We spoke to legendary promoter, Giuseppe Luongo two weeks ago and ran part one of the interview here, but here is part two. A story of a man who gave his whole life to the sport and made good decisions, that now has MXGP the biggest motocross series in the world, with the most factory support and more factory riders and teams than ever before. Not to mention, a calendar that is as impressive as it could ever be.

MXLarge: Tell me as far as the way it is with factories, we've got so many Triumph and Ducati recently joined the sport, so many factory teams, and I've spoken to many of the factory managers, factory owners, and they've all said the Japanese want to get more involved because there's so much television. Was the goal always to have more factory riders? I know you're very big on the media and the coverage, and I can imagine that's a really difficult job to get the amount of television coverage that you have, but what was always the goal?

Luongo: So the example which I follow from the first moment I go in motocross and I know I can be able to make the difference in motocross and to make the difference with our promoter on that time already from the 1980s, if I will be able to bring the most television media, because the value of the sport is not done for the quality of the sport, all the sports are good, the fans of every sport, they think their sport is the best, but the value financially is done by the exposure the sport has, so why a Formula 1 driver makes much more than a MotoGP rider, which makes more than a motocross rider, a motocross rider makes more than an enduro, trial or superbike rider, why? Just because of the exposure they have on television, because today the value is done, now the social media is very important, so it's also everything which is linked to the social media, but the value is done by the exposure, so for me, my main goal from the beginning, also when I made the Italian championship, my Italian championship was live on television.

MXLarge: I understand the cost for Infront to have television is huge. I am not sure many people realize that the exposure from television isn’t something that makes money.

Luongo: I made the major investment and it's clear that television from some sports is the first revenue, look at the football which is out of any reasonable thinking (the money the sport makes from television), but Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis (all make money from television), but for us television is very important, but it's not a source of revenue, it's a source of cost, because to make a good television program and I think for the budget we have, when we compare to the budget of other sports, for the budget we have we are making great work, very great work, but the cost is three times bigger than the revenue which the television brings to us, but it's necessary, because without television you don't have a sponsor on the team, you don't have a new team, you don't have the manufacturer coming, because it's clear that motocross, if you have to consider by the market, any manufacturer that can invest the money they invest, because the market of motocross it can be 100,000 bikes per year in all the world.

MXLarge: Tell me something, obviously in Europe at the moment we have had a tough since COVID, it's been quite tough, even in the motor world, most industries I think, and it seems like that could last quite a while, I know I spoke to you once and you said how important it is to have the flyaway races, because the marketing in Europe is at a low point, can you explain to me that a little bit?

Luongo: I think in Europe politically, it's complicated, because we say Europe but in reality, it's many states, so for something they have to work together, for something they are one against one, Europe will not be one federation, like America. In Europe, it will always be complicated, because their policy is very complicated, and I think they make a very big mistake, starting from the COVID, how they managed it, they continue with the war in Ukraine and the relatively inflexion we had, so all this is clear, it has a big impact on the economy. All these mistakes have a big impact on the economy, and the impact on the economy has an impact also on the sport, because when the people have less money, they buy less bikes, they take care, when they take care, they don't invest. One of the major things is that sometimes the money is there, but when the people are scared they prefer to keep the money, so all these things create the situation, and on the other hand you see a big part of the world, they grow, they develop and so on, so for this, for our future, for sure we have to have both feet strong in Europe, but we have to continue to develop the motocross on the market, where the economy grows and where the motorcycle market also can grow, and that can give possibilities to have a new and different revenue, and this is just now a beginning, but I think this is the future for the next 10-20 years.

MXLarge: Tell me something, the thing I'm most fond of you about is your loyalty, I see whenever there's a dinner or something, David's mother is always invited even though you're not in a relationship anymore, I see it with the people that work for you, how loyal you are, where does that come from, is that something your parents taught you, or is that something you learned through business?

Luongo: No, this is something I think it's coming by the character of the people, they come from me, from education. I have in my family, and for something which I learned, you can be a genius, you can be what you want, but you never make something alone, and for me the most value are the people, for this when you find good people, you have to be loyal with them, because if you want loyalty you must be loyal, but you have to invest in the people, because the people make the it good, and not the good make the people. For this also the mother of David is there, because when we were young we were married, we had a love story, but after it was finished, not with a fight, with mutual respect, and now she is like a sister for me and for my wife too, because Ursula is 100% on this view of the world, and for this we are very much linked and we love each other, because we have the vision of the world similar.

MXLarge: You have worked very hard, since you were a young man, but what does retirement look like for Giuseppe Luongo in the next 20 years?

Luongo: I hope it will be 20 years, I really hope so. So, saying I retire is a big word and when I say retire, I say for motocross, but probably not completely, because I will still follow all the races on MXGP.tv and if somebody needs advice, I will give it. On the weekend, my weekends are busy like an old man, first Saturday and Sunday MXGP, Formula 1, MotoGP and football, so you can understand it is impossible, because many times I look at motocross live and then I see the other sports. For many years we make investments in real estate in Greece and also in Dubia and we will follow that business. So partly in retirement, I have a big staff that is active in following that and I don’t want to be too active in following that.

MXlarge: Do you have any parting words?

Luongo: What I would like to mention, I want to say a very big thanks to the motocross, because motocross was and is still my life. I have everything from 15 years old until working 15 hours every day on the sport, and I gave a lot, but motocross also gave me a lot. A lot of satisfaction in my life. A little guy from Italy with no money, to make my name worldwide, to meet my wife, because of motocross I met my wife. I am retired for business, but not for my love of motocross.