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/126546
\YIST ~ 00 CN 1-0 ~ ..c o ... America's weekly motorcycle newspaper c.J o Sharon Clayto\l, Publiaher Caroline Gcndry, Executi"" Secretary to the Publiab.,., Victoria Smith, Advenising/Editorial AUtant. Editorial Dale Brown, Senior Editor, Mark Kariya, Editor. Lance Bryson. Editor. Advertising . Slt.ip Johruon, National Sales Manager, Terry Pratt, Sales Manager, Duane Johnson, West Sales Manager, Linda Brown, Advertising Coordinator, Graphics and Production Kriatin Cooper, Graphic Artist, Marion Hatuhita, Typography, Dcnnia Greene, Laboratory, Accounting Milte Kli,nger, Manager, Donna Bryan, Accu, Receivable, Shelly Zaionz, AlIt, Aceu, Receivable, Terry Dailey, Credit Mana~. Circulation Rheba Smith, Manager, Michelle 1lerDie<, Sarah Taylo<, Laura McQ.ueen, LaNeae Vaaar, Allistantl. Want Ads joceIyD McMUJUl, Want Ad Sales, ServIces and Support Chris Aiteheoon, Receptionist. Gregory Hanson, S&S, West 2201 Cherry A""., Long Beach, CA P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, CA 908010498 (215) 4!7·7455; L.A. Line 656·8844. East 4190 First Ave., Tucker, GA. P.O. Box 805, Tucker, GA 50084-0805. (404) 954·7850. Cycle News/West (USPS 141·540) i. pub, liahed weeltly except the fin< and Jut week of the calendar year for $!O per year by Cycle News, Inc.. !!01 Cherry Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90801-0498. Seeond cI.... postage paid at Long Beach, CA. POSTMASTER: Send form 3171 to Cycle News. P.O. Box . . Long BMch.CA..-n..... Subscription rates: One year, second cI.... mail, $!O; rwo yean. second c1aas mail, $55; three yean, second cia. mail, $55; !5 weeks, $11. Foreign rates avail· able on request. Cycle News welcomes umolicitec! edi· torial material including stories, car· tOODl, pholOO, etc. Such material, if pub· lished, becomes the excIusi"" properry of Cycle News. Such accepted material ia subject to revision u is necelUry in tbe ooIe diocretioa of Cycle News. U-oc;tec! material which ia DOl uaed wiU be returned if accompanied by a oe1£ a.wre.ed stamped ...""Iope. All un· ooIicited material will be handlecl with reasonable care, how...,., Cycle News aaumes no responsibiliry for the safery, \_ or damage to such material. Re· printing in whole or pan only by per' million of tbe publiaben. Ad""rtising rates and circulation information will be oent upon request. SeeS.R.D.S. Copyright. Cycle N_. Inc. 1111. T . - - . . Cycle ~ ragl• • • U.S. ........ 0H1c:e. All rights . . -...d. ON THE FRONT PAGE: Top U.s. __ 8t tt.- ~.ISOE _ FreI* SI8cy. IMlelllg __ . . weteh Ie aynchronIzed correc1Iy before emberldng on Dey One. Complete SIx Deya COWl.... begIna on p. 8. Photo by Merit Karfya, 4 Thank you Marlow and Doug Let me ltan out by saying that when people accomplilh things that are a benefit and a credit to the community, their &iendI and lIlOlIt1y to the spon of cycle racing then theIe people dC8Cne alot of recognition! This is why Marlow Parks and Doug Dillard stand out on top in the State of Arizona. Flat track racing had died in Arizona up until December of 1980, but along came Marlow and Doug who both have an excellent track record of racing to their .credit. Together thCllC two dedicated men have fonned an organization, built a shon track, installed lighu and last week completed the Lancer Leather Series. At last we were racing again in Arizona as of May, 19811 Because of thCllC two fine men there are hundreds of happy people joined together as a family of racers and proud to show off "our" track and riden to the rest of the racing fans of America. -DON EUSTACE Track Pit Steward Phoenix, AZ Sturg" counter8ttllCk The allegations made by Mr. Al Burke (Cyek News, Voices, isaue 157) regarding my coverage of the Black Hi1Is Motorcycle Rally and Races cannot go unchallenged. Therefore, let me addrell myxlf to answering a few of hiI remarks. Fimly, although Mr. Burke lip hiI name above a Sturgia, SD addrell, he does DOt live in Sturgis, or in South Dakota. By contraIt I do live in Sturgis and have for roughly five years. I live in Sturgia, I pay taxes in Sturgis, I believe in the future of this city, I own propeny in Sturgis, and I have been active in my personal and editorial suppon of the rally and races. As a member of tlu: Sturgis community and as Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce, I welcomed the White Plate F1at Tracken to Sturgis at the moming breakfast, Perhapl this small fact has alipped Mr. Burke's memory, Chamber board member Mary Regan presented j.C. Hod, the founder of the White Platen with a commemorative bucltle at that time. The Chamber had originally planned to pick up the tab for the- morning breakfast, but after diacusaing the matter, felt that it would do more JlOOd for the races if we concentrated whatever funds we had on getting the grandstand rebuilt. I am happy to repon that ground for the new concrete grandstand has been broken and that by next year the fairgrounds will be vasdy improved. Readers of Cyek NftIS should be aware that tlu: White Plate Flat Trac:lr.en