If you're sponsored in motocross...?

Jacob told you straight.

Training. There is physical training and race track training.

Physical training is where you run, lift weights and do other sporting activities to stay active. Endurance is the most important in motocross as opposed to brute strength. Pro racers run 2-6 miles every day (except on race days), lift weights every day (except on race days) and will ride just about every day.

Race track training is where you go to a track and work on your racing skills. Left turns, right turns, whoops, jumps, braking, off cambers, etc. Pro riders will go to the track and do laps, but then after words they will work on specific areas of the track or specific areas they are having problems with or need improvement on.

Training actually sucks. You are pushing your body constantly. Keeping yourself in top physical condition is not easy. When I raced pro motocross I was riding 3 hours a day and working out for 3 hours a day.

Pro motocross is a job, just like any other and you do work for your job at least 8 hours a day. This does not include time working on your bike.

Sponsorship helps a lot, but they expect results in return. If you don't produce, they pull their support. Sponsorship is really nice, besides money, but also in regards to the freebies you get. All the stuff people pay for, you get for free. Hats, jackets, riding gear, oil, goggles, etc you get for free.

Races just like in amateur events are the best part. You are racing against the guys that are the best in the sport. The guys you read about in magazines and that you have seen on TV. The tracks are in prime condition and are wider than most amateur tracks.

So to sum it up, what's it like to be a sponsored pro motocross racer? It rocks and I miss it.

That depends upon the level of sponsorship you have. Heaps of riders will say they are sponsored but in reality it is pretty much a gimmick to get the riders using the products and they will get percentages off any purchases they make from the brand. Some will get their bikes a little cheaper. Then getting to higher sponsorship where you get given a bike, gear and us-ables. Only a small few get everything and get paid big money to race. If you are properly sponsored you have a team or mechanic that prepares your bike and you only turn up to test and ride and the bike magically appears. Riders fly into events and have a place paid to stay at and the bike is looked after completely. Usually there is more than one bike.

They tend to get told what training they have to do and where and also have a training program set out for them.

One of the teams I am involved in has their own gym and trainer to help them prepare. They also get told just what races they have to enter, what gear they must wear etc. That can be a pain at times as they can be told to wear a brand of boots that they don't particularly find comfortable but have to wear them anyway.

It has other advantages as well as one poor rider I know qualified for the last position on the grid in a supercross series on three occasions he had the gate taken off him and given to a team rider as it was in the sub regs to allow for a rider from a team who had stacked or whatever and not made it through qualifying. Very aggravating for the privateer who had raced well and deserved the gate.

The sponsored riders usually get to see the track before the other riders as they have press time and they generally have their own practice sessions with less riders and more opportunity to see the track.

All around it is a stacked deck making it harder for the riders who turn up and prepare their own bike, race then go back to the pits and work on their own bike between races.

Hello,

Training for our sport deals with a lot of nutrition, exercising, and practicing on a track.

Nutrition: Maintaining a well balanced diet is key, it will help with endurance and strength required to go a full MX race. Drink lots of water as well.

Exercising: The key is to train your muscles for extended periods of time, do lots of cardio, it will increase your endurance and allow you to take punishment a lot longer; also do not go for size in your muscles, keep them tone.

Practicing: Self-Explanatory :)