Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Wind Continued from page 2) Nelson-Rigg USA, manufacturer of motorcycle and personal watercraft accessories, will sponser Good Will Day at the May 3, AMA/Camel Pro Series San Jose Mile in San Jose, Califorriia. Nelson-Rigg will provide tickets, T-shirts and refreshments for 20 handicapped children at the mile. "Th.is is our way of showing that the motorcycle industry and motorcyclists are good people .. imd that we care about those who, through no fault of their own, are less fortunate," a company spokt;sman said. Daytona 200 winner and former Superbike Champion, Wayne Rainey was a no-show at the April 4. Sacramento Mile. Rainey. who will contest the AMA/Camel Pro Series dirt tracks in addition to his road race commitments. had planned on using the Sacramento Mile as a tryout for his new Honda dirt trackers. The bikes. however. were not finished in time for the event. Rainey showed up for the April 11 Ascot Half-Mile but was eliminated ,early when the front carburetor fell off his RS750 in his heat race. When The Going Gets Tough David Bailey: When The Going Gets Tough "On the morning of January II, 1987, one of America's top motocross su'perstars, David Bailey, was Tragically injured while practicing for a race in California. It is with great love and respect that we present this video." , The above comes from the videotape case of David Bailey: When The, Going Gets Tough. The "greatlove and respect" is evident in the visual inTroduction of the tape where Gary Bailey emotionally talks about his son. Gary Bailey has long been recognized as the dean of motocross instructors, but he's also become one of the top producers of motocross instructional and race tapes. The majority of the tapes he's produced HIRED: John Driscoll, by Ivan Boyesen, to manage MXer Billy Liles; Liles will ride a Kawasaki of ,Italy-sponsored KX500 equipped with Boyesen suspension in the 500cc Championship; Driscoll will con- , tinue as race rep for Spectro and Marushin. The organizers for the Police Olympic Motorcycle Road Racing World Championship and the California Police Athetic Federation are looking for more police officers from around the world to compete in the October 1-4 event at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond. California. The race consists of police officers from around the world .racing identical California Superbike School Kawasaki 600R Ninjas around the 2.5-mile facility. For more information contact Bruce Wilson at 805/522-6027. Yamaha Motor. Corp. U.S.A. has announced that it will award an FZ600 to the runner-up in the Willow Springs Motorcycle Associ~ ation's (WSMA) Formula USA overall standings. Like last year, the winner of the series receives a Toyota Truck. • have done well in the marketplace, and deservedly so. They are professionally done. We wouldn't expect less from a pro like Professor Bailey in anything he pursued. Multi-time MX champ David Bailey exhibited the same professionalism as his father throughout what was Tragically an all too brief racing career. His racing days ended, at least for the foreseeable future, when he was left paralyzed from the waist down at the above meotioned practice session. While anly someone . who has gone through what David is going through now could possibly comprehend how devastating paralysis is, most 'of us have experienced grief in our lives. Grief such as that caused by the loss of an immediate family member or close personal friend to death. While most of us don't have the talent or the wherewithal to express ourselves in trying times in more than well-thought out words and personal refieEtion, Gary Bailey has at his disllosal the relatively new medium of videotape. Within days of his son's tragic accident, Bailey began planning a Tribute tape, and within a handful of weeks David Bailey: When The Going Gets Tough was finished. The tape contains poignant footpage of David in his hospital bed. His 'wife Gina appears in those scenes as does a portion of the "ton" of mail David has received from fan's around the world. The majority of the t'!ope is devoted to reviewing David's racing career. Footage from across the country and around the world has been edited in a free flowing chronological order that results in a dynamic tape. Tributes from David's fen ow racers, mechanics, sponsors and industry notables are also shown. The entire tape .is carpe~ by an excell~nt selectIon 0 popular songs 'which form an all-star soundTrack. You can obtain,! copy of the tape (either VHS or Beta) by making a donation of $30 or more. All proceeds are being put into a special fund created by David's parents to help him take care of unmsured rehabilitation costs and future needs. Although American Honda is paying David through the length of his contract, he was well into the span of the contract when his accid,ent to any rider in the two heats and main event who improves his starting position by the finish. A rider will recieve one pOint and purse money - the amount based on the purse for the particular event - for every position he improves from the start of the race. He also will be awarded money for his finishing position, no matter where he started. Jack Mangus The inverted system was used in an UITracross race a few weeks ago in Indiana, with local riders filling ·out the starting grid. According to · Thompson, it was favorably received · by the riders. At the meeting, a short video tape of the Indiana event was shown, featuring the start system in action. Using the Rose .Bowl UITracross By Kit Palmer purse as an example, Thompson