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/127834
VOICES America.s weeldy motorcycle newspaper LETTERS TO THEEDfTOR Volume XXXIV Sharon Clayton, President Michael Klinger, Publisher Editorial Paul Carruthers, Editor Kit Palmer, Associote Editor Scott Rousseau, Associate Editor Mark Hoyer, Managing Editor Keith Bush, Ass;,;tant EditorlC0T!JI Editor Cameron Coatney, Assistant EdItor Alan Cathcart, European Editor Advertising Terry Pratt, National Accounts Manager Mark MitcheU, Eastern Accounts Manager Mark Thome, Western Sales Manager Thomas Gonter, Western Sales Manager Forrest Hayashi, Western Sales Manager Greg MitcheU, Eastern Sales Manager Rick Matheny, Eastern Sales Manager Rhonda Crawford, Western Ad Coordinator Bridgett Bobrofsky, Assistant Carla Allen, Enstern Ad Coordinator Tina FaIT, Ass;,;tant Marketing & Promotion Mark Thome, Director Forrest Hayashi, Manager New Media Development Mark Mitchell, Director Rick Matheny, Webmaster Robert McTigue, Production manager Classified Ads Laurie Torstensen Graphics and Production Ree Johnson, Production Supervisor Mandy Loa, Prodllf:tion Manager Dennis Greene, lAb. Tech. Stacey Guest, Graphic Art;,;t Vance Lanoy, Graphic Artist Administration Judy Klinger, Coordinator Leanne Sims, Administrative Assistant Gratitude I wanted to express my gratitude to everyone who had called and sent cards after my crash at Daytona. With the loss of Roger Reiman, it has been hard to think of my broken leg as anything but a trivial injury, but I do appreciate people thinking of me. The leg will heal in time, but let's not ever forget Roger's grea tness as both a racer and a man. Godspeed, old friend. Don Emde Laguna Niguel, CA Fair dinkum I thoroughly enjoyed the article about the Hunwick Hallam motorcycles. lt was wonderful to learn about the men and their task of building Ulese revolutionary motorcycles from the ground up. It is great to know that there are still people capable of starting with a clean slate and a huge imagination and producing a real, functional product. These bikes break all barriers set forth in the world of cookie-cutler cruisers and sportbikes that have inundated us. I pnly hope I can twist the throttle on one of these bikes someday soon. Mel Patten Laguna Hills, CA ESPN2live 4188 First Ave., Tucker, GA 30084; mailing address P.O. Box 805, After viewing the live coverage of the Daytona 200 AMA Superbike race on Sunday, March 10, and being in the production business as well, I can't help but write this letter to express my professional opinion on the unprofessional commentated coverage. Ii I am not mistaken, Nick Ienatsch made several disrespectful and discrediting comments about a sport one would think he is out to promote. I did not record the program, therefore r am unable to ql.lote verbatim, but if memory serves me correctly he quipped about a lapped rider: "That guy just fell off the stupid tree and hit every dumb branch on the way down." Another moment involved a lapped/lead-rider situation and he said he should have "checked his Pampers after that one." And the final comment was about the rider who crashed and was referred to as a "quick (770) 934-7850. FPC( (770) 934-3112 amateur." AccountingIData Processing Donna Bryan-Diamond, AIR Coordinator Geneva Repass, Ass;,;tant Herlane Lewis, Credit. Circulation Rheba Smith, Manager Alma Anguiano, Process;'lg Coordinator Keshona Dawson, Billing Coordinator Carol Maggio, Dealer Coordinator Service and Support Susan Moreno, Receptionist Michael Swedberg, Service and Support National Headquarters 2201 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, CA 90806, P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, CA 90801-0498 (562) 427-7433; (213) 636-8844. FPC( (562)427-6685 Eastern Office Tucker, GA 30085-0805. I feel his commentating discredited both the officials and the participants, and made it look like the AMA lets every Tom, Dick and Harry race when actually they all qualified and were pregridded by the AMA for the event. I work on a show for ABC called Vital Signs. If our host/commentator ever made comments like that we would all be packing our desks and sending out resumes - knowing we would be in the unemployment line in no time flat. Kim Kantner Santa Monica, CA e-mail Thanks ESPN I would like to thank ESP for airing the Daytona 200 road race. It must have been tough to squeeze it in with all the other racing going on. Hopefully, next year Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons are free to work. The main reason I'm writing is to apologize to the first-time viewers of a grea t motorcycle ·race. Please don't base your opinions of all riders on one who is an idiot. While Scott Russell did win the race (on a bike Barney Fife could win on), he embarrassed the motorcycle community by continually waving his IQ at some riders when he passed. Everyone knows the riders are going to lap people, but