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/126788
WEST America's weekly motorcycle newspaper haron Clayton. Pu.bl'shtr Mike Klinger, ComptTolleT Skip Johnson. AS5ociatt! Publisher/ National ales Manager Caroline Cendry. Executive Secretory to the Publishtr Editoriel John Ulrich Editor Dale Brown. Senior Editor Kit Palmer. Associate Editor Rex R~. Feature Editor Advertising Terry Pratt. Sales MGnllgtr Mike Spencer, Sales Managtr Tim Ryan. Sales Manager Lincla Brown. Advetising Coordinator aney Waslell. AdlNTtisinglEditorial AssiSltJnI KelJie True1son. AdveTtuirrg Assistant Graphics end Production Lori Tyson. Graphic Artist Larry Cill. Graphic Artist Marion Hatashil.a. TYfNSi!tlt:r hdl, 1...arsol. Typesetltr Dennis Gr«ne. Lab. Tech. Accounting/Oete Processing Honna Bryan. Accounts Reuiuable Coordlntalor Gcntva Repass. AssislD.111 Fran Hamw~. Credit Circuletion Rheba Smil.h, M4mJgn- MichdJe Hanna. Assistant rah Taylor. Assutant Debbie Walker. Assistant Lyna Hood. Assistant Oeeler 5eles end Service Bob Elliott. Dtaln Salts MallQgttl' Went Ads Judy Hil~berg. Want Ad Sales Service end Support Chris Aitcheson. Receptionist Gregory Hanson. 56-S West 2201 Cherry Ave.. Long Beach. CA P.O. Box 198. Long Beach. CA 90801· 0198 (21~1427·74~~: L.A. Line 6~6·8844. Eest 4190 First Ave.• Tucker. GA. P.O. Box 805. Tucker. GA ~OO85·0805. (404) 9~4·7850. Cycle NewsIWe51 (USPS 141·!40) is published weekly except the first and last week of the calendar year for $2;; pe:r year by Cycle News. Inc.. 2201 Cherry Avenue. Long &ach. CA 90806. Second class pos· tage paid at Long &ach. CA. Long_. POSTMASTER: Send form 3579 to Cycle New.. P.O. Box 498. CA 90801·0498. Subscriplion nllt'S: One year, second class mail. $25: twO yt'ars. second class mail. $45; Lhret" yeaTS. second class mail $68: 25 weeks. $13. Foreign rates available on request. Cycle News "'dcomes unsolicited editorial material including stories. cartoons. photos. elC. Such material. if published. becomes the exclusive properlY of Cycle News. uch .iCcepted material is subject to revision as i necessary in lhe sole discreLion of Cycle News. Unsolicited material which is not used will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed sl3mped envelope. All unsoliciled material will be handled with reasonable care. however. Cycle News assumes no responsibiJily ror the safety. loss or damage to such material. Reprinting in whole or part only by permission of Ihe publisher. Advenising rales and circulation informalion will be sent upon requesl. ee S.R.D.S. Copyright I!!> Cycle News. Inc. 1984. Trldemlrk Cycle N_. N9istered U.S. Pltent Office. All rights r_rved. 4 ON THE FRONT PAGE: We teIlI the Moto Mertin CBX tor e t_ hot .... et WIllow Springs. l......-ion ......._ . . . 22. Photo by Petrick Beto.. G.K. SCott 1__ known as llermlethe ~ teIlaebout • Ing S . . - - Nttwon 20. Photo cou.-y of JT RecIng. Rip off? Motorcycle jumper and promoter Gary Wells had a shon track doubleheader at the evada Late Fairgrounds in Reno, Nevada on Sep· tember 8lh and 9Ut. Adveni ing for the race said lhegates opened at 10:00 a.m. and lhe race would be at noon. I got to lhe Fairgrounds at 10:00 a.m. and had to wait in line until 10: 15 before I could get imo the pits. I walked over to sign-up where a fat, pot-bellied man told me that it was too late LO sign up. He al 0 told me that I should have calleCl the number in Cycle News. There was no number LO call in Cycle News. I think if Gary Wells wams to promote a race, he'd better get those babies that work for him out of there. DAN FELDHAUS AMA #287N Reno, NV 'The number to call for information was listed in an advertisement on page44 of Cycle News, September 5... Editor. Endangered desert I am lationed in West Germany with the .S. Air Force and being a racer/rider and lover of lhe desen I haverealizedhowlu kywearetohave our public land to ride on and enjoy. Here in Germany there is no such lhing a public land LO ride on. The German riders rent land from private panies to beable LO rideor race on. In order LO get any amoum of land to ride on they form clubs and pool lheir money to rent the land. I joined one of these clubs so I could ride here. Wehave200membersinour luband ren t a bou t40 acres LO ride on, a far cry (rom lhe desrt I used LO ride in. The club members are aSLOunded when I tell them of our 175-mile poim-to-poim races. They wish they could go riding in such a large area. I believe that if we do not stand up for our rights we, too, will be renting land. Our main opposition is the Sierra Club which has more money behind them lhan the AMA can dream about. They make money from seIling books, calendars, and such. where the AMA must rely on membership funds. You may not agree with them all the time, butlhey are on our side, so keep your dues up. I