Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

: IN ::. Sy $cottRousSeau . . THEJAPES . : ajor league baseball has one, the National Hockey League has one. AMA Grand National dirt track racing needs one. One what? A traveling, professional farm system. I'd like to propose such a class right now. In the good old days prior to the introduction of the Harley-Davidson 883cc class, such a mechanism used to be in place for aspiring Grand National riders. It was called the Junior National Championship, and it allowed riders with skill levels exceeding the Pro-Am level but below the Grand National grade a chance to ride the various National tracks on either choked 750s or unrestricted 600s. The objective was to learn the various tracks with the intent toward making the transition to the Grand National ranks. But when the AMA dropped the Junior class in favor of the HarleyDavidson 883 National class, I believe that a crucial link was lost. I think that the Junior system was flawed both in its rigid structure and its engine formula, but that's another matter entirely, and one that this new class would resolve. Believe me, I'm not here to slag the 883 class. I have seen some good racing in the series this year. More importantly, I have seen Pro-AIDs al\d Grand National riders dicing it out on 883s with positive results. I do not want to see the 883 class become extinct; it is a viable class that can produce some good racing. The best attribute that I believe the class offers lies in its eligibility requirements; the class is open to all riders from the Pro-Am level on up to Grand National Champions of no less than five years ago. HarleyDavidson proponents, please go back and read that paragraph again. I do, however, have a couple of concerns with the 883s. Namely that they are heavy and slow, run on street tires, and are arguably barely adequate to safely negotiate a half mile or mile oval. Frankly, I don't think that they are the best available equipment for a National support class. An even bigger concern with the 883cc class, though, lies more with the fact that in the three years the 883 class has existed, I have not yet seen anyone make the transition from the 883 class to the Grand National arena, and that concerns me. M That's why I would like to propose a new class that would be national in the sense that followed the Grand National tour. You could call it the Support, Junior or National class. Call it whatever you want. But the idea behind this class would once again be toward luring the prospective rider into the Grand National theater. Thus, the class would never be an end unto itself. Logistics could be kept as simple as possible. Here again, the 883 class has made total sense. Thus our new class would follow the same program format. allowed to defend his title for only one year. Regardless of his finish, he would be forced to move out of the 600cc Support class and onto a 750 in the Grand National class. If you don't win it, you can stay in the class forever. But once you're the champ, you've got one more chance to do it again. Now I can already hear the argument against that idea. After all, if a guy wins the title, what kind of reward is it to be forced out and have to buy a 750? That would be too expensive, right? But remember, that's what this class would It would utilize the same scratch or qualifying heats, followed by a few semis and a 12 or 15-lap main event. The purse could be $5000, same as the 883s. As for the right machinery? Well, after witnessing the Oklahoma Oty Half Mile, I think that the logical choice would be the 600s. I don't understand how these bikes have failed to catch fire as a viable farm class. Opponents argue that the big singles cost far too much. I say, hey, racing is expensive. And the 6005 are true race bikes, offering a much better power-to-weight ratio. They also offer better reliability than an 883, making the expense about the same. A quick scan of the Cycle News Want Ads each week will usually reveal several 600s for sale at prices ranging from $4500 on up. Brand new ones can be had for $10,000. Back to eligibility, the one stipulation that I want to make is that I would like to see the winner of the series be be for, SO I have that covered. Instead of money, the prize for winning the series title in this particular class would be a brand new Harley-Davidson XR750, or Honda or whatever. And a good one at that - say, a Kenny Tolbert-built or Bill Werner-built, or whatever, as long as the quality of the equipment was respectable and a good starting point. Remember, our potential champion could win this series twice, wind up with two 750s and still have his 600 for the odd 600cc GNC race. What he did from there is his own business. Hopefully, he would move up, that's why he'd be in the class in the first place. The rest of the series finishers could share in a points fund. As with everything else, the class would need a good outside sponsor to make it happen correctly. Maybe I'm overly optimistic, but I believe that such doors are about to open at the Grand National level right now. If you subscribe to the trickle own theory of economics, the new class has a chance. And maybe that's all that is keeping many riders from attempting to make it to the Grand National class today - a