Thinking of running an Australian championship myself! Obviously any race can call itself the Australian championships so I might as well. I won't tell anyone else about it though and just go round til I get a flag, and call myself the Australian Champion 2011. Should make getting sponsors a bit easier.......

(Sarcasm intended)

I have a news story scheduled to go up in the morning, which does shed a lot of light on the idea behind the FX championship. This is a very interesting story for the sport, maybe even to the point that motocross fans don't quite understand at this early stage.

The major thing isn't the fact that there's a one round event with championship status, but the fact that FX is now very much intending on crossing over into motocross events with AASA sanctioning the events - which has nothing to do with MA at all.

We've seen it happen this year in road racing and like it or not, FX has achieved quite a good result with the AASA. They have managed to attract a factory team in Yamaha to the series, and also one of the leading motorcycle clubs in NSW (St George) ran its most recent event under a AASA permit instead of MA.

Another thing that the promotions company behind FX has up its sleeve is that a partner is a television company in AVE, helping them massively in gaining very good television exposure for all events including this upcoming motocross race.

Now I'm definitely not one who likes to see any sport split in two like the whole road racing deal is between the FX and ASBK where multiple Aussie champions are crowned, and I certainly don't think that this FX will be any real threat to the MX Nationals any time soon, but MA can't underestimate them at all that's for sure.

That's my 2c...

Here's an updated story: http://www.motoonline.com.au/2010/09/09/oz-mx-details-emerge-on-rival-motocross-championship/

Don't forget that all teams would have just finished Super X at that stage so it's highly unlikely any of the top guys will be there...

I think running another major race in Aus MX is a good thing, look at what the ADB Thumpernats achieved in a short period of time. But claiming an "Australiaisan championship" is a little rich from a single day event. But i can see the marketing point of such a claim.
Maybe the AASA is what is needed to take it to MA and instill some change in how Motorcycle racing is administered in Australia, How does the AASA get TV coverage for their events and others can't?

I agree with Ashman. MA needs a shake up and a relook at how they treat their members and support of race series.

TPD do you race or do you prance around at track days talking your self up?

Having been involved in most forms of bike racing at club and national levels I have seen the good and bad of MA. Most of the time you come away thinging MA is set up to ruin racing in OZ.

Alex I'm sure you have banged heads with MA many a time over the years.

FX Road Racing has definately had a good start in providing popular classes and excellent exposure for motorcycle road racing in Australia. Without argument the FX TV coverage has been superior than that of ASBK. This presents a great challenge to MA and the current promoter of ASBK and now MA sanctioned MX.

From a good start cracks have appeared in the FX facade at the Eastern Creek Round of 3 - 4 July 2010. Riders and spectators were appauled by a number of incidents relating to the timely showing of Yellow and Red Flags, tyre issues and the like. There were 41 comments posted on the FX website with the promoter Terry O'Neill expressing on the site that he would reply to the comments after a thorough investigation by himself of the points raised.

To date O'Neill has not fulfilled this promise and has let the post slip on his website unanswered. An objective observer could properly infer that O'Neill is not serious about safety and wants to brush the slipshod approach to safety taken at that meeting under the carpet.

This is one striking difference to how MA and FX would deal with the numerous (and properly raised) safety issues that arouse that weekend. MA would put it to the Road Race Committee for investigation and that committee would report back to the MA Board for final decision. FX would deal with it by officials report to O'Neill and him deciding to do or not to do something about the issues arising.

The problem with MA at the moment is one of malaise. There has been one person employed as CEO and a board that seems ineffective in responding to competition in the market place. Clubs appear to not be demanding that the situation change and new blood be injected into the official organisation of dirt and tar riders.

There is hope however. MA at is core is a democracy and every member of the organisation can demand that their club MA delegate agitate for an urgent change at the top with the intention of MA reorganising motorcycling so that MA provides the best product of motorcycle competition for both the spectator and competitor.

The signs are on the wall that the end of MA is near, unless it makes urgent and profound changes to meet the challenge of an aggressive promoter backed by three tracks and holding the ambition of rendering obsolete the democratic organisation established by motorcycle competitiors for motorcycle competition and this being replaced by a dictatorship by a promoter supported by tracks.

If FX suceeds and MA declines riders will have no says or power to effect rational change if it conflicts with that of the promoter.

