Image: Ray Archer.

Influential KTM motorsports director Pit Beirer will call for a shorter season of racing in the United States, certain that the 31 rounds currently within the entire SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) schedule is too many.

Beirer – himself a seven-time grand prix winner – has expressed his opinion on the amount of races currently being held in America between AMA Supercross, Pro Motocross and the SMX Finals series.

Supercross continues to maintain its 17-round schedule between January-May, before Pro Motocross now stands at 11 rounds (formerly 12) and spans into August. The newly-introduced SMX playoffs take centerstage in September over the course of three rounds including the final, which Beirer firmly believes is overly extensive.

“I would like to mention, one thing, a personal thing as an ex-rider and working with teams and riders, I think we ask too many races of our riders in the USA,” Beirer explained during a special Chase Sexton media debrief session hosted by KTM. “I know not everybody shares this opinion with me, but just think logical.

“Sometimes riders get injured and I’ve found riders getting injured, for them, I saw them even kind of relieved because that was the only time that they could really enjoy four, three weeks without having any pressure and rushing to the next race. For me, it’s unbelievable what Chase does, going through the whole Supercross season, and the motocross season, and now going to SMX.

“I love it, I am a motocross fan, I want to see them on the track every week, but in the long term I will push from our side as a factory to all of the organizers and promoters that we need to reduce the program a little bit, because we are asking too much.

“Thank you Chase for going week in, week out, but I think also to have a long career with riders and not being burned out too early, that schedule is crazy. I’m sure it’s not the most popular thing what I say here now, but to protect riders in the long term and the health of the riders, I am 100 percent sure it’s too many races for the boys.”

Sexton responded: “At least someone said it – I’m glad you said it Pit, because I think a lot of riders agree with you [laughs].”

Beirer – now a prominent figure in the MotoGP paddock – has been instrumental over the past two decades in KTM’s on-track success, including the appointment of Roger DeCoster alongside current Red Bull KTM team manager Ian Harrison in 2010, which ultimately led to turning the Austrian brand’s fortunes around at the highest levels of US competition.