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/126431
... o M 4J ~ o u o America's No.1 Weekly Motorcycle Newspaper Sharon Cbyton. Publishrr Tom Culp. Mark~ting Director Caroline Gcndry, Sec. to the Publish~r Nancy Gonk. Sec. to the Miltog. Oir. Advertising Skip Johnson. Salrs Managrr. Trrry Pratt. Sales Manager. Linda Brown, Advertising Coordinator. Editorial Charles Morey, Managing Editor. Dale Brown, Editor. Bobi McGann. Editor. Graphics and Production Judy Klinger, Production Manager. Pamela Wood. Production Assistant. Marion Hatashita, Cindy Torres. Typography. De.nnis Greene. Laboratory. Accounting Mike Klinger, Manager. Jeanne Hammond, Accu. Receivable. Donna Bryan, Asst. Acets. Receivable. Terry Dailey. Credit Manager. Circulation Rheba Smith, Manager. Tammy Taylor, Shirley Short, Assistants. Reader/Dealer Service Gin Harper, Want Ad Sales. Harry Fisher, Dealer Sales Manager. Service and Support Chris Aitcbeson, Dickinson. S&S. We would like to thank S&W Engineered Products for the Grand Prize trip to the Indy Mile for winning their "S&W Trivia Contest". We are especially grateful for their cooperation in sending us to Indianapolis after our first choice, the Pittsburgh motocross, was cancelled. Receptionist. Sam West 2201 Chrrry Avr.. Long Brach. CA P.O. Box 498. Long Brach. CA 90801 (21~) 427 ·74~~; L.A. Linr 656·8844. East 4190 Fin. Ave .. Tuckrr. GA. P.O. Box 805. Tuckrr. GA ~OO84. (404) 9~4·7850. Cydr Nrws/Wrst (USPS 141·~40) is published wfflc.ly except the fint and last week of the calendar year for SIS per yrar by Cydr Nrws. Inc .. 2201 Chrrry Avenue. Long Beach. CA 90801. Second dass po5tagr paid at Long Brach. CA. POSTMASTER: Send form 3&71 to Cycle N_. P.O. Box . . Long Beach. CA ..... Subscription rates: One year. second class mail, SIS; two yca-n, second class mail, St?: three y~ars, second claM mail. $~7.50. Cycle N~ws welcomes unsolicited editorial material including stories, cartoonl, photOi. etc. Such material. if published, becomes the exclusive proprrlY of Cycle: Nrw>. Such accrptrd material is subject to revision as is necessary int he IOle discretion of Cycle News. Unsolicited material which is not uled will be returned if accompanied by a orlr·addrrurd Itamprd rnvrlopr. All uNOliticated material will be hand&ed with reouonab&e care, h~r, Cycle News UIUIIleI no responsibility for the safety. 1011 or dama~ to such material. Rrprimiftg in whole: or part only by prrrnillion or .hr publishtts. Advrnising rata and circulation information will be lipan rrqunl. SrrS.R.D.S. Copy,lght· Cycle News. Inc. 1m. om. T......... Cycle N _ 'eglsl8red U.S. Petent Office. All ,Ights ,_wed. ON THE FRONT PAGE: Kawa- saki'. newe.t rider, Jack Penton. poses wit:h Kaweuki'. n_est off-road bike, the KDX175. Check page. 16-17 for more inf9. Photo courtesy of Kawasaki Motors Corp" USA. 4 Thanks, S&WI DICK HAMMER and OONEMOE Motorcycle Dealer News Irvine, CA FIM 100 years behind Let me make one thing perfectly clear; the FIM could learn a lot about staging a motocross race from our AMA. We just returned from almost a month in Europe filming for On Any Sunday II. My family and I attended the Belgian round of the f)OOcc MX GP circuit and were we disappointed! On Saturday's practice the pits were wide open. Hell, the whole track was wide open - anybody could walk in and watch practice. Unfortunately. they could also walk. ride or drive right into the pits. People were everywhere; riders trying to wend their way through the crowds to get on the track, mechanics trying to guard tools from sticky fingers, idiots running back and fonh across the track in front of motorcycles, etc. etc. Sunday's race day was not quite so bad. StiU far too many people in the pits. the idiots still running across the track during the races, but at least more security. The lowest point of my weekend came while standing behind Steve Stasiefski, Lackey's mechanic. during the final moto while he was attempting to give Brad pit signs. A rather iDebriated FIM official stormed up to Steve and shook his fist in his face and told him to move back completely off the track. Exhibiting extreme self· control, Steve attempted to explain that he had to give Lackey his pit signals and would move off the track after Brad' came by. The FIM rep made it clear that "you Americans are lower than this" and held his hand about a foot off the ground. I felt like decking the guy would have been justice but Steve wisely held his tongue. The F1M guy made it clear that he did not like Americans, that "I have been to Carlsbad and you