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/128201
30 YEARS AGO... FEBRUARY 27, 1973 In honor of our 'Great Cycle News Boot Test," we featured two bare female legs, one posed in a boot and one posed outside of a boot, suggestively placed on the cover of Issue 117. We didn't declare a winner, rather we just gave an overview of each boot between Hi Point, Full Bore, ASR, Hallman GP and Motocross, Viking, Top Gear, and Hercules - and let the readers decide for themselves... In "The Latest Poop," it was announced that Skip Van Leuween had sworn off motorcycles and become a record promoter for Elektra Records ... Kenny Roberts (Yam) won yet again at the Cow Palace ST in San Francisco, setting fast times throughout the night... At the St. Petersburg, Florida, round of the Florida AMA Series, Martin Tripes topped the event, and it was reported that he'd soon be off to Europe. 20 YEARS AGO..• MARCH 2, 1983 Team Kawasaki's Jeff Ward graced the cover of Issue 117 on his way to the 125cc Pro win at the CMC Golden State MX Series in Hollister, California. Johnny O'Mara (Hon) and Brian Myerscough (Hon) rounded out the top three. David Bailey (Hon) and Goat Breker (Hon) won the 250 and 500cc Pro events, respectively ... Executives from Wrangler Jeans posed with Yamaha's Broc Glover and a replica Wrangler YZ250 that would be given away at each of the Wrangler Super Series events in 1983... Kawasakimounted Larry Ward won the Mini Expert class at the Seattle Amateur Supercross... We tested the 1983 KTM 504G5 Enduro, which was a competition four-stroke. We noted that four -strokes had lost popularity in competition since they were first introduced in the 1960s but that the KTM was a capable off-road weapon. It retailed for $3095. 10 YEARS AGO.•. FEBRUARY 24, 1993 Doug Polen (Due) led Scott Russell (Kaw) across the cover of Issue 117 for his win at the season-opening Phoenix AMA Superbike National. Pascal Picotte (Due), Russell, Colin Edwards II (Yam) and Miguel DuHamel (Kaw) rounded out the top five. Jim FUice (Yam) won the AMA 250cc Grand Prix event, DuHamel topped the 600cc Supersport class, Dave Sadowski (Kaw) won the 750cc Supersport race, and Nigel Gale won the Harley-Davidson Twin Sports event... Rookie Jeremy McGrath (Hon) extended his series points lead to 28 with his fourth consecutive AMA Supercross win at round six in Tampa, Florida. Damon Bradshaw (Yam) and Mike Kiedrowski (Kaw) rounded out the top three both in the race and in the points. Chad Pederson (Yam), Doug Henry (Han) and Ezra Lusk (Suz) finished in that order in the 125cc main, though Henry held the points lead by three after the event over Lusk, who had another three points on Pederson. I f you've been reading these back pages for a while, then you have no doubt perused one or two LCQ columns written by our Assistant Editor, Steve Cox. They've probably made your blood boil a time or two. So why should you be any different? Young Coxie has been with us for a little over three years now, and while, like you, he may drive us up a wall from time to time, at least you don't have to work with the guy. We do. Cox is a pretty unforgettable character, as I'm sure you've figured out. In fact, I'll never forget his first column, in which he rallied against the notion of pay-per-view supercross, thus totally alienating Clear Channel Entertainment Motor Sports. Or his most recent column on the subject of contact in supercross, which alienated about half of our readers. That Cox always has an opinion. Why, do you know that one time he even had the balls to offer riding tips to Travis Pastrana? The gall! By now, everyone knows that Cox should have offered Travis swimming lessons instead! Not a day goes by when some subject, any subject - be it as profound as the quest for world peace or as stupid as which way the toilet paper should be hanging from the roll in the men's room that we'd swear never gets a visit from the janitor that Cox doesn't chime in with his own opinion, whether or not he's asked. Usually, he isn't, but that doesn't stop Cox. It can even be a private conversation, but he will hear it and come running, spouting off something on the order of "Well, you know what I've heard about those vasectomy thingies, Paul. .. " If you make a good point, then Cox will make eight points: his original (and often valid) point, three more totally irrelevant points, and then four redundant points. And he manages do to it all at an ear-splitting volume. You think I'm joking about the volume thing? How about this: Off-Road Editor Kit Palmer is a pilot in his spare time, owns his own plane and