2-stroke racers will just have to get creative with sponsors. How much attention do you think a 2-stroke racer would get for a sponsor? How much attention was Cedric Soub getting? A WHOLE bunch! The chanllenge is convincing an outside sponsor. I guarantee you that a Nike sponsored KTM 250SX or YZ250 campaining the SX series would have a crazy amount of interviews, fans and attention.
Getting creative - You're right on that Burner!
Once again, ad nausea, KTM really seemed to not get the amount of exposure CS got for them - It would have been a bare drop in the ocean of Red Bull money they have on tap to keep him out there on a 2t - they could make an absolute monster of a motor for him, with (and with No disrespect to CS), No danger of him overshadowing Cairoli or Nagl etc - he's just not at their level, in his riding ( I hope he progress's) yet.
DV Obviously saw the great exposure Moto Concepts would get from him being out there - once again, no disrespect to their 2 other SX riders out there on 4ts, but, if he hadn't got hurt, had got into mains, and stayed healthy, they / he would have received exposure that would have been wildly disproportionate to the cost of the campaign.
Perhaps CS was a victim of just disappearing into the background of the massive, all up, New effort, put into KTMs stepping it up in the US, and their continued efforts to totally dominate the GPs. No Other Factory has more commitment to racing on dirt than KTM have nowadays , and KTM have the massive financial backing of their compatriot company , Red Bull, who, would regard the vast (comparatively, in MC racing circles) amount of money they can contribute to KTMs racing, as but the tiniest amount in their overall advertising budget.
Something to keep in mind - Mike Sleeter, from what I've gathered, Is one of KTMs main US development team members, together with Casey Lytle. We should be encouraging KTM, through this website - don't slag the man when he doesn't qualify for nationals. I read in an interview with him (forget which site / mag, it was mentioned in another one, other than here, I think) that good, new things would be coming for 2ts in the 2012 model year. Together with the impending Euro 4 legislation , this Might be the start of the new KTM 2ts we've been hearing of for the last few, interminable, years.
Mind you, I just saw pictures of Knighters new 535 (that's the speculation of what it may be called) that he's using in EWC this year. It has a new engine, without a doubt, plus chassis, so they may have just pissed another massive amount of money up against the wall on their 4ts (so that brings the count of just dirt specific 4t engine modules released by them , to 8 over the last decade [including the 2 different Berg engine modules - the one piece case / barrel one, and the sloper]. Not to forget all the road bikes, and that car. All whilst they've milked the 2, 2t modules - 125/200 and 250 / 300, that can take 380 cranks/ barrels etc still, despite the slight changes they have made - for all they're worth.
