MXlarge: Some of the American press have been a little negative about Youthstream coming to America, doing their best to try and make Youthstream look like they do a bad job. What is your opinion?

Luongo: We talked to the manufactures and the sponsors while we were in America for the United States Grand Prix. Our main sponsor for 2011 is an American company (Monster Energy), we have Parts Unlimited another American company, we have THOR, and FOX. I would say the biggest American companies are working with us, why is that? If we were doing such a terrible job I don’t think these big companies would have their name and promotion involved with us.

MXlarge: American journalist Steve Cox made some fun of the 2011 provisional calendar recently, obviously unaware of the negotiations Youthstream are in with several different facilities for 2011 he pointed out that some rounds still don’t have facilities. Last week you told us why the Dutch Grand Prix isn’t decided yet (Valkenswaard and Lierop both want the GP date), can you explain about the USGP venue not being decided yet?

Luongo: I don’t know what they will continue to write about us, but I can tell you the second USGP is to be decided because we are in negotiations with three different tracks. Maybe we have five Grand Prix’s in America and then these people who are negative will be happier, I don’t know.

MXlarge: I spoke to David Bailey, and Ricky Johnson at the USGP and they were very positive and complimentary about you. Those legends would never have missed a USGP, yet the new breed of AMA riders were not interested in racing this year’s USGP. Why do you think the AMA riders don’t race?

Luongo: These guy’s (Bailey and Johnson) they have their own opinion, they know the Grand Prix series and they know me personally. Why do you think riders like Davie Bailey, Ricky Johnson and Johnny O’Mara are positive, why do you think they have a big friendship with us and big respect for us. It is simple; they have worked with us, they see the level of organization. Now you have some young guys who don’t know us. When you take the big names (AMA’s leading riders) they haven’t worked with us, and when you have a magazine that continues every day and tells the riders that this is not good and that is not good. Maybe they need to come and talk to Zach Osborne, then they will find out how our work is, it’s about the track and organization. I have nothing against the riders who do not know us, and are being given the wrong information about us.

MXLarge: Is it possible to change the rider’s attitude to racing the USGP. How can we get more AMA riders involved?

Luongo: The agreement we have with Monster Energy for 2011 means we will have more and more Monster riders competing in our events. When I changed the time of the calendar, I changed it to make it open, because I believe in competition, I believe in a free market.

MXlarge: I spoke to both Ken Roczen and Jeffrey Herlings and they both want to race the World Supercross and World Motocross in 2011 (if the age limit is changed back to 16 years old able to race in America), skipping the AMA Nationals. This is obviously because now they have the chance to do that, would you agree?

Luongo: Until recently if you have a rider who wants to compete in the World Supercross and World Motocross it was not possible, because five or six rounds clashed. What we do is to start later, which doesn’t mean a rider has to do our events, but before it was not possible to do both, but now it is. Some riders will do both the World Supercross and World Motocross, before that wasn’t possible. I know already some of the young riders from our series will race the Supercross and I think some riders will come to race our series.

MXlarge: We have lost some riders to the American series and often they stays on to do the Nationals. Are you confident your changing the calendar can stop that?

Luongo: Of course if a rider wants to race the AMA National then he can do that, it’s his choice to do so. If you look on the past many riders go to America for the simple reason to do Supercross, of course they have a lot of money, a great show inside the stadiums, and 99% of the riders go for Supercross not for the Nationals, but of course they can’t come back to race the Grand Prix because the first rounds have already been run.

MXlarge: The European scene has built many great riders from J.M.Bayle, to Greg Albertyn, Grant Langston, Sebastien Tortelli, Ben Townley, Tyla Rattray and Christophe Pourcel who have all gone to America and done well. A lot of investment from the teams to build these riders up was lost when these riders moved to America. What do you think of this?

Luongo: Despite the relationship I have with the manufactures, with the teams, or with the riders I never tried to stop one rider going to America, because they decide for themselves. If you look at the riders who are leading the AMA Lites Championship they come from our European Championship, where many teams, manufactures and also Youthstream invest a lot of money. I do nothing to stop these riders, they are free to go.

MXlarge: Are you concerned that running the MXoN in September before the final two rounds of the FIM World Motocross Championship can diminish the MXoN? It was always the end of the season and a perfect finish to the year.

Luongo: The Motocross of Nations is special, it will always have a lot of success, and it is one of the biggest off-road racings in the World. We don’t want to change the tradition of the Motocross of Nations being in the last weekend in September and also with the seasons getting longer we think it will be better to have the Grand Prix finish in October, the weather remains good in October and it is often wet in April, it makes sense to do it this way.

MXlarge: The dream of Giuseppe Luongo seems to be to have all the best riders racing in the World together, just like you did in the Masters of Motocross back in the 1980’s. Is that still your dream?

Luongo: I think it’s not my dream; it is the dream of all Motocross fans. Everybody wonders who is the best in the World, some people think the rider who wins the World Motocross Championship is the best rider in the World, and the American public think the best rider in the World is the rider who wins the World Supercross Championship. I think the easiest way is to have everyone together. I give you an example. I like soccer, and I like to see the matches like the Champions League, or the World Cup, where you have all the best players together. When you love a sport that is what you want, all the best together. MXoN is popular because you have the Nations against each other, but you also have the best riders in the World racing against each other. This is why I think to have a World Championship race with all the best riders in the World, which is fantastic. I think if I rider comes from America and races the World Championship, then it’s good for them and it’s good for the World Championship. If a European rider goes to the Supercross and wins, this is the same and its good for everybody.

MXlarge: Our friend Mister Cox mentioned that the AMA National has been organized the same weekend as the United States Grand Prix in 2011. What is your opinion on this=

Luongo: I want to say that we have a gentleman’s agreement with the AMA and also with Coombs. The agreement was I will not keep the race of Glen Helen during the AMA National season on the 13^th of May, and we agreed that when the AMA Motocross finishes the first weekend of September, then I will run the USGP on the second weekend of September. So I agreed, if they now change the agreement, I have no problem, but then I put the USGP maybe in July, or whenever I want. I am somebody if I give my word then I stick to it.