JUSt wish I had the lalem to be able to motivate everyone who rides a motorcycle to write leuers and fight for our right to ride and use our land. I ju t know lhat if more Americans could see how lucky they are lhey might fight harder LO keep it. Please do, I want to come home two years from now and go riding in the desert. E.B. RICE We t Germany WERA against Jensen This is an open leuer to Larry Jensen: It is not often that I am totally bemused by the vagrancies of human nature but you euer to Cycle News i in a league by itself. I must assume that lhe faculty of the University from which you graduated are currently suffering agonies of self doubt based upon your appalling misunderslanding of the facts of drug use and abuse which you claim to have so rigorously studied. Taking issue with drug abuse is not a "moral" standpoint. It is lhe ivilized response LO a pervasive, o· cially de tructive and extremely dangerous behavior. Abusers need LO be made aware of the long-term physio· logical effects of repeated ingestion as well as lheshon-term risk attenu· ate to altered mood Slate and perceptual changes. What is very clear in my mind is that, knowing your po ilion on drug u e and the level of mi information you have about the problem, a race track is not where you hould be! anctioning bodies have a responsibility to their members LO insure that unfit indi viduals are not allowed LO jeopardize others by their presence on a race track. In my unique position as the Chief Executive of a sanctioning body and a practitioner with considerable experience in the field of chemical dependency, I have very firm views on the topic as a whole, but mOSl panicularly as il applies to racing. Any person who knowingly panici- pates in a road race while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs should be banned forthwith from racing by all sanctioning bodies. Should thal per on be shown 10 have caused an accidem re ulting in damage to persons or propeny, he or she should be sued by the ViClim LO eek damages as appropriate. Also, if a person is found to be dealing in illegal drugs al a race venue, he or she should be prosecuted for the criminal offen e being commiued. Please do not offer the "decriminalizalion" ar· gumem as an apologia. There is absolutely no rea on lO believe lhal any advanLage would be gained from allowing lhe unrestricted and approved u e of curremly illegal drugs, in facl in term of productivity and general per onal performance, drugs have nothing bUl a negative effect. This is a situation of ab olules, no grays - just plain black and white. I have no hesilation in taking the hardest possible line against your currem auitude. If you sincerely believe whal you say then perhaps road racing is not lhe pon for you. Were I a racer who was potemially obliged to share a pavemeDl with a user, I would want more protection than your assurance thaI 'the indivual who has a drug problem is just an individual with a problem. The drug itself is not responsible." . However philo ophically sound lhal argument may be, at 130 mph I like to know that my fellow rider are lhjnking traight. Please relhink your posilion, Lake some experienced input and do not allow the inheremliberalism of youth to cloud your view of reality. Freedom is a concept which cannol exisl wilhout a consensus and agreed norms. Our port is subject to governmemandregulationsasisour ociely. Both have decided lhat drugs are inappropriate and dangerous. Let us • suppon thaI decision and help 10 make things a little beuer for all. DR. BILL PARKINSON Chief of Operations WERA Bluffton, SC Jensen against drugs I. I do nOl do drugs, except wine or beer (after races). 2. If Bill King of Redlands has done drugs, he should have been lhrown in prison and roued there, as that is what he advocates. 3. Cycle News has comended that winner never do drugs. I merely pointedoutlhatthat is ju I not true. 4. If I see someone ride a race with a hangover, or party before a race, I will be the first to tell race official. 5. I have yet to see any of the people wriling on lhis issue back up their statemems with anything bUltheir own meager I ittJe experience (rom thei r own narrow liule world, except myself. 6. Even the Editor can not comprehend a litera Ie document such as mine, and mi onsrrued it. I guesSlhe readers of Cycle News do nOl deserve beuer. LARRY JENSEN AFM #803 Los GaLOs, CA Looks like you need to re-read your own writings. The originals of your letters are on file here, and we stand behind our interpretation and reaction to your "literate documents." You might also refer to letters from Drs. Wilcox (Cycle News September 19) and Parkinson... Editor. Published letters do not necesurily reflect the position of Cycle N_s.lnc. Send lette... to Voices. Box 498. Long Beach. CA 90801.