Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

•. ~\'XlOOOO<)()o~OOC~OO()()(lOOOO<)()oOOC:>OC>OOOOCOOCIOOOO()O(lOOOO<)()oOOC)()cIOOOO<)oOIOOC:XX:IOOOOC>OOOOC)()Q I.,.".,•••, ••~ ,.fO,..,in f,. A rieI's •• Y011'11 .IWI,I - "" II FIIlST In • America's Weekly Motorcycle Newspaper 6417 N. Long Beach Blvd. Long Beach, Calif. 90805 Or: Box 498, Long Beach, Calif. Phone: 423-0431 (Area Code 213) From L.A. Phones: 636-8844 VOICES OF THE WEST LIKES IT LIKE IT IS WANTS MORE PRO COVERAGE I would like to compliment Cycle News for Ihe excellent coverage that Is given all ~s of competition events, bolh local and National. Also, your calendar Is the only way most of us know where and when futUre desert events are being held. LEE ADAMS Long Beach, Cal. I have never wr itten 10 a publication 10 complatn before. And 10 set the record straight, yours Is the finest In the field, could be better. It seems you are doing a terrible injustice to Professional AMA competition by the fllmsy amount of pi ctures and ~ tha:t go In reporting these events. I know you have many organizations to do service 10, but the great competition riders and races are AMA Professional. I just finished reading the cove rage of the sacramento 25-Mlle National. Fortunately I was In the pits an d didn 't have 10 rely on Ihe skimpy pictorial an d ~ coverage. In the Aug . 31 , 1967 Issue s of Cycle News you devoted the cente r s pr ead (two full pages) 10 pictures and es say covering the Ascot P ark half-mlle. Six Experts In pictures, five Amateur pi ctures , andfour Novlcesl Terrlflc. And yet for the greatest and LAST mile flattrack at Sacramenlo, less than 1- 1/4 page, plus cover. Six Expert pictures, on!'! crash, one Amateur alter they finished. No Amateur results. Rldiculousl If we have to put up with only the top few r iders be ing menti oned, a t least throw In some mor e pictures. It was a s pectacle, 10 say the leasi:, as Mark Brelsford swept s ideways Into the firs t turn, and the fact that the Ama te urs looked like a repeat 1-2-3 of the othe r miles thi s year until Bill Cody 's motor soured. And, for Ins tance, Yvon Du Ham el's Yamaha had at least as many ponies as Rayborn's Harley -until the late laps. But please, In the future, can we at least see MORE pictures of AMA Class C events. After all, the reason we buY this paper is 10 SE E whatls hap pening since we all can't travel, and you are depriving us of that now. Very truly yours anyway, CRAIG V. RANDALL AMA Novice # l llz Concord, Califor nia SOME GOOD, SOME BAD I would like 10 thank Ihe guy In Ihe green and white Jeep for Ihe water and gas that got me back to the pi ts at the Shamrocks race Sept. 8. Also I would like 10 say we saw an 'example of bad sportsmanship, a bike changing riders at the pits. It's guys like this who ruin the sportfor everyone else. , LANNY LEHIGH #213 saugus, Cal. COMMENTS ON COOLEY Whats with Wes Cooley? BIg Deall He starts his column again and the first thing he does Is knock one of the toP sporting clubs In our area, namely the Dirt Diggers M.C . As a motorcycle enthusiast and spectator at many pro and sporting events during the past 10 years it Is my humble opinion that this club puts on some of the most exciting motorcycle races I have ever seen. Mr. Cooley could learn a lot from this sporting club. I may be mistaken but I believe the Dirt Diggers Grand Prix on Nov . ts going to be A .M.A. sanctioned. If this Is true then Mr. Cooley has no say In the matter wtlatsoever. Maybe Mr. Cooley feels that "The Big One" may hurt some of his FIM-ACA sanctioned events soon 10 be held In Soulhern Calif. See you at "The BIg One." FRED VAN UZZEN Yuc:alpra, Calif. DIGGERS DIG COOLEY Please be advised we were dellghted to see the re-appearance of the controversial Cooley. In particular _ like the first paragraph of Ihe publisher's preface. After reading of our various subterfuges and "dupes", we decided not 10 let sleeping dogs lie, but In reply. our advertising does not state or Imply that any specific riders w1l1 compete, however International means among or between foreign countries, and international racing w1l1 take place at our race No.9 & 10. We wish 10 clarifY that Mr. Dye (Husqvarna Distributor) and the grouP be represents w1l1 not compete at Hope1own. 1bey demanded $10,000 or 10% of the gate (a fraction of which Ihe DIrt Diggers themselves have not seen In ten years of presenting Ih1s classic). If we _nt 10 another location, _ could have them for $3,000. We are a non-profit club, not the RIngling Bros. Circus. Now, as 10 sanction by the F.l.M, we did apply 10 your business concern, the M.I.C.U.S . (ACA) In November of 1967. We are still awaiting your reply. (Copy of correspondence on request.) But at Ih1s late date, thaDks a.nyway, _assume from 1h1s, that prlftte promoters receive tar prompter response 10 tbe1r applications Ihan do sporting clubs. If you need any assistance with F .I.M. rules, feel tree 10 contact us. Last year oI'ftc1al Ignorance 01. them almost created bavoc. FortuDately Internatioaal competition is now here 10 stay and _ are proud 10 bave begun It. Good luck wlih your column- and Ihe future accuracy of your controversies. Lovingly, The Doubtfully Undublously Duped DIRT DIGGERS Don Kemp Public Relations TALK ABOUT CLASS Regarding people who r ide classes they don 't belong In and people who ride 360's In Ihe 350 class I go along wlih Maureen Lee's statement, "Ain't you got,no pride?" 