Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

The riders will probably be doing GPs. We probably wiIl try to get some races done. We're gonna try to run one in Americal Under the fonnat of World Series, but it will not be a series. Italy wants to run one. They said, "We don't care what you call it. We don't give a shit. We'll pay the $l!OO,OOO purse; you have your guys show up. We'll race l!50cc and 5005. We don't care," I'm sure we can do that in the states. We heard that the FIM may mUle to issue licclUCl to your riders. Have you heard that? That's goodl No, I hadn't heard that, but that's good. I'm glad! Why? Because that's just something else I can take 'em to court over! That's illegal theD? Oh surel There's not been anything done wrong (by World Series). No one's ever done anything wrong. We just want to make some money. There's nothing wrong with thatl We thought this damn thing out a long time before it happened. We know what the hell's going on. There's no rules that we broke! We knew that, but see, the F1M doesn't play by their own rules, so how the hell, in the time period we have, can we out· guess what they're gonna do? In the rulebook, we're fine. No problem. But they don't give a shit about their own rules! Now the press is starting 'to get on them, but they were on us! Now the press has turned around, and it looks goodl riders enough now, in Europe, to make this thing work. If 'file give up now - if I stay home and if Sheene doesn't go to the GPs then they've won. , , they've beaten us, I think we're gonna win, I think they're gonna be paying our people to, make things right. The only way to make things right, of course, is to point out the things they're doing wrong. We'll have a constructive type of association, Yamaha will be a pan of it, I believe, I believe other factories wiIl be a part of a simple, basic riders' association which is for the bellennent of the spon, We'll work hand-in-hand with the FIM provided the FIM comes around and opens their eyes a little bit and talks at the meetings. It's just an open meeting. with everyone there. There's no bullshit. The factories run the thing. All the riders ... the factories have a big pan in whether the riders show up or not. "If it will get the World Series offthe ground, everyone will sacrifice and put up with the CPs again!" The Professional Riders Association is behind aU the riders who are in the association. They'll be asked to pay dues to keep the organization going. And it'll be for the bellerment of the spon ... safety conditions and it's gonna improve the rules it's gonna improve the tracks where we go ... the factories will have a big say in that . .. and also the money that we make. You're sayiDg that the nM wiII have to make chauga all the way across the board, theD? We're trying to push a mountain. We'v£' just shaken the thing a lit,le bit. They've raised their purses way up; they've put it all in prize money. At least we know now what they're payingl Before, we couldn't even tell what they were paying because they weren't paying minimum (stan money) at some places. Other places, they were paying quer minimum. You never knew what the hell they were paying! Now we know what they're paying. We know how many people come to the race track. We know where our problems lie. Every week after the race. we will have a report from the Professional Riders Association - all the riders' complaints - of that panicular GP. And if the FIM refuses to lisren, here's what I see happening: We'll set up a date - if everything comes off like I think it should - we will set up a date where we'll be able to discuss our problems with the F1M through the year at various meeting places. If this does not come off ... if they refuse, like they have in the past, to talk to riders, then we'll probably end up missing a few races. We can't go to races that cost everybody a lot of money or to races that are unsafe, which would be Sweden, Finland and Nurburgring. "We had a big hammer; we hit 'em in the head... It's a big thing now, and it's never gonna die!" 10 Through the year will give us time to give the few guys that weren't involved in the World Series time to "We're gonna try to run one in America. Under the format of World Series, but it will not be a series. " use their brains a lillie bit and come back in, Now that we've shaken them. and we've shown the factories, and we've shown the industry that the riders can stay strong, why tell us we're the ones that said, "Wait a minute, we may have to do GPs?" Not the riders. The riders never said, "We're gonna do GPs now." The World Series was the one that said, "We're gonna be in coun for two years fighting the FIM, but we're gonna win!" But we can't sacrifice these guys' making a living for two years (while) doing that! We don't want to do thal. Last week you met with the FIM, What actually happeDed that put things in the state they're in DOW? Well, the FIM - Rodil del Valle said, and I quote: "We don't need any help to run our championship. The World Championship is fine, never been better. Sure. there's a few problems, but on the whole, it's very nice, and all the riders like the World Championship. "Everything that you are doing ... World Series ... and the riders have not done anything wrong. It's perfectly within the rules to run an international race, but you can't do it. There's nothin' against the rules, but we won't allow it. " And this was a public statement outside the meeting to the press - a lot of pn:ss people were there; unusual, because they never used to show up at FIM meetings before! They (FIM) said, "There's nothing these guys have done that's illegal. No one will be penalized for it. They've done everything perfectly right. But we can't allow it because it may be better than the World Championships." That's exactly what the president of the FIM saip.! "It's a bluff It's like playing poker. They say, 'I've got five aces. ' Well, you know they don't . .. but the only way to prove it is to bet . . , " And the rider who went to the meet· ing, (Franco) Uncini, was so upset he went back to Itall' and is trying to round up money for the Professional Riders Associationl He is of the same feeling as I am - that that's the only way it's gonna work. He just couldn't believe it; he was floored! The guy (del Valle) is a jerk! The guy is an egomaniac! What will you do DOW? What were you doing at the meeting? Applying for nM sanctions for your races? No, we were not going to worry about sanctions at this time. What did they refuse you then? How do they have aDy control over what you do? . Well, here's what happened: Donning· ton Park was the second race. England (ACU) piped up two days before the meeting and said, "We will not give Donnington Park the pennit to run the race. We simply will not do it." Now that's against the rules! Donnington Park has to want to sue them. But DonDington Park said, "Hey, if we sue 'em, they're gonna do that all year, and I'm gonna get screwed as far as making money. " So, DonDington Park doesn't want to sue 'em. We're gonna have to fmd a way that World Series can sue the FIM, or ACU, for that. Or get 'em into coun. That's what we're working on right now. But it's more important to work on what we can do about it without goin' to coun than it is worrying about going to court. Because going to'coun is a long drawn·out process. McCormick is willing to do that. No problem! .McCormick is your lawyer? No., McCormick is the big sports ad· visory service. They take care of tennis, golf and all that stuff. Worldwide. And they are willing to do that because they think there is a lot of potential here for a nice series. So, it appears that the FIM's "political" streDgth is what put you in this position ••. they would mal:e it so difficult for the tracks that they couldn't afford to go with you now.

• Cover