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/126497
experieuced a lifestyle that may go unequaled along u I sbaU live. Altboup individual dlort plays such an IIDportant role in racing. a multitude of people and industry related hmi....... haft lent their support to me. Although they are too numerous to meDtioa individually, I wish to take this opportunity to eItend my wbolebeaned thanks to them. including, of COUJ'Ie, all of the loyal raciJIg fans wboee support has meant so much to me 0ftI' the yean. By the same token. J mlUt single out the ODe individual who has con· tributed the _ to my Alecess. As a coach and coofidence builder, there is no ODe any finer than Ban MaBel. His invaluable racing cxperieoce combined with a fierce determination to win pnwed to be the turning point in my career. To you. Ban, I say thank you very. very much. What the future has in store for me is still a question mark. but hopefully it will be as interesting and exciting as the put seven yean. Again. thanks to all concerned and good luclr. to everyone. \lIS! America's weekly motorcycle newspaper Sharon Clayton. Publiaher. Caroline (;endry, Executive Secretary to tM PubliIMr. Editorial Charles Morey. Managing Editor. Dale Brown, Edieor. Mark Karly., Editor. Advertising Skip johnson, Nalional Sales Manag~r. T~ Prall. Sales Managtt. Linda Brown, Advertiaing Coordinator. CORKY KEENER Golden,CO Graphics and Production Kriatin Cooper, Graphic Anist. Barbara Traven, Asaistanr.. Marion Hatuhita, Typography. Dmnis G~~. Laboratory. Accounting Mik~ K1ingtt. Managtt. j~anne Ham· mond, Accu. R~~ivable, Donna Bryan. Pat BaIty, A!ot. Acc... RKrivabl~. T~ Dail~, Cred~l Mana~r. Dear Kawasaki... Circulation With the Houston IT and short track races coming up in the near future, would you expain to alI of us Kawasaki fans why you don't have someone like Eddie Lawson in there mixing it up with Yamaha, Honda and Harley? After watching him compete in The Superbikers. it was plain to us that a 420 Kaw would be very competitive against any bike on that IT track. Eddie is one of the smartest riders since Kenny Roberts, and IT is one of his best events. Since Kawasaki has ~ won an AMA dirt track National, don't you feel it is about time to show everyone that Kawasaki is as competi· tive as Yamaha. Honda and Harley? Everyone knows your rider has the ability. now show us that Kawasaki has the ability to be a winner. R~ba Smith. Mana~r. Shirl~ Short, Sarab Taylor. Mich~11c Allan. Aailtanu. Duane jobnoon. ~aler Sales Managtt. Want Ads Y~I< Gockm, Want Ad Sales. Services and Support Chris Ailch~.on. jamison. SAS. R~tionist. j~ West nOI C~Ave.. Long&ach. CA P.O. Bo. 498. Long Bacb. CA 90801 (215)427·7455; L.A. Line 656·8844. East 4190 Fint Ave.. Tucker, GA. P.O. Bo. 805. Tucker. GA 50084. (404) 954·7850. Cycl~ News/Wesl (USPS publis~ wttkly n~t th~ wttk of th~ cal~ndar ynr 141·540) i. finl and la.. for $20 ~r yur by Cycle News. Inc., nOI C ~ Avmu~. Long &ach. CA 90801. ~nd cWo poata~ paid at Long Bach. CA. KATHY JENKINS Rancho Cucamonga, CA POSTMASTER: Send fonn 3li7I to Cycle Newa. P.O. eox _ Long Buc:h.CA . . . . . Subscription rales: One year. ICCOnd c1... mail. $20; two ~an, second cWo mail, $55; th~ ~an. ~ond d ... mail, $55; 25 WttU, $1 I. Cycle News wdcomes unsolicited editorial material including Itories. carlOOns. phOlOl. ~tc. Such malerial, if pub· 1iIMd, ~omes ~ ~.c1"';ve pro~y of Cycle News. Such accept~ materiaJ is subject to revision as is necessary in tM sole discretion of Cycl~ News. Unsolicil~ material which is not used will be returned if accompanied by II Rlf· .ddrcsaed ... m~ mvelo~. AU un· solicited matenal will be handled wilh ~asonable care, how~er, Cycle News auumcs no responsibility for the safety. 1011 or damage to such material. Reprinting in whok' or part only by permisoion of t~ publis~. Adv~rtising rates and circulation information will be sent upon rrquest. SerS.R.D.S. Copyright. Cycle News. Inc. , • . T..de.....k Cycle News reglat..ed U.S. Petent OffIce. All rights TIt..."ed. ON THE FRONT PAGE: If you can read this, you certainly know whet was on the front pege. Type tells all. Photo by ... ooops, sorry. habit... 