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/126430
'dab ha~ -tiBoo-1DllOe C8fttributiona"Ul his cause. Our club is considering additional financial support for the Duck but some of our members feel that certain questions should be answered first. What were the Duck's expenses. leJtal or otherwise? How much did his defense cost in legal fees? Are any further expenses or leg~1 fees anticipated and if so, approxi' mately how much? How much has been collected, through all sources, for the Duck's cause? Did the promoter of the Supercross event at the Coliseum contribute and, if so, how much? How much "reimbursement" is Mr. Smith demanding? Wbat funds are presently on hand to assist the Duck? We believe these are legitimate questions that should be answered for the Duck's supporters, past and future. We admire the Duck's courage, fortitude and leadership. We do not want him to bear a financial burden when he championed the cause of all desert riders. Give us some facts on his situation! What was raised? What was spent? What's on hand? What's needed? America's No.1 Weekly Motorcvcle Newspaper Sharon CI.yton. Publish... Tom Culp. Marwing Direclor C.roline Cendry. Sec. the Publisher N.ncy Goral<. Sec.•o.he Mk.ng. Dir. '0 Advertising Skip joluuon, Sales M.nager. Terry Pr.". Sales M.nager. Lind. Brown. Advertising Coordina.or. Editorial Charles Morey. M.n.ging Edi.or. O.le Brown. Edi.or. Bobi McG.nn, Edi.or. Grephics and Production judy Klinger, Produclion M.n.ger. Pamela Wood. Production AIRItant. M.rion R ••uhi••. Cindy Torra. Typo. gr.pby. DenniI Greene. Labor••ory. Vice President. Sod Busten M.C. Accounting Mike Klinger. M.n.ger. jeanne Ha_ODd. Aceta. Receivable. Donna Bryan.. Aloe. Aceta. Recei.. ble. Terry Dailey. Credi. Manager. Clrculetlon Rbeba Smi.h. Meager. Tammy Taylor. Shirley Short, Alaiatanll. ReederlDeeler Service Gin Harper. Wanl Ad Sales. Harry Faber, 0eaIer Sales Meager. Or e swerm of locusts •.. I'm a little disappointed in the'Sept. 4 Stump Jumpers M.C. District S7 hare and hound event. Out of all the obstacles they KIlt us over in the late summer heat, they neglected to include an active volcano. KEN BUNTING Camarillo, CA Service end Support Chris Ai.cbelon. Receptionis•. Sam Dic:kiDlOD. SAS. West %201 Cherry Ave.. Long Beach. CA P.O. Box 498. Long Beach, CA 90801 (215) 427·7455, L.A. Line 656·8844. Eest 4190 Fi.... Ave.• Tuder. GA. P.O. Bo. 805. Tucker. GA SO084. (404) 954·7850. Cycle Newo/Wes. (USPS 141·540) is publidled weekly excep' .be Ii..., .nd 101. week of .he c.lendar ye.r for $15 per ye.r by Cycle Newo. Inc.. 2201 Cherry Avenue. Long Be.cb. CA 90801. Second cl. . poII.ge paid •• Long Beach, CA. POSTMASTER: Send form 3&71 to Cycle Newa. P.O. Box - . Long 8Mch.CA...,. Sublcription rates: On~ year, second c1. . mail, $15; 'wo ye..... _ond c'mail. $27; .hree yn.... ICCOnd c'- m.il. $57.50. Cycle New. ,!elc~mel .unlolici~ed editorial materia] Including stortles, cartooDl, pbocoo, e'c. Such material. if published, becomes the exclusive property of Cycle News. Such aceep~ material iI subject to revision u IS oecesoary in. be ooIe diocretioa of Cyde News. UaooIicited maleriaJ which is ..... wed will be retarDed if acc:ampaDied by a odf·add.-.d ItaJDped esneIope. AU ..-.liciated maleriaJ will be banclled with ...-ble care. however. Cycle News _ DO rapoaaibilicy for .be safety. ' - or damage to ouch material. IleprinciJlI in whole or pan only by permiIIioD of the pub!ilber". Ad~iai . . roes and circulation iDfonnabOD .111 he _ upon req_. SeeS.R.O.S. Copyright. Cycle . . . . Inc. 1m. Cycle Newa ",,-ac1 _-- T.-...... P.t.nt . U.S. Offlc.. All right. ON THE FRONT PAGE: Steve Eklund c:elebrlltea hi. AMAJ Winston Pro tltIe victory lit Sen Jose; Larry Ro_ler 14311 prepares to lap • West German teamster lit the ISDT. ~ou.byCNwIe.M~y~ D.leBrown. 