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/126322
(Con tinuedfrom page 15) can't be calling fouls or anything. Maybe I was wrong about it. I feel there is a point to be made and I still th ink there is a p roblem . "Actua lly the p rotest on J ay ba ckfire d . It did just t he opposite of what I had hoped a nd p ut that m uch more heat on me. That surprised me a litt le bi t. I guess I didn't realize what I was re ally getting into. It involved more tha n I had antici pated. "I wouldn't do something to somebody else that I wouldn't expect done to me. That's the way I run my life." " But don't get m e wrong. I' m no t sorry that I did it. I think the protest bro ugh t somethi ng to light that has been overlooked, It must have. since the AMA teste d the' 14 riders ' in the National (at Columbu s). I think it put a little pr~sure on the AMA a nd the riders to watch what they are doing. Now, if someone uses d rugs they are tak ing a chance because no t only will I protest them, but the AMA is aware of it a lso. I think that by protesting Jay I opened some eyes, .. Scott. in a talkative mood, continued to explain his motives and reasoning behind the Springsteen protest - at times pausing for the right words. " Personally, I have never physically seen Jay Springsteen take any dope. I have not hung around that circle of riders. I go to a race to race and then I go home or somewhere to work on my bikes. I'm an individual. I don't socialize a lot , but there are things that a re common knowledge and I can check. "It was a hard decision to make the protest," said Scott. "I thought about it for all of this year and a good part of last year. I feel that the drug problem is even more prevalent in road racing than it is in dirt track . Only a few riders, to my knowledge have used drugs in the dirt track ranks enough to have what I consider a problem. "I made the protest at the same time I made my claim (of Springer's bike) hoping that it m igh t possibly distract or take away from Harley's method of cou nter claiming. "Yes , I real ized that the protest could involve a lot and I had my hesitations because of invo lving the sport and a person's career. But once I actually handed the protest in. I felt all right. I d id it and like a lot of other things I've done, I made a decision and I'll stick by it. " "From that standpoint," continued Scott. "if there is a rider who is using drugs that are not legal in this country and certainly not for any type of com petition, then .he is endangering the lives of everyone (racing) . I think even tu ally it will show up and he should certainly not have any right to be out on the race track whether he rides for . Harley-Davidson or is a privateer or whatever. "T he one thing that I. did do was that I did not come out publicly with a statement before this (protest) came out. Once it was out it got carried away. I protested u nder AMA rules . which have nothing to do with criminal law . Jay is signed up to ride under those rules . If Jay or I d idn't make any com men t I feel that there might be m an y stories that might get started to carry the situ at ion farther out of hand than it already is. "There is a lot invo lved a nd I would hate to see a rider with jay's talent for racing be sidelined by it . This is a fast moving society and if he can't hold up u nder the p ressure without the use of drugs a nd so forth it is too bad. This is not the first time a problem has been brought to light , bu t it is the most publicized . "Springsteen is a very important part of the sport of motorcycling right now and I certainly wouldn't want to see that spot looked down on . I want that title back a nd I don' t wa nt it to be thought of as a lesser' thing than what it is." Scott is a fig hter. a scrapper and one who comes back for m ore and more if he believes the ca use is right. If the cause is Gary Scott and his livelihood as it has been for the past three seasons, then Scott is ready to fight with any and all means that he has at his disposal. "I figure somewhere down the line that I'm going to get the shit beat out of me , but I'm not afraid of being hurt. I'm not afraid of pain, I don't like it anymore than anyone else. but I'm not afraid of it. I'm not going to worry about it. I'm doing what I feel is right . I think I'm man enough to back my actions up . "It's funny, because I'm the only one who stands up and bitches, but most of the other riders are in the same position I'm in." " I' ll tell you right now I'm 5'6" and 133 pounds and I'm damn tough for my size. But no way can I stand up and fight somebody who is 5'10" and 165 pounds and win tim e after time. There is just no way. I figure if someone beats the shit out of me it's going to be wor thwhile for them to do it, but they better damn well know that I'm not going to sit still for it. They may laugh while they're doing it , but I'm going to be getting back up as long as I can. And when I can't get back up then I'll wait a week . If Ldon't get a piece of them this week , I' ll get a piece of them next week . " I wouldn 't do something to someone else that I wouldn't expect done tome. That is the way I run my life." On a final note .two days later Scott revealed that Ha rley-Davidson chairman of the board J oh n Davidson and Scott's major sponsor J.R. Kelley sat down at Columbus to tal k over his problems getting parts to maintain his bikes . "J oh n Davidson told J. R. to send him a part s flrder," . said Scott, "and that he would see that it got run through . If that's true, then I don't see any cause for future claiming. I wasn't trying to cause trouble claim ing anyone's motorcycle before, It was just a matter of getting what we needed the only way that was left open to us." • Whatever you decide to do, do it with Cycle, News. r-----7---:-:1 I I I '1 1 SUBSCRIBE NOW! MAIL TO: CYCLE NEWS, 2201 Cherry Ave. Long Beach, CA 90801 or call (213) 427-7433 CYCLE NEWS (1 year). $15. 0 50 ISSUES CYCLE NEWS (2 years) 27. 0 100 ISSUES CYCLE NEWS (3 years).. 37.50 0 150 ISSUES I Thi::::s~:~;::::~.~~~.~.~~.~:.~r. ~ ~~~:~.~i~i.~~ I I I illL I • I L; _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .. 0 Please bill me , ,.,.., ,........ 0 I enclose check or money order . _. '-_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Name (Please print legibly) Address City State ZIP Please fill in your complete account number and card expiration date below: ~ . _ '_ 1 . 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