MxLarge Story
Across the Atlantic - Searle and Anstie will be welcome
News Friday 06th August 2010 By Geoff Meyer
The news of Tommy Searle and Max Anstie come back to the FIM World Motocross Championship is great news for World and British Motocross fans. Two of the big talents in the sport and while both have struggled at times this year in the AMA series there is no doubt back on familiar surroundings they will both show their real form.
Just to think about the 2011 FIM World MX2 Championship is mouth watering stuff. Roczen, Herlings, Searle, Anstie, Van Horebeek, Simpson and so many more, it’s just going to be an amazing Championshiship battle.
For British fans this is huge news. Already with Shaun Simpson, Jake Nicholls and Mel Pocock the Brits had some talent in the MX2 class, but now it’s open season with five World class riders in that class. Pocock might need a little time to challenge the bigger boys, but his improvement of the last two years shows he wants it bad.
Of course these two are not the only two riders from America who will be coming back to race Grand Prix Motocross. With the current recession in America that golden goose of high wages in America is now a thing of the past and while the top few names in USA might make great money, the guys around 5th to 10th place in both Motocross and Lites are struggling to earn the sort of living they are used to. Pit Beirer summed it up in his interview at MXlarge when he mentioned the crazy payment system in America. Here is a short comment from Beirer.
Beirer: It isn’t so easy, because salaries for the top riders in America are really high. It’s crazy; you don’t have a mid range like in Europe. In the World Motocross Championship we have a lot of riders who make good money, but in America it is like the top riders make really good money, but the next level don’t make hardly any money. I would say the top five guys are making money in America. For a number seven guy you have the same cost for the bikes, mechanics and that type of thing, but with the second level guy you can never win, you can’t show how good you are, so we have to eventually enter the level of the very top guys.
Anyway, it is all good news for Grand Prix supporters as our series continues to grow. Bigger crowds this year, amazing close racing and a depth not see in either class for years.
There will be question marks about the returning riders. Is Tommy Searle the same caliber of Ken Roczen and Jeffrey Herlings, will Anstie improve enough to join that very special group. Also in the MX1 class the riders expected to return from America will be tested against the almighty Antonio Cairoli, and the always strong Clement Desalle.
The AMA versus FIM is always one of the most enjoyable topics on our sport, and now we get that little rivalry back in the GP series. Not to mention with the return of Searle, Anstie and possible two others gives the GP series more credibility in America, so when we return for the USGP in 2011 many of the American public will know a little more about the riders competing in the event.
European riders have returned to Europe in the past, Mickael Pichon came back and won two World titles, while Sebastien Tortelli came back and ended in retirement as he tried to battle Stefan Everts in the 2006 World MX1 Championship. Both the two Frenchman the return had its great moment, let’s hope for the two British riders the story is similar.
Stanley Leroux Design
