Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Cycle News 1980 05 07

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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e • companies already . Every other type of sport in America has outside sponsors providing money for advertising and increased purses. The money is there and it only requires going out and finding it . The final thing is the improvement of the outdoor track facilities themselves . We don't want outdoor Supercross races necessarily, but we do need natural terrain type tracks which provide spectators and riders alike with the quality facilities that Supercross races do. If a track isn't up to standards, then the AMA should pull the sanction on it. It 's better to have a few good outdoor races to set the standards for the future than a lot of bad tracks like there are now to keep dragging the sport down. The best examples of burned out race tracks where the promoters don't care are Saddleback and Carlsbad near Los Angeles . They are nothing but hard packed din lots with no rider or spectator facilities whatsoever. You'd think after 10 years of holding major events, weekly local events and daily open ri di ng to the pub lic th e owners wou ld have made major improvements to these so called " rid ing parks. " Things like good track watering systems, reworking the track surface with sand and sawdust, permanem chain fencing , paved and covered pit areas , permanent restroom and snack bar facilities , bike washing areas, permanent covered bleachers and grass covered hills for spectators. There is no reason at all why these motocross facilities can't be as well designed as major race car tracks like Daytona, Ontario, Riverside or Sears Point . Certainly on not such a grand scale, but you only get out of something what you put into it in the first place. It costs between $50 ,000 and $100,000 to stage a Supercross race for just one night and yet , I don't think there is one outdoor motocross track promoter who spends near that much in improving his track over a yea r's period even though he probably holds races on it every weekend . No wonder they never draw any spectators and it's left u p to the riders to pay for their own racing. Unless t he AMA starts improvin g the stature of outdoor National ca liber professional mo tocross we are going to lose it just like we've already lost scrambles, road racing , and are about to lose Na tiona l Championship dirt track. Once we lose big time outdoor National motocross , the Amateur level which supports the motocross motorcycle industry will be soon to follow. ~ t o 00 en Jim Gianatsis Opinions expressed in Guest Editorials do not necessarily reflect ,the opinions of this publication. Address comment to Voices, Cycle News, P. O. Box 498, Long B each, CA 90806 . . . Edito r. YAMAHA GOLD CUP INDOOR SHORT TRACK SEE EKLUND - THE CHAMPION WITH ALDANA, FILICE, HOCKING, RONNIE JONES, GENNAI, ROMERO Tickets $8.00 & $9.00 At Box Offices Disc ount T icke ts Available at Part icipating Yamaha Dea lers or by ma il COMBINED NOVICE. JUNIOR & EXPERT PROGRAM Come to th e comf ort of the i"doors. Long Beach Arena at end of long Beach Frwy. -------------,II ORDER BY MAIL SAVE S1.00 PER TICKET QUANTITY R. I . rved 588 11 _ BOil SfI.11 _ TOTAL, lCll S7.00 . ac h - - - -_ IGl18 00 .ach - ' eo. OftlCe OnIy U~1 2.HIIIt Pnc. ......._----------- ---------- I I I I I See the Grand National Champion, the nation's Junior Champion, Houston & Daytona short track winners! Plus Team Honda (Fay & Haney), Team Kawasaki (Briggs & Rainey) and the rest of the nation's best short trackers WED, MAY 7th LONG BEACH ARENA 8:00 PM HEAT RACES , SEMI & THE MAIN TEAM MATCH RACES & FINALS 20 EXCITING INDOOR SHORT TRACK MOTORCYCLE RACES 17

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