Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Olympics is slated for Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 22-25, in Homosassa Springs, Fl. Last year over 900 entries from 21 states tried the hare scramblesm scrambles/short track/motocross format and found it to be a whole lot of fun in the' sun. Want more info? Contact Beverly Hempstead at 813/576·1148 or SuperSports PTomotions at 6430 16th St. North, St. Petersburg, Fl 33702, 813/5221513. Going to Anaheim Stadium for the Nov. 17 Coca Cola Motocross Finals? Along with the AMA/Toyota Supercross, the Friday night Speedway race and Sunday's Amateur MX, there also will be 1980 motorcycle and accessory displays, in a 20,000 square foot tent. California Speed Weekend West., they're calling the three-day show. Modified Motorcycle Association's' third annual Motorcycle Swap Meet takes place Oct. 14 at the Stockton Fairgrounds. General • admission tickets and booth space are available by contacting MMA Special Events Division, P.O. Box 1576, Pacifica, CA 94044. National Hydron's Anti-Fog Ski Goggles have been selected as the official ski goggle for the 1980 Olympic Winter Games. N'eed a 1980 NMRA rule book? National Motorcycle Racing Association drag racing rule books will be available Nov. 1, and they cost $2 for a single copy. They're also available in bulk quantities for newsstand distribution, and info can be found (and orders placed) at NMRA, P.O. Box 1320, York, PA 17405,717/854-1768. Papa's going over to see the 1980 Hondas this week. and he'll· be showing all the new stuff in next week's Cycle News. Meanwhile, check out the highlights of the 1980 Kawasaki line onp.17. The U.S. Department of Energy has published a booklet entitled "Tips for Energy Savers." In a chapter entitled "On the Road," the first paragraph says "Use public transportation, a motorcycle, a moped, or a bicycle, or walk to work." For a copy of this publication write to U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585 and ask for DOE/OPA 0037. Dethroned Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen will carry National Number 9 next year. Winston Pro fans don't have to be reminded that former two-time Grand National Champion Gary Nixon has carried that number for years. "I told Springer to go ahead and take '9' if he wanted to," said Nixon. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather see take it. If I want to race again, I can always use any old number." It's voting time again. AMA Class A members (that's us) have nominated candidates in three of the six AMA regions for seats n the Board of Trustees. In the Northwest, candidates include incumbent Bill Seta of Marina, CA; William Storm of Central Point, OR; and Bob Wood of p'ortland, OR. North central candidates are incumbent Bill Baird of Sterling, IL; Dick Bigelow of Rochester, MI; and Mike Farabough of Granger, IN. In the Northeast, they are incumbent Paul Schlegel of Toledo, OH; Richard Dinnerman of Freehold, NJ; and John Jacobson of . Cochitu,te, MA. Ballot forms will appear in the December issue of American Motorcyclist magazine. Want a funny name? Grandma Duckbacker, Thumper Freak and others who write "anonymous" letters to our Voices column obviously appreciate-using those names to avoid . public attention other than through these pages. But readers who wish to use pseudonyms in their letters must furnish their real names and addreses. We'll withhold them at your request, but we cannot print letters without them. Both CBS and NBC took potshots at motorcyclists within a three day span. First, CBS's "30 Minutes" devoted a portion of their Saturday, ,Sept. 22. show to a biased report on motorcycle accidents. Then on Monday, Sept. 24, NBC's "Phil Donahue" show allowed guest Ralph Nader time to again present his views on mandatory helmet laws. Naturally, Nader wants to be our lord and keeper. Is ABC next? Is St. Joan behind the media blitz? e This is a close-up of the innovative new monoshock featured on the Harley· Davidson XR750 owned and tuned by Doug Sehl and ridden by Terry Poovey. The monoshock was designed by New England's Joe Bolger and built by led Schmeck of Canada's Panther Racing Frames. Poovey suffered clutch problems at Ascot. . BLM decision on Check Chase permit not reached RIVERSIDE, CA, OCT. 1 Officials of the Bureau of Land Management had not reached a decision on whether or not to issue a permit to the Checkers M.C. for their 16Cknile ludlow to Parker hare and hound as Cyde Ne. . went to press Monday afternoon, Oct. 1. Both