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/125811
_oremiDn' eroun. by Maureen Lee Since the powers that be have decided that all columns shall run every other week instead of every week, we're going to have to tigh ten things up, and I'm afraid, not get to report on things that are strictly current, but we'll do our best. Having suffered over the years with AMA officials on the top level who were either un-knowledgeable or pompous idiots, it's refreshing indeed to have one like John "Light Brown" Lancione, the ational motocross ref. Right after Hopetown, John was on the phone from Texas and we had a smashing conversation with not one cross word although he pointed out that I was wrong in a recent coJumn about the use of the black flag in International motocross events. I t is used in Europe. I had complained abou t the fact that the AMA was using their rules instead of the FIM but I didn't know that each country is allowed to use Supplementary Rules. By the next day I had a set of them, courlesy of John, plus some other pertinen t material and now I know even more about what is going on. These SR's are issued to every rider signing up for the series and if he doesn't read them, well all I can say is, that's his tough luck. If he's a European, and can't read English then his team manager is responsible for him or some other caring person such as his marque's importer, etc. There are actually very few of the Europeans wbo can't get along reasonably well in the Queen's language, it's a must in Continental schools. So John has every righ t in defending the use of the black flag on Hans Maisch. Herr Maisch must have known about it. John also sent along a photostat of part of the FIM rule book with some passages that are especially marked (Wonder how he knows I like rule books?). Some of the rules deal with riders participating in unauthorized fompctition. That's a "no-no according to the FlM and what's more if H you hold an FlM license and even help out at a sanctioned even t you can get penalized, and remember that the AMA is our FIM body like the ACU is in England. Seems to me it wasn't so long ago we had quite a tempest wh.en riders started riding other organizations' events and the AMA tried to pull their licenses. I remember clearly that Wes Cooley got intO the act and found out there are laws prohibiting this k.ind of action and that a professional has the righ t to make a living. That means he can ride where ever there's money, but 1 wouldn't want to see that bag of snakes untied again! Take pokes at the AMA can be fun at times, but not against the weigh t of the FIM. Now we, with the AMA, are now' member of the FIM. This raises an interesting question as to how far we follow the big rule book and ho\v far we follow the AMA's. For instance, the Big Rule Book specifically forbids the use of the terminology "Grarrd Prix" which may be used only once a year for the points-paying event in the following categories: Road Race, Track and Speedway, Grass Track and Hillclimb Endurance Runs, a 250 and a 500 Motocross round, and Trials. The terms uGrand Prix", "Classic Event", or "International" may not be used unless these events have been OK'd by the FIM Competition Committee and are on tbe International Calendar So in front of me 1 have a copy of th~ Hopetown bash calling it the 14th Annual Dirt ·Diggers Grand Prix and In ternational Motocross. Hmmmm. Now what do we do? J don't .think I'd be very happy if we have to give up calling Hopetown and Elsinore "Grand Prix", and Catalina was one. The AMA Amateur rule book uses the term, a fact I was tickled to point that out toJohn, but now we've entered the realm of in temationaJ competition we can't have every Tom, Dick and Barry with a racing organization calling theIr events Grand Prix and Continued to page 36 Warehouse On Wheels - - - - - AMA I ndoor Gennai Dominated Frank Stone, greying boy genius of the motorcycle industry, literally has a new idea on tbe road. J t is the two-ton truck shown in the accompanying ph:)lo, which may revolutionize the related fields of wholesale distribution and Uwagon peddling. n The $8,000 custom-built truck is called Handlebar House on Wheels and features artsy swing-out displays of H.H. products, accompanied by taped hi-fi music, and inside the truck body is a stock of handlebars for immediate delivery. District Sales Manager Rawl Newman says that dealer response to the instant sales/delivery approach in the Los Angeles area has been "outstanding,." House of Handlebars plans to add three more of the trucks to its fleet, says Stone. PITTSBURGH, PA., Nov. 19, 1972 The second round of the American Indoor Cnampionship Series rolled Lhe length of Lhe U.S. to Pittsburgh Civic Arena but the results were dominated by West Coast riders. John Gennai (Bul) swept everything in sighl...from setting fast time right through his Heat, Semi and the Trophy Dash. The final was a California face-off; Gennai and Rick Hocking (Yam) dueling the entire 20 laps with Gennai taking the lead from Hocking on lap twelve and holding for the final eight. Texan Mike Kidd (Bul) took third followed by AI Kenyon (Bul) and Dave JIansen (Suz). California dominates the unofficial points standings with Hocking, Gennai and Hansen in the top three spots. by Frank Stone. left, and Rawl Newman with their new handlebar truck. (::~) W~~iE~~I~E Y It's Cheap When You Buy The Best from Jim Davis Nlotosport Elbow pads . Chesl pruteclors . Shoulder pads. Shi" gullrck . 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