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/126455
Kenny Roberts World Series axed? Not according to the man vvho's trying to pull it all together I e o 00 0') ...-4 By Charles Morey ''He's always been a goer about what he believed in!" AMA 's Professional Competition Manager Bill Boyce responded in a January 25 phone conversation between the Cycle News/West offi'ce in Long Beach, CA and A merican Motorcyclist Association headquarters in Westeroille, OH. ''History has shown us, however, that the hardest thing in the world is to organize professional racers," Boyce added. "Organizing athletes isn't as hard. They're used to working as a team when they go out to perform, and it's always to thezT benefit to work together. Racers, on the other hand, when they Nne up to race, it's every man for hz·mselJ. That's what always seems to defeat them. " We were talking about Kenny Roberts. Winner of 27 AMA Grand National Championship events. Winner of two AMA Grand Natz'onal Championshzp tz"tles. Wznner of two FIM 500cc World Championshzp Road Race Series tz"tles. And, most recently, leader of a band of riders Guess the fint thing we need to talk about. and it's probably the most unpleasant, is the World Series. There's nothing unpleasant about the World Seriesl We beard it was cancelled. Is that true? 1 don't think it has been cancelled, but I think it has a new name. And it's in a holding pattern waiting for permission to land. It probably will get permission to land sometime in the summer. It's going to land. and when it lands. it's gonna land very heavy. And it's gonna land right in the FIM's lap! What exactly is going to happen? Here's what we have: I have Barry Coleman here in America - he flew in Sunday Oan. 20 ... Editor.) - and we have been talking over what needs to be done. The FIM feels that they have won the battle, that they've hung on. to their asshole championship. They're power-hungry idiots. is what they are. and they always have been. And they've proved the Spaniard is a real power/ egomaniac. They've shown their strength again. But they can't see the cards under the table. What it amounts to is ... the World Series was to better the sport of motorcycle racing. At no time was it to damage or make any kind of sacrifices for the riders. It was never, ever even thought about that the riders would have to sacrifice anything. not a dime. It was always toward the betterment of the riders. Now, if iI's beller for our riders. because of the controversy that we're and organizers who believe that there's a better way to run a World Championship road racing series than the way the Federation Internatz"onale Motocycliste does z·t. It Z5 this "race" that he has not yet won. World Serz·es. That's what they wanted to call z"t. It would have been a worldwide serz'es of road races wz'th 1200,000 purses held on the safest tracks on earth with topnotch organzzatz·on. A t least that was the plan. OnJanuary 16, Barry Coleman, the World Serz'es representatz"ve, met with FIM honchos. The press release on your left is the FIM's versz'on of what transpired at that meetz·ng. The intervz'ew below with Kenny Roberts is a second version. Thusfar, working as the Professional Rz'ders Assodation, Roberts' group has accomplished several goals, victories that include a revised FIM purse structure and safety improvements. And, as you'll see from Roberts' remarks, it ain't over yet! having in the short time we have to get it done, to go and race GPs for another year, that's what we'll dol If it will get the World Series off the ground, everyone will sacrifice and put up with the GPs again! The problem is, we have all our guys under contract, so we can do what sort of - we want. All the guys, by the way, except for one ... it's very strong, and there's no problem. ot even racingFIM. But I think it's better - rather than ask them to starve or not be able ~o pay their house rent - to go to work for a living until this thing gets resolved. It's far from what we set out to do in the beginning. We set out to better their salary. not to hinder it. I think what's going to happen, is you'll see the World Series change their name to the Professional Riders Association. The Professional Riders Association will probably, periodically, through the beginning of the season, have meetings. And although it's not confirmed yet, I would suspect that they probably will be having meetings about when they're going to talk to the FI M - they'll probably set a date when they can come in and discuss their problems with the F1M. If the date doesn't come off - if the FIM doesn't meet with the riders, the riders will probably miss a few GPs, a few of the bad ones and the unsafe ones. I think then the F1M will be ready to listen to what the riders will have to say. I think only now are the riders strong enough, and the press is behind the 9