Scott to take it as Reddi!
By TMX Archives on 12th Mar 08
With a new British star in the ascendancy in MotoGP, editor JD takes a look at the teenage phenomenon in road racing.. WITNESSED a young British motorcycle racing star last weekend, a tremendously talented 15- year-old who almost made podium in his very first GP. Sadly, this was not an MXGP or even a trials GP. It was in fact the 125 class of the MotoGP series and the boy in question was the previously ‘unknown' Scott Redding. He finished fifth in his debut race, being robbed of a podium in Quatar by less than two-tenths of a second in a wild three-man drag-race for the line. Just for good measure, he became the youngest ever front-row qualifier for the race.
So what has this got to do with off-road you may ask? Maybe something, maybe nothing. I think it is at least worth keeping an eye on what is going on over the fence. I watch my MotoGP courtesy of Eurosport, which is of course a satellite channel. If it was on Sky only, as is so much sport, I would miss out because I refuse point blank to shell-out my hard-earned just so millions can be squandered on more and more brain-dead footballers living-out their increasingly silly and squalid lifestyles. It's my little point of principle and I can live with it very easily.
So what did the Eurosport commentators have to say. Well, after opening practise they had obviously belted down to the pits for a press hand-out on young Redding as over the weekend's qualifying, Messrs Moody and Ryder – who do a damned good job considering the hours and hours of time they have to fill – trotted out the same facts time and again. The only bit that stuck in my mind was that they stated several times that Redding was definitely not the product of the ACU training school, where the road-racers get so much more precedence over the off-roaders.
They actually went to great lengths to point out that to get where he has – on the front row of the 125 GP grid in his debut race – by the great age of 15, the boy had had to go to Spain both to train and race.
In fact the kid who beat him for third place, German Stefan Bradl, had been through exactly the same system at the same time so the Spanish obviously know a thing or three about bringing young road-racers through. And while they are often slammed in trials for their domination and occasional protectionist practices, you can't level that criticism against them when it comes to the knee scrapers. If you're good enough the Spanish will take you on.
Now whether or not I agree with pushing kids barely out of short trousers onto race-tracks is neither here nor there. I don't as it happens. Personally, and call me old-fashioned, I don't think that kids should be anywhere near a GP track until they are 17. But, given the system and the parents who are determined that little Johnny is going to be world champ then you are either in or out. If the system allows eight year-olds on GP bikes and tracks then you have got to go for it.
At this moment in time the Spanish are clearly prepared to push the kids harder and further than any other nation. Scott Redding's performance on Sunday was indeed sensational. But at 15-years-old – should he really be there?
nWELL, the season really is up and running now and we have had both the Hawkstone International and the opening round of the British MX champs on two successive weekends. The upside is that the racing at both events was cracking. The downside was exactly that, the crowds were down.
I have fielded many phone calls from inside and outside (spectators) the sport over the last couple of weeks and the story is the same. Money is tight – it's as simple as that. This is not a problem of the sport's making but it is one that it is going to have to deal with. You simply can't charge £25 spectator entry fee and then load everything else up on top of that – £6 for a burger, etc, etc. There is no need for any debate, people cannot afford this given the current economic climate. If you can't see that the entire country is struggling then you need new glasses.
We are back to the old problem. Would you rather have x number of people at £20 or 2x times that number at a tenner. This is not some kind of problem for the future – we are there now.