Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

- America's #1 weeki y motorcycle newspaper. You'll always see It FIRST in Cycle News'- RIDERS BACK AGCIE Dear Editor: Here is a copy 01 a letter I was asked to draft and send to Mr. J.C. Agajanlan 011 bebalt 01 theAMA ProlesslonaIriders representatives. BRYON FARNSWORTH Dear Aggie: Acting in the capacity as the Prolessional AMA riders representatives we would like to express o~ feeUngs about the Tulare Natlooal and the unfortunate incident that took place aflsr the race was cancelled. First, let us make it plain that we are. ~t disappointed with your efforts to prepare the track. Due to unforseen circumstances, the surface cond1tions were unfit to conduct a National caliber race 011. You will agree it was in the best interests of the riders and spectators that the event was called off. We feet that Publisher••••••• Charles Clayton Business Manager••• Sharon Clayton General Manager••••••• Tom Culp Advertising Manager••• Tom Walsh Edi tor •••••••••••• Bob Sanford Assl stant Edi lor••••• John Bethea Circulation Manager••• Rheba Smith Art Director •••••••• Li Ii Lakich Lab Technician. Greg Westmoreland Advertising Asst ••••• Bruce Braly Bookkeeper••••••• Edna Wi I IIams Bookkeeper•••••••• Eleanor Duke Want Ads •••••• ; Jan McCullough Delivery• • • • • • • • • • • • Bob Hill promotion of motorcycling. This is in reference to Dave Smead's article in the August 4, 1970 CYCLE NEWS regard1ng our motocross event. We feel that he laid it on too thick to be within the relam 01 objective jourDallsm. His mixing 01 balt-truths with ftction to promote or salve selfish interests is cOllsidered low order propagand!t. Fault tind1ng is a notalent occuPation which we felt had no place in· CYCLE NEWS. . Most certalnly we did not put on a prolessional event. We are not prolessionals. We did not have, and are not llkely to ever get, the prattt oriented time to build a "motocross" courseUke Bay Mare or Saddleback. Our understandlbly amaturlsh.efforts'were expended in a non-prattt civic interest to make .an interesting race course for interested motorcycle riders.Accord1ng to the largest portion 01 the comments received (including MOTOR CYCLE WEEKI.. Y) we presented a good event with no more voice. you and co-promoter Harold Murrelldid the best job possible with the existing facWties. We appreciate these efforts and look forward to entering future events promoted by Agajanlan Enterprises. As for the uncalled for attack on you by a number 01 so called "race fans"; .we are deeply sorry that you were singled .out as their innocent victim. The entire motorcycle racing fraternity will suffer the notoriety caused by these few -ignorant misf1ts. If there is any possible way we as racers can help prevent a reoccurrence 01 this type, let us know. Senseless outbursts 01 this sort are the biggest threat to motorcycle raclng, We want to improve our illlllP•. And with your helP, and that 01 others llke you, we can do so. You are the leading motorcycle race promoter in this country. Your involvement and participation has been a beneftt to all concerned. All 01 us in Professional racing need you Aggie and we are graisfu1 for all you have done. We're sure most 01 the fans feel this way too. *1 MERT LAWWILL 112 DICK MANN #9 GARY NIXON REPORT QUEsTIO~ED I wish to inform you 01 the debatable . interpretation 01 one 01 your reporters, Dave Smead, concerning the Simi Valley Motorcycle Club Motocross at the Oxnard Sports Fest1va1 held on July 27. In it he statsd amt this event was a "a sandy, unorpDIzed flalico:" This is deflnltely a great -untruth. I'm sure that if you cooler with any member 01 the club, It wtll be Po1ntsd out to you lIIat It was, In reaJ1ty, expertly and pa1nsl:ak1ng1y planned chaos. . - . I onlY wish to see credit placed where credit is due. Thank you. B.. HATFIELD Mission H1l1s, Ca. ...AND QUESTIONED AGAIN It is not without regret that a defeDS1ve letter 01 this