Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

• &I II1II • ... - II1II ...::I Cit Cit e<"'l f" O'l ..... ..... ..... s-. QJ ~ E QJ U QJ 0 ...,...- Karsmakers, technique by Charles Morey Photos by Jim GIIINltsls small flag was' a bummer, so we got what must have been a 4x5 ft. picnic tablecloth with three-inch red and orange squared and nailed it to a 2x4 board. Our starter was a pretty big guy and could handle the 2x4. That was OK, I guess, but the Germans didn't like it for some: reason - I guess it must have their country's colors or something. We finally got through that race and I proceeded then to only pull the string for the rest of the series. During the winter of '71, I was in Ohio for an AMA referee seminar - they were considering asking me to be the Central Regional Referee for all dirt track and dirt race programs, and I was considering accepting it except I didn't know too much about it, and thought it was kind of funny, them asking me to do it. I had heard some talk of AMA wanting to create a National MX Referee, sO I thought, that's pretty neat; so I just raise$! my hand at a me,eting one day and said I would like to do that - I'm the guy, I'm the boy. Well, one thing led to another and they decided they'd do just that and see what happened. So, come the '72 season, [ started my first season as a National MX Referee, and, as you know we had our ups and downs. CN: I remember the Trans-AMA at Road Atlanta -- no purse money. LB: Boy, I remember that, too! That was one of the downs; somehow, the ups escape me, but I'm sure I can think of them someday. This year we're continuing on the same National Referee Program. We're considering training some regional guys similar to the way they handle national road races , but at this point in time, nothing's definite. We don't know whether to go with a regional program in '74, or continue on another year with the National Referee Program. I'd like to say it's part of the 5-year plan, but.... CN: isn't AMA now realizing that MX is where it's at, and, of course, listening to your advice? LB: Oh, we have a real good working arrangement. I don't hesitate to tell them when I think something is wrong, and they don't hesitate to tell me when they think something is wrong. The only problem is trying to - agree that something is wrong, and if it is wrong. getting it remedied. CN: You have gained a reputation for getting Nation,al and International MX organized and functioning properly on a professional level in the U.S., while at the same time maintaining a lot of" respect from the riders. LB: Well, you see, I've just come from the other side of beating my brains out and going to the payoff only to find out that while the poster said it was $50, the crowd was bad, and tllere's only a $20 check that isn't too good. I was lucky and didn't have to nave the money to get home, but maybe it's a SIO,OOO race in a strange town, a guy wins $25, he can't use a worthless check to get home. The major part is to make sure every tiling is going good for the rider, they're the ones putting the show on. CN: Hasn't the major problem been with promoters having cash for the purse, and having an acceptable track? LB: Yeah, we're often delayed. Practice is supposed to start -at a certain time, and well, guess waht, son -of-a-gun, the promoter doesn't have the money yet. Th" lady who went to the bank to get the money isn't back yet, or just any number of a million different reasons. Also, I've spent many Saturday nights and Sunday mornings with promoter finishing up the track. That's where we're weakest right now - getting the facilities in condition to have a National or International race. We'~e had a few good ones this year, but not as many as we'd like. CN: Road racing had its problems when it started out, so how does AMA propose to handle its MX "growing pains" since it is the fastest growing sport in the U.S.? LB: We've still got our problems - a lot, enough for everybody, but we see a refinemen t in our programs. That is, what we are going to do -- two motos, three motos -- bow long are they going to be, how are we going to payoff, etc. That's pretty well solidified !'ow, but we're still in a grey area with regards to the actual number of races and types that we wan t to put on each year. CN: I've heard several factories and riders complain about a race every weekend, and they would like some time off. They're spending a lot of money and arewondering if they get that much in return for it. LB: Hard to say, they're still there so they must be getting something for it, or if they're not sure they're net, they're not ready to pull out. We respect their feelings, but this year the scbedule's set and there are no more weekends offfprthe riders factories .. or me - not until De~ember 2 which is the last race in the Trans-AMA. We'd like to improve the quality of the races and lay them out in a more logical path, and when possible increase tbe prize money, even though the prize money at our international races is at a fairly decent level. . CN: Are you swamped with promoters wanting to put on a National? LB: Oh yeah, these "promoters" -quote unquote, stand in line saying "We want a Trans-AMA. I have the finest track in America." I' believe a lot of them sincerely believe they do. I also know a lot of them are full of crap. CN: Do you think it will eventually come to a point where only certain courses will