Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125522
want to be one. Most men are delighted to help a woman out but if they're doing we 11 in a race and find a helpless female most men will stop and give a heIpi ng hand, or if they continue, then feel bad because they didn't stop. And if girls were smart they'd know how bad a man feels when he doesn't stop. So perhaps it's wise not to put them in that position! As to knocking down or running over a woman that was just about unanimous. They'd fee 1 twice as bad than getting involved with another male in an accident. The girls who want to race with the men don't ask for, special privileges when racing with them and don't want them; they them; they consider themselves just another racer, but the men don't. But one big bore expert said that if a woman made a mistake around him in practice or in a race and went down in a big tangle that was just he r tough luck, and if one deliberately goofed him up she'd get the same treatment as anyone else (which we interpreted to mean as "pow," right in the side!) Three men we interviewed in more depth were Ken Clark, a Class" C" Expert riding TT and road races, who retired from scramble'S with the No. 4 plate and who has won some impressive titles and championships in all forms of racing. second was Larry Wilburn who holds the hea vyweight scrambles No.2 plate and is currently the high point Amateur at the Ascot professional TT races. The other man was Kirk McDowell, 113 lightweight Expert. First, Ken Clark. He thinks women should be allowed to race but in their own events and on limited size machines. Ull to 100cc or even 125 but nothing bigger. "Ken, would you let your wife race?" "Sure, if she wanted to, but I would never suggest she turn into a racer just because I'm one. But if she came to me and said "Honey, those girls look like • GUYS VS. GALS CONTROVERSY· GIrls lall down too. CyCID NDW' Columnist Maureen L. II.. In lIle palll 01 oncomlne Kelly Struble as Diane Connolly motors on. by Maureen Lee the same chick every week. But now they have the Powder Puff AssociaWhen tbe letter was received in tion that is making the rulings for the office from the girls up in Disthe Powder Puff events and the pntrict 113 6 regarding the fact tbat they gine limit is 100cc, although any girl weren't allowed to race with the can ride any class she wants with men. Cycle News publisher, Chuck the men. Now that this rule is in efCla,yton, knowing that I love a bi t of fect the guys believe the girls becontroversy, said, "Here it's yours. long in this class. "They'll have Check it out and see what you can more fun than al ways running last in come uP with." a heat ex just barely making the First off, we had to impress on semi." (Yeah feller, we know all the interviewed riders that all Quesabout that!) tions were academic and the fact Big Bike Controversy that I race and am a member of the The lightweight riders didn't seem Powder Puff Assn. mustn't enter into how they framed their answers. Also. they could have their names printed came up to the big guns you moved with the Quotes if space permitted or into some different answers. Because not (and some chose not to). They we have very few girls who do battle were all asked similar Questions wi th the big bike s, at least in scramsuch as: "What do you think of bles, and although the guys think women racing?· "Do you believe nothing of a woman riding a Harley they belong on small bikes?" ·What on'the street," they mos tly feel that about racing with the men?· The two she just doesn't have the strength to roughest ones we saved until the tangle with 40 inches of snarling guy had stated all his views and monster all out of shape on a turn. they were: "How would you feel if And if she falls, "How the hell is you ran over a woman?," and, • Would she going to pick it up? If there's no you let your wife race?" flagman near she's going to stand We'll start this with the short there until some one comes and resQuotes un-named, and although it cues her and I'm not going to stop would have been fun to interview racing to pull the damn thing off the everyone in the District, this was track." So if a gal wants to ride a impossible so we settled for just a big bore it seems that sbe should fit few and were sneaky enough at times the above statement, "If she's man not to let them know they were being enough to handle a big bike etc.," interviewed. Only two came right out and be able to pick up he r scooter and said that women do not belong when she drops it. Otherwise she's on any track at any time. "U's a putting some rider in the position of man's sport and one that a woman being Sir Galahad when he doesn't should never attempt to compete in and that goes ,for car racing as well. There·s plenty else women can do without becoming racers!" "Girls just don't have what it takes to race successfully and never will.