nature must be written. It gets pretty bad when a motorcycle club has to protect ItseU from a pubUcatlon which ts- SuPposed to be ded1cated to the than the usual pile 01 goof- ~s. So wewere allpretty shocked when we read the article. By the time the epithets had settled, we had done some recollecting. It came to mlnd that Mr. Smead has had a "put_down" for the Oxnard people for some time. We also observed that He "got-aff" at least once on our course. From that point onheapparently wanted to take- over the manag'ement 01 the race as judged from !lis dictatorial haranguing 01 our members. A sbort time termination 01 that approad1 resultsd in a promise to blast us in'CYCI;E NEWS. At-least he was honest In that statement. Not so in the Jim Wilson "quote" • "You either go awful slow or exactly in the same tracks you made the last lap." AlSo, he would have found the results not so "skefx:hy" had he. stopped complalning long enough to ask them. In conclusion, two Items: (1) other clubs are warned to follow the Smead pr1nc1p1es 01 super" smooth; no-sldl1 race course or suffer the obvious, though unfair, consequences, (2) Mr. Smead is cord1al1y lnvltsd to our nut event. R.E. FISH; Pres, Simi Valley M.C. We intend to ask Dave aboat his threats of editorial retribution. This is a serious breach of joumalistlc ethics and wW not be. tolerated - if it in fact exists. 10 the meantime it 'milbt be well to remember that Is is extremely d1mcult to, be completely objective about _etbiol' that you are personally involved in, whether that involvement is as promoter or racer. It would be very nice to be in a position to bire people solely to replJlt 00 races but we are not: we must rely for die most part on competitors who will write rea ' ports for us. A certaIo lack of objectivity is one of the inevitable Iradeoffs....Ed. HONDA STOLEN I would U1te to make an appeal to all motorcycle riders and their friends to helP me and my lo-year-old son, Charles, locate and reea.er his 50Cc Honda Scrambler that was stolen July 29 at Riverside. TIle frame number is . 224998. This bike is 01 great sentiment . to us since Charles startsd racing TT 'with it at the age of eight. $50 reward for the recovery·ol this bike is offered. 'No questions asked. If you have information which would help us, please.call at (213) 632-3844. ALVIN SUMMERS -Cycle News East, DixieCycle News, and National Advertising Information: Tom Culp. National Advertising Dlr. Cycle News (West), P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, California 90801 (213) 427-7433 - L.A. 636-8844 Subscription: One year 2nd class mail •••• ' $7.50 51 ngl e copy pri ceo ••••••••• 25~. Published weekly except the first and last week of the calendar year by 'Cycle News, Inc., Post Office Box 498, Long Beach, California, also publishers of Cycle News East: and Dixie l Cycle News. Second Class Postage paid at Long Beach, Calif. Editorial stories, cartoons, pholos, ete. are welcome. Write for Information. Addressed, stamped envelope assures return of editorial matter. Reprinting in whole or in part only by permission of the publishers. Advertising rates and circulation Information wi II. be sent upon request. Geboers In Inter-Am LA MESA, CALIF. August 10, 1970- Inter-Am promoter, Edison Dye, today iumounced that he had received an entry for the Inter-Am series from Suzuld factory rider, Sylvain Geboers. EarUer, Cycle News had quoted a spokesman for Suzuld as saying that Geboers, along with feUow works riders, Joel Robert and Ole Pettsrson, would compete in a new series 01 AMA National motocross champlonsb1ps to be jle1d at the same time as the Inter-Am. . Apparently, Robert and Pettsrson w1ll st1l1 compete in the AMA serles. Both 'events will begin in the middle 01 October and continue through the ftrst part of December. L. Palm.gren Wins Mile LIVONIA, MICH. Aug~ 10, 1970 - The big eighteen star non-national mile run outside 01 Detroit d1d not draw the