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Since everyone loves to pile on & seldom knows much about what they're talking about other than the crap they join in on from the angry minions that scream via their key-boards, phones & iPads...yes, they only know what's goin' on in their own little world & that's fine. Hell, that's fair. Based on all the uproar, and Matthes's post last week...we got a lot of questions and a lot of negativity form the Vital community. What's really goin' on...here...?
Yes! Michael F'd up ROYALLY and DID NOT do his "Due Diligence" on the WCL stuff...and that's pissed more than a few customers off. Hell, I'm sure I'd be pissed. And...Michael needs to roll up his sleeves and help Scot get back on top of things. But, how did he...how did we...get here?
I looked into it.
What's Michael been doing?
Why's he so slammed...or seemingly so...lately?
Why has he been Ghosting the World?
What's all this about the team folding?
MONEY!
He's been shorted quite a bit of money and it's been getting worse as time goes on. Tens of Thousands of DOLLARS getting to the point of HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of DOLLARS. Yup. Since the on-set...he's been dealing with "Slow to Pay" and ending up with quite a few that just are "Not Paying" sponsors/people/entities that're invovled in his team/program.
From brands that he's been with, loved and believed in FOREVER...to brands that joined on when he started the team.
Know these simple facts:
Slow payers put you in a hole.
Non-Payers put you under.
Period.
Michael (and his family) have been diggin' into their own pockets, going into debt, and doing the "any means necessary" thing to keep the team on the road and at the races. From what I can tell, they're getting into about $200K in debt.
Also, about "the rig" and people saying that's an extravagance...?
Uh, hey, do me a favor? Try and go get Factory Support without one...aka...REAL factory support. Then, try to get sponsors involved...without one...oh, while we're here...be sure to get sponsors that write...and send...the checks out. Mmmmm'kay?
If I'm not mistaken, Michael or he and his family...bought the trailer early on...and his pops is in the "diesel service industry"...so...they get tractors figured out better than most.
But, regardless of all that...
At the end of the day, What has he accomplished?
Micheal's gotten Coty, Carson and others to the races on good equipment and provided them the means to get good results and "get back out there" when they had little or nothing comparable offered to them (and for all that, far too many of you sit back and spew your shit like he's some kind of giant ass hole. Nice).
If I could go back in time and change things...
I woulda slapped him SO DAMN HARD the very 1st time he even talked about "going racing" and I would have chained him to a desk with a computer & printer and said...
Make Parts
Ship Parts
Make Money
Be HAPPY!
Stay Away from the Shit Show!
But, as we ALL know...that didn't happen.
Instead, he DID go racing.
You DO know who Coty Schock is.
Carson DID get another shot at it.
And...he totally f'd up the WCL thing and now everyone is piling on.
Got it.
Scot's trying to put it all back together, again. So, we'll see how that all plays out.
Oh...and... the folks that HAVE been paying ML...I did a little homework...
Chaparral? Pays like "clockwork". On time. Always.
FXR...seems to be paying, too.
Those are the ONLY 2 sponsors of that program that I could come up with the term "paid up"...or the like.
Again, none of mine...none of yours...none of our biz...but, we do want to know. Don't we?
Also...let's not go ASSUMING anyone I didn't name is guilty.
There are all sorts of 'Associate Sponsors' that I'm sure have been great; but, there are some brands that have not been...so...uh..."great".
ML may want to comment on that at a later date...or not.
How/why I went "looking into it": I DID NOT/DID NOT WANT TO/WOULD NOT...talk to Michael about this. I talked to people that are deeply involved in the program...from with-in and out...of the program and DIRECTLY involved. Why? Because, I wanted to know. This crap was getting deep and ML hasn't been too stoked about ANY of it...for a while. So, I went digging...
The riders, mechanics and others that're part of the day-to-day operation have been kinda "side swiped" by all of this and I really hope they get to hear what's REALLY been goin' on behind the scenes; because, as of yesterday? They hadn't.
Michael has shot himself in the foot by NOT calling some of these people/brands/entities out...he's probably hoping they'll "make it right". That's kinda heart-breaking. I, personally, am making a few changes on "what I run" on my person/personal bike stuff based on this situation.
So, uh...Yup.
It's like that.
The saddest/most depressing part?
This whole idea of "going racing" is just unrealistic from the "Privateer Team" standpoint. From Bobby Hewitt to Forest Butler to Mike Genova to ML. If it weren't for Pure Passion....the teams they've created and THE RACERS they've helped "make a life of racing"...no one seems to get just how hard this all is...and if it weren't for the pure PASSION of loving racing...well, you get the point. If you're gonna count on "our industry" as your basic means of support? DONT.