everything. Lately, I've noticed that Kit walks around our office with his headset on, the wires dangling down around his knees, connected to nothing... What I personally have noticed about Cox is that, while he is a good guy - and we all know it - I'm amazed at how easily he gets pissed off about the most heinously stupid stuff. I'm talking about stuff that just does not matter. Take our recent partnering to cover the Western rounds of the AMA Supercross Series. I haven't been to a round with Cox yet where he doesn't start freaking out like some guy who just walked through an invisible spider web every time they start opening ceremonies. That's when the track workers all walk out, waving American flags while Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American" blares through the stadium PA. People stand up. People cheer. Cox flips out. "#$$#&! I can't believe these people. What the ... Do they think that Lee Greenwood is singing our national anthem? It's not the $%$&* national anthem! They should just sit down! What the are they doing?!?!? Robbie, robbie, robbie, blah, people, blah, idiots, blah, kill, blah ... !" He did it at Anaheim II. He did at Phoenix. He did at San Diego. Now, let me just blow the magic bullet theory on Steve's insanity (i.e.: it's an isolated incident) by giving you one more San Diego incident this past weekend, when we were rolling through the parking lot on our way to media will-call. Just as has happened a jillion times, a couple of supercross fans who must think that the world revolves around them walked right in front of our truck, forcing me to clap on the brakes in order to avoid straining one through the grille. I was all set to shrug it off, but not Cox. "You know, I hate people like that," he piped. "If you ran those people over, it's just natural selection at work. Survival of the fittest, baby!" Personally, let me just say that I think such venting is good in a way. You can't fault the guy for getting it all out there, off his chest and into the open, because at least you know where he stands. Then again, I also think that's bad, because all too often we find that he's standing close enough that we have to hear him. Associate Editor Blake Conner is even considering spending his own coin for a soundproof door. That may not get it done. I don't think that they make a "Steveproof' door yet, unless maybe Conner could retrofit something off one of those vaults at Fort Knox. We're all big sports fans here, and at 6' 1" Cox is the biggest for sure. We all seem to love football. For example, I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where rooting for any team other In an upcomIng Issue at Cycle IIews than the Green Bay Packers is a misdemeanor. Editor Paul Carruthers was born in Australia, but since they play football like girls down there, and probably more importantly because he grew up in El Cajon, within spitting distance of Qualcomm, he's a San Diego Chargers fan. Conner is from Boulder, Colorado, which makes him a bona fide Broncos fan. And then there's Cox, a diehard Broncos freak who has seen the inside of Denver Intemational Airport. I mean, not even the inside of Stapleton. To him Stapleton is that thing on his desk, the one that shoots out those little metal strips to perfectly bind two pieces of paper together. But, at the end of the day, I guess we'll take the noise, the hysterics, all that, because you will not find another Cox that is more passionate than he is ... Wait, should that last sentence be X-rated? Nah, I'm talking about his love of supercross and motocross, of course, but also about his desire to learn, even if he does already know it all, and his willingness to work at being a better journalist. Already, Cox has been really good about keeping his ear to the ground and digging up a considerable amount of insider information, which is good, but really no surprise, because his ears are, well, considerable. But what makes Cox a good fit at Cycle News is that he can take it. All the ribbing, all the ridicule, all the choruses of "Shut up, Steve!" And he has broad shoulders, making him an ideal platform upon which we can heap boatloads of work. In my 10 years here, I've discovered that's the only way that you really do learn. Cox will learn, and he'll be better for it. I know that he'll read this column and know exactly what I'm talking about, and he'll probably come into my office and talk to me about it. And I'll smile and nod and hope that he doesn't notice the cotton in my ears. eN Minneapolis Supercross Milwaukee Arenacross cue I • n • _ S • FEBRUARY 19, 2003 83