GP starters cut
By TMX Archives on 23rd Jul 09
THE maximum number of starters in MX1 GPs next year returns to 30, while the MX2 series will still run with 40 riders on the line.Youthstream has explained in a communique that: The Regulations allow up to 40 riders, but to increase the quality we want to try and keep MX1 with a maximum of 30-riders. The promotor envisages just 26 permanent entries for the World MX1 championship, the line-up at each GP to be completed by two wild cards nominated by themselves plus two ‘wild card' entries nominated by the host national federation.
There will be 32 permanent starters in MX2, the field of 40 completed by two riders from the home country and six chosen by Youthstream – these could be riders from the Continental championship or one-off rides for additional riders from existing teams.
Explaining the decisions, Youthstream announced: "Our goal is to reduce the number of teams, to increase the quality, the stability and the finance. We are not planning on entering new teams but to confirm the large majority of the 2009 teams who have shown us their professionalism.
"We prefer to concentrate on the majority of the existing teams than to accept new teams, because this automatically excludes some more of the current teams. When new sponsors, partners or teams are interested in entering the FIM World Championship, they can do it via one of the existing teams. This naturally is not valid for the manufacturers, because if we have other manufacturers who wish to enter they are very welcome.
"To enter, teams must prove to have the budget and to be financially able to participate for the entire FIM World Championship (excluding the overseas events if they are not in the top 20). Teams must be in a position to respect their contracts with riders, staff, partners, Youthstream and fully respect the FIM Regulations, and promote the World Championship in a good and positive way.
"At the beginning of this year, in order to enter teams, we asked the manufacturers to propose a list of teams who they wanted to enter, but this proved not to work as it should. So now manufacturers will be able to enter their factory team, but other teams will be accepted directly by Youthstream, based on the professionalism shown during the current season.
"Concerning overseas travel, it is only compulsory for the top 20 in the World Championship standings to travel. For others, it's completely up to them.
”The first 2010 provisional OAT (officially approved team) list will be published at the beginning of August, and for the private teams we will only announce the name of the teams (not the name of the manufacturers) as there still are a lot of negotiations in progress between teams and manufacturers."
Youthstream will only accept teams with two riders in one class. It will no longer accept teams with one rider in MX1 and the other in MX2 or teams with one rider with one brand of motorcycle and the other with another brand.
"For some special occasions we will accept teams with a third rider but only if it's a factory team or a private team who has shown to have the financial ability to cover the costs of the third rider without having any problem.
"During the year Youthstream has been speaking to Martin Van Genderen (representing the OATs) to improve the services, paddock and the relationship between teams and Youthstream. These discussions are very positive.”
In presenting these guidelines, Youthstream confirms its determination to prevent a repetition of the Musquin affair, but at the same time relieve the manufacturers of the choice of supported private teams.
Youthstream has had no difficulty finding 40 suitable entries at each MX2 GP, but the return to a maximum of 30 in MX1 reflects the real experience this summer when more than this number have entered at only a handful of GPs, and injury to many ‘regulars' has seen a serious reduction of potential front runners.
The new limit does however come at a time when such riders as Rui Goncalves, Davide Guarneri, Manuel Monni, Stephen Sword, Anthony Boissiere and Jeremy Tarroux will be forced by the new MX2 age limit to switch to the 450cc class, if they wish to continue their GP careers.
With current injured riders also returning to action, it is very much a team's market with more riders than available spaces, even with the expected retirement of some older riders like Josh Coppins. And the situation could become even tighter if riders like Steven Frossard and Dennis Verbruggen, not yet age-restricted, seek a place in the premier class!