla, which was a 140ft monster hit that would send you some 30ft in the air. Perris and El Cajon both had huge center jumps a 100ft plus. That was all about to change. From Glen Helen down to Barona Oaks tracks started to get face lifts and if they didn’t people stopped supporting them. El Cajon closed for various reasons, but when it came time not too many people put up a fight. Cahuilla Creek Mx, which was and still is a true outdoor style track had full gates. Natural terrain took over. Perris took on new owners and resigned their track. Perris is the oldest track in So California and has seen many changes, but not like this. Tracks were rebuilt in Southern California for safety in mind and the number of fatal injuries declined. So what is my point?

I am now living across the country following an industry that I love. I have been following the amateur race scene and in the last 30 days there has been 1 death, 2 parallelizations and one uncertain at this point. All with in a 200 mile radius. Our tracks need to change. There is no reason that a public track should have a 100ft plus step up, step down or doubles. The largest jump in Supercross is usually no more than 75ft. Why do public tracks have a professional grade layout? Do they think they are grooming our sport’s future kings? I don’t think so. Are the track owners afraid that nobody will come unless the track is the most technical in the county? Maybe, but the tracks on the other side of the rock are doing better than ever with less accidents and on any given day you can see the top pro’s in our sport turning laps on these tracks. I Don’t think it’s just the weather either. If you want a 100ft double build a private track or create multiple tracks on the premises for different levels. If some of the athletes are grabbing a can of Monster and “Unleashing the Beast” maybe, think for them. Motocross racer’s are usually the last to put safety as a priority when compared to winning races. As a racer if your worried about not learning the skills to race without that huge triple, just remember “Jump for show, but corner for dough”. Lastly, if a track does not separate practice based on ability or bike size do not support the track. There is no reason why an 85 should be on the track with a 450. I don’t care how fast little Timmy is the statistics for a potentially life changing injury increases with higher powered, bigger bikes on the track with that of the lesser.

If you agree with what I say, great let us know and we’ll get the word out there. If not, then let us know how we can make our sport safer and we’ll post that too.

Ride safe,

Otto