4 And thus the motorcycle racing mtlft with true ca. A,.,bod, out there in the motor· cycle indvstry flliao fI1DUld liI&e to add some ca to their ~ could do so fry Iairing Clifford Keener. People liI&e Coriry don't come -urmg into our Iiws every d4y. He am be reached fry CfIlling JOJ/278-29J9... Edilor. fratemitJ 1uu lost a Yoshimura answers back Regarding Kawasaki's Gary Mathers' statements in "The Latest Poop" of Nov. 19th, I must point out that he neglects to mention the fact that Wes Cooley was entitled to appeal Lawson's protest under Chapter Xl. Section C of the 1980 AMA rulebook. Cooleyex· ercised this right and the Commissioner of Racing decided in Wes' favor by reversing the decision of the Oct. 5 Daytona Superbike final. This happened because of the fact that Eddie Lawson was definitely mounted in the final race on a differ· ent bike than which he qualified. Wes presented Mike DiPrete with enough evidence; signed statements. eye witnesses and photographs of the Kawasaki switch at Daytona to convince the AMA that Kawasaki had. in fact . committed a serious breach of the rules. The AMA certainly cannot disregard such total disrespect for the sport as Kawasaki showed by switching the machines. Quoting from the telex Wes Cooley received from Mike DiPrete regarding his appeal to Lawson's protest. "The decision is that the protest was not filed by an eligible rider. Information available to the Commissioner indicates that Eddie Lawson did not ride in the final the same motorcycle upon which he qualified. The result of this offense is at a minimum disqualification from the meet. Therefore. Eddie Lawson is deemed not to have competed and was not eligible to file a protest. The sub· ject mauer of the protest is now moot. The decision on the appeal means that Wes Cooley was the winner of the Superbike fmal." Now Eddie Lawson is appealing this decision. He almost has to after Kawa· saki released their magnifying·glass· sized·asterisked advertisements announcing Lawson the unofficial Superbike Champ. This put pressure on Lawson. similar to the pressure he was under at Daytona when the Team Kawasaki mechanics couldn't keep his bike running long enough (or far enough) for him to at least place seventh in the event - which is alI he had to do to win the Championship! Someone wasn't doing a good enough job. As for Mathers still demanding that the Yoshimura frame is iIIejtal: We presented Mike DiPrete with information regarding the sub· frame mod· ification which we feel proves the point that Wes' bike was legal. The frame rule states that no modification can be made to the main frame structure. and there was none. Our welding "gusseting" was done to the sub·frame for rear forward shock mounts. the sub·frame by. definition. A definition which was agreed upon by statements we received from other professional tuners and engineers in the country. It seems Kawasaki is sour grapes because they lost. So sorry. CAROL YOSHIMURA Yoshimura R&D North Hollywood, CA Mr. Dirt says goodbye Unfortunately, there comes a time when one must face important decisions about the future since reality does not permit us to dwell in the past. Circum· stances both within and beyond my control have contributed to the voluntary termination of my professional racing career. It is not without many regrets that I retire. for racing has enrichened my life in many ways. I have met many fIDe people and San Diego letdown We read your paper weelrJy, and have always found it informative. We were especially excited to read the covera~ on the Amateur Supereross at San Diego Stadium because we had worked very hard toward participating in this race. We tra\'ded from San Jose and spent wms preparing for the race. which did payoff as my son placed first in the 250cc Intermediate class. However, we were very disappointed with your covera~. Many of us who sent our boys down felt more should have been covered. The article was a real letdown. Don't sell us short; you've always done such a good job. Give us another write up and a few more pictures. I look foward to seeing another article on the Amateur Supercross. DONNA M. GARDNER' San Jose, CA San Diego disappointment I thinlr. your covera~ of the San Diego Amateur Superctoss stunk, to say the very least. We worked all year preparing our bikes and bodies for this race. it C05t us a small fortune. and the only reward we ~t is our names in the race results. That stinks. Please re-do your write up on it. I am an avid subscriber to Cycle News and am aware that you were given some 60 pictures, and stories on most of the races. Please back us up: my sponsorship is based on my performance and a big write up on a race like this would sure help outl . BOBBY VOOHEES 125cc Novice Stadium Champ San Diego, CA We haw receioed seven complaint letters from the DrIer 800 participants tJt the CRC San Diego Amateur Super. cross event. Sorry, teem. We'U try to do better ruxt time. .. E.ditor.