be used for the Nationals, and particularly International MX races? LB: I tIlink so, .just for the money involved. It can take 20-30 thousand dollars to put in a first class MX facility. There's not many people who can do that for one race a year, and there's not many areas that will support a race track all year around to make it pay. CN: I am amazed at the distance between races each week. LB: We've been having some 1000 jumps between races. It's not really too hard on the riders because most of the top riders are flying from race to race, and it's no problem. But the mechanics is where the weiner comes_ in. Those poor guys have got to load the bikes up at the race track on Sunday, clean them Monday, either repair them and drive to where he's going, or drive to where he's going and then repair them. For the riders that fly, that's 2-1/2 hours in an airplane, but for the mechanics that have to drive straight through, there's 2 or 3 days of misery right there. CN'- Are you lo';king to s';hedule races so that they start in Daytona and move west, or vice-versa eaoh year? LB: If you are talking Daytona, the weather is usually bad everywhere except Florida, and Southern California isn't tall that great. We'd like to lay them out so that there's not as big a distance between the races, or else there's more time between them, like every other week for example, instead of every week - some sort of schedule. On the summer series, we're pretty well stuck to the northern part of the country on account of their climate. They can't handle a race in the winter, and they can in the summer. In the south it's hot, so we try to stay out of the south. [n the Trans-AMA, we start up north while they have some remaining good weatller,- then swing south. CN: In your efforts to keep up with the rapid expansion of National and International MX, I've always been impressed with your capacity as "The Man" that has to please AMA, the riders, spectators and promoters. How does it feel to be in the middle all the time? LB: I'm not "The Man". You know, there are a lot of people in AMA nobody knows aDOU t that just bust their ass to get things done so that MX can succeed. The little girl in the license department, the secretaries, the people in the advertising department, the people in the computer room and member ship, they all just bend over backwards to do their part to help. There are some stumbling blocks, but 99% of them are merely "growing pains" . CN: Competition is fierce on Sundays, but I'm always impressed with the fellowship and friendship of all involved with MX before and after each race. They work hard at race time, but before and after each race, they play nard. LB: Oh, sure, well, the guy's in this tiling are really great. You know, you hear that anybody that has anything to do with any kind of sport, talk about the pros and say, "Oh, yeah, they're just a great bunch of fellnws, a fine bunch of competitors" well .. that's usually a lot of bull. But, these guys are to the man pretty straight. The bikes are up and the poin ts mean something, and we've initiated a system of grading our national riders to frankly keep every Tom, Dick and Harry from entering the race. We only want 40 guys there, and it could be, we get to a point where we only want to start 30. If you"'re a good rider, it's worth more than it was last year but the guys are staying great. They almost live together, sleep in the same motels, eat the same meals, they're together each week, and you either get along or you're not there. They are all individuals, everybody's different, and everybody is accepted for what he is. There are no put-ons because put-ons don't last long. It doesn't take too many races to figure out what a guy's really like. CN: A lot of the riders really impress me for their individuality and sincerity -- really nice, sincere and great guys. LB: Yeah. Take Richard Thorwaldson his only complaint is that h.e can't bring his wife and keds to the races with him. Richard really enjoys riding his bike out there and jamming around. He may win, pla.ce ninth, third, or last, but at least Ile enjoyed it. Tony Wynn is really a nice kid, and as a rider he also has flaslles of greatn~ss, but, during each moto, I .really tIlink in the back of !lis mind he's worrying whether somebody got the com in down on the farm. Darl Brown in another great personality. CN: Who? LB: Dark Brown - John DeSoto. John and his wife Patty are great! CN: Pierre Karsmakers always seems cQnscientious and nice to me. LB: I've known Pierre since he first came to America with Edison Dye on the traveling circuits. He stayed with us once in Dallas -- all the guys did once which is first where I got exposed to them. I stayed with him and !lis family in Europe last year for a few days, and we talked abou t his coming to America. I'm glad he came. A lot of people are unhappy about it, but I think nobody can dispute the fact that he has been good for our riders -- most of the guys realize and will freely admit to it, but nobody li)<.es to be beat. Hell, my best friend could beat me and I'd hate him, until I beat him; then, he was the same "good 01' boy". .. CN: Here's the motel; you got any tiling you'd like to throw out? LB: No. I don't have any axes to grind. CN: Thanks. I'll see you next year at Lockh.art for the Second Annual Corn-o.cross. • .... C)C) tW

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