Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

And the four-stroke rule? This will be interesting. The manufacturers, who pay for some of this racing, want to race with technology that can be filtered down to their street bikes. Okay, I don't have a problem with that. All the facto'ries have to race to win market share, but newer and stricter emissions requirements are .costing them millions of dollars as well. It's becoming harder and harder to justify spending money on a technology that can't be used to better the company's bottom line. Personally, I can't wait for this new fourstroke technology to be filtered down right into my garage. Andy Spiegel spiegan@home.com Willow vs. Long Beach Is it just me, or ~ anyone else in Southern California pissed off that the AMA and/or Willow Springs Raceway decided to schedule the AMA Superbike round at Willow on the same day as the Long Beach Grand Prix? I am not just a motorcycle-racing fan, b\lt a motorsports fan, and I am now forced to choose between the two venues. Since I have been supporting the Long Beach Grand Prix for 25 years, I guess I'll be going there. Why. would the AMA allow this scheduling conflict? Aren't they trying to re-establish road racing interest in the Los Angeles area? Last year, when the AMA took the Superbike race away from that parking lot in Pomona, it was great and the race itself was very exciting. But rather than build on that success, the AMA risks creating a smaller audience by forcing fans like myself to clloose between two races. • r was really looking forward to attending this year's race at Willow Springs after last year, and I'm really disappointed. It seems that yet again the AMA is shooting road racing in the foot here, and r cannot understand Why laguna Seca or the Sonoma round weren't flip-flopped -to avoid this conflict. It will be interesting to see how this affects attendance at the Willow Springs round. Carl Dubliclay Santa Monica, CA Isn't it great Sometimes I don't realize how great our sport is, and I am sure there are many others who forget as well. It took my girlfriend, Thessa (a huge hockey fan), to remind me that motocross may just be ilie best sport in the world. In what other sport is almost every person and professional rider both approachable and friendly? Yet you see it throughout the motorcycling community. During the recent Pontiac Supercross, Thessa couldn't believe the generosity shown by the riders. She's never known a hockey or football player who was as approachable as a motocross racer. Also, if you want a poster of your favorite athlete, you have to be prepared to pay for it. Thessa was excited to meet the Honda riders, as she already established that Ezra Lusk was her favorite racer. Thessa and I attended an autograph session at a local dealership prior to the race, and Team Honda and Team FMF Honda were there. Lusk and team advisor Jeff Stanton gladly posed for pictures with both of us, and Bob Moore also helped out. I just wanted to thank them for their generous gestures. It really means a lot to both a veteran fan and a newcomer to the sport. Because of how she was treated that night and the excitement of the PACE Supercross, Thessa has fallen in love wi tll the sport and says it beats even hockey. Now she wants to.go to Las Vegas to see them race again. Thank you to aU the riders for their hospitality at the races. I ask every fan that next time they see Ezra Lusk, Jeremy McGrath, Miguel DuHamel, Scott Summers, Scott Parker, or any rider, to just say thanks. Bryan Peckinpaugh motoduro@Worldnet.att.net. Still not fair I am writing in reference to your coverage of the Grand Prix races in Europe. I have read and bought your magazines for years because my husband, Mike Brown, races. I really don't like to complain, but after reading your update of round two in Italy, I am really upset.. lf you guys . were actually at the races and knew what really happened, it might make a difference. Mike has never gotten a positive review from your magazine. Every time you report on how he rode, you have to put some kind of negative response in as welL You wrote about how Ryan Hughes crashed but still managed a good finish, then you write about Mike having a 3-3 finish but bemg well behind the leaders. If you had your facts straight, you would have known tha t there was a pileup on the start in z o Ul z i: , 8 o r 1;5 ;i i:i .~ r Mike Brown is contesting the 125cc World Championship in 1999. which Mike was held up and (he still) wo,:ked his way up to third. Mike is one of most dedicated riders out there, and I'm tired of the bad press he gets. You guys give all the credit to the same people every week whether they did good or not. For the past six years, I saved three articles from your magazine because they actually had something nice to say about how Mike rode and his finishes. This may not mean a lot to whoever reads this, but I've spent a lot of money on your magazines over the years and I would just like to see some of the other riders get the credit they deserve. Missy Brown mbrown2121@aoLcom Still flat-track hungry What happened to Emerald Downs? In response to my lett¥ from a year ago, the editor informed'me and the other readers of Cycle News that we'd be pleased to know that an AMA Grand National Championship round had been sched wed for Emerald Downs on September 18, 1999. After reading each week and checking the calendar of events for the 1999 season, I've been wanting to write back upon noticing that the September National for that date was TBA. . Still with my fingers crossed, I was hoping it would show up. Now it seems as if the schedule is complete - so what happened to the Emerald Downs Mile National? I'd also like to thank Scotty Parker, Rich King, Chris Carr and the rest of the National riders for showing up for the Hot Shoe National. Congratulations to Rich for one hell of a ride that was more bull-riding than dirt track. I wou Id like to a pologize for the lousy track conditions. It was such a bummer to see such a beautiful facility be lacking in track preparation. I don't know who prepared the track, but it wasn't happening. Knowing the area and the old farmland valley, I know there's good, rich, tacky dirt under that "sand" horse racing surface they trucked in. I also would suggest that if they want a surface for some excellent mile racing to hire the folks from the Mount S1. Helen's Motorcycle Club. They prepare the Castle Rock IT track, which is always in excellent condition. They know what the hell they're doing. It was very obvious that the fans there "sold out" and we do want Grand National racing in the Northwest. You'd think between Emerald Downs and Poct1and Meadows, something could be worked out. Hey, aU kidding aside, Dan Stanley, you were absolutely bitchin'. Sorry your bike broke. . L.A. Harman Morton, WA In a nutshell, the track conditions simply weren't up to Grand National standards when the AMA National Hot Shoe race was held at Emerald Downs, causing the AMA to be concerned about .rider safety. The promoter has taken several measures to bring the racing surface up to snuff and will be running another National Hot Shoe race on • September 25 - at which time the track will be re-evaluated in the hope that a Grand National can be run there in the year 2000. It is likely that most of the Grand National regulars will be on hand for the Hot Shoe race again in 1999... Editor Letters to the editor should be sent to Voices, Cycle News, P.O. Box 5084, Costa Mesa, CA 92628-5084, faxed to 714/7516685 or e-mail.editor@cyc1enews.com. Published letters do not necessarily. reflect the position of Cycle News, Inc. Letters should not exceed 200 words and all letters are subject to editing. Anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. AU letters should contain the writer's name, address and daytime phone number ... EditOL 5

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