Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

9Grand Prix riders ~. !~!~~ back Is it fair that everyone of the 97 golfers on the 1984 PGA European Tour earned more in 00 prize money than the FIM 500cc Road Racing >- World Champion? M ~ Is it fair that only a claimed eight percent of the takings of .... I ' D t h TT' A l-o ast ye~ ~ u ~ at ssen ~ was paId In pnze money to the ~ riders, who attracted a crowd of around 135,000 and television coverage throughout Europe? Is it fair that every single pro baseball player in the USA earned more money than Eddie Lawson won in prize money for clinching one of the most demanding and dangerous world title crowns? Of course it's not fair - not only do facts like these show that the grand prix riders do not earn a just reward and are dropping out of the sport in increasingly large numbers, but certain sportsmen appear to be vastly overpaid for their efforts and that militant action has put them so high up the money earning list rather than their sporting prowess. No wonder the GP riders have got together because the very structure and even future of grand prix racing is on the line just when the sport is getting the worldwide media coverage it so rightly deserves. The riders elected Mike Trimby as their representative in talks with the organizers regarding their prize money demands . The England-based travel agent, show organizer and .former racer is totally behind the riders in their demands but is slightly worried whether they will all stick together if talk of boycotts turn into reality. ''I'm 100% behind them in their cause and I think they are being taken advantage of," Trimby said. "I just hope they will stick to their guns and that's why I got all of them to sign a contract with me before we start talking to the organizers. "It means an awful lot of work and it's not a job I took on too gladly, but I'm hopeful I can make progress because it's important with so many people dropping out of grand prix racing. "A.t the moment .if a rider falls on the hrst bend he will go ho!"e with around $400. Our new pnze fund would give him around $1950, which would at least pay his expenses for gettint:: there." Whtle the cigarette company giants in particular and the factories continue to pour in vast sums of money to subsidize the sport, certain organizers hope to continue paying out paltry prize money to continue lining their pockets. However, the black clouds are gathering on the horizon with many of the top privateers, the very backbone of grand prix racing, dropping out of the 500cc class in particular for the simple reason that they lose money every time they leave home to race. Of course the top riders make much more with sponsorship and factory contracts but they number around 15 throughout all classes. And so what about the remaining 150 riders? And what happens when legislation or company decisions force the tobacco giants out of the sport? Who will pick up the tab? Or will the short sightedness of the' organizers and FIM mean the sport will grind to a halt with tiny grids? But why shouldn't the riders earn a good living from a sport that brings them so much pleasure and personal glory? Surely, in modern times enter-· tainers who thrill hundreds of thousands at the tracks and millions of television viewers throughout the world deserve a just reward for their efforts, and shouldn't actually lose money if they fail to finish or even qualify for a race that has attracted around 109)4,)0. spectators. Of course it is an expensive business to run a motorcycle grand prix but compared witha formula one car grand prix it's absolutely peanuts. Rumors suggest that last year it cost the organizers of the South African car grand prix as much money to fIy out the tires for the teams to Kyalami as it did the motorcycle grand prix NormeIl'UIUIiRg c.tr. New mechiae cWitbout ....... . . . . . . . . .tcraalclMft Replec_ _ .t pistolts Replacement rings R.........m cytiltders Replacement crankceaea fmejor blow-up) Tires per Gnmd Prix (minimum) 4 x rear 2 x front $30.000 14.200 S46eachx3 $46eachx3 $770eachx3 $7.000 $280 $112 Crash damllg8: f8iring Whe.1s 18 FoGqMIg .......bty $450 $3.500 per pair 280.,. aide Grend Prix roed rece competitors like Eddie Lawson (left) end Freddie Spencer (right) eern big ..Ieries, but compete fOr smell purses, organizers to fly out all their com petitors and their machinery. Formula one cars may generate a far'greater income with sponsorship, television coverage and gate receipts, although at half the tracks the bike grand prix attendances match the cars. Certain tracks such as Yugoslavia will struggle to find the necessary cash to double the prize fund while others like Assen will surely have no such problems. It's important that at least 50% of the proposed money goes to privateers down the field and is not creamed off by the top money earners. Certainly the top riders seem as concerned as anybody about the smaller grids and have insisted half the in- crease goes into a fund for the privateers. The riders and their representative, Mike Trimby,are hoping to deal with individual organizers rather than the FlM, thus avoiding a similar situation to the World Series confrontation nearly six years ago. 1£ history is to be repeated, the FlM will do all they can to prevent the riders from getting such a big increase, as a confrontation wiD develop as to whether the riders compete at the opening round of next year's championship in Spain. Certainly the riders seem to have the backing of the factories and their sponsors in their claims, but will they stand firm when it comes to the crunch? Only time will tell. •

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