Full Factory Begginers?

“There was once a time where only experts were the amateurs allowed to race at national events and only allowed a top ten national plate. A few years later, then novices were allowed to race. After a few decades, now beginners are allowed to race and are able to obtain a top 40 national ranking. Compared to 20 years ago, only the top experts would receive recognition for their efforts; but today it seems that anyone can be nationally ranked. 20 years ago, if you were 11th in the nation as an expert, you would not receive recognition or be allowed run 11th in the nation plate. Today, a beginner who is 40th in the nation receives national recognition. Back in the day, to receive national recognition, it meant something. Today it is almost worthless.”"Today’s BMX race is blurry at beast with some beginners looking more professional than the Pros. There are pros out there that have custom painted helmets and are out there to put their own name in the light more than their sponsor’s. Yet, there are those beginners that have a clean, plain helmet, no name on the jersey, clean plate, clean bike, etc… who are putting out a professional image. What is someone who knows nothing about BMX going to do when he comes to the BMX track to do an interview or write an article? He cannot tell the difference between the pros and the beginners, how is the rest of the non-BMX world suppose to? This limits the availability to outside sponsorship. When a beginner has the chance to look just as professional, obtain a national title, tour the country and represent a sponsor, what is to keep him from becoming a full factory ride? If you have a factory rider that is #1 in the nation, is it good for advertisement? To have their product on a #1 rider is what every sponsor wants. When you watch a race your eyes are going to be on those who are out front. Just because a certain class is racing, very few people are going to turn their backs and not watch. So what is to keep a top beginner from getting a top factory ride? Is this a resource that is untapped for marketing? Does not the announcer recognize the beginners in the main and call his sponsor out when he is in the top four going around the track? This causes for a beginner to get just as much recognition as any pro. So what if a pro has been racing and training for 20 years to get to the point where he is now? The beginner might get just as much recognition for leading a main at a national event and only has been racing for 6 months. I see this as a large problem in BMX today. Why would any outside advertiser want to put money into a rider where it not going to be taken seriously. Why would someone want to put money into a team where anybody on any given day can go out and take top four at a national event? As long as beginners are allowed to take as much credit and fame as an expert, I feel that they should get full factory ride. A #1 amateur is a #1 amateur, beginner or expert. The beginner is just that, someone who is beginning. I feel that do not belong at the national level. Why would a sanction have an introduction class as a national competition? It should be left at the local level where it belongs. Also, if it left at the local level, then the membership fees should be halved. Why should someone who can only race at the local level and not the national level pay as much as the experts? This would encourage the top beginners to move on and leave the beginner class easier and more inviting to new comers. Remember, this class is supposed to invite racers just starting out. On the other hand, I feel that novices are welcomed to the national level. The novices are welcomed, but do not deserve plates. It might take some persuasion; I might bend towards plates for maybe the top ten or a regional ranking. This gives racers the chance to decide if they really want to pursue a national career. The chance to race against the top novices all over the country and the chance to race open as well, to get a taste of what else there is to offer outside one’s own region. This will encourage the serious racers to step up a level and out of the novice class. This will also let those who are not that serious and only race a couple of races a year to have a little fun without the top sandbaggers taking all of the glory. Let the novice class be what it is, in the middle. There are those who only want to race 2 nationals a year and never get out of their own state. Let it be for those who are not serious, for the dads that are there with their kids, for people who really do not have the money to race the national series, or the desire to. The pros will feel a big pinch in the money that is given out in the purses. Yet, this action will lead to more outside industries getting involved with putting money into the sport. Sometimes, the sandbaggers blur the lines between expert, novice, and beginner. If a future sponsor cannot tell the difference, then beginners should get full factory rides. A rider in first place with a product is advertisement, and people will take notice. Written by Big_gut”