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/127405
Does the wor d champion mean anything to y o u ? EDITOR'S MEGAPHONE It does to KTM, whojust won the 1991 AMA National Hare and By Donn Maeda Hound Championship. That's hew , w ha t a season! . I' ve been a member o f th e Cycle N ew s sta ff for nearly a yea r, a nd with a full race season behind me, I feel I can now say th at I am " bro ken in. " As the n ewest edi to r in th e office , I was assigned to co ver th e highspee d wo rld o f Camel Pro dirt track racing. " Dirt track ?" I rem ember thinking, " Wha t a bummer ." A motocrosser at heart, I recall being jealous of Nate Rauba and Kit Palmer, fellow ed i tors who spend th e race season following th e Camel Supercross and AMA Nati onal Motocr oss tours. I, on the oth er hand, would be th ro wn into a form of co mpeti tio n that I kn ew ver y little a bo u t. . " Wa tch o u t," th e othe r ed i tors warned m e. " Dir t track is j ack 's baby, don 't bl ow it. " Tha t' s j ack as i n j ack Man gus, th e edi tor. Gr ea t. Afr aid th at I had a lready gotten off o n th e wrong foo t with Mr. Mangus, I beca me more an d more ter rified as the fir st race drew nearer. Durin g m y fi rst week in th e o ffice , j ack had stripped me o f my ea rr ing, ordered that I tie my be low s ho ul der len gth ha ir b a ck , and cr i tici zed m y choice in clo thi ng. Grea t. " Who's Carroll Resweb er? Gary Nixon? Bill Werner? J ay Sp ri ngstee n?" h e would yell over the glass part ition th at separa tes o ur offices. Mu ch to Jack 's d ism ay, I didn ' t kn ow. " Par k your dirt bikes in a garage somew he re a nd do your homework, " he snapped. " Yo u shou ld be studying, 24 hours a day!" Homework? I hadn' t done hom ewo rk si nce I was in school (o r d id I?). Alas, I began to stu dy. Back iss ues. Win li st s. Med ia guide. Fl ash ca rds . FLash cards? Yu p . '. . Scott Parker! 29 years o ld ! Schwartz Creek, Mi chi g an l Three-tim e Grand Na tion al Cha mpion ! Needs three m or e wins thi s year to be first on a ll time wi n list ! An d so on. I was di al ed . An d so last spring, I headed to the Sacramento Mile for my first "slider" race. I arrived at the track with mixed thoughts: Would the riders be diffic ult to talk to? Would they laugh at me if I asked ig no rant questions? And most im po rt a ntly, wou ld I fall as lee p watching these guys go arou nd and arou nd in circles a ll ni gh t? T he a nswers ca me soon enough : No , no and no way! I soon found th e riders to be not o n ly fri endl y, but wi lling to expl ain th i n gs to a " firs ttimer. " And th e fir st time I sa w th em sli de four-abreas t a t o ver I00 mph , I about fell over. No w, 15 races later , it still amazes me to see such a spectacle, and I feel that I've gotten to know many of the racers on a frie ndly basis. Heck, I think j ack even likes some o f my reports! So , you ask, " Di rt track still a bummer?" Hardly. I can't wait until next seas on starts ! ar W KTM's third consecutive national title in a row! This year team leader Danny Hamel dominated the desen on his KTM 540 D/XC - the same mind-blowing machine he used to win four of six series events! T h ey don't c a ll K TM the Kin g o f the D e s ert for nothing. And while Danny was being crowned the overall national champion in Wendover, his tearn mate Jimmy Lewis. was royally pounding the competition with his KTM 250 D/XC to win the 250 cc National Championship. Snaring eighth place was KTM rider Greg Serale and not to . be outdone. Chris Ogrin won the Women's Hare and Hound Championship riding toughon her KTM. And speaking of tough.. . Jimm Lewis y It had been 18years since a U.S. team recorded a win in the grueling International Six Day Enduro held this year in Czechoslovakia! That dry spell ended. however. when ridersJimmy Lewis. Chris Smith. Dave Rhodes. and Steve Hatch hit the scene. With Lewis on a KTM 125 E/XC and Smith riding a KTM 250 E/Xc. these guys were among the 4 rider team to bring home the Junior World Trophy. Congratulations guys! KTM, along with official Team KTM sponsor DuralubeOil.congrarulates all of these champions. We're proud to have created the bikes tluu were instrumental ill their success. Af ter all, we're in business to off er the most complete line of machines to those who are serious about winning...and ha ving fun. So get serious and call your KTM dealer today. DURALUBE ·~I r-OIL-- ftx . KTM lkakr f1Clle'\l you ca ll: Ea.'" (2 16) 246-1060. West (b IQ) 2S1I~JOO. CanlIlb (4 16) 576-65 14. 'want Ad information - (213) 427-7433 ~ r------------------------------· Attention Subscribers, WHEN YOU MOVE... 1. For FASTES T se r vice attach old ';"'a ll ,"g labe l m space below. If mai li ng la bel IS n ot availa ble . pri nt vour o ld name a nd address In ttus bo x. 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