Opinions - USA or Europe?

It seems the hot topic at the moment is all about GP riders heading to America to race and whenever a rider or two does make the move to America, everyone likes to act like EVERYONE in Grand Prix wants to race in America, when in fact, its more like 5% of the European riders who might want to race in USA and not 100% like some media would like us to think. And guess what, it's probably been on 5% since they first rider went there in the 1970's.

Of course, we have spoken about it a million times on MXlarge, about the riders who did go to America and the riders that didn’t and if you look at guys we could have done with staying, its a small list, names like J. M. Bayle, Greg Albertyn, Grant Langston, Ben Townley, Christophe Pourcel, Tyla Rattray, Ken Roczen, Chad Reed, Hunter and Jett Lawrence, or Jorge Prado, most of these guys saw Europe, or the GPs as a way to America, and it was never really their goal to race GP’s, but to race in USA. Be it Aussies, South Africans and Kiwi’s, it was usually non-European racers, who had the American dream.

Of course, Bayle, Pourcel, Roczen and Prado are Europeans, but they are also riders with huge goals, and those goals were reached in Europe, at least for Bayle, and Prado.

The French love supercross and that stems from having the best supercross event in the World, with the Bercy supercross. Thousands and thousands of young French kids sat in the Bercy stadium as names like Bailey, Johnson, Ward, Stanton, McGrath and Stewart did their thing and those French kids, who were names like David Vuillemin, Dylan Ferrandis, Marvin Musquin and Tom Vialle were inspired by Bercy.

It is no surprise, that in the era that Bercy didn’t have big names, the European riders heading to America was less, now, Bercy is big again and young European kids want a taste of that sparkle that Bercy presents to them. No doubt, this weekend some little French kid will watch Jett Lawrence and his dream to race AMA events will be born.

We all love A1, we all love watching the best supercross riders in the World at the AMA Supercross championship and if you have talent, the likes of Lucas Coenen, or Kay De Wolf, then sure, AMA supercross must be appealing. It seems a no brainer to try something different and seek other goals.

Coenen has only ever thought about racing in America, since he first watched the sport as a kid, Jeremy Seewer wanted to try it, but just couldn’t enjoy the lifestyle it would given him and obviously, living in Switzerland, one of the cleanest countries in the World and also one of the most beautiful, why would you want to live anywhere else.

Stefan Everts, all the way back in the early 1990’s tried it, and hell, had he not had injuries like he did in the period he wanted to race in America, he might never have become the GOAT of GP racing, and he has no regrets.

Even former Aussie racer, Todd Waters, who we interviewed recently didn’t feel the need for racing in USA, but actually wanted to be a Grand Prix racer, travelling around Europe.

Everyone is different, but believe me, hundreds and hundreds of young European kids are actually looking at Jeffrey Herlings, Tim Gajser, Romain Febvre or Jeremy Seewer and wanting to be a Grand Prix racer, so lets not get carried away with riders wanting to go to America, because its been a constant for the last 50 years and hopefully, it continues, because there is nothing more exciting than watching riders like Dylan Ferrandis go to America and reach a dream, a dream he might not have achieved had he stayed in Europe to race.

It doesn’t always work out for Euro’s going to America, or riders who don’t have the talent to master supercross. Many of the GP riders who went, ended their careers early, with head knocks and one injury after another. Some who went to America, should never really have gone, because they were just not supercross riders and never would be.

I remember back in the 1990s, NO european rider was wanted on an America team, outside Stefan Everts, who could have raced in America and was offered deals, but that was it. Now, the talent in Europe is so deep, the technical skills of the Grand Prix riders, that there are probably 10 or so, who could find their way into a team in America, Max Anstie being the perfect example of that.

Or even Dylan Ferrandis, who had won just one GP, before he was signed up to a leading American team, and he went on two win two AMA motocross championship. I think I can speak for most, he wasn't going to be winning an MX2 or MXGP title any time soon. Not with names like Herlings, Cairoli, Gajser and Prado in the paddock.

I remember when Josh Coppins rode A1 and a few other rounds of the AMA supercross championship, he was number two in the World at the time, and nobody in the paddock knew who he was. He sat in a small van at the back of the A1 pits and nobody knew him. Can you imagine Herlings, Gajser, Febvre, Seewer or one of the top guys going now. Everyone in America know those guys now and there is a reason for that, because MXGP has been so spectacular over the last 15 years.

Maybe a dozen MX2 riders have the skills to be a success in USA, which is all because of the change of circuits in Europe, and while many complain about them, go watch some old video of the GPs in the 70s, 80s and 90s and while were were some beautiful circuits, some were horrible.

Below is what Coenen, Seewer, Everts and Waters think of the whole AMA vs FIM thing.

Lucas Coenen: I have always only look at America and I have dreamt about it. I am not a rider who is going there, because others are going there, I have wanted to go there since I was a small kid. I always looked at the US, riders like James Stewart or Ryan Villopoto. All those legends, I was looking at them. I don’t know why. When I started off, I was nine or 10, we just watched supercross and I didn’t even know there was a championship in Europe. Then I realized there was one, I thought, ok, then I started looking at both. I always loved watching supercross and when you see James (Stewart) riding, which was something special.

Jeremy Seewer: I mean, somehow growing up, I think the guys in the US were just more reachable on TV and in magazines. When I started to follow, I started on Suzuki and Ricky Carmichael as my hero because at that time he was on a Suzuki and winning and yeah, that was the guy I was like looking up to. Then after that actually, it was Ryan Villopoto. I think that's why I looked up to those guys. For some reason you know and yeah, it was a plan and the goal and to go there as a kid. But then honestly, I went there for three weeks when I was younger. And I mean, there's a lot of positive going to America and super cool, but then I realized, to live there, it's like a different World and I'm not sure if I'm made for that, you know. Like it's. Yeah, it's America, but you know, like food, people, everything is completely different and being from Switzerland, that's a tough decision to leave that you know.

Stefan Everts: I was also that kid that had a dream to go to the US. Eventually, injuries set me back and I had some goals in mind in Europe, before I went there, but those goals didn’t come in time and then it was too late to go. It was in the end my luck, because I have no regrets, no regrets not going there either. Going there, and looking at the schedule, many (GP riders) look at the supercross and its all great and nice and I am also a big fan of it, but as a rider, you see retirement really soon, I mean, how young was Ricky (Carmichael) when he retired, way to young in my opinion. It is because of the schedule they have to go through. The supercross season is long, then they have the Nationals the SMX, some go to the MXoN. It is long and then testing starts, but the body cannot keep up doing that. I also experienced that, because while the GP calendar was shorter, we also had a lot of events in Europe, winter supercross races. The mind and body need a break to have a longer career and it’s a pity to see guys retire before they are 30. I mean, look at Tony (Cairoli), he went even longer. In Europe, you can go until you are 34, if you are at your best.

Todd Waters: As a kid, Stefan Everts, was my hero. I used to follow MXGP a lot growing up. Many Australia’s followed America, like that's what everyone watches Supercross back home, like James Stewart was obviously the hot topic and Ricky Carmichael, but I just loved Stefan, like his style, the way that he rode. I followed GP's probably more than most other people. That's the direction that I wanted to go. Obviously, Andrew McFarlane was over there, and I used to read up in the magazines of him and his wife travelling around in Europe and I'd say, man imagine doing that. You'd I was lucky enough to do that.

Reprint from MXLarge.com