Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Cill1rn~ VOICES America's weekly motorcycle newspaper LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Volume XXXV Sharon Clayton, Presi ent d Michael Klinger, Publi her s Editorial Paul Carruthers, Editor Kit Palmer, AssociateEditor Scott Rousseau, Associate Editor Mark Hoyer, Managing Editor Keith Bush. Assistant Editor/COT!)! Editor Cameron Coatney, Associate Editor Alan Cathcart, European Editor David R. Holther, Copy Editor Godspeed, Ricky G. We all know that Rick y lived a ve ry troubled life . Ricky co ns ta ntly fought his alcohol addiction. It was something he fought eve ry sing le day of his life. He had his good days, and then there we re the bad days, too . Over the past few days I, as I am sure many of you, have tried to co me to terms not on lv with his troubles bu t wit h such a tragic end to his short life. I have come to the con clusion that Ricky's problems wer e much more com ple x tha n just his addictions. I think that Ricky's hardest challenge in life was just having to deal with everyday living. Ricky was a free spiri t an d could never conform to jus t livi ng from day to da y. All the ago ny that he end ured was a resu lt of the dif ficulty he . had jus t tryi ng to go about w ith th e d aily routines. Ricky Graham a t a race track wa s an en tire ly different story . There is no d ou bt that racing was his d est iny, and he crea te d exci te men t every time he raced. Ricky co u ld d o thi ngs o n a motorcycle that no one else could . Ricky was undoub tedly one of th e g rea test d irt tra ckers who eve r lived. How man y legends d o yo u know tha t ca me ba ck after so man y yea rs of lim ited competition - an d from rock bo tto m - and won a cha mpions hip? Not " only di d he wi n the cha m pionship , he d omin at ed th e dirt track series in 1993, se tting several recor ds a long the way. Those records mayor may not be broken , but the legacy of Ricky Graham w ill live foreve r! In clos ing, I wou ld like to end on a mor e person al not e. Ricky u sed to be hu mo red by the Sou thern sayi ngs that I woul d co me up with. Iron icall y, tw o sayings which stuck over the years, and th a t we were co nstan tly u s in g, were "It' ll be fine" an d"Answer to the call." We ll, if there is any comfort th at I can find in this tragic end, it is that God has fin ally released the free spiri t in Ricky Gra ham. And now, for Ricky, "It' ll be fine, for yo u ha ve answered yo ur final call, and you no longer have to fight. " Sarah Irby Goad USC Racing Petersburg, VA This letter was read by Sarah Irby Goad on behalf of her husband , JOhnny Goad, a nd Grahilm's longt ime friend, Danny Mallatt i, at Graham's memorial serv ice on January 27... Editor Whe n Ricky Gra ha m was competing on the Gra nd Na tional circuit, I was a hap- IN ID S E Issue #5 Februa Advertising Terry Pratt, National Accounts Manager Mark Mitchell. Eastern Accounts Mannger Mark Thome, Western Sale Manager « Thomas Ge nt er, Western Sales Manager Forrest Hayashi. Western SalesManager Creg Mitchell, Eastern SalesManager Rick Matheny, Eastern Sales Manager RhondaCrawford, Western Ad Coordinator Bridgett Bobrofs ky, Assistant Carla Allen, Eastern Ad Coordinator Tina Farr , Assistant p ier man . Wh en he w as hurt or sidelin ed , I d id n o t loo k fo rward to my Cycle News coverage as ent husiastically. His blitz of the comp etitio n in 1993 was a thorou ghl y enjoya ble yea r in my life. I was a nx io us to tell h im all th ese th in g s o ne day when we talk ed in Michigan. He thanked me, bu t looked a t I1;Iy wife a nd tw o little girls a nd sai d, 'Til trad e you all my success for what you have ther e - yo u're the lucky one ." When I saw the sad ness in his eyes that d ay, I was compeIled to try and help give him back some of the happiness he had given me, and began to wo rk with him to improve his Dirt Track University . We ha d secured tw o d a tes on th e East Coast. Du ri ng a recen t conversation, he s u d den ly asked me, "Wh y are you d oing this for me?" I couldn' t thi nk of a ny th ing clever bu t to say, 'Td like to make you h app ier." He said tha t he would like tha t. He was excite d about the comi ng year, an d the future of the un iv ersit ies . H e soun ded