A Modest Proposal
by Robert Beaupre
Photo by Robert Beaupre Sr.

(NMXD frontman Ty Erquiaga replied to this column to say that he has payed everything outside of the pro's gate entry fee (a $10 charge tacked onto the race entry that is paid separately at some other events) back into the purse at his races, and that he will seriously consider raising the purse higher at his future events.--Ed.)

With change now afoot in northern Nevada motocross, the time seems right to rock the boat a little further. No, I don’t intend to start a new sanctioning body, open a new track or even request complimentary bagels at sign-up (which, by the way, would be a nice touch, promoters.)

My desire for change is far simpler and even more crass: I just want to get paid more. The unfortunate truth is that the Pro-class payout in northern Nevada often falls below 100 percent (meaning that only a part of the Pro entry fees are placed back in the purse,) which is particularly deficient when you consider that 200-percent paybacks are the norm in northern California.

Another unfortunate truth, however, is that I have no leverage to exert on this issue. Sure, I could claim that I will race elsewhere until the purse is improved. But since I have no CD player in my truck, road trips are out of the question. Of course, I could threaten to stop racing altogether. But if the recommendations of multiple physicians are not enough to get me to quit racing, then a low purse seems unlikely to keep me off the track either.

The only real hope in my campaign is the sympathy card. Some of our local promoters are former pros themselves, so perhaps these tales of woe will work on their heartstrings:

--The current chain on my bike is totally hammered. And I don’t think it’s even the proper chain, since it came as original equipment on my ’95 RM80. It now contains eight additional links to account for the extra length of my 450, and it can eat a new sprocket faster than a lion can dispatch an antelope--not that my sprocket is ever new.

--My helmet has been through so many concussion-inducing crashes that I am beginning to wonder about the soundness of the helmet (and my head.) Yesterday at practice a gypsy moth impacted the shell and I lost consciousness for six minutes.

--My old goggle strap recently became so stretched that I was forced to replace it with the elastic band from a pair of boxer briefs. I’m beginning to worry that people will soon figure out that “HANES” is, in fact, not a cutting-edge new goggle company from Spain.

--The soles on my boots are so worn out that I have to replace my socks each moto from wear from my footpegs. And if there is ever a GP event, I might have to replace the soles of my feet as well.

--My tires are usually so bald that I often ask desert racers for their used sneakers. Seriously--desert racers.

OK. Perhaps I’ve gone too far. I don’t really get used tires from desert racers, which would be akin to collecting shattered clay pigeons for target practice. And as for the rest of the facts, well...let’s just stay focused on the fact that the purse is low, shall we? This isn’t A Million Little Pieces.

Seriously, it would be much appreciated if our area promoters began to move toward a more respectable purse for our highest class. A 100-percent payout at every race would be a great start. And an eventual move to 200-percent paybacks would make our purses competitive with what’s offered to the west, and maybe even help to draw more Pro entrants each week. E-Street has a reputation for solid purses, so perhaps their inclusion into the mix will spur a change in the way promoters view their purses.

What’s in it for them? Aside from good Pro racing to watch, not very much. But here’s hoping they do it anyway.

Same goes for the bagels.

Send the author a comment on this column