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/125796
By Lefty Turner This past week there was an SRA general membership meeting. The turnout was the least outstanding of the past few meetings. It may have to do with the busy schedule of the racing or possibly with the general lack of interest in meetings. It's a shame that more of the members couldn't have been there because it is suppose to be their organization. I was a small topic df discussion, and even though I wasn't there. It seems as though some of the members are worried about the "bad press" that this column gives speedway. It seems a shame that people cannot even recognize constructive criticism when they see it. All that this column does is point out the sore spots that everyone else wants to sweep under the table. This is with the exception of the occassional strange forms of humor that often surface and seem to be the only thing that a few shortsigh ted people can see. Since bad press was one of the major topics at the meeting I'm going to lay an idea on those of you who thought nothing good ever comes from this column. Almost every organizational body in professional sports has some form of press or photographer's identification or pass. So what? Well, each promoter has his own individual press problems and those center around the local press. He is probably doing the best job that he can to further the sport on a very local level because that is where he eams his bread and butter. This same promoter barely gives a damn about the national press which, with one stroke of the pen, can create interest nationally instead of locally. Nowhere does the SRA invite or cajole or even ask the big magazines to cover or report the last championship. Nowhere does the SRA invite the press to take part or free in even viewing speedway. While Jack Kent Cook gives them free hot dogs and cocktails along with passes for some of their friends, the SRA makes these recognized reporters si t in the grandstands (not the pits or even the infield) and forces them to dig for their story during the melee in the pi ts after the races. And you guys have the nerve to complain about bad press? So now maybe some of the general membership or the board figure that this reporter is a sniveler who is lashing out on some unfounded rumor and just trying to create another problem. Well, maybe your partly correct but I'm even going to go so far as to form a partial solution, like it or not. The SRA has a very competent P~ man, namely Ralph Springer. Sic him onto the national magazines armed with ,., official press identification badge or I:ard. This will allow the gen tleman or lady and his or her party of up to four admittance into any SRA event. This .press pass will also serve photogs who wish to shoot pix in the infield or the ·pits. Ask, but do not demand, that these recognized members of the press wear whites. Inform the promoters of the exact number of each pass and who it belongs to and that these promoters are expec.ted to lend every courtesy to said reporters. Have your said PR man start a ·file on each Division One rider. This would include a question and answer thing with some background info and the like. Have him make it easy for writers to fmd facts and figures about the race tracks, the racers and the bikes. Remember that reporters write their own stories but that doesn't mean that you can't help them instead of being the actual hinderance that it often appears to be. Someone in the SRA organization should worry that every, yes, every speedway even t be listed in the calendar of coming events in this paper. It's The brothers Bast: Mike Bast leadillQ here. won at Bakersfield. His brother. Steve is on the team that beat him both nights. the Costa Mesa Lions. Bill Cody is normally an Irwindale Eagle, but he rode for the Bakersfield Bandits in the Team race. Even so, the Bandits weren't able to do the job. He is the rider on the far left behind Steve Bast. completely free and the only request that my bosses have is that they be written. The board or it's representative should be hot on the idea of more charity races. Attempt to promote them if for no other reason than the good press and the good feeling it brings to do something good for others. Remember that any press is better than no press at all. You'll have to develop good press and it can't be done by si tting around and complaining about bad press ..