said BUENA PARK, CA, APR. 8 . that a rider finishing third in a heat Ultracross, Supercross-type. race - after starting in ninth rlace motorcycle racing wllich will on the grid - will win $325. I that be held at all remaining 1987 same person finishes third in the Mickey Thompson Off-Road main, he'd collect $768.80 ($468.80 ChampIOnship Cran Prix events, in passing points and $300' for will feature an inverted .starting finishing third) for a total night's system to make stadium motorcycle earnings of $1093.80. racing safer and more competitive, Thompson will use inverted startaccording to Jerry Stansbury, a ing for the rest of this year to work spokesman for Mickey Thompson out any "glitches" that might arise Entertainment Group. in his new system, which will be used Thompson held a meeting with throughout next year's UITracross representatives from e.ach of the Series. The series has not been Japanese factories today to outline o££icially named, but Thompson the inverted starting format. said he plans to have at least' 10 Hoping to atTract factory or supUltracross races, that will be held in port riders from Teams Suzuki, conjunction with his traditional Honda, Yamaha· and_ Kawasaki, automobile/ATV program. Thompson met with Suzuki's Pat "I don't have much of a problem Alexander, Honda's Gary Mathers, with it (inverted starting)," said Yamaha's Kenny Clark and KawaClark. "I can't think of any major saki's Bill Johnson and Jam'es hang-ups with the system. I would DeGain, as well as AMA Public prefer to reserve a real serious Relations Director Pat Murphy, comment until such time when I can primarily 'to discuss Thompson's see more of it than that short clip. new inverted starting system. I don't know how it would work if "The safety factor ts what we're. you had, for instance, Rick Johnson discussing here," said Stansbury, and Jeff Ward on the back row, and "and what we've done is created a immediately in front of him you had sTronger type of competition withou,t . Ron Lechien and Jeff Leisk, and on making the courses tougher. Actuand on. You might end up with a ally, the course is an easier course' situation where if everybody was as to run on, yet it'.s more competitive, close, as evenly-matched as the and we do that through the inversion production rule was hoping to system." match them, the guy in front is going Inverted starting for motorcydes to stay in front. And that, of course, will be tested at remaining 1987 is going to defeat the whole deal. MTGP· events to prepare for a full"Also, right now the way the blown UITracross schedule in 1988. factory conTracts are structured," said The first major test this year will be Clark, "you get paid big if you win. held at the Mickey Thompson OffYou don't get paid anything anyRoad Cham,pionship Gran Prix in where else. Tell me who's second Pasadena, - California, at the Rose place in a gun fight. In this kind _ Bowl, May 2. of series, you'd have to resTructure Thompson's inverted starting the conTractS. You'd have tQ pay him system puts the fastest riders in the (factory riders) by the points earned. back and the slower riders at the front If you're first, you get paid an X at the start of both heat races and amount bonus dollars for every point the main event. To eliminate "sandyou have at the end of the night." bagging" by riders, Thompson has Alexander's point of view was, developed a system, he claims, "will "It's too new to really tell. He's make the fast riders want to start in (Thompson) talking about points the back." pay-back systems and stuff like that. The inverted Sl'!-Tt system works What about the guys who are Trucksimilar to what's being used in ing around in their little pick-up midget car racing but with slight _ · TrUcks that aren't getting points paid differences. The motorcycles will passing. They start on the front row have qualifier races, and the. qualiand finish in the back. So what do fiers will Transfer the top eight riders they get paid?" to one of two 'heat races. Riders in "I think it will work," said Johnthe heat races will be staged in an son. " A 15- or 16-year-old kid can inverted grid, based upon their win $1000 or $1100 and not even win qualifying positions (fastest riders in the race. That's probably more than the rear with at least two fiders to Dad'·s going to make in the next two a row). months. Bu.t if you put Ronnie Points will be awarded to riders (Lechien) or Jeff (Ward) on the back in three different ways. The first and row, 1 don't care who they're racing second place riders in the qualifiers against, and they know they've got receive four and two points, a six or 'eight or $10,000 bonus to , respectively. win that main event. They don't In heat races, 18 points will be want to start back there. They're given for winning, 16 fOf second, 14 going to want to start on the front for third, 12 for fourth, etc. All riders row whether they're going to make finishing eighth-16th will collect $1100 or $1500 for starting in the one point each. , back - they'll give that up. But this Finally, points will be given for is something that will' work well passing in both heat races and the within our amateur support final. Passing points will be awarded pro~m." • occurred and income from Honda will cease in a few months. Tapes may be ordered via mail (be sure and specify VHS or Beta format) or phone (Visa or MasterCard or C.O.D.) from Videos by Professor Bailey, P.O. Box 130, Dept. CN, Axton, VA 24054-0130, 7033/6503030. Be generous! MTEGhopes inverted starts will attract MXers

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