AA Pro Payout….Is it enough?
November 14, 2004 by BMXNEWS.COM Editors
“With todays racing so competitive are BMX pros making enough money to stay afloat? The interviewee in question states that second place in AA Pro should pay far less money than first so that rider “”tries”" harder. We asked a few top AA’s what they thought about this topic and they responded.”"Taken from an interview posted on Dale Holmes.com “”Second sucks, but they should be paid a lot less, this will help them try for first next time. You see what I mean?”" “”If we paid more out down the line, then no one would reach for the top. They would sit down on the last straight or not try third main knowing they will still get a good pay check. We like winners and that’s who we pay more too. “”
Dave Bittner I feel that this would work if the purse money was a lot better, but it isnt. If you could make a living getting eight every weekend that is one thing. But to sit around the track for 12 hours and they give you guys a $100 bill. That flat out sucks. You might as well sit around get fat and get paid minimum wage plus overtime. They have a good ideal, but lets make sure you guys can make a living too. They like the show too, but they need to pay up for it.
Javier Colombo Every rider wants to win… Serious riders are not going to sit down on the last straight just to get paid, they want to win and do their best. You want to win, but you can’t win every time. You should still be rewarded well for doing your best, even if that means you won second or third place.
Matt Pohlkamp There are a lot more “”losers”" than “”winners”" in any race. A lot of Professional racers race as their livlihood. Nobody on the gate in the main is going to “”quit”" or “”give up”" unless something has happend in the race to cause them to do so. Making a AAPro main event is a huge accomplishment especially with how competitive the sport is now and racers should be rewarded. I think in the ABA, the payout is a little more “”top heavy”" than it should be, that’s why a lot of guy’s focus on the NBL.
Roger Rinderknecht I think that the aba guys have no idea how hard it is even to get to the main, how much effort it needs to reach a level like most of todays pros have. For sure first place must be paid the most. but even if theres no big gap to the second place, everyone will still try to win the most races possible. We dont race just for money, its in our blood to reach for the top everytime we step on the gate.
Prize money is not only for making the pros rich, its also just part of their income, the payment for their hard work that they put in every day. A more spread out pay-system would give more guys the possibility to at least cover their expenses, to make it more attractive to riders going to the races. it would maybe help to have a bigger number of riders in the pro class, which would definitely make it more interesting to watch as well. I think its ridiculous if there sometimes are hardly 8 pros at a race!
I didnt really follow the controversy, so dont know if I’m on the topic. I can just speak from my point of view. in the past, I didnt go to some races because I couldnt afford to. If I knew I could come out of a week-end with covered expenses by doing one main for example, I would have done it. In times where its hard to find good sponsor-deals in bmx, the sanctions could help to keep the pro class and therefor the kids dreams alive by paying a accurate pricemoney.
Randy Stumpfhauser I’ve never seen anyone sit down and not reach for the top in the NBL Pro Series because they think they are getting a fat check for 8th. We aren’t all out there just for a paycheck, whether it is a 50 dollar difference from 1st to 2nd or 500 bucks, we all want to race our best. If I’m coming around the last corner behind Warwick, or Kyle, or Bubba, I’m not gonna sit down and let them win because it is only a few dollars difference. I am going to try my best to win.
So that logic, I don’t think applies, that we’d all sit down if the payout was structured different. I do think 1st of course should be awarded a bit more than 2nd and so on, but it doesn’t have to be almost half of what 1st gets for the 2nd place guy to make everyone try hard, or to validate the first place guy more. I have never sat down and not tried to reach for the top in the NBL because I thought I was getting a good paycheck.
Jason Richardson I think MR. Mooney has no concept of athletic competition. Any top rider is racing to win, and what the MR. Mooney does not realize is that with three mains, what separates 2nd from 1st could be a 2 points, 1 point, or even a tie-breaker. In other words, an inside lane, an elbow, a choke, a flat tire, a chain coming off etc….
Second sucks? I like competition and I can tell you this much…. having three mains causes for more “”chillin”". Why am I going to go for the pass if I am in second or third in the first main knowing I can win the overall without even winning a lap?
…And that thing about a not trying for first knowing we would have a good payday anyway… come on! Does this guy think we are that lazy? Maybe that is what he would do. But then again, has this person ever had to compete for a living? Or is he just an armchair quarter back?
I work my ASS off to win races and you know what? I do not win nearly as much as I should and am man enough to say it, however, to say that I will try harder next time because of the lack of pay for 2nd is a load of crap coming from someone who has no idea what is like to race for a living . I race, earn money, and also understand that we cannot yet command salaries and pay-outs like the MX guys or even the dirt jumpers or freestylers – we are not filling up the staples center or football stadiums… I get it. However, entry fees go up and the pay stays the same. I know because I have been a pro for over ten years and have had to pay my own way for the early part of my career and some of the latter part of my career, until 2004.
Did you know that when I first turned pro 92-93 entry fees were half the amount and I could win $875.00 for 1st whether we went strait to a main or had semis. Now, the entrees are double and guess what? You still make $875.00 for 1st unless you have semis. Now, at most races the ABA is just a escrow service, they hold the entry fees until the end of the weekend and give it back to the guys who made the main.
The bottom line is that the ABA pays Less than the NBL. The ABA splits less money amongst 8 guys than the NBL. Now, the argument is that in the ABA one has “”more chances to earn money”" . My rebuttal to that is – so what. There is only a handful of guys who can go to all of those races anyway, Due to budget and sponsorship constraints. If I recall, the ABA only had semis when there was NO NBL Pro series going on.
If you want to know the real truth, we all bust our asses and take risks for money that won’t change our lives (win or loose). We do this because we have a desire to WIN, a love for our craft, and a devotion to our sport, maybe not the “”smartest”" career choice – but, when people say things like what Mr. Mooney said, it really puts perspective on the lack of respect some people in the upper echelons of our sport have for the pros and what it takes to win – or even get SECOND, though “”second sucks”".
If you ask me..the pros are NOT the only ones who are taking. When I finish racing I will most likely find a job or open a business, either way, I plan on working after this is all said and done and am happy to do so. I love that I was/am able to make a living and travel the world riding my bike, but lets face it, we all know who is getting RICH off of the sport…and there ain’t no 18 wheeler BIG Rigs in my driveway.
Christian Becerine One word LAME!”
