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/128149
"HoW about the Paris to Dakar to Rubidoux?" The Daytona 200 Great job by Henny Ray Abrams with his story on the Daytona 200 issues. Despite the great performance there by Nicky Hayden, one couldn't come away from this year's Bike Week without wondering where we are going with road racing in America. Every sport has its marquee event: The World Series, The Super Bowl, The Masters, etc. While Laguna Seca certainly has a good argument that it has become that for Superbikes, Daytona still has the history and the course design to be "The Great American Motorcycle Race." There are some things regarding class structures and formats that I'll save for another day, but here are some things that can be done right now at Daytona: 1. The old chicane that was installed in 1973 is still there. I agree with Kurtis Roberts that the exit of the existing chicane needs to be reconfigured, but if it is true that a change is not possible for a few years, why not in the meantime go back to the old chicane entrance? It is another 50 feet or so down the back straight, but has a very sharp left turn compared to the current high-speed zigzag. While you would still have the same exit shape, at least you would get the stop-and-go effect that he refers to and the exit speed would be much slower. They'd still want the Air Fence there, and maybe some cones could be used to direct the riders to the left a bit sooner. But it would help. 2. I agree with Honda's Chuck Miller that fans won't turn out in big numbers to watch guys race on stock motorcycles just like they (the fans) ride to the races themselves. The entertainment value goes up when people can see something exotic. We need the best riders on the best bikes. 3. One big change that I think the Daytona 200 needs is the two-leg format. Steve Baker won the 1977 Daytona 200 with a two-leg format and the second leg was canceled by rain, and it didn't diminish from his victory. This would help the show in the event of top stars running into trouble in the first leg. Think how great of a race we would have had this year if DuHamel and Roberts got back in the fray for a second leg. Also, if they ran two 100-milers and still made it mandatory to stop once in each leg, you'd have riders going no more than 50 miles on a set of tires. And speaking of tires, why even have special qualifier tires? What does it prove to cut one hot lap on a tire, when you'll race on something completely different? There's more to this story, but this is a start. DonEmde Laguna NIguel CA Rich King - Villain or Victim? My thoughts on the whole illegal motor in Rich King's Rotax are that the whole team should suffer the loss. The AMA rules allow only Rich King to be sat down for four races. He is the only one of the Bill Wemer/King team that is exempt from racing AMA races with this current action. What good is that going to do? This means a rider that shows up must first check the engine and other components of his or her machine before racing? Can you imagine how far this would go? Think of it like this: Nicky Hayden shows up and wants to check bore and stroke on his RC51. Yeah, right - those factory mechanics would go for this, wouldn't they? Give the penalty of sitting out for four races to the whole team if that is the penalty. But I would sure rather, in the future, see the rule breaker pay a healthy fine ($1000 per each 10cc over the limit), with that money added to the year-end championship points fund. In addition, I think the rider should then be able to compete, but he or she must start from the penalty line at the next two events. That would give the Harley fans really something to yell about - think of the drama that would unfold. Think how Scott Rousseau could hype that up. Think about it: King makes it through all the heats, maybe the semis, and then in the main event he is lined up 80 feet behind the front row. The spectators are also hurt by the current levy of discipline action, as dirt track's core audience (the Harley riders) has no representation from their factory at the races. They also do not get to see one of the finest racers to ever come across a dusty half-mile racetrack. And they won't get to see Rich King come back until after the four-race suspension, meaning they will not get to see him go for the championship. "They" are already a limited group of fans. Dirt track racing needs all the help it can get and a lynching mob aimed only at the rider makes King a victim. Hang in there, Rich, there are some of us that feel the rope is going on the wrong man. Ed Beckley VIa ttle Intwnet Sorby Gets A Fan - Already My brother and I were lucky enough to attend the Supercross event in Houston, and we had a blast. A good friend of mine is Tim Tyler, the Pro Circuit big-rig driver, and he was kind enough to welcome my brother and I to their pits. As we sat in the guest section of Pro Circuit's covered canopy, trying our best to look like we belonged, a young rider that I didn't recognize sat at the table next to us. You could see that he was in deep thought about what was to transpire in the next practice, as well as in the evening's events. I asked who he was and Tim said, "Eric Sorby, from France." He explained that this was his first race here in the states, and that he was pretty good. He's As we all know, luck does factor in, over time. 6eneUpps Lafbye~, lA Champion Says, Thanks I'm getting old and thinking too slow. After taking two laps with the Yamaha Weekend of Champions riders at Daytona International Speedway, I mentioned to myoid teammate Jamie James that this was probably the only time in my life that I could tell all my mates that I'd passed Eddie Lawson, Giacomo Agostini, Randy Mamola, Don Emde, and Jamie James. On the banking at Daytona, I smoked them all. Granted, I was on an Fl-l and Mamola was riding an FJ-1300 sport tourer, but why would I let little details like that mess up a great story? I just wanted to thank everyone at Yamaha for the great weekend. I got to hang out with my heroes. Eric Sorby Thomas ~vens Via ttle InfrHnet under Mitch Payton's tent, so he must be. I happened to look down, and noticed a "heads up dime" on the ground. I picked it up, showed it to my brother and immediately wished Eric good luck. He smiled and said, with a French accent, "Thank you." I wanted to give it to him, but I didn't want to be in the way. So, later that night, after he finished third, I was able to get his attention. I showed him the coin again from the second level of the Superdome with a thumbs up, and he replied also with a thumbs up. This guy is for real; luck didn't get him on the podium. Hopefully, he'll have some luck during his stint here. .. U .... Stevens was the 7991 AMA Superbike National Champion, riding a Vance & Hines Yamaha. Stevens is now retired and liVing in his home state of Florida... Editor The Empire Strikes Back The Motocross des Nations in San Jacinto, AMA Superbikes in Fontana. What's next, the ISDE in Rialto? How about the Paris to Dakar to Rubidoux? The Inland Empire Strikes Back, baby! n • _ S MatfFr_man Via ttle InfrHnet • APRIL 10, 2002 5