MG2009 wrote:

I agree with Ashman. MA needs a shake up and a relook at how they treat their members and support of race series.TPD do you race or do you prance around at track days talking your self up? Having been involved in most forms of bike racing at club and national levels I have seen the good and bad of MA. Most of the time you come away thinging MA is set up to ruin racing in OZ.Alex I'm sure you have banged heads with MA many a time over the years.

In the first incarnation of FX I personally felt it was ruining the sport. Now I feel differently, I reckon they (AASA, ARTRP) are building the sport and perhaps it needs to be broken before it can be fixed.

At the very least there is now an alternative, which appears to be taking the sport and competitors into consideration.

There appears to be a lot of fear around change, but that is human nature.

I hope having an alternative ultimately makes the sport better.

I'm with race watcher the top MA officials have been there with challenge for many years, A few years back I was racing a supercross masters event and the head of MA stated at riders breifing "now remember we are here to put on a good show" what kind of comment is that. We are here to race and racing is the show yes but no rider should have to think about putting on a show. This officall is still on the MA board.

We all agree motorcycle racing needs a shake up in Australia, we all would like more places to ride and races to watch in person and on TV from home. If the FX guys can get local Road Racing on TV and GAS can get SuperX on tv well maybe its time for a change.

There are many examples of multiple governing bodies offering National and International titles. Boxing being the most obvious. FX will have to crawl before it walks. Promoting a single event title as a way of cutting your teeth will help iron out the bugs for future events.
MA is also producing a contentious situation by having only selected members attend their Aust MX events. A true Australian Title should be open to all contenders on a qualifying basis.....not by promoters choice.
Our two most popular race series have fallen by the wayside under current rule....Thumpers and Spokes SX Masters. Poor business indeed....
SuperX is a quality show that is breathing life back into the sport but I fear with a lack of juniors or C graders on the undercard there is no path for up and comers. I am aware that at selected events juniors have attended but this needs to be across the board.
At the end of the day people will vote with their feet.......the more choices the better.

Good to see you on here Terry!

Competition is a healthy thing, as long as the industry is large enough to sustain it I guess. In this case, MX has a better chance than road racing of running a couple of decent series since I'm guessing there are more active racers around.

Also, you'll be happy to know that juniors will be included at every Aussie round at SX this year so that should help future development.

It will be interesting to see MA's reaction to this competition from another governing body of sorts, and I'm sure there have been many many meetings regarding the matter in the last 12 months or so.

Maybe since the Thumpers are gone (really, they had to merge with the Nationals since all are now on four-strokes), somebody should start up a specific two-stroke series of some kind... Thumpers were good for the masses to attend, but there's always good series like the AMCROSS one for that kind of racing too I reckon.

Alex
Amcross gained its place as Thumpers little brother. Somewhere that the average joe could race without having to contend with Pro level riders. The Thumpers had mass appeal and the MX Nationals paled in comparison. Crowds of 5000 were common. People went to watch their mates ride and then marvel at the main event where the factory boys strutted their stuff. They were great meetings. Since their abolishion the mood has quelled and MX Nationals still has meagre crowds. Pity really.....ADB fostered the Thumper series and its popularity grew due the the level of exposure the magazine gave it. Roughly 6 pages compared to one or two for the MX Nationals. This sort of coverage was enticing to manufacturers and support grew. They may be racing four strokes in the MX rounds now but they can't replicate the mood that surrounded the Thumpers. Lets hope the juniors do well at the SuperX.

I raced both the Thumpers and Amcross when they 1st started and one of the biggest draw cards both series' had was natural terrain tracks. Like as Terry calls them Joe Average could ride and race on. Not just survive 5 laps. And the racing was graded correctly with alot of cross over from the off road scene.
SuperX really needs a feeder series as do the MX nationals. That should b state based and to qualify for each series you should have to rank in your state first. Similar to the US amatuer circuit.

How's the pace these days Kim? When you first came back from the States I watched you race the NSW titles at Lithgow on a CR125. Blindingly quick........You opened the door for so many Aussies in the US. Pity you didn't get the big pay day yourself. Still.....a great pioneer effort. They all owe you.

Hey Terry I think you have me confused with Kim ASHCAN Ashkenazi. Sorry

In Auckland a club (Ardmore) started up the NZ Dirt Bike Federal and runs their own club events not associated with MNZ. Becasue they did not need to contribute funds to MNZ or run onder their rules, they ran events when they liked and are very well supported.

They run monthly club days and some one off NZDBF 'champs'.

Someone should run a proper Aust Vets Champs. The NZ one is great.