Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Publisher Editor Business Manager General Manager Assistant Editor Circulation Manager Circulation Ass't Lab Technician. Advertising Asst Bookkeeper Bookkeeper Ass't Delivery Typographer . . Charles Clayton Sharon Clayton · . Tom Culp · John Bethea · Rheba Smith · Marla Tarbet .Diane Sosnoski · . . Ed Randell · Dorothea Lang · Eleanor Duke · . Larry Groves .Marion Hatashita Cycle News East, Dixie Cycle News, and National Advertising information: Tom Culp, National Advertising Director. Cycle News. (Westl, P.O. 8ol( 498, Long Beach, California 98801. (213) 427-7433 - L.A. 636-8844. TELEX NO. 673474 Subscription: One year 2nd class mail 2 years 2nd class mail 3 years 2nd class mail Single copy price . . . · .$9.00 · $15.00 · $18.00 · . $.30 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 Cycle News. Second Class Postage paid at Long Beach, Calif. Editorial stores, cartoons, photos, etc. are welcome. 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 will be sent upon request. See S.R.D.S. . , OUT IN THE OPEN This letter is to bring to the attention of all the motorcycle racers some of the actions taken by the American Motorcycle Assn. Executive Committee, and a small number of professional racers. ,~ , At the last Executive Meeting it was brough t ou t that since the American Motorcycle Assn. Congress had tabled the proposal to change the rider number system 1-99; that it had meant the congress had voted to revert back to the old system. What the Congress majority didn't know was that in Feb. and again in April the Executive Committee had changed the number system 1-99. Why then was this not made ~ommon knowledge? Then a few racers, and, a few manufacturers decided that there were simply too many Nationals; regardless of what the money was, and so went abou t seeing what they could do abou t it. It was then that Gene Romero apparently decided that he should be a rider representative, and showed up at the Executive Committee meeting; and said he was representing 7 of the top 10 riders (one of these didn't know what he was doing); and said that we had to have fewer Nationals and supported the 1·99 change. What Romero forgot to say was that he was there without the knowledge of either of the elected Rider Representatives. The Executive Committee then began cutting the number of Nationals. They cut six with purses ranging from $7500 to $10,000. It was the manner in which this was all done that I am opposed to. Then on December 13th at Ascot Park in Los Angeles there was a race held in which afterwards there was a meeting. It was a closed meeting of only the top 10 or 15 riders. However, care was taken' that both rider representatives, Dick Mann, National No.4, and me, National No.6, were not invited; but word leaked out, and I found out about it; although I had to promise not to tell how I found out. I then invited myself in on the meeting. The meeting was in Roxy Rockwood's home; and Roxy, being an executive committee member, was explaining the actions of the last executive meeting. He presented the reason for why they changed things; such as, changing the number system 1·99, and fewer Nationals. I was able to present some opposing arguments, but contrary to what they wan ted earlier in the year, they now seemed to be for what the Executive Committee has done in 'this last meeting. In essence what I want is to support the racers, and what they want as a whole, not just a select group of racers. Let's bring things out in the open, and not have secret rider representa tives and secret meetings with only a handful of selected riders present. I would encourage anyone to write me with either a pro or con opinion on any other matters. MERT LAWWILL 148 Rock Hill Dt. Tiburon, Calif. LEAVE 89 ALONE I have just finished reading about the new National N uml;>er system just set up by the A.M.A. I think it stinks. Another attempt by the AMA to step backwards. Just because Joe Slow happened down to Daytona Beach on his 1946 Norton, qualified 271, was lapped 62 times in 200 miles, but by virtue of finishing the race and gaining national points is he now to be considered one of the top 99 motorcycle racers in the U.S.? Another case. Is it fair to take away the national number of a rider just because he either by choice or financial conditions is unable to compete on the National circuit? If you were to brinR all Cycle News Now 30C Per Copy The new year promises to be an interesting one for motorcyclists, th e industry and us at Cycle News. Pleasant things are happening like the advent of new models and the promotion of exciting races. Significant things, like the A.M.A.'s new insurance program, are happening. Unfortunate things are also happening, such as the loss of riding ground and the passage of stupid laws. We at Cycle News hope to be able, in the'coming year, to keep you, the reader, abreast of all the news in the cycling world. Perhaps more important, we hope to present your views on the things that affect you. The newspaper should and will be a forum for the presentation and argument of ideas. The newspaper will be used to fight for the rights of motorcyclists and to bring the attention of the powers that be to the problems and grievances of cyclists, in the hopes of making your sport more enjoyable. One of the unfortunate things that has already come out of the new year is rise in the cost of almost everything. We have maintained our single issue price for four years in the face of mounting costs. We can no longer afford to do 50. Either our revenue must increase or the quality of our service must decrease. We have elected to try to increase revenue and we hope -that readers will understand and bear with us. Each of you is important, both to us and to the sport. The new price of Cycle News is 30 cents. We promise to give you much more than an extra nickle's worth of news. 95 of the national numbers to Graham Speedway in Tacoma, Washington there wouldn't be 8 of them making the main and only one or two who could beat the three current national number riders riding there. Yet all three of them are going to lose their numbers for nex t year. Here is a much more realistic plan. Change only the top ten numbers each year. (They're the only ones that count anyway) and leave the rest alone. Who cares that Joe Slow was 69th in the point standings last year. But Sonny Burres has been No. 60 ever since I have been going to the races. Who cares who finished 80th in the point standings, but Emil Ahola has beel' No. 80 for a long time. So I feel that the other 89 numbers should be up to the district referees. THOMAS OODSON Cornelius, Ore. CN GOES TO SCHOOL We wish to express our sincere appreciation fOl your kind gift of the Cycle News. We received our second copies Monday. They are a valuable aid in our Reading Program. Sincerely, TONY FADALE English Department Chairman Sierra Vista Junior High Saugus, Cal. MORE NOVICE NEWS. I am