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/126033
The expectation of Spring is in the air. Some people look forward to beautifu l weather. A few plan on getting the old scoot out and doing a little cruising. Others look forward to a ne w season of races , maybe a new bike, or a trip to a far off track. However, rumor has it that there may be a repeat of last year's super event. "The First Annual Willet Wheelie Pre-Memorial Indoor Motocross Invitational Championships " were scheduled and held just one short year ago , and may well become a traditional classic. Indoor motocross season opener Big bucks, high prestige, invitational championship By Jody Weisel \ \ \ \ \ \ \ I I I I - The Second Annual Willet Wheelie P re-Memorial Indoor Motocross Invitational Championship Mail pre -entry to: SAWWPMIMIC, P.O . Box 4 98, Long Beach, Calif. 90801 Name Sponsor Add ress AMA No Age Pho ne No Girlfriend 's No . F IM No Height Secre t sa uce _ _ Class oni ons I have read th e official Willet Wheelie Ind oor Mot ocross Cha mp io nship R ule Boo k and fine p rint, and agree t o fo rfeit m y f irst born so n if I uiolate said rules. 22 _ _ _ The exciting Willet Wheelie Pre-Memorial event was the highlight of last year's racing seas o n. In the mi dst of the popularity of the L.A. Coliseum Supe rb owl and the Anaheim Motocross Finals p er h ap s y o u failed to notice t he eve nt. It was a truly cultural experience an d had there been a winner last year by n o w so me factory team would have snapped him up. The First Annual Willet Wheelie Pre-Mem orial (why wait fo r your re ward whe n you can hav e it now) Indoor Motocross Invitational Champio nships (FAWW PMI MIC) were held in a phone b oo t h on the co rn er of Fry and Hickory Streets. There was some snivelling by the riders ab ou t t he small track, ruts and the glass and steel fo lding starting gate, bu t this kind of comp laining occurs at the Astrodome , too. The factory teams failed to show up for las t year's race, and the only fa cto ry representative present was Wallace Helium of the Ma Bell Racing Team, perhaps you 've seen some of their team vans driving aro und. This year for the Te ntatively-Planned Second An n ua l Willet Wheelie Pre -Memorial Ind oor Motocross Invitational Championships (T PSAWWPMICIC) we expect to be granted AMA, FIM and UL Underwriters Listing sanctions guaranteeing the highest quality of riders. Already signed to appear are Roger De Coster, Brad Lackey, judge Crater, To n y DiStefano and ji"l-my . &~ • Indoor motocross is t he finest spectator sport in America. The enthusiastic screaming crowd that pressed their noses up aga inst the booth last y ear co uldn't have asked for more in a race, except maybe a w inner. The ri ders had a 'few co mplaints, but his was definitely a European style course (we even put in a French cradle phone) with its tigh t twisty turns and br utal uphill s requiring the utmost in rider skill. Other "pro mo ters would be p lease d as punch to be able to control the dus t ..;. well as the FAWWPMIMI C. This was accomplished by meticulo us track p reparation an d by closing the door of the phone booth . Sure , we ha d some problems with the first event, this is to be expected with such an innovative idea. We co uldn't get the resu lts publishe d in Cy cle News becaus e we didn't ha ve any res ults. It seems that just as the screaming pack of riders roared in to the first t urn o f the final m oto the phone star ted to ring. It was lat er discovered to be a wrong number. But as the riders circled the track the ringing co ntinued and one by one they dropped out thinking t ha t their lower end -be arin g ha d go ne bad. A restart was delay ed by a little old man who curbed his dog on the bigge st berm in the left ha nd corner of the booth . Track maintenance was first rate and th is accident was cleane d up in re cord time. The restart was bla ck flagged on th e second lap when one of t he riders go t the telephone cord wrapped around his ne ck. These del ays cau sed a scheduling co nflict wi th a previously scheduled event (The First Annual Willet Wheelie Pre-Memorial Indoor Night Rodeo Invitational Championship and Swap Meet) . Each rider was given car fare ho m e and a souvenir teleph one book. Taking the knowledge, experience, and sugges tions fro m last year s indoor championship , this year's promises to be the ra ce of the cen tury (un til the third annual WWPMIMIC) . We have m ad e arrangements to hold th e event in one of t he finest eq uipped facilit ies in the co un try. Concession stands, ample parkin g and restrooms are on the premises and are more th an adequate to handle the mass throng. Yo u are co rd ially invi ted to attend the Second Annual Willet Wheelie Pre -Me m o r i al Indoor Motocross ' Invitat io nal Champ ionships to be held upstairs in the Hickory Street jack-in-the·Box. The proposed track, to be lan dscaped in gaso line-resistant plastic plants, will be t he finest combination of challenging te rrain West of the Pope 's livin g ro o m . Invit a t ions will be sent out in the co ming months to those riders w ho will be ho no red to co mpete . If you would like to be co n sidered for considerati on , then consider filling ou t the entry blan k which we have so co nsiderably included. Those qualifyin g will be notified by return mail or obscene phone call. •