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/127413
GNOSTALGIA The history of Cycle News' hoot page • ! The King I~w@f~~-=o t has it covere~~. ~ ~ ~ By Paul Carruthers S teve McQueen. Liz Taylor. John ~ ~~~~~~~. ~ ==i;=.:'::=.~ ~?:=-~ . Iii' 1 ;t-:::..7 .: • ~:~~sBg~~I::e~;~~t~::~:::::~ ' ~i ~:~:-~ ~._ , ~~£~~~i~~~~r:~~s~£i:~~ Y Jl ~j~!~~: ¥~ ,", : ;!j;£1~~~:~~ front page featured the likes of Don Vesco and Skip Van Leeuwen, the race tracks of Carlsbad and Ascot, and for 15 cents a copy you were treated to a 12-page motorcycle newspaper. Cycle News as we know it today was different then, but it always had a front page and it usually featured a star or two from the world of motorcycling. So who has graced that front page the most tim es? Two-time AMA Grand National Ch ampion and three- time World Champion Kenny Roberts. Was there any doubt? , Roberts' 44 fro nt- pa ge appearances leads the way by a massive 18 over runner-up and top motocrosser, Bob H annah. The King's first cover shot came way back on February 20, 1973, and he hasn't gone away. His latest cover came on January 10, 1990 nobody can match his longevity. Hannah 's first cover appearance carne on August 24, 1976, but his reign was shorter and we may have seen the last of his front page cameos. Hot on Hannah's heels are multi- . time motocross and supercross champions Rick Johnson and Jeff Ward, tied at 25. And we probably haven't seen the last of Ward, who will again do battle in 1992. The man in the top 10 who is most likely to make a run at Roberts is Jeff Stanton. The Michigan motocrosser still has a lot of racing life left in him, yet he sits fifth on the all-time front page list with 23 appearances. Four-time World Champion Eddie Lawson has appeared up front 20 time s , t ying him , with World Champion MXer Brad Lackey. The top dirt tracker on the list is legend Jay Springsteen with 19. The Springer is followed by former Grand National Champion Gary Nixon (18) and current Grand National Champion Scott Parker (17). With road racers, motocrossers and dirt trackers dominating the top 20, only 16th placed Larry Roeseler and his II appearances put him in the top 20 for top off-road racer honors. Bu t racers haven't been the only cover subjects. Politics and the way they affect motorcycling have often held center stage, so once did Steve McQueen, John Wayne (pictured with announcing guru Rox y Rockwood), entertainer Dick Smothers, basketball legen d Bill Russell , the Los Angeles Rams Fearsome Foursome, Liz Taylor, and perhaps the world's most famous motorcyclist, Malcol m Forbes. No one, though, is likely to catch Mr. Roberts. Bu t come to think about it, few ever caught The King on the track either. !li~Jlil;;~~ ::-;:. ;::::.-- ::-;-:::::..--==-::::. ::r-:;:;~ '-'li d :: ~ • : if~~: ~Y'-- = ~t~;~ .....;:;;::;;:;;::;;:;;::;;:;;::;;:;;::;::::::::::::::::::::::::=- _ _ .. .... THE HONOR ROLL Roberts, Kenny Hannah, Bob Johnson, Rick Ward, Jeff Stanton , Jeff Lackey, Brad Lawson, Eddi e Springsteen, Jay Nixon, Gary Parker, Scott Spencer, Freddi e Bayle, Jean-Michel Shobert, Bubba .' DeCoster , Roger Rainey, Wayne Bradshaw, Damon Carr, Chris Mann, Dick Roeseler, Larry 'Aldana, Dave DiStefano, Tony Eklund, Steve Howerton, Kent Lawwill, Mert Mulder, Eddie Rayborn, Cal. 'Romero, Gene 44 26 25 25 23 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 13 II II II 11 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 Those with , Bailey, David Bell, Mike ; Glover, Broc Bast, Mike Brelsford, Mark Chandler, Doug Kidd, Mike McLaughlin, Steve Schwantz, Kevin Chandler, Danny Graham, Ricky LaPorte, Danny Mamola, Randy Markel, Bart. O 'Mara, J ohnny Penhall, Bruce Polen, Doug Baker, Steve Mikkola, Heikki Morehead, Steve: Smith, Marty Tripes, Marty Van Leeuwen, Skip Weinert, Jimmy Aksla nd, Skip Barnett, Mark Gardner, Wayne three or more covers 9 Hansen, Donnie 9 Jones, Gary 9 Matiasevich, Jeff . . : 8 Singleton, Dale 8 Smith, Dan 8 Smith, Malcolm 8 White, Ralph 8 Coppage, Dusty 8 Cunningham, Terry 7 DeSoto, John 7 Domokos, Doug 7 DuHamel, Yvon 7 Ellis, Jim 7 Geboers, Eric 7 Grossi , Bob 7 Hart, Tim 7 Jones, Ronnie 6 Knievel , Evel 6 Lechien, Ron 6 Merkel, Fred 6 Mosier, Gay lon 6 Pomeroy, Jim 6 Rice, Jim 6 Roberts, JN 5 Russell, Scott 5 Scott, Hank 5 Sun, Chuck Woods , Rick 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 .4 4 .4 4 4 .4 .4 .4 4 .4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 .4 .4 .4 , .4 Aberg , Bengt Bailey, Gary Beauchamp, Rex Boody, Ted Cathcart, Alan Cecotto, Johnny Cooley, Wes ' Cooper, Guy Croft, Tommy Fish , Sue Goss, Randy Hately, John Hines, Kevin Jorgensen, Alex Kiedrowski, Mike Kocinski, John Mauger, Ivan Moran, Shawn Nix, Fred Pal mgren, Chuck Poovey, Terry Rockwood, Tommy Schreiber, Bern ie Schwartz, Bobby Tanner, Sammy Vesco, Don Wise, Steve Wolsink, Gerrit , 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3