Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

---- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - -':1·f'Y~~'re . in·~h!it;s;e~if;go~g c;~ iri~~di~~:~orig; ;~ti·ta~ t~·p~ie interested . . wh ose .jobs .revolve ~rollnq the spo rt. ·After: all,.if y out.Iiyelihood. dependsup~m · the .success of supercross, yo u .tend to takeit pretty:sen ou sly'.These people have access tobehind-the-scenes Inform ation -arid .they've 'spen t years traveling to every: · .rQ~d on.the circuit-They care abo u t su perc;ross and: ha ve examinedit.closely, look" ing for both strengths and we~kn~ses: .. . '.' . '. . . . ' . . .' . ..... . ' . :' '. · . Wha t's so great about stadium racing? What's wrong with supercross? Those are ·the twoquestions we 'a sked of the industry Insiders.'Here's what they had tosay,i, .., '.: : Dave Arnold " Honda Team Manager··· · ' ..' : : .: ..' :- '::- ': ' : , . '."Supe rcross is still gTowfug, ·which is good to see: Riders' licenses 'are .UP. and ' m\?re spectatorsare showing up. Theexposureisalsoincreasing, I think:We're . · goin g into.new ci.tie$~ an d .newer." enties within. those cities: Sponsors from .outside the industry are .co~ing into the sport, .whim. Will hopefully he lp everyone,' from '. .factory riders to privateers.Anotherthirigto rememberis that these.ridersare the. . absolute best in th e world, the fans are seeingthetop talent. The series.itselfis' · probablypartlyresponsible for fh.at talen t, because it's so competitive. " : '... ,:, ,: •.- . . . . , .:."We've al readyidentified theareasforimprovemen t, an d are working onthem. Obvi ouslythemain priority.shouldbetolocate a ne w' series sponsor; butwealso ·need todo more't o help 'the riders, and not j ust those With a factory .ride.L think tha t i f someone.isable to make ai:nam eve n t, an dthe}ire going jo the expense of travel-.· iog the .circuitythen theyshould be .able:hi ·rriake a living racing. The scheduling couldalsouse some .work.but I'know that 's 'd ifficult .becauseof football. It can' be ' expens ive fla t .unsafe · ~ :for .the priva tee rs to drlvetoall therounds, unless , they' ni inde pendentlyrich. On e ~nal area:t:rult'could usesome ~or~' is track design . · andmaint enance. Thedesigners sho uldwork On making' mul tiple .lines, which. . .wouldbenefitthe fansby·. proyiding closeracing-Also, people.shouldbe outthere. .working orr the course during.intermission, like they doinIapan," :. :: ' .•. . ..":' , .....', Gu y c:ooper ;;Fom\erl25cf:lNationaIM~ ·Champion · . ·: · : . : -;, « .'.. ...:.":;. >: ' . : •' . : # Asa' veteran, I'~ bee[l ~vol~~d . in. ~Up,erCfoS~: for a l<:lt of years, 'aii~' !he~ne : thing that ypu can alwayscount on Istheracing. Supercross IS fun \0 watch; and .It'S . · funfor the rid ers, Even.ifsomeone pullsawayandwins.easily, there's still plenty.of . .·racing back in th.epack. 1J1al has .rieve~ Changed 'o ve r the years. · ." . :. . .. " .. .. ...•. · · · ·~'Everyone. talks abO.ut getting more .Tv.coverage, b ut it seems Iikeit's .more of a dreamthan a gOaV,Wolildn~ttha t be great if. we .got live coverage?' Weil l think : : : . .. . ;'. ' ., :. ': , '. ' we' ve talked about it.for long en ough.J came .into the sport 12 · . yearsago, and they were. talking abouti tthen. Ws poS§ible, : .; because when you go to' Europe we 're racing .in these small : sta diums; but they've gotsatellites.set up arid are broadcast...ing·it IiYe:.If every one could justgettogetherand work onit, ' -that would help the spo rt a lot:' , .... , ..... '.' -:-; .. . . .:,: .' Bevo Forti. Scott USA Technical Support ' · . '.' "The brightthingabout '.su p~rcioss ·iS its popularity: The . : crowdskeep gettingbiggec.and it bringspeople into thesta· ,d iu mS that.w ou ldn't go stand on an ou tdoor track. The pro- . . me ters are 'd oing a good job of p utting.on .more of a show , by ' . doi ng things with the opening ceremonies and in termissions. . ". :" There' are negatives ; but I think the pr omote rs have ,ide n" " tifi:ed the~ anti are. wod:, excifemen t.and puts it in a com pact place:It onl y takes it ·short. ': . amo.u rit o f ~ ine; !lnd it's .in an en,viro,rirrie!lt.w here:yci.u can · . bring yo udamily;i\Is6, ,jue to the in)portance of the sp orti it ·, . brings in .moremoney ·thari:the:Na tionais. Beca use.i t's o~ TV; ·: :sponso rs tend ~o give it ~oi'e atte ,:\tion, sO . t~e continge~cies ·. · " ou tweigh \Vhat .sav;iilabl.e 0!J td~rs., . . : :.:: ' . .-' . .:..:Thet e' s hot .m.u~ .tha t's :nega tive. apou Ut, bl!t of co.urse · .:. there's :always T9arri for 'imp rovemen t. rm ha p py !o ·see. the . .......... -.. ... . .. p.iomot~ .w? rkinif together to ·ma.k e the ·even ts mQre :consisc, rt~~!it~~ tent. ft's' getting.so tha t the p ress da~ and eVerything else ar e · >1: : the saine at each of the rou nds we go to, ~ you ·.know ·wlia t to: :: . ' . . :. ' exp~l:' Tha t's where we needed. the' most work,-and th at 's where .the promo terS to beJocuslng theifatten tion: .· .:: ·. ' . " .: " £ Oille;. to: m,!r~et.ing .the 'spo rt; and ,,' : · ,~'I think .we fall wa y short when 1 .C ': dra\vilig 'attentiqn fu it. ThiS is thebiggeSt .area for improvemen~. The m an~·. ":·· facturer:s ai e·putting in all they Can . from the .insia e, ·and .the pr omoting . . u :, .group has Cainel and <:oo.rs·h elp ing on their ~nd . .If ~e C Qu!d do 'a.l:>etter ,. jobof~ rk~tilig the.spon, it .wOl;lld help~ iu.tdallow.us:to p!:'tJrl~~~a~~i T~~.;,'M a~~;; ': . ~:" :.:~.'; ~ . ., '.:' .. ' . .. :. : ':':::,;.: ':: 0..::. . :; ' . .'-:'Supercross' is' the high eSt end of the s.port'of motocross. The N,ationa ls . '. 'are alSo gteat; but s u perci;osi.has the 'mos t entertalnrrient, an d it 's al1'con~ ·,..tafuE!!i in ';·stadiUJ!i wJ:1ei-eJt's easy.to·.w.a tch;You: d~n!t have to tre out h" K : · the boomes, bec;au~ theYr~ ·r acing rjght there in ~e mid d le of the city. . . : ' .. ·..There are d raw.backs; but it's no t as if pf!Ople.aren't:w orking on them: If : you lOOKat su~rcrOss jnt he s cheme of wodd sportil; p'oople' do.n't consider · · it as .l\eriously as golforterinis. :ro bring it uplo th

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