are simply a social group primarily of ex-racers, and have nothing to do with the promotion or running of any races. Some members, however, do belong to the Jackpine Gypsies and the Black Hills Motorcycle Classic Board. ThCllC two organizations do the actual work of promoting, organizing, and running the races, Because Mr, Burke does not live in Sturgis, he has absolutely no first hand idea of how I became a member of the White Plate ~tion, such as it is, or of the conditions I gave Mr. Hoe1 for my becoming a member, The Secretary tide is a lot of nonsense, anyway, as is Mr. Burke's tide of "Chairman of the Board." The White Plate group is the idea of Mr. j.C. "Pappy" Hoe\. He is the founder, tlu: guiding light, the Ifirit of it, and without him the orgamzation is meaningless. Mr. Hoel has contributed much of hiI time, effon and mcmey in the put two years to getting thil group underway, and in getting the memorial built. When Mr. Hoel was first getting staned With the White Platen he approached the Black Hills Ciallic Board for funds, I and the rat of tlu: board voted to give him thoac funds. I don't doubt that Mr. Burke. the White Platen. and reasonable number of ~le who come to the Black Hills Rally do so for the races. Great! However. they are in a minority. In the old days the races rHf'tI the main reuoD .for coming, but times change and that is simply not the cue any longer. Thil year's rider pre-entry was the lowest I can remember and none of the well known National riders. such as Mike Kidd, Terry Poovey, etc. come to Sturgis any longer. The reason is quite simple, the prize money is too anall. This is not meant to down play the enonnoUJ amount of work that the ;ackpines and Classic board do. They do it all and deIene a great deal of credit for continuing to organize the race evenu. It would be nice if a major promotional organization could help these two groupl. either with professional help of with money. Mr. Burke's contention that 20 years ~ Sturgia lined iu Main Street with bikes is rather hard to believe. Maybe there were a few hundred in town, but cenainly nothing like the. numbers that are here now. That number now takes up three whole city blocb, half the side streets, the city pm, etc. Mr. Burke might find it Interesting to know that 20 years ago the big news in Sturgia was not the races or the rally, even though it had been going on for 21 years at that time, but the fact that the Sturgia TitaDI were involved in a playoff aeries with the Rapid City Chiefs! The races got a one paragraph story and a resu1u lilt plus photos of the Motor Maids, Claaic ~ueen Polly Newcomb, a racer being loaded on a stretcher. Ron Boyarsky leading the pack and a,shot of Boyamy'aboard his Harley flathead after setting ~ new l,p record. Buried in the resu1u was the name of Gary Nixon who just happened to ftnish second on Saturday and win on Sunday. As for the crowds 20 years ago. between 700-800 showed up for the races, which is about half the number that attended the ftrst baseball game in the aeries previously mentioned. Despite what Mr, Burke and other race fans might think, the reuoD the event keep going is that the Sturgis community, bUliness and othenriIe, has awakened to the fact that there are thousaDda of out of towneI'I on the streets loolting for something to buy, something to eat, IOIDCthing to entertain themIehes with. And thoae thousands of people remain on StuJ'Iia streets, in iu business estabIiahmenu, iu cafes, etc.• during the races for the moat pan. I thought I made this perfectly clear in my anicle. In closing. I would like to invite everyone, tourist. racer, camper, and just plain ordinary folk to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Whr not come to Sturgis now, Don't walt for next year. The leaves are a radiant yellow, the air is crisp in the moming, the cafes and bars' aren't jammed, the park is empty and quiet, there is a new pizza parlor senoing great food, and the Badlands, Mount RUJbmore, Bear Butte, all of thil and much more await you. What more could a cycIiat want than a moming ride through Boulder Canyon. or Spearfuh Canyon, or a luncheon break overlooking Lake Palr.etola? Stop by and get to know the people. you'd be IUJ'()rised how likeable they are even it they don't agree with you. Come on up to Sturgis for Friday night football at Woodle Field, our high school team is rolling toward a slot in the state finals. Come be a pan of Sturgia, share in its future. Bring your dreams and a strong back, leave that IIDOlf bound L.A. lift: style behind you. Come up where the air is free and c1ear, where you can see beauty 50 miles away. Come to where the roa~ wind up and down through colorful canyons aad put IDOUDtain streams. Come and be a pan of the nations history. Come aad be free of ~ stapation that rolll so much of America of iu vitality. Start a new beginning on the last American frontier. RICHARD CREED Sturgis. SD Publlahed letten do not necaurIIy reflect the poaItIon of Cycle Newa. Inc. Send letters Box 498. Long Beech, 10 Voicea. CA90801.