doing it with horsepower doesn't impress anyone. All riders deserve some respect out there. Roger Reiman would have shown respect to them. Please, Scott, change your nationality to French - it's where you belong. R. Vanderpool Tustin,CA Godspeed,Ray On March 12, motorcycle racing, the motorcycle world and r, lost a good friend. Ray Hensley has been a huge supporter of American dirt track racing, almost since its conception. Whether you know his work as Sonicweld, or Trackmaster, Ray's frames willliv'e on throughout dirt track history. Th~re are few men who started out so long ago working to help riders and are still at it today. Ray was one of those few very special men. r will miss him dearly. I would like to thank Neil Keen, Dennis Mahan, Charlie Southgate, Gene Romero, Tim Stancill, John Penner, Jim McMurren, Butch Cochran, Chuck Palmgren, Bob Bakker, Gordon Menzie, and the rest of Ray's family and friends for calling and visiting him so often in those last few weeks. It meant everything to Ray. It always brought a heartfelt tear to his eye and a break in his voice when we would talk about it. Thank you all so very much for helping him feel so very special. He was a very, very proud man and he was especially proud to be leaving his Trackmaster frame legacy to his son Steve, who has been working with him the past few years learning the trade. Together they have made a number of jigs for the most popular engines so that Steve could carryon the name. . That was Ray's last contribution to the motorcycle world - a world he loved as much as life itself. I am proud to have known Ray and I am a better person for it. He lives on in my heart as one of my great heroes, and a truly great friend. We all love you and miss you, Ray. Gary Davis Woodland Hills, CA Go, Aussie, go I just read the artide on the Hunwick Hallam Aussie bike. Wow! It's kind of a cross between a Britten, V-Max, Monster and Buell. The design team has the attitude of a man after a divorce. r love it. I know I won't be able to afford one, but tJoIanks for showing me the stuff dreams are made of. Snake Ewell Monroe Bridge, MA Letters to the editor should be sent to Voices, Cycle News, P.O, Box 498, Long Beach, CA 90806-0498, faxed to 56214276685 or e-mail.editor@cyclenews.com. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News, Inc. Letters should not exceed 200 words and all letters an subject to editing. Anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. All letters should contain the writer's name, address and daytime phone number ... Editor, .t,:",:V editor@cyclenews.com subscribe@cycJenews.com advertising@cyclenews.com ,-;':: '. .' ..:.-,-:.~ -....:t Internet http://www.cyclenews.com Cycle OW> (USPS 141·340) ~ published weekly except the last tWQ weeks of the calendar year for $50.00 per rea! by Cycle ews, Inc.. 2201 Cherry Avenue. Long CA 90806. Penodicals Postage Paid at Long Beach. CA and at additiONI mailing office. Canada Post international Publications Mail eeach. '5466IS. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cycle NewS,. P.O. Box 498, Long Buch. CA 908O1-()498. To determine the expiration ~te of your subscription, ChKk the four numbus on the: first line of your ~ label. The first two digits indicate the lut issue number you'll rueive and the: lut two dwacters indiate the year of the last issue. Subscription rates: Rates for the UnitecfStates and 'its'"posses-sions for one year, (50 issues), $50.00; two years (100 issues), $95.00; six months, (25 issues), S26.OO; trial sub (15 issues), $19.00. Canada and Foreign, one year (SO issues), S90.00; two years (100 issues), $175.00; six months (25 issues), $45.00; trial sub (15 issues), 538.00. Cycle News wclcomes unsolicited edito~al ~teri~1 including stories, cartoons, photos, ctc. Such matcnal. if published, becomes the exclusive property of Cycle News. Reprinting in whole or part only by permission of the publisher. Advertising rates and circulation infonnation will be sent upon ""lues.. See S.R.DS. W!!P.! ~~TION FEATURES INTERVIEW Damon Bradshaw SUPERCROSS Round 10 - AMA Supercross Series from Orlando, Florida 6 500, 250, and 12Sec World MX updates SPEEDWAY Coors Light Spring Classic from Costa Mesa, California World Cup Indoor Trials reports .... 14 FEATURE 16 PREVIEW Printed in U.S.A. c,,\,yrishto Cyd. N..... 1Il~ 1997. Tradomuk Cyd. N.... ~ u.s. Potent Office. All rights ......ocf: World Championship Road Racing Series .26 l0 OBSERVED TRIALS A statistical look at GP racing CROSS COUNTRY Round 3 - AMA Grand National Cross Country Series from Sou th Carolina MOTOCROSS 22 18 28 . DEPARTMENTS EVENTS LEADERBOARD CALENDAR WANT ADS , RACER X...•....................................., LOOKING BACK .32 43 ON THE FRONT COVER 46 51 67 67 Team Yamaha's Ezra Lusk (11) charged to the front of the pack and captured his first 250cc supercross win, at the Gtrus Bowl in Florida. See page 6. Photo by Kinney Jones.