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/126264
(Continuedfrom page 19) bow down to whatever certain promoters wanted them to do . O r if they objected to th e way they were treated or anything . they were put on the blackball list and they weren't allowed to rid e a t the tr acks that really paid off like Cost a Mesa. And if you don't ride at Costa Mesa , you m ight as well not ride at all. " It's been a threat ' t ha t's been hanging over everybody' s head - a constant threa t that the guys ha ve had to put up with, a nd they're just scared to death to say anything crosswa ys a t anyth ing or an ybody." The SRA member went on to claim th at rid ers with Oxley ~ re perhaps 'not be ing tr eated a ny better by h im th an they ever were in th e pa st. "I can't see how that he's trearing them fai rly. But nobody knows how he's treating them. I don't th ink th ey even kn ow what kind of money they're suppose d to be getting, what kind of percentag e, or ~ wh at kind of insu ra nce . I understand :> tha t th ey do n't even ha ve as good a insu ra nce as the y had last yea r. and it ;; . really wasn't ade q ua te last year. " o Ox ley. however . sa id" that "ou r insuran ce was fantastic last year ." He exp lain ed that in eac h event , rid ers were covered for $10 ,000 med ica l coverag e with no deductable and a $100 weekly indemni ty. '.'W e got the sam e coverage (this yea r) . bu t wit h a $25 weekly inde m nit y." H e sai d th a t "not a word was said " ab ou t th e indemnity d rop fro m last yea r until Bobby .Sch wa rtz call ed in to m ak e a complaint. Oxley said that he agreed with Sch wartz. and he is presently going to propose to oth er promoters th at they self-insure themse lves for an extra $25 to raise the present weekly indem ni ty up to $50 . "Even though on e rider called up to complain," said Oxley, " I agreed with ·him . It's just good common sense." In a rec ent in terview , Mike Bast. (the current speedway cham p and a supporter of Oxley's), said that the current 30 % rid er cu t of the gate "is more than fair. because the tracks that we run at aren't that big . They make enough money to pay th e bills and make ends meet and to pay the riders . but not enough to justify the raise ." Rega rd ing the strikers . Bast comm ented that " the riders on strike are has-beens or never -wases asking for mon ey th at th ey don't deserve." Bast a lso said th a t cha rges against Oxl ey's methods of dealing with rid ers and his promotion methods aren't true . " If he was really screwing us as bad as th ey (the strikers) say , he'd never be the nice gu y he is." Bast cit ed insta nces in th e past of Harry 's gener osity as he tr ea ted riders to stea k dinners and bought th em ti res for their bikes. The mon ey being made by riders a t the pr esent. said Bast . is in ste p with the cost of living and ra cing, " If they wer e m ak ing the same money for , nine years . how'd they exist?" He explai ned that, as ticket prices have risen over th e years , riders ha ve received the extra money in relative proportion to the total gate receipts, In defens e of actions by Oxley and himself at the April SRA meeting which have been declared by strikers as being unethical and unfair, Bast said . "I think it was plenty fair. First of all , the SRA striked. They cost us three weeks of ra cing. In my case it was $6.000 th a t I would've made in winnings and appearance m oney." Bast furt hermore explaine d that he had served a year-and -a -hal f on th e SR A board of d irectors, and accord ing to the rules, was entitled to a free me m bership and racing license. "So I got a free license: but whe n I got re ady to ride, they said that I d idn't pay for m y license." 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