WEST
America's weekly
motorcycle newspaper
Sharon Clayton, Publisher
Mike Klinger. Comptrollc
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Editoriel
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P.O. Box 498. Long Beach, CA 90801·
0498
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of the calendar year for 525 per year by
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Copyright Cycle Ne_. Inc. 1984,
Tr8deme'" Cycle News reglltered U.S.
Pltent Office. All rlghto r_rved.
ON THE FRONT PAGE: After
4
hi. -.lAlaune Sece win. _
chetted with "King" Kenny
Roberts ebout his future reci"ll
pIIIn•. Interview begin. on pege
22. Photo by Petrlclc BehIIr.
Keep SCORE in Baja
Let's lay the SCORE Barstow race
and Mr. Fitzpatrick's unfortunate experiences to rest. Every side in the
issue has valid points,
Everyone was stunned with the
quickness in which SCORE was able
to put on the Barstow replacement
race in Lucerne VaJley. It took but a
week or so. Desert motorcycle clubs
and riders are accustomed to ninemonth wai ts for BLM map approvals
alone. SCORE's reaction time was
miraculous and theireHort most commendable,
The recreational and motorcycle
racing clubs along with the racers
were just not fully advised or prepared for SCORE/Baja type racing
in Lucerne.
The motorcycle race by the District-37 club had been approved,
planned and advertised months in
advance of the week SCORE prerunning began. Both courses overlapped and intersected, though
SCORE and the club did an admirable job of alleviating conflict and
problems, There were only minimal
"close calls" between the non-SCORE
motorcyclists and ATVer and the Barstow/Bajaracers, but some did occur.
Holding a near surprise COREl
Baja-type race on a long holiday
weekend opened up a whole other
can of worms, however. The Lucerne
(Camp Rock and Soggy Dry Lake) area
is always very popular with recrea·
tionalists, particularly on long weekends. These weekend warriors mainly
are independent of clubs, race organ·
izers and reading the ads and calendar
of events like in Cycle News, They
camp where a notion suits them, ride
and drive in every direction, don't
adhere to a time schedule and can't
tell the difference between hare and
hound course markings and SCORE's.
While not members of organized
groups, they have equal rights to use
of off-road recreational areas,
Sadly, a small percentage of the
SCORE race.rs acted just like they
were in Mexico, not in "our" desert.
Indeed there were some who startled
unaware weekend campers and offroaders. It was probably these same
dull-wits that considered the primary
access roads (Camp Rock and Bessemer Mine) practice tracks for their
four-wheel race and pit vehicles.
There were numerou reports of
recreativnaJists and 0-37 race people
having unpleasant experiences, in
the desert and on the access roads.
One area where SCORE erred grossly was leaving behind a huge amount
of trash, from 55-gallon drums to
Kleenex, in the Camp Rock area,
Desert motorcycle race cI ubs, members
and most weekenders have been dilligent for years in leaving off-road
areas cleaner than when they arrived.
SCORE and a goodly number of its
participants violated a rule, law if
you have it, and, sadly, the winds carried immense amounts of trash acro s
the area for miles. This was disgracefull And unnecessary,
There is a crucial question about
the environmental and use compatibility of traditional desert events with
Baja-style activities and vehicles. It
may very well be in all our be t concerns to keep Baja racing in its home,
Baja,
NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST
Glendale, CA
AFM Six-Hour scoring
In response to the letter by Rick
Mitchell (no relation) published in
your August I issue, I believe that the
scoring learn the AFM ha hired for
the la I several years ha done a very
professional job. They have enabled
the AFM to post reliable results much
sooner and with far fewer problems
for all involved than was possible in
prior years.
II Rick Mi tchell had read the second
page of the six-hour program he
would have found the procedure to
follow and the person to contact in
order to register h is protest. If it is a
scoring protest, it should be relayed
to the scoring director by the referee for
whatever action is appropriate. Either
the results would stand as posted, or,
if a race team could show evidence for
their position and fault could be
found with the AFM's charts, the
results would be changed.
However, Rick Mitchell's race team
lap charts contain errors. A review of
Rick Mitchell's team charts showed
the following:
He st~lted that he completed 211
laps and his charts how 211 laps
completed; but hi charts clearly show
lap I as the warm-up lap and lap 2 as
the start of the race (this leave 210
laps); his chart do not list lap 19 nor
do they list lap 166 (this leaves 208
laps); there are no times Ii ted for laps
20,21,59, 139, 140, 142, 143, 148, 149,
176, 177, 190, or 191; all times are
listed as lap times and not as cumulative times (lap time are much easier
to "invent" and much harder tocorrelate to the AFM's lap charts).
Regarding the 1981 ix-Hourrace,
Rick Mitchell could have made all
the "waves" he wanted, but if the
paperwork had not backed him up he
would not have improved his finish
position. I think the AFM' present
scoring system works, it i respon ive
to reasonable prOle t , and it gets the
results OUI fas!.
A suggestion forfuture racers keeping independent records they may
wish to submit (because they are protesting scoring results) at the AFM
Six-Hour races would be to obtain the
services of a few people to keep the
team lap charts. These people should
preferably have no other duties that
would interfere with their ability to
keep aaurate charts. The charts
'should have accurate lap counts. The
times should be cumulative starting
when the race starts (not the wannup lap) and ending when your bike
crosses thefinish line at the end of the
race and takes the checkered flag.
Each time the bike enters the pits the
charts should tate so, and also indicate a long lap that reflects the time
spent in the pits plus the actual time
to complete the lap. The charts should
be signed and the laps each person is
responsible for keeping should be
noted.
JAMES MITCHELL
Scoring Director
AFM/LA Chapter
Santa Ana, CA
Shobert fan
It's time that a Bubba Shobert fan
expressed feelings on the Terry Poovey trauma. Terry is obviously holding a grudge against Bubba since
Bubba first got the Ken Parker ride in
1983 and was chosen by American
Honda to ride the 1984 season.
It is obvious also that Terry has
tried to stuff - if that's the word he
likes to use - Bubba more than once.
I have been watching Bubba ride for a
Jot of years and he has always been a
clean rider. Bubba values his life as
well as others and keeps hi emotions
away from the racetrack. This one
thing in Bubba's record is the true
meaning of sportsmanship.
AMA officials should look back at
Terry's record and then they might
see who is "clean" and who is not.
Thank to Gene Romero for a
great job. And to Terry Poovey - go
home and let the rest live to ride and
ride to live.
JA PERKI S
La Palma, CA
Shobert attacked Poovey hours after
the alleged on-track incident, smashing Poovey's sunglasses and causing
Poovey's eye to be cut, No suspension is long enough, no fine big
enough for such a criminal act. Shobert should have lost his license for
the year" ,Editor.
Publi.hed letters do not
nec.ssarily reflect the po.ition of Cycle New•• Inc. Send
letter. to Voices. Box 498.
Long Beech. CA 90801 .
