Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

'Well, thafs racing... Thumbtimes you Win, thumbtimes you don'ty' Godspeed, Randy thumbtimes you don't!" Godspeed, Randy. John Chaves It was the spring of 1992, and 1 was standing beside the hospital bed in shock as the "little man" informed me that the following day doctors would remove his big toe and surgically attach it to the missing thumb area of his right hand. Randy Renfrow had just crashed his factory Honda at Willow Springs during testing and was taken to the UCLA medical center for treatment. The next morning, when I went to make sure he was feeling okay, I expected to find him very depressed. I had heard the night before that the high-speed crash had completely ground away his right thumb, and I figured Randy's racing career was over. Man, was I wrong! Randy explained to me this radical surgery that would allow him to continue racing if it were successful. I'll never forget as I drove home, I just kept thinking that Randy was a racer to the core. I don't mean someone that liked to race. I'm talking about a guy that liued to race. It seemed as though there was nothing else more important to him, and it was the one thing about him that I admired most. If some of today's riders had just an ounce of that Renfrow desire, they'd be winning a lot more races. It makes me very sad to lose Randy. He was one of a kind, always a true gentleman with a racing desire like no other. The only comfort I have is in knowing that Randy lived his life just the way he wanted. Racing every chance he got. May God bless you, Randy. Your friend, Terry Vance VIa the Internet Godspeed, Randy II The road-racing community lost one of the greatest persons of all time. Always great and accessible to the fans with a relentless sense of humor, Randy Renfrow was the model of a professional racer. Although it's sad to see him go, I couldn't help but smile when my thoughts wandered away after reading the news about his unfortunate home accident. In 1992, after having his toe implanted on his hand to replace his thumb (how many racers would do that?), lost in a VIa the InhHnet Renfrow recently died from injuries incurred in a fall at his parents' house (see "Wind") ...Editor Beloved Tracks I just received my Cycle News and read Rene LaPrevotte's letter [Issue #31) about what is happening to our beloved road-race tracks. I too have no plans to go back to Sears Point or Laguna or Daytona. Why? Because the little guy is being forced to fork out more and more money with fewer benefits. I have gone to Laguna since the '60s. But after this year's World Superbike and AMA Superbike weekend, forget it. Those of us who have attended races for decades like to be able to get to OUT favorite spots without having to walk our butts off. That's no longer possible. Traffic control this year was absolutely outrageous! And it didn't matter whether you were on a bike or in a car. Saturday we had to park our car outside and below turn two. You couldn't even see the track. You had to walk your butt off just to do that. We ended up spending the whole day watching races above turn two. Our plan was to meet a friend (never saw him) above turn 10, but we never got to that spot until I found out from a SCRAMP person which gate we would have to come in through to do that. We paid $140 for this? At Sears Point this year, you were expected to park your car in the dirt hills and walk or take a bus to the track. Well, if I didn't carry my own beer in a cooler, maybe I'd be more understanding. But I refuse to pay $5 for every can of beer. So, for us, these bike races will be handled just like football games - they'll be watched on TV, with instant replays and all. We will just have memories of the way things used to be. Those were the days, my friend. We thought they'd never end. Those were the days. Randy Dawes Yuba City, CA Enough Already racing accident a year before, Randy I am a huge fan of Travis Pastrana's, but was back in Daytona, racing like there was no tomorrow. I bumped into him at a local watering hole, and it is time to decide. Do you want to be the world's best supercross/motocross rider, or the best freestyle rider? You when I asked him how his day was at cannot do both. the track, he answered: "Well, that's racing ... Thumbtimes you win, John Foster VIa the InhHnet Enough Already II Suzuki doesn't pay Travis Pastrana what they do for him to do jumping tricks - they pay him to race. I like Pastrana, but he has his priorities way out of whack. Suzuki should can him and Kevin Windham both - neither seems all that interested in racing. leWis Greer Springdale, AR SoBe Suzuki's Pastrana, who has missed much of the year due to injuries and sickness, was recently injured in a Grauity Games freestyle contest (see "Wind") ... Editor MC and KTM Can it be true? Is it possible? The King of Supercross riding the King of Holeshots? I hope I'm not dreaming. Being a longtime KTM rider, life would be good. Long live the Kings! Good choice, SuperMac. John Butts Rousseau back to journalism school to re-Iearn the part about fact-checking. Because, in fact, the Patrick Racing Yamaha Warrior has not won any races in the AMA Prostar Hot Rod Cruiser class. How do I know this? Because I have won every final event (as of this writing) in Hot Rod Cruiser this season, aboard my Cycle Tech/Reed Racing Engines HarleyDavidson Super Glide! The only "winning" the Yamaha has done is in the elimination rounds, not in the finals. I do not know if Mr. Rousseau is too lazy to check facts, or was misled by the publicity mill at Yamaha (or both)? I suspect Yamaha is a little sore that they have spent a ton of money on the class, only to get shut out by a shoestring-budget Harley at every race so far this season. Hence they feel the need to "spin" a story to reporters and the public in order to bolster their corporate egos. Fact: The Yamaha does hold the national e.t. record - after taking it away from me, and then just barely. Fact: I still hold the national-mph record in the class. Fact: I have won every final round in Hot Rod Cruiser Fact: Scott Rousseau probably couldn't ride my Harley worth a damn either, but he's more than welcome to try it and write about it. I have nothing against Nigel Patrick or Mark Underwood, but it does irritate me that Rousseau's article makes it sound as though the Yamaha has been dominating the class, when it clearly has not. Check the results, Scott. VIa the InhHnet It can be true, John. KTM made Jeremy McGrath's signing with KTM official on August 12 (see "Wind") ... Editor Being Cynical You ran a news story in which Paolo Flammini said: "I am very happy about the three-year agreement which will give the Circuit and SBK the possibility to build a tradition of Superbike in the country and in one of the most beautiful Spanish circuits." I say, " ...and Dorna three more chances to schedule GP testing in Spain on the same weekend." Am I being too cynical here? I do expect Dorna to win the Jerez MotoGP/Barcelona F1 GP clash, though. I'd like to think King Juan Carlos will be at the bikes again. Jerez should win the attendance war, and hopefully the Spanish TV ratings as well. Phil Compagnonl VIa the InhHnet Old McWaters Had A Gripe I am writing in regard to Scott Rousseau's article "Warrior Dressed in Drag" (Issue 31, August 7). In the article, Rousseau reports that "[Nigel] Patrick has made a habit out of building horsepower and winning races. That's something that this Warrior does well - race and win in AMA Prostar's Hot Rod Cruiser class. With Coshocton, Ohio, rider Mark Underwood aboard, it has already accomplished more than that, not only winning but also nailing down the class e.t. record at 9.86 seconds." I suggest, Mr. Editor, that you send cue I ... Rick McWafEots VIa the Internet You're right, Rick, we should haue been more clear in pointing out that in its first four starts, the bike has yet to win a final. It has, howeuer, qualified number one, made it to two final rounds, and does currently hold the e.t. record at 9.86 seconds, regardless of who held it before...Editor n __ ... • AUGUST 21,20025

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