All the while, there are those success stories like Star, TLD, ProCircuit...etc. Hell, even Hewitt's story is a success story; but, did ya notice that Bobby just...packed up and left? Yup! This shit is hard. The dividend is questionable at best.
So, as I sit here and wonder why I even bothered typing any of this...& I wonder how long it will last or how long 'til it disappears or...am I "stepping in shit"?
Don't care.
I've watched someone do something he believed in, fall down a few times...& every f'ing time he even tires to get back up...he get's kicked in the balls.
Then, on top of all of this? He shit the bed at WCL via ghosting the world....as he was trying to keep this other-thing "alive".
Yup! Get the pitchforks! Let's kill'em all!
I'm disappointed in a lot of people...from brands I've actually praised to the minions that can't help themselves with their posting habits.
We suck.
There it is.
A apologize to those of you that take/took this personal or made it "about you". That's not my intention...
It's about us.
We bitch too much.
We act too little.
We shit on good people way too damn much.
We all fall down.
Get back up.
Help others get back up.
That's who we really are.
There is a lot of sketchy people in the industry that talk a good game.
I see quite a few parallels to the music industry and kids trying to make it. A lot of talk with under delivery.
The Shop
Those are my words.
I find that…who is doing or saying what & how that’s correctly reflected…OR NOT…to be the very problem around here when everyone gets up on the soap box.
The mounts doesn't cost billions to make either (probably a few bucks tbh because the machine is already programmed), so his former partner can't bitch too much if he want to keep the business running and he can take care of the shortlist of customers that have been waiting, to make it right, then "basta". It is little money (to produce), then it is just history.
Let us now try to fund a team ourselves and we will see how shi..y it can be when the bills add up while some sponsors pay late or not at all. Sh. happens. It is just a too small industry to make a team without the factory or being a billionaire (or close to it). Even Dungey, RC or Reed ran away. It was probably a roller "coster" but that run was pretty interesting though, and scoring top 10's in the premier class is still an achievement. Glad he saw it was becoming crazy too expensive for himself and took the most reasonable decision by folding the team and getting back to a more normal job.
Just wanted to say that I’ve known ML for many years, way before he got into the business, and I can tell you that he’s no thief . Sounds like shit just went bad, not trying to justify anything, just sticking up for a friend. I’m 100% positive that everyone will get their parts or their money. Pretty sure he’s not stoked on the situation either.
Bummed to see the team going away, but I imagine that the cost has to be astronomical. Great showing for this year, though. Schock will more than likely get a ride out of this 👍
Just posting my un-asked for opinion
BUT imagine if no one took the gamble to start a race team…..
Been this way for decades. Sounds fun but isn't unless you have piles of money to burn and don't care.
Let alone the "sponsors" who pledge almost 6 figures, then offer to give you screen time on the reality show they're pitching to TLC in lieu of the money they promised you pre-season..... on yeah, and that "sponsor" will show up at an SX round with an entourage looking for the red carpet treatment, even though they haven't pitched in a red cent yet
Pit Row
To answer you and the other guy asking about handshake or contracts, I think a lot people would be shocked at how much verbal judo there is in deals that actually don’t end up on paper with just enough money up front to be taken seriously.
Alot of deals are a person to person “handshake”.
One thing that I feel really sums this up best is whiskey throttle w/ Jeremy Albrecht. Specifically when he’s talking about getting riders and MXON.
He talks about how there used to be a community aspect to motocross and once someone has a slight error there’s blood in the water and industry people will shark around it.
I get that same feel to at pro level events. Too many people are out for themselves rather than working together to grow the sport and the industry as a whole.
With the list of sponsors he had do you think the funds warranted a big rig ?
Would Team Suzuki with JS7 not of gotten there sponsors if they were in a let’s say sprinter or a fun mover?
One of the best ways to promote is to be on the podium. Build from there.
Palm trees don’t win races. Just my 2 cents opinion
Sux another team has gone
Is that how it should be? No. But that's the world, and it's not just our sport.
I bet you do it subconsciously almost on a daily basis, I know I do. Some old beat up pickup truck with a company logo on it...you (I) immediately think oh dang, they must not be very good/successful/professional.
Brand new F350 with that same logo, and I guarantee 99% of people immediately think the business is more successful.
Again, not always the reality, but it's the perception.
What do you have to lose at this point?
It'd be great to know which ones are dirt bags so I can make sure to not buy anything from them.
NDLs might be in place and that’s why it’s hush.
Even when I had people email or call me on the WCL situation once Scot started getting the unwarranted heat, they didn’t disclose company names for either that exact reason or they had a process started with an attorney. Which is understandable.
Still, I’d like to know as well. I don’t want my money going to sharks that hurt teams/riders.
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