Gerald. Hillier, the Riverside District Manager, and Deloris "Pete" Palmer, the Public Information Officer, had been made aware of tl:le Monday afternoon eN deadline, but PalmeT's assistarit reported that a meeting was still going on in Hillier's office as we went to press. The 1979 Check Chase is "the result of five years of negotiation by the AMA 0-37 legal Defense Task Force," according to Task Force member Jim Wells. Wells, along with Bob Tartter, Bob Terrazas and Terry Davis and the Checkers M.C. have devoted many hours to seeing the event become a reality, after it was applied for in July 1978 under the annual BlM permit application procedure. Wells and- Terrazas met with Hillier, Sierra Club representatives Ike Eastvold and Jim Dobson, and Chuck Bell of the San Bernardino County Planning Department's Environmental Review section on Thursday night, Sept. 27, for further talks on the permit application. Wells said the meeting involved a lot of .negotiations concerning the course, and that as a result of the meeting, "We moved a lot closer to seeing eye to eye." With the permit issued, some concern remains over "site approvals" to be issued by San Bernardino county, pertaining to private land used along the course. The start area was moved and a half mile of the course along a section of privately-owned land in the Cadiz sand dunes was elimineted and moved to a nearby road on public land, removing most of the areas that would be considered troublesome by Bell and the County Planning Department. Still, assuming Bell makes a "negative" declaration (no need for an Environmental Impact report) on Oct. 2, the matter goas before the County Planning CommisSion, which will hold a special meeting (for the first time ever, as far as we know) on Oct. 11, after which follows a 14day appeal period.that ends two days before the scheduled start of the race. If an appeal makes a EIR necessary, the race could be delayed for months. "If they (the environmentalistsI go to court. we're ready for them," said Wells. "We have our lawyers waiting in the wings, already briefed." The race course is set on land originally designatad as open to racing in the 1973 Interim Criticel Management Plan, and amended to "existing roads and trails" status by the BlM's Cadiz/Danby E.A.R. The area is "heavily impacted," said Wells. The Checkers applied for this race during the annual BlM permit procedure in July of 78. The Thursday meeting between Wells, Terrazas, Hillier, Bell and the Sierra Club followed a larger, more vocal and less productive, according to Wells and Terrazas, meeting Monday night at Riverside. At one point, Assemblyman Bob Hayes asked Ike Eastvold of the Sierra Club: "Ike, is there any set of circumstances under which you would agree to a ludlow to Parker racer' Eastvold answered, "No." Later, after a stormy dialogue with Eastvold, Hayes walked out of the meeting. Later in, the meeting, Dick Miller, from Motocross AcUon and a former Checker, asked why the start from the 1972 Check Chase couldn't be used. The reason was because the area is now a Wilderness Study Area. The Phantom Duck of the Desert, louis McKey along with Rick Sieman, AI Fols and their attorney, George Stephan was there. Though the effort behind the Check Chase was provided by AMA and the Checkers - the Duck found out that the race was being considered for fulfillment of point five in the BlM/Duck settlement by reading last week's Cycle Ne. . - he urged that the BlM grant the parmit to bring more ORV users within the BlM permit system to minimize environmental damage. • o ~ I-< V ..c o ... u o AMA Awards Banquet date set WESTERVillE, OH, SEPT. 4 Motorcyclist Association Professional Awards Banquet will be held Sunday, Nov. 18, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA.. The program will include presentation of awards to the top stars In all phases of AMA professional racing, including dirt track, motocross, road racing, hillclimbihg, speedway and others. The banquet is open to the public, providing a ra~e opportu!,i~.t0r fans' to gather with their favorite stars for an evening of SOCialiZing. Each $20 ticket includes admission to the R.J. Reynolds·hosted cock· tail hour and two free drinks; an excellent meal; and an opportunity to join in honoring the stars of AMA racing for their 1979 accomplishments. All tickets must be ordered in advance from AMA Banquet, P.O. Box 141, Westerville, OH 43081. Payment of $20 per ticket must accompany each order. • 7

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