Just because the racing has finished, doesn't mean that the motocross industry goes into hibernation, far from it. This is the time of year when Twitter has more focus than tracks and the internet is a bigger source of information than agents, corporate heads or team managers... this is silly season and it's well and truly underway.
First up, James Stewart is now riding for JGR! How will that work out for him? (Ryan DungeyJustin Brayton, Davi Millsaps or the other riders, but none of them have the star power or winning potential of James Stewart, JGR are truly in the big leagues.
Other news that immerged this week is that David Vuillemin stepped down from his Team Manager position at Motoconcepts. At first it seemed like a shock decision, but after it became apparent that Mike Alessi will be moving under their awning, the clues started to make more sense. DV obviously didn't fancy working with Mike and more importantly, having Tony Alessi around so he jumped ship. I don't think anyone blames the Frenchman but if stability is a key ingredient in a successful team, Motoconcepts are certainly a long way from it. The MC team also seems to be without a definite bike sorted but the Alessi's are running Suzuki at this point, that's the likely color.
Good news if you're a Ben Townley fan though as it seems he's teamed up with JWR Racing (L&M & Jeff Wards team) for an outdoors only contract. Nothing official yet but that's the word on the street and we're hopeful it turns out to be true. BT has had bad luck ever since he finished battling with Villopoto in 2007 and deserves a shot. His second place in the first Monster Cup main event confirmed the speed is still there and thankfully, despite not finishing the other two races, it was down to bike malfunctions, rather than injury.
It has also been mentioned that Josh Grant will be joining on that team after his injury layoff. This is a bit of a risk in the first year of a team to put their money on two riders who aren't exactly consistent, but if the gamble pays off, you're looking at two riders who can easily win races and score podiums. Is it worth it though? I guess stayed tuned throughout the 2012 season to find out.
If you're thinking that must be it for the big names, think again... there are still plenty of guys without rides, namely Davi Millsaps, Nick Wey, Tommy Hahn, Gannon Audette, Nick Paluzzi, Jimmy Albertson, Chris Blose, Ryan Morais and a whole bunch more. So whether you're an up and coming youngster or a seasoned-Vet, rides are still being hunted down, as A1 draws closer.
