In part two of our Jamie Dobb interview, Jamie gives his view on the British talent pool and MXGP.
British talent coming through – where is the next world champ?
It’s kind of frustrating, I did everything I possibly could to try and help Tommy Searle win it and he came up short a few times. I have helped other riders, because it’s been 22 years this year (since Dobb and Britain last one a world title). Mewse was living with us, but it’s just frustrating – I can’t see anyone winning for quite a while. Billy Askew looks quite good, is he 16? I was 15 when I got third in the British championship, I got a special license (to compete). It’s not the be all and end all, if you aren’t winning at 16, but I just look at the speed.
What’s concerning is EBB is back on the podium and he has been retired for 2/3 years and has a full time job building houses. I’ve not been to the races or anything, so you don’t know what the level is but, until the ACU get serious and get proper people around that know what they are doing – that’s what France have done and every other federation. Look at France, look at Italy and the money they have put in, and they wonder why there was so many people winning. I’m quite outspoken but it’s not like the ACU don’t have the money to do it, I’ll talk to anybody, I would love to help with the system how it is at the moment and everything, I think it is going to be tough.
MXGP
I think there is a lot of positives, I think the age rule is the most stupid I have ever seen. Take it away, what are you gaining from it now? If you want to guarentee people to go to MXGP, simply put a salary cap, if you want to make the big money, that’s where you need to go. The problem is the young kids coming through, they would still win. Jeffrey won when he was 16, Ken won when he was 16, it’s not going to stop anything but the other kids, they aren’t learning a race craft of how to actually race by riding with the older guys.
What you are doing is stopping people earning a living that can’t really ride a 450, you know what I mean? There’s a lot of people, it’s just Seewer, of the smaller kids that’s really made it, all the rest of the guys…it’s sad, some people just can’t ride it and it’s like their career have to stop.
At the end of the day you wish they would look after the privateers more, the factory guys, they get bonuses from the teams, they can make another grand for winning a Grand Prix, it’s not going to make that much different where it would for a privateer, it would be nice if they had a propert privateers prize fund.
I think Paul Malin is doing a great job but having to do it all himself is a lot for someone in the booth. There’s a lot of postitives, I know there is always negatives but I look, and why is there so little riders on the the line? It’s something that really needs to be looked at, and after the first few that are making huge money the rest are barely breaking even.
Watch the full interview below or read part one on Jamie’s career here.