star-studded fteld that had been anticipated, Sunday. In fact, Cal Rayborn was the only representative from the West Coast. Other natlooal plates in evidence were those held by riders from the east or local area, such as Larry Palmgren, Bart Markel, and Jack Warren. , Palmgren won 'the Expert flnal, r1d1ng a Triumph k1~ to 75OCc. Flnlsb1ng second was qIlnols Expert Roger R.eiman. los1ng ground to Palmgren aflsr having led the early laps, Next was Bart Markel, causing some smiles and llfted browd with a fast ride on his 1.969 KR. Fourth was Cal Rayborn, looking smooth in his first ImpOrtant ride after having broken his wrist at Loudon. Amateur winner was Buley-Davidson mounted Rex Beauchamp. Wade Quits Greeves LONDON, ENGLAND-Bryan Wade has ended his seven year association with the Greaves factory to become a Husqvarna works rider, It· was reported by England's Motor Cycle News. Reportedly, Wade picked uP his new bikes last Wednesday from Britlsb Husky impOrter, Brian ·Leask. According ~ the paper, Leask said last MondaY that "Husqvarna says that if Bryan can get on the 250 grad1ng Us! for the world champlonsb1ps, they w1ll try bim OD one 01 the factory's spec1al grand prlx bikes," The move comes after weeks at tension between Wade and Greaves. He was angered by a series 01 breakdo'wns, and the factory was 1lIIbappy with the way -he openly.made bis views known. "Wilson To Ride Maico LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - Jim WUson, one 01 the top motocross riders in the country, w1ll start riding a Malco in the 125cc class, accord1ng to Frank Cooper, West Coast· . Malco distributor. Cooper sa1d lliat 19 year old WUson may soon end his ties with Greaves d1str1butor Nlc.k NIcholson and start ~ Malcos in the 250ce and 500cc class. Hopetown Is On LOS ANGELES, CALIF., August 10, 1970 - Hopetown, 1970 w1ll be heldl A~ according to -the DIrt DIggers M.C., spoasors 01 the event, it wtll be better thILn ilV81'. 'I)e course w1ll be changed to run thrOQ&b the town and, to lure spectators into the town, the saloon w1ll be open' and operating. There w1ll be an exhibtt and a curvac10us bunny-type ·"Mias Grand Prlx." _ The date w1ll be November 7th and 8th with entries open September 15th. EDtry blanks w1ll be malled toallprevlous competl.tors and w1ll simultaneously be pub11shed in the papers. Entries postmarked before September 15th w1ll be penal1zed oIle daY• Entry fees in Sportsman Classes win be $10.00 and w1llinclude adm1sSlon for the dder, one other adult and ~ ch1Jdren. , , Classes w1ll be the normal l1cbtwe1ghts on Saturday and heavyweights on Sunday . but there are a coU.P1e 01 nddlties: POVIder Puffs w1ll run Sunday this year and there w1ll be an Internatiooal "E:Ih1bit1cill" for prolesslona1 riders, TIi1s event w1ll be open only to riders with proless1onal Ucensesfrom thevartous sanctiooing bodies (A.C.A., A.M.A., C.M.C., F J.M. efx:J. 'lbere is ....$2,500 purse for the pro event with $1,000' going to the winDer., Negotiations are currently be1I\C held for the appearance 01 some 01 the more tmportant foreign racers.' ~; . considered a c1asil1c, partly because 01 Its wide ,The Hopelawn race, Is variety and .the-fact lliat ·'rllrsteD Ha11mIm'HiNt-\'1.81t lnc111de9'" ride at Hopetown. The great spectat1ng opportunities also contr1J?ute to Its ap~l, tiUl nol.tiJng can adeqnately explaln Its grllllLt appal. L11ce Catallna and BJg Bear, It is THE race to ride. Better get yOID' entries in early: there's not enough spots to go around. arre.BdY Kenyon, Ric.e ~ew Duo CUPERTINO, CALiF ~AniaU;ur Al Kenyon has baeD given the go ahead to ride the rest 01 nationalS on Jim Rice, Equipment. Kenyon was one 01 the fastest riders clocked during practice at the Tulare Fairgrounds and he was mounted on Rice's spare. That could be a real unbeatable' team for the BSA factory, as Yl1UDi Kilnyon would round out the team as an excellent rough track rider.

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