1 do think the sport needs a new class breakdown regarding the Expert or SenIor class as the case may be. With the growth of moto-cross and also In desert and scrambles racing we are seeing lots of team-this-and-that, faclory sponsored bikes with paid riders, and many people wIlo are sponsored or part1aJly sponsored. I don 't think this Is fatr 10 guys who r ide their own bikes and happen 10 be Experts. I'd like to see a new class (professional) and put all the sponsored, paid and so forlb people In It and then watch 'em go. We could then have an Expert sportsman race that would be fair 10 the sportsman. DOUG TEETER Redondo Beach, Cal. -LOOK, MOMMIE,· CRUNCH! 1 bave a serious complatnt that should be looked 1n1o before the next race at Ihe Huntingtm Beach Race Track. Attending Ihe race given by the 4Aces MIc, I was compelled 10 become a flagman 10 protect my children from the riders on the spectalors' side 01. the tract because one of my small boys was almost struck by one of these racers. I think this problem could be solved by including the warning about endangering spectators at Ihe riders' meeting. Plus posting flagmen at each entrance 10 the spectator area. I would have liked 10 watch and enjoy the race but my childrens safety comes first. MRS. LARRY VERDOORN Fullerton, Calif. '.,.S' UNiS(... Pu blisher ••••Char les C. Cla)' lDn 8usine s s Manage r • .sharon Cla)' ton E di tor ••••••••••••carol Sims Nationa l Ad". Director ••Tom Culp Ph otn Edi lDr •••••• Dennis Greene Lab T echnician •••• BID PetUgrew Bookkeeper ••••• .Susan Whitela w C irc ula ti on Dept•• .Jenny McDonald Edi tnria l & Adv. AssL Sandia Purdy Publis hed wev kly ex ce pt thr- n rst and la st we vk o f thp ca lenda r vea r by C,,",S Pu bli s hing co.. P ost Oific l' Box ~ 9 8 , L on g B.'a ch , Calil ornia . AN OPEN LETTER TO THE RRC MEMBER CLUBS: Dear Clubs : In the past few years I have sat In on many RRC (Road Riders Committee) meetings and have seen many odd and r idiculous thi ngs done by Its members, but the past few monlhs have been mad as I s ee It. The Executive Board has done nothing but make one recommendation alter another, for changes of all kinds. However, these changes have 10 be made with the approval of the body. It appears the n, there Is need of change s In both places. 1st. Clubs should send delegates who will do the best for their club, and not be afraid 10 speak out an d be heard, Instead of going along with the crowd. 2nd. When electing E. Board members _ vote for peopl e with cycling In mind, an d mos t of all, people who have the Interes t of all clubs at heart, not just a chos en few . Our electi ons have proven 10 be a popularity conte s t, an d an " I' ll nominate you, then you nominate me," type of thing. Also some hardly ride a cycle; how can they know best for the rider? A prime exampl e of changes ne ed ed are as follow: Following the RRC Danc e It was noted we lost money , due 10 the past executive board's blunders. The treasury found Its elf In a bad way, s o In ord er 10 put on the P ine Cone T our the E . Board sugges teo , an d It -was ad opted by the boc.iy, 10 assess all cl ubs $20.00 tn put on Pine Cone . Since s ome clubs refused 10 pay this $20.00, It was again suggested all clubs not paying would be kicked out. Which ends up with the loss of about 9 or 10 club or $108.00 10 $120.00 per year dues less. " If we are that short of funds , then why are we s o ben t on ge tting rid of this much money ($120.00) ? Asked this commi ttee me mber. Also a motion was made, If any club doe s n't a ttend 50% of the meetings Ihey too will be dropped. Again I say at this rate the RRC yearly dues will go trom the $12.00 we now pay 10 $24.00 or possibly $36.00. So why do we constantly throw our money away? At present, two or three people make all the motions and they are either E . Board members or their buddies. Cl ubs , 1 believe II's time for a change as we have lost member clubs 10 other organizations. Couldn' t we use their money? A change Is necessary If the RRC Is to exist In a profitable manner. Mos t of all, we who love 10 ride, know we need an RRC tor Ihe lours, but let's make It benefit all Involved, 1 ask this letter 10 be pub11sbed In Cyc l e Ne ws and hope It will do some good. I w1l1 welcome all correspondence, pro and con, and hope we w1l1 be able 10 do something. Also, out Riders, we would welcome suggestions on how 10 make Ihe lours better. Thank you kindly, DARRELL A. STEEN Gardena, Calif. LOST AND FOUND 1 would like 10 thank all of the helpful people out at the Antelope Ramblers' Run, Sunday, September 15th. In their efforts 10 find my missing bike. 1 had become lost saturday evening whlle out riding when my hike broke down. I left It and found my way back 10 Ihe pits. The next day everyone was asking or looking for my bike In an effort 10 help me find i t. I have now found my bike. 1banks again for all of the wonderful help. I appreciated It. CHERI E WYLIE Redondo Beach, Callf. r.~ tor Sport Se cond C lass posta gl' pa id a t L ong Bea ch , Cal i! . Ed it orial s to ries, ca rtoo ns . pho tos . etc. a re welcomed an d wi 11 be paid for , upon publi ca ti on (exce pt pres s rel ea s es and

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