Americans are like this!" again holding his hand near the ground. Amazed at his behavior, I asked a rider's wife who the official was and she replied, saying "he's always drunk when he comes to a race and doesn't like Americans." I've heard many times that we can't appreciate what our guys go through in order to race in Europe, be it motocross. speedway, road racing, ISOT, etc. I can believe it now. I saw it. We get complaints about the policies of our AMA. Some they may deserve. But, believe me. I've announced a lot of races in this country and, from what I saw in Belgium, we're at least a hundred years ahead of the FIM when it comes to staging a motocross race. LARRY HUFFMAN San Clemente. CA Here's where your Duck bucks went! First. we offer another thank-you to all the past Duck supponers. both individual and business. We also thank the Sod Busters for asking their questions. Very often. people and organizations overlook items that should be made available to concerned panies. During the coun trial. we were reluctant to air the money issue (hoping to appear financially strong under the pressure of the BLM). To be aggtasive in coun one must have tremendous support and large sums of money. The Sierra Club does. We do not. Sod Busters and all Duck supporters, here are the real answers: I. What were the Duck's expenses? Legal: $28.481. This amount includes attorney fees since Nov. 1978 through to tlte present. money for pertinent evidence (aerial photos from San Bernardino County. BLM maps. etc. l. phone calls directly related to court. etc. Otherwise: $1.338. Money spent to increase the POOO's revenue as a non·profit corp. 2. Are any further expenses anticipated? This question is difficult to answer. Out attorney is trying to keep a watchful eye on the BLM. which is a small continuing expense. If we had the funds, we would try to keep the BLM in line. All we can do is assure our supporters that we will spend all contributions for the cause. 3. How much has been collected? 22.319. In other words, we're $7.137 in the red. We have $363 on hand. 4. Did the promoter of the Supercross contribute? Yes, Mike Goodwin's greatest contribution was the publicity the PDOO received from the L.A. Coliseum event. Financially, the PDOO received $690 from prerace ticket sales. No donation of money was received from Stadium Motorspons Corp. f). How much reimbursement is Mr. Smith demanding? The PDOO has spoken with jim Smith and his father. It appean to us that the Smiths are not "demanding" any large payment fOJ; reimbursement. More than one time. the Smiths have told us that they hold no animosity toward us. 6. What funds are on hand? Actually none, $363 in the b",nk account. The attorney wants $7,f)00. According to the recent BLM statements. it appears that the BLM may not fulfill their obligations outlined in the August 27, 1979 stipulation for dismissal. If the POOO had the funds, it would be our pleasure to see that they held up their end of the "agreement." It is obvious by the amounts shown in this letter that Federal Court is expensive. We would like to challenge the BLM's decisions. Would you? LOUIS McKEY Phantom Duck of the Desert 7896 Kempster Ave-. Fontana. CA 9233f) 714/823-3311 Springer speaks I want to congratulate Steve Eklund on his Grand National Championship. He put in lots of hard work and good riding. Also. I want to thank my sponsors and fans for their support this year. I'll be back next year, going for it. jAY SPRINGSTEEN New Nat'119 LaPeer. MI Hayes for Governor? Re: The environmental plate business. I recently bought a RV and enclosed an extra $2f) to ~ a "name" license plate for it. The OMV just kept the $2f) (plus the not inconsiderable fee for the RV) and issued me a normal plate. Presumably Gov. Brown's recent African trip used up too much of the Fund, and it now needs replenishing. Anytime Bob Hayes wants to run for Gov. he has my vote. Gov. Brown sure isn't going to ~t it. HENRY N. MANNEY Corona Del Mar. CA ToP.M.M. Your letter in Cycle News (Issue 137, Sept. 26) was extremely good. 1 fully agree with you except for one point. Protest rides cannot. should not. must not and will not become a thing of the past until we have legislators and officials who are responsive to the rights and will of the people (all of the people). Letters are important and do need to be sent. But they are too easy to "lose" or ignore. Where would the civil rights movements of the '60s havr gotten if all they had done was to sit at home and write angry letters? Nowhere. Peaceful protests focused