· Question: "Do you believe they belong only on small bikes? District 36 limi ts them to small machines only while here they can ride anything they want as long as it's not in a Powder Puff." "Little bikes only· was the main cry although the majority didn't care for the fact it was enforced in District 36. "If a girl thinks she's man enough to handle a big bike then she should be given the chance,· was one answer. I think the people making big comments about man vs. woman in the modern world could make Quite a bit out of that statement! Anyway, the majority felt that the girls belong on the small machines mainly because it's safer, but wi th typical male logic they rose to the girls' defense and said that if a girl wants to ride a big bike then she should be allowed to. c Question: 'How about riding with ~ the men?" At one time in District 37 ~ the girls were told they would have .. t-;:~...".J.\O"~ to ride with the men when they first ::'!! tried to get some fair rules laid down ::0; for Powder Puff events. One gal was ~ cleaning house in that class on a 4G-incher when everyone else rode a ~ TlOpII,.....ID' "-m .. d StD" Scolt ... lightweight and the girls got tired of ... Mtstaall., _pID. of bu.....d ..d wlfD seeing that Gne ~l'Oplly go home with =- "toptllenlus" .t IIlD rKe t_1I. :: ~r~i~1d~0~i~huc~he~0~~t h~~~n; ;~; ~ ,.......... ~ ;> ~ S ~ =- In Norlllwe.t scrambles compeUUon, Elaloe An_ IDads a ma" COlIDterpart (who _Id pIObably ralll... remain namelDsSo) they're having fun and can I go ride with them?, I'd turn her loose." To the Question of getting involved in an accident and running over a woman, Ken said, "I'd feel terrible. I don't want to run over anyone but if it was a woman I'd feel worse. Any man who was brought up by a good mother must feel the same or there has to be something wrong with his thinking. Ma,ybe his mother let him bust his little sister in the mouth when she touched his toys. To me a woman doesn't become sexless because she's on a track, she's still a female and therefore you have to protect her. If you were as good as Dick Dorresteyn, Mau'reen, and we went into a turn together and I had a chance I'd never stuff a wheel under you because you just don't attempt to get rough with a woman." A special Question for Ken seeing his rides Class "C" was" How about women in Class C competition?" He grinned and tongue in cheek said, "U would sure be interesting to watch them trying to change their leathers in the Ascot infield." Then all seriousness, "U will come eventually as it has in other fields, like thp. drags where the girls drive in just about every division, but I think it will hurt the sport. Still, tbere's alwa,ys that type of spectator who will turn out wbenever women race but I don't agree with it." On to Larry Wilburn. -I think women racing is great. If they want to, let them, it gives them something to do at a scrambles instead of just sitting around watching all day." He believes, though, that they belong only in the Sporting events but feels differently than Ken Clark on the size of machine. "Let them ride what they want although class-wise it would be a lot of trouble with some on big and some on little because (and here we go aganil) they belong in their own classes, not with the men." We asked about the real upsurge in women's events since the Powder Puff Association came into being. How did he feel about that? "I think it's great! U's good for the sport and I am for anything that's good for the sport. " Kirk McDowell didn't like the deal the girls were getting up Nor tho "Let them ride any size bike they want. If they'r e going to go fast they're going to go fast, so limiting a girl to a little bike is silly. Still, a gkl riding a little bike against girls will get more competitive and have more fun than riding a 40-incher against the men. But if they want to ride with the men, let them." "Kir k, do you feel differently towards women w hen they're on the track with you?" and here he differs from the other two. "If they're on the track with the men they're just another racer. A girl revokes all her privileges if she chooses to get out there with us and I don't think of a racer as being male or female, just another racer." Less Feminine? We asked all three if they tbought it made a woman less feminine to compete in such a rough sport after one big name told us he lost all respect for any woman who raced, saying, "They are not feminine any more.' Ken Clark: "Depends on the girl. Some couldn't be masculine if they tried." Larry Wilburn: "Depends en the girl, it's ar. individual thing." Kirk McDowell: "It's up to the girl." So at least we know they don't regard US as unfeminine just because we scramble. But one rider did say, "Well, no, it doesn't make a girl less feminine because she'S in leathers and ahelmet, but it seems unfeminine fflr a girl not to care about getting all bruised all bumped around. Women usually stay away Jrom violence and they just don't look good when something goes wrong and they get black and blue or skinned up. Then they don't look so feminine .." Diane Connolly eets off IIlD line. To recap it seems that the men in majority don't care about girls racing as long as they stay out from underfoot (underwheel?l, and that means in their own classe"s. They like them on small machines, too. But in both cases if a girl wants to ride with them they might not like it, but they'll put up with it. So it seems that the girls have their choice and being female and smart, most of them will make the choice about competing, but at least in District 37 which leads the nation in all forms of the cycle sport, a girl has a choice!