My Take

        by Doc Melloy  

     Headed To State

It's early in the season in Texas......football that is. In a state where high school football is king, it's that time of year when district battles are about to begin. But in motocross, this is the time of year when riders either wind down their campaigns in their current racing classes, or get a jump on the competition and move up in class. It's also "Silly Season", when riders start looking for a new ride for 2008. The racing from here on out tends to be more for "fun" than anything else. Which makes it especially nice for the U.S. Dealers Challenge race at 3 Palms and the Texas State Championship race at Freestone County Raceway.

The dealers race at The Trees has become somewhat of a tradition on the 3rd Coast, although the meaningfulness of it all has not quite been what had been hoped for a few years back. This leaves room for the state championship race to take on a more important role in the racing season. Neither event requires any sort of qualifying. Racing teams for the dealers race have remained somewhat of a local flavor if one includes Louisiana, which has historically been a strong competitor in the event. The state championship, however, being in only it's second season, has suddenly gained increased interest due to the fact that it is being run on the same track that was built for the AMA pro outdoor national (round 11). It will be especially interesting to see just how many riders turn out for a chance to race on the same track as the pro riders did earlier in the summer.

The dealers race remains somewhat of local interest, as the winning shop gets bragging rights for the year. However, this year the event runs the same weekend as Branson, an amateur national popular with the 3rd Coast crowd due to its proximity. The state championship race is sandwiched between Branson and the Winter O's in Florida, giving it a more ideal date. But other than giving riders a chance to race the national track, it still remains to be seen whether the competitive spirit of a "state championship" will come into play. In a state which prides itself on the enormous interest in "reaching state" in football, it would be a huge boost for amateur motocross if an interest even remotely close to this occurred in racing. And of course, one huge difference is that out of state riders can come in and claim a state title, unlike in organized sports.

Maybe the answer lies in some sort of qualifying process. This would require a huge effort on the promoter's part, one that may not be worth it, or even attractive. There never really has been a competitive spirit between the AMA districts. Texas, unlike most states, contains several AMA racing districts, but most racing folks couldn't tell you which district they reside in. The event has a better chance of standing on its own, and becoming an attractive draw based on quality of competition more than anything else. Much the same way the Cycle Ranch Thanksgiving weekend pro race and the Swan Pro Challenge have become amongst the pro crowd. Any time an event gets the reputation for drawing top rate competition, things pretty much take care of themselves. This is the hope for the Freestone state championship race. If "everybody" commits to doing it each year, it will begin to feed upon itself. And then it will have all the excitement and fervor of an amateur championship race. Branson has barely held on to this moniker. Maybe Freestone can somehow supplant the Missouri race as "the place to be" following Loretta's and prior to Florida. That would be grand for Texas and not so great for Missouri. Time will tell.

   Doc Melloy  #483