ha ppy , becau se, as he sai d, "I' ve 'su rro u nd ed myself wi th frien d s that care abo ut me." The n we sa id goo dbye . I h o p e h e kn ew h o w many o f u s there we re. Bill Allen Mertztown, PA Ricky Gra ha m will be missed by all. He wa s a g re a t co m petitor a nd loved to give his time off track to his fans. Of all the things that he had ove rcome in the pas t, to have suc h a tragi c event ta ke him away is almos t un believable. Th an ks, Ricky, for the great mem ories. Bill Keys San Lean dro, CA Well, it s ta rted ou t as a grea t week . I had recei ved a p ho ne ca ll fro m Rick y Gra ha m. What a thriIl for me, bein g one of the bigg est Gra ham fans around. We talked abo ut our (Pistol Racing) offer to be one of Ricky's person al sponsors. He could n't believe that a grou p of his fans wo uld wa nt to put some mon ey behind him, but we just wanted to help him get that number -on e pl at e back . H e was thrilled, and thanked me for th e offe r. That was January 20th. This is January 27th, and what a differ ence a week can make. I sit here at home o n th e day of Rick y' s memo rial service, lookin g at the Cycle News cover with Rickv 's 1993 "Rider of the Year" cover, which he autogra phed for me at the Minnesota Mile. What else can I say? Our hearts go out to his fam ily a nd to the"rest of his fans worldwide. Ricky will always be ou r nu mber-o ne rider, th ree-time AMA Cha mpion, Rid er of the Year, friend , and Mr . Sp ringfie ld . Thanks, Ricky . Steve L. Erickso n Fari bau lt, MN Lette rs to the editor should be sent to Voices, CyeIe News, P.O. Box 5084, Costa Mes a, CA 92628-5084, faxed to 714/7516685 or e-maily ed itorfscyclenews.com. Pu blis h ed le tt ers do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News , In c. Lellers should not exceed 200 word s and all lellers are sub ject to editing. Anonymous lett ers will no t be con sid ered for pu blicatio n. All letters should contain the writer's n ame, address and d aytim e pho ne number ... Edit or, Classified Ads Cherie Collie Graphics and Production ReeJohnson, Production Supervi or s Mandy 1.00, ProductionManager Dennis Greene, LAb. Tech. Amanda Wollny, Graphic Artist Robyn Light, GraphicArtist Admin istration Judy Klinger, Coordinator Leanne Sims , Administrative A. . is/ant Accounti nglData Processing . Donna Bryan-Diamond, A/R Coordinator Geneva Repas s, As sistant Theresa Milburn, Credit Circul ation Alma Anguiano, ProCL'Ssing Coordinator Carol Maggio, DC11/er Coordinator Keshona Dawson, Billing Coordinator Service and Support Shannon Clark, Receptionist Jim Olson. ServicemIdSupport National Headquarters 3505-M CadiJIac Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 P.O. Box 5084, Costa Mesa, CA 92628-5084 (714) 751-7433 . FAX (714) 751-6685 ~stem Office 4188 First Ave., Tucker, GA 30084 P.O. Box 805, Tucker, GA 30085-0805 (770) 934-7850 FAX (770) 934-3112 e-m ail editor@cyclenews.com . subscribe@cyclenews .com advertising@cyclenew s.com CycleNews (USPS141-340) is published weekly exce the . pt last two week of the calendar yl',u for S50.ooper vear by .s Cycle Nt'",'S,Inc, ~M CadillacAvenue, Costa M CA esa, 92628 Periodicals Postage Paid at Costa Mesa. CA and at . additional mailing office. Canada p(P.S), $19.00.Canada and Foreign, one ye.1T (SO i..sues), $90.00; two ... vears (100issues), 5175. 0;six months (25 issue , $45.00; trial 0 s) sub 115issues), $38.00. EVENTS 18 HARE & HOUND Round 1 - AMA National Cha mpionship Hare & Hound Series from Lucern e Valley, California 22 26 CALENDAR .37 RESULTS 12 16 .42 NEW PROOUCTS .42 WANT AOS 42 ONTHEFRONT COVER ACROSSTHE ATLANTIC 60 LOOKING BACK 60 Bust ou t you r shades, it's Pro ject Royal Sta r. See page 8. Ph ot o by Paul Carruthers. " Cycle News welcomes un...elicited editor ia mater ial including . l stork'S,cartoons, photos , etc. Such man-rial, if publishe d, becomes the exclus..ive proper'l'}' of Cycle News. Reprinting in whole or part only by permission of the publisher. Advertising rates and circulation information willbesent upon request. See S.R.O.5. W/B0'A 'VI -!""~ AUDITED CIRCULATION Printed in U .S.A . COl?yrightc Cycle News, Inc.1998. Trademark Cycle News registered US. Patent Office.All rights reserved. 3

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