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/126778
Voices (Continued from paf(e 4) that grouping practice by rider ability is a afer procedure than grouping by machine size. Faster machines are normally only faster on the straights. Theovertaking rider has responsibility not to run over the slower machine he is gaining ground on. Passing on the straights does not create a difficult move for either machine. Real speed differences, the dangerous ones, are in the turns. Expert riders are simply faster and more predictable than Novices in the corners. This is not to say. that Novices aren't fast, just that they are Novices, early in their career and low on the learning curve. Since adopting this practice procedure, our incident rate in practice has been greatly reduced. We had separate Novice and Expert races from the beginning. Winning Novices deserve to take the flag first, not behind some Experts where no one notices. Expert riders deserve the opportunity to use all their talent, without lapping No. vices about 113 of the way. We got this idea from AAMRR. They have the best safety record in motorcycle racing today. The other item of interest was regarding the reflective tape for the 24-hour event at Willow. Half of the AMAlCCS Endurance Cham pionship rounds go into darkness. At each of those races we have reflective material used in several ways. There are over 210 marker cones with reflective stripes (or placement around the track. Upon entering a corner, the rider will (irst see a cone with white stripes. Further on, the stripes are yellow, and then all cones through the balance of the corner are red striped. Every pit steward and at least one worker on each corner has a bright vest with reflective stripes, and we even have flags with reflecting material (or the corner stations. Each team is o((ered reflective strips for use on their machines, helmets, number plates, etc. for safety and ease of sconng. All of this material, except the cones, came from Conspicui ty, Illc., a Chicago-based firm that specializes ,in making motorcyclists more visible. The flags ,ue made of the same thick nylon mesh that the vests are made from. We feel that the rider pays for this , type of precaution in his license and to entry fees. Racing organizations interested in _ night racing safety can count on . about $75.00 per corner station for these flags. Not cheap, but vital. That makes them cheap in the long run. Many of the problems that the Jon Woo Memorial Safety Project works pn appear expensive, only to shortterm thinkers. Right now I know of over $105,000,000 (that'S right, one bundred five million dollars) in suits against racing bodies, insurance companies, and racetracks. .r ust in motorcycle road racing. ot including the pro level. I "' The expense to solve the problems ~ that are known and solveable is low " Gompared to the long-term increases 5,we will see in insurance, the intangioj ble cost of loss of a race track, and o( -course the highest expense of all, the _ p,reventable loss o( human lives. ROGER EDMONDSON AMA Championship Cup Series Savannah, GA Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News, Inc. Send letters to Voices, Box 498, Long Beach, CA 90801. ~ 00 .-; Live' it to the limit at the Wrangler Supercross Series! Come on out and cheer for your r----- __ favorite riders as they race through I Wrangler- - their high speed, muscle-jarring / Supercross Series events. The Wrangler brand is I LOcation proud to be the 1984 sponsor of the I Houston TX INSPORT-sanctioned Supercross I Dallas, TX 3/24 4/14 Series. Get the thrill of watching I POntiac /\AI 4/28-29 I pOrlando: FL those daring riders compete for asadena CA 5/19 points in the $125,000 Wrangler I BUffalo, Ny 6/2 7/14 ro , /\AA Supercross Point Fund. Live it / FOJCbo 7/28 to the limit in Wrangler jeans. I On and off the track, theyll I LNen to~ln suit your lifestyle. l . --------- -- ---Live it to the limit inWranm;,.r ~ -;:7~ ~ 1984, Blue Bell, Inc nough Is Enough! * FURY Open Face $63.95 ..... . - ....11 * FURY $87.95 Full Face FURY Helmets have all the features of more expensive brands but not the high price. Check the features, check the price. You will agree that enough is enough. Buy Fury Value. * FURY MX IM'I~1 VISIT YOUR FURY OEALER TODAY ... Or Contact: ,C~\ '~®)I' AMERICAN SPORTS CO., INC. DOT and SNELL BO. Sizes XS to XL MX evaileble in Yellow. Red. White. Blue Street in Red. Bleck. White, Blue. Yellow. Orenge You don't have to pay high prices for SNEU 80 helmets anymore Made in U.S.A. 2970 East Maria Street, Compton. CA 90221 (213) 636-9978 27