protesting in behalf of the many novices who ride Dist. 37 events. In the Dec. 22nd issue of Cycle News, it appeared that there were only Am/Ex riders who attended the Dual European Scrambles put on by the Bushmaster and Prospectors. The editorial depicting this event made no mention whatsoever about the novice riders who worked just as hard in their own right as the professed Am/Ex. The novices rode the same rough course, paid the same entry fee and drove just as far to support the clubs even t and Dist. 37. To add insult to injury, if one turns to the result page there isn't even mention of at least the first three finishers in the novice division - not even the winners. That is a real shame. Woul:! there be as many clubs and Dist. 37 events today if it wasn't for the support of the novice rider? I think it would be safe to say 300 of the 400 riders who attended this event were novices. I have no mention due myself, I am just another $3.25. R.R. MacOONALD Northridge, Cal. Desert results are compiled unofficially by the correspondent on the scene at the time. Sometimes, as in the race you mention, it is impossible to identify from their number p he novice finishers , and we have to wait for the official results._ d. GUEST EDITORIAL THE RIDER MAKES THE NUMBER FAMOUS, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUNDBy Neil Keen The A.M.A. Executive Committee has gone against the majority will of the Competition Congress; and in a meeting after the close of the Competition Congress meeting, decided the national numbers should be awarded to the top 99 riders in the national point standings. , It was, at the time of the annual congress meeting, the will of the congress to retain the established method of awarding national numbers: These 99 numbers traditionally have been issued to the most prominent riders in each district. There are over 2000 licensed professional riders in the country and we have 99 riders (the most prominent, safest, most successful and well respected riders from each area)who are given special numbers with no letter suffix, to designate both to the other riders and to the public that he is a top echelon journeyman racer. These 99 numbers have nothing to do with National championships as such, but they are our way of saying to the racing fans all over America that each of these men is a top rider from his district. We have the only type of show in America where a fan can go to the event I and tell who is who among the top 100 participants without looking it up in the program each time. Take golf for instance, everyone of us could name of 20 top golfers but if you went to a tournament and even had a program you would have no way of telling who was who. . We have a better system! In our system the rider and his number are synomonous year after year. When you go to the fll'St race of the year and you see National No. 45 you can rest assured that he is the great Darrel Dovel; however if we adopt the Executive Committee ruling Darrel isn't eligible to have a National number. Neither is Gordon Dusenberry No. UN. Gordon won more half miles than anybody in this district and made over 200 fla t track points. If you don't think Gordon is a top rider anywhere, you are mistaken. Then we come to the problem of saying that if we use the point system, where number one is best and number 2 isn't as good and No.3 is worse than 2 and number 4 further down yet, by the time you get to ·number 16 O'r 23 or 41 you have nobody. If we use a grading system you cannot make anybody believe that number 98 (who made 2 national points) is important. How about baconia where there were not enough MORE ON M.O.R.E. "I wish to thank you for the very flattering interview in your 13 January issue. Several points should be clarified as the legislative session had not ended at the time Mr. Clayton visited with me and the situation has changed somewhat. 1. We were able to totally "kill" Senate Bill 296 which would have prohibited motorcycles from "white lining, changing lanes, or passing another vehicle in the same lane." 2. MORE's membership at the end of the IlI'St year was 2,093 registered (paid) members and 1,123 associate (non-paying) members for a total of 3,216 persons represented Those. respective figures for December 31st were 2,467 registered and 1,385 associate members. 3. Although it was intended that my wife, Doris, would go on the payroll at $50 per week for full-time secretarial (and Girl Friday) services, it didn't work out that way. MORE has yet to pay its flISt wages, fees, tips, or commissions. MORE has printed a complete run-down on the 1970 motorcycle legislation and is distributing these free to anyone sending a' self-addressed and stamped envelope to the following address: RUSS SANFORD c/o MORE, P.O. Box 26062 Sacramento, Ca. 95826 entries for the number of national points given and a rider will get a national number who didn't ride but 20 miles in a 100 mile race? If we are trying to upgtade the sport, then 99 top rated, nationally famous, equally ranked riders are a precious few in a country of 200,000,000 spectators. Therefore, I propose that we vote yes to this proposal which says: RE. NA.TIONAL NUMBERS: 99 National Numbers shall be awarded to the A.M.A. Expert riders who in the opinion of the A.M.A. Staff are the prominent riders in each district (without specific regard to individual performance in national championships only). The staff shall use the same criteria for determining eligibility as they have in past years. No national number shall be awarded to first year Experts. The new list just published does not do away with "the deadheads who hold national numbers" at all. In fact it makes it worse. Over half of the new number holders were previous number holders who simply, have been reshuffled. Not one has the same number as last year, not one. It is not nearly as confusing to the riders as it is to the public. The motorcycling public who buys the merchandise made and sold by the manufacturers and who pays his way at the race track box office is being cheated. We of the A.M.A. have worked for years to build up motorcycling and motorcycle racing for ,all our country. We are now attempting to change the identifying number of the best 100 racers in our country every year, if that is good, then everybody who for the last 15 years has tried to make motorcycling easier to follow and understand, must be crazy. I urge every reader who has any interest in this matter to write the A.M.A. and Cycle News and voice your opinion. I take it'as an insult that a small minority can twist the American Motorcycle rules to suit their personal aims, against the majority will of the A.M.A. Con~ss. Since this 'meeting was held in the western region, and a "riders representative" was needed, why was Dick Mann or Mert Lawwill not invited? I sincerely urge the A.M.A. Executive Committee to seriously consider these words. .

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