decent, clearcut chance. This class would certainly give it to them. Would this class replace the HarleyDavidson 883 class? I don't think that it would, because I believe that there are several riders currently running in the 883 class who do not wish to contest the 750cc class. They would still need a place to ride, so the 883 National class should be left alone to exist as it has for the past three years. Instead, I propose taking the Grand National schedule and dividing it equally so that both classes could run during the course of the year. I think it would be easy enough to do. The AMA would just have to be a little strategic. For example, you wouldn't want to run the 883s at Peoria or the 600s at Rapid City (Sturgis). Even Harley-Davidson might appreciate that, because its financial burden would be lightened somewhat. Fewer races, fewer purses. So, why am I proposing this new system at all? It should be pretty obvious: I like dirt track racing, and I want to see it grow. I think that with this system, it will grow better and faster, and we can look forward to seeing more close racing with more new faces than ever before. You know, eVE:ry year the AMA Grand National series benefits from the emergence of a future Chris Carr or Scott Parker. Witness Mike Hacker, Kevin Varnes, Kenny Coolbeth, Steve Beattie, et al. But I can't help thinking that somewhere out there are several more Chris Carrs and Scott Parkers who have fallen short of the Grand National class because of a lack of incentive, or money. That's a waste. Well that's it. For those of you who are interested in such a system, I'd love to hear your ideas. Maybe together we could fine tune the idea and pitch something that the AMA and a potential sponsor would find very appealing. Then again, maybe you think I'm full of crap, and you can tell me that too. Please don't, though, I hear that enough from my fellow editors already. See you at the races. eN 1·~OOKINGB.ACK~.i 25 YEARS AGO... AUGUST 18,1970 he brothers Bast slid across the cover of 25 years past, Mike Bast leading his teenage brother Steve Bast, who left a week later to become a member of the Wimberly Lions Speedway ~~~~~:::=::::::JI racing team in England... the headline "Road Race Records Smashed" that blazed across the top of the cover referred to the AFM-sponsored Orange County International Speedway road race, during which track records were broken in the 250cc, 350cc, and 500cc grand prix races. Jady Nicholas, Art Baumann, and Ron Pierce were the riders responsible for the breaks, and while Pierce took the 350cc class win, Nicholas picked up victories in both the 250cc and 500cc classes...National Champion Mert Lawwill went to Ascot looking for a second flat track win, but after a fan- T I'" ilM tastic high-side returned to the pits to lap as Roberts, experience prevailed as 5YEARS AGO... watch a series of misfortunes befall his Roberts said goodbye to Spencer with a AUGUST 8, 1990 fellow riders, Mark Brelsford surviving 13-second lead to victory... In what was N 0 t content with back-to-back to claim the victory ...short track, hillcalled "one of the biggest upsets" of Camel Supercross Championship climb and half-mile were the buzz short track National competition, 18titles, Jeff Stanton grabbed an words at Sturgis, South Dakota, as thouyear-old Scott Parker held off the merciadditional back-to-back title in the 250 sands of spectators from across the less challenges of veterans Steve MX Series with his second-place finish country poured into the Eklund, Terry Poovey and Randy Goss f f th small town to watch Dick ~~~~P\'~~;'::to score a win. Scott Pearson to winner Jef Ward...In round 100 e World Championship Road Race Series Mann, Rich Holly, Steve earned victory the next day as Goss at La Mans, France, Kevin Schwantz Nichols and Neil Keen combined a second- and third-place won his fourth 500cc Grand Prix of the emerge with victories in finish to move into season, 2.4 seconds ahead of Australian their respective classes. the points lead ... An 1;r7;,Jl~rT~~_·Wayne G ar d ear os C ar d us l nero American/Kiwi match aboard a ~E~~~Wi~~i~: emerged the victor in the 250cc race, i; and Dutchman Hans Spaan won the 15 YEARS AGO... Yoshimura Suzuki 125cc...Otris Carr won the Du Quoin GSI000R proved to mile in round nine of the AMA AUGUST 13, 1980 be the winning comGrand National but walked away nly a kid has the bination as American with nothing but the first-place gall to challenge a Wes Cooley and money _ the race was red-flagged after king, and that's -~~~ New Zealander two laps due to rain, and no points exactly what Freddie Spencer Graeme Crosby won were awarded ...Jeremy McGrath ("The Kid") had in mind for Kenny Japan's Suzuka 8worked his way up from a seventhRoberts ("The King") during round 17 Hour World Champirow start to claim his fourth Ultracross of the AMA Grand National Championship Endurance win of the season as a Kawasaki Team onship at Laguna Seca. The pair ran race, 40 seconds Green rider at the Off-Road Champiaway from the rest of the riders, and ahead of second-place finishers Eddie onship Grand Prix in the Los Angeles although Spencer was at times the only Lawson and Gregg Hansford. Memorial Coliseum. one who managed to stay on the same O

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