4 AMA to bleme for 10.. of weekly recing Read the article in Cycu News on the discussion held by Men LawiUl, Dick O'Brien, et aI., with much interest. I too regret the loss of weekly dirt track racing on short tracks and the indoor races we took such pride in presenting. The basic blame - lay it at the feet ofAMA. And then at all the riders. owners who went along with AMA without a murmer of protest. Think back a few years when we ran the cycles at the San Jose Fairgrounds half mile four or five times a year, at Capitol Speedway in Sacramento, at the Cow Palace, at the San Jose and Santa Rosa indoors, and today ... nothing. Ai that time I wrote letter after letter to one and all predicting failure unless AMA allowed us to change the format and purse structure, to follow some of the ideas we use in auto racing, and it all fell upon closed ears. When I tried a simple change of program at the Cow Palace one nig.ht, as I could see what was happentng Men Lawwill had to intervene between myself and Kenny Roberu and others as they were refusing to ride. Now it has all come home to roost and what good does it do for me to say I told you so? We all lost. . AMA knows nothing about promoting motorcycle races, period. Even Lin Kuchler has never ventured or lost a dollar of his own money in a promotion so how can he, among the others, understand what it takes? True, on this side of the fence not all promoters are good or honest, or sincere, but leeway must be given us so we feel free to properly promote motorcycle racing if AMA wants us to get back in the short track business. BOB BARKHIMER Scotts Valley, CA Do nothing now, do nothing Thenkagivlng weekend What are )IOVT plans for Thanks· giving weekend, 1979? A~ you going . to be sitting home. bemoanmg the fact that there is no legal ride in the desert? Well, if you just sit there and do nothing, tbat's exactly what you're going to be doing Saturday, Nov. 24, 1979. So you better get busy. The Duck can't help you now - it's up to you! Get a pencil, paper, envelope and stamp, and write a letter. The BLM has agreed in the stipulations with the Duck (umhummm) to "solicit" public participation in the development of a baseline monitoring program, so you the public had better participate. Don't leave this up to someone elsel One word of wisdom - be sure to send a copy of that letter to Bob Hayes, or at least to someone of some official capacity, so in case the one to the BLM gets lost(?) , there will be a copy and on record. . I'm not saying they stack the cou:ds - but "they" do always come out WIth the answers "they" want, don't "they?" (Lack of input?) My grandchildren are looking forward to seeing the desert on Thanksgiving weekend. and far be it from me to disappoint the darlings! So. please everyone. stay within t~e confines of the law - let me break It for heaven's sake! "They" didn't get Bud McKey, so now "they" want someone else. Listen Mr. Hillier. if you can fmd me. you can have me. Q.uackl Q.uacld Lord love a Duck! GRANDMA DUCKBACKER Duck eccountlng requested At the last meeting of the Sodbusters M.C. the question of financial support for the PDOD was' raised. All of the members in attendance fully supported the Duck's efforu. Our club made a donation in the past for his defense fund. Individuals in our A tribute to AI Fox On Saturday, Sept. 9, 1979. AI Fox passed away in Welling. England, a victim of cancer. He was well known as a trials, mduro, and desert rider in District S7. He made the cover of "Cycu New" in 1961 for his outstanding ride on a fwr·stroke Honda twin in a local trials event. AI's riding career began in England and he became a Matchless factory rider as a result of winning all three classes; 250cc, S50cc. and 500cc, on a muddy scrambles track. AI also rode international events after getting his factory ride and thus met Bud Ekins. In the late fifties Bud sponsored Al and gave him a job in his Sherman Oaks shop. Shortly after AI arrived he joined the Sunland Shamrocks Motorcycle Club. At that time Bill Robertson, Jr. was an active member and Bill and AI became friends. AI later went to work as Service Manager at Robertson's Burbank shop,' a position he held for several years. AI was always helping newcomers to the sport and started J.N. Roberu in desert racing on a much altered Honda S!iOcc Scrambler. AI opened his own shop in the late sixties on Victory Blvd. in Burbank. AI sold AJS, DKW, Maico. and Sachs and provided sales and service to many loyal customers, some of whom had kept track of him from his days at Ekins' shop. Just about a year ago AI learned that he had cancer. Reluctantly he closed his shop and moved back to England. He never lost his desire to foIlow the sport and recently wrote me about how exciting it was to attend the 500cc GP in England and see Grahatn Noyce win the championship. AI was more tban just a good friend and fellow motorcycle rider. He actually helped our sport grow and will be very much missed and remembered by his friends. PAT OWENS Los Angeles, CA Pubhhed letters do not necesurlly reflect the position of Cycle Nnwa'. Inc. Send 1ettM'a to Voice.. Box 418. Long Beech, CA 10101.