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/128023
Be 30 YEARSAGO JANUARY 20, 1970 I have just returned from the AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet in Las Vegas. While there, I was repeatedly Local racing action headlined our first issue of 1970. The front cover featured an "artsy" photo of a local racer working his way through a muddy Carlsbad turn during a CMC motocross ... One of our feature stories was a motocross report from Bakersfield, California, where Russ Darnell rode a 405cc Husqvarna to victory in the Open Senior class at Paso Park... We were also on hand at the final 0-37 TT race of 1969 at Adelanto, where one of the day's big winners was Chuck Wheat Jr., son of C.H. Wheat. approached by racers, journalists and promoters who expressed surprise, concern and disappointment to the recent announcement by the AMA that Mazda will no longer be the title sponsor of the AMA Motocross Nationals. This confusion, I believe, has been ,highlighted by the recent comments by Scott Hollingsworth that appeared in Cycle News. Given this backdrop, I feel compelled to clarify, for all of those who have supported Mazda's involvement in motorcycle racing, our feelings on 20 YEARS AGO JANUARY 16, 1980 Our first issue of the 1980s welcomed our readers to "a decade the subject. As background, I recall the discussion I had with the AMA back in 1997, when I "cold-called" Tom sure to amaze you with space-age technology and miracle machines." One of the features in Mueller to suggest and propose that Mazda become a title sponsor to the AMA. I recall that the AMA was the issue was a thrilled to have a large, outside sponsor such as Mazda come forward to endorse their sport, as it provided a needed boost to the program - and the AMA. Mazda will no longer sponsor the Motocross National Championships, though it is remaining involved in the industry in other ways. "Needless to say, we are very upset by these events." Nationals, and the National Promoters occurred in mid-November, when we Group rose to the occasion, forming a dedicated team. received a brief fax from Hollingsworth that advised us that the AMA promo- Committed to growth, we expanded our involvement in 1999, adding road tional plans no longer had a place for Mazda and that we were "out" of the racing support. Our support of the Nationals. It was quite a shock. Team Mazda Chaparral Suzuki 750cc Needless to say, we are very upset Supersport team culminated in Tom by these events. This is very frustrat- Kipp's championship in 1999. We were also the title sponsor of ing and h.ighly disappointing. To quote als became one of four "legs" to our strategy and commitment to position the Mazda Truck 250cc GP Series. I someone at the banquet, it was expected that "you dance with the one recall that this happened quickly, with that brung ya." I would like to express the Mazda B-Series as tough, agile and athletic trucks. Dedicating significant dollars, we: 1) sponsored the motocross Nationals; 2) have built all of our truck advertising themed around motocross (including four a call from the AMA the week of Daytona, asking if we would provide backing for the GP series - set to kick off my assurance to all of those who have supported Mazda's entry into the outdoor Nationals that we fully intend to that weekend. We agreed, verbally, to continue our sponsorship. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the NPG, the Coombs family, the The title sponsorship of the Nation- support this need, and the series was announced a few days later. The GP Series was successful, and I congratu- National TV commercials, one of which sta-rs Jeremy McGrath); 3) associate NPG sponsors, Cycle News late Chuck Sorensen on his championship - and his new Mazda Troy Lee B-Series truck. developed our title sponsorship of and so many other journals for their obvious and strong support to the Which brings me to more recent Team Mazda Chaparral Yamaha and our associate sponsorship of Pro Cir- Mazda Truck Nationals sponsorship. But I would especially like to thank cuit SplitFire; and 4) commissioned events. In September, we advised the the riders. All the riders. Th.is sport is Troy Lee to develop a special-edition Mazda "motocross" truck, taking our motocross positioning right to the AMA of our financial commitment to continue our sponsorship of t.he Nationals for the 2000 season. The about courage, commitment, camaraderie and,. above all, a love for dealer floor. The sponsorship of the Nationals began with the 1998 season. I might add that the sponsorship ran for a "budget issue" that Mr. Hollingsworth alluded to was nothing more than our internal corporate fiscal year's budget for over 30 years, I thank you for your conviction and integrity in building the sport. These elements of motocross process - hardly an issue. However, should never be abandoned. the AMA apparently decided to, for the first time, ignore our verbal commitment and "switched teams." This Stavana is the group manager of Mazda Marketing... Editor number of months based on a "handshake" commitment on both parties' part to participate in the growth of the In next week's Cycle News ... motorcycle racing. As a rider myself • Anaheim Supercross: First 5X of the Century • Mick Doohan Retrospective 72 JANUARY 12, 2000' eye I e n e vv so GN c1ose~ up look at the very trick Honda RC250 Pro-Link factory motocross bike, which boasted for the first time water-cooling and a single-shock rear-suspension system. We called it a "Star Wars machine with alien cooling." The bike featured innovations such as twin waterpumps, a water-temperature gauge, adjustable shock linkages and, believe it or not, drum brakes... One of the things making news that we reported on in issue number one was Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene - among other famous road racers - forming the Professional Riders Association and signing a "no OP" agreement for the 1980 season. The reasoning behind this tum of events was to show their support of the proposed World Series. We reported that teenage sensation Freddie Spencer signed with Honda to race the team's superbikes along with Steve Mclaughlin and Ron Pierce, and that Terry Vance and Byron Hines left R. C. Engineering to start their own company, Vance-Hines Racing. We also reported that Bob Hannah was learning to fly and was about to solo, and that Marty Tripes had lost 12 pounds ... Elsewhere in the issue, we featured an interview with enduro title contender Drew Smith and a mini riding impression of Mert Lawwill's Lawwill-Knight Pro Cruiser bicycle. We said it was a sturdy play.bike with deluxe features. 10 YEARS AGO JANUARY 10, 1990 The 1990s rolled in with barely a mention from us. Instead, our first issue of 1990 concentrated on an interview with Kenny Roberts, a racer test of Eddie Lawson's championsbip-winning Honda NSR500, and a road test of the Kawasaki KLR650 dual-sport bikes, one of which was the all-new Tengai... We announced that Mike Klinger was named publisher of Cycle News, and that Charles C. Clayton was promoted to chairman of the board and Sharon Clayton to president of the corporation... Other news we reported on in issue number one included the passing of Erich Trunkenpoltz, the "T" in KTM. Erich was the son of the founder of KTM. We also reported that Mick Doohan suffered a broken left anm in a Rothmans Honda test session at Suzuka, that four-time Eddie Lawson rode a Michelin-shod (rather than Duntopshod) 1989 Yamaha YZR500 at a test session at Laguna Seca, and that Louis "The Phantom Duck" McKey and Rick "Super Hunky" Sieman had formed the Sahara Club, a club they said will "fight for saving the land, rather than retreat." eN