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/128202
"...bring him back to take on Ricky Carmichael and the Honda. " Lost Legend Mike Burke was the quintessence of what I always thought a Checker should be. The cancer that kept recurring with so many struggles and ups and downs over far too many years took Mike Burke's life on January 23. He was 60 years old. Mike was a colorful and great racer - bikes, cars, trucks and he even raced a van in Baja. He won the Baja 500 in a pickup truck. Teamed with longtime buddy Ron Sloan, the pair finished second in 1973 in Parker, Arizona, in what was called the Nora Big River 500, on a Triumph. Mike was a smart, introspective, successful and a mechanically gifted guy. He owned Mike Burke Motorcycle Specialties in the 1970s, primarily building four-stroke stuff. He did technical work for the movie studios and most recently was building and restoring some of the prettiest cars ever. He specialized in Woodie wagons. Ken Newton NewhalL CA Feeling Bad For Roger D fter reading Steve Cox's column on Roger DeCoster, I think maybe the answer to some of Roger's problems could be on page one of the very ame issue of Cycle News. In my opinion, I think it might be he perfect time to bring Michael Pichon back. No, not for a few selectd events, but for the entire MA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross hampionship. Suzuki, you know and we know hat Pichon can win the 2003 World hampionship ... bring him back to ake on Ricky Carmichael and the onda. Joe Wahrer Ftyburg, OH Saving The Trade Tech ver the past 38 years, readers of ycle News have helped in saving the otorcycle repair program at Los ngeles Trade-Technical Community ollege. A much bigger problem has merged, and that is that the Los ngeles Community College Board of rustees has voted, over the past 10 ears, to close most of the vocational echnical classes in the nine college istricts. Some of those program cloures have been at Los Angeles rade- Tech and have included plas'cs, small engine repair and printing. On March 4, the voters in 77 ities, consisting of over 200 zip odes, are urged to elect four new members of the Board of Trustees. Endorsed by the Community College Coalition and the BSA Owners of Southern California, we urge you to vote for the following four candidates: Mark Isler for seat number one; Wilma Bennett for seat number three; David Sanchez for seat number five; and David Hernandez for seat number seven. For more information on the candidates, you can stop by any motorcycle shop and pick up a copy of Free To Wheel, which has a fullpage ad on page 25 and an in-depth editorial on page four, or you can call the Community College Coalition at 626/442-8683. David Sanchez will be a guest of mine at the TrailBlazers banquet on February 22. The BSA Owners Club will also have a table with information about all four candidates. Please help the stranglehold that the A.F.T. College Guild currently has that is killing vocational technical education. With your support, the motorcycle repair program at the Los Angeles Trade-Tech will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2005. Skip Van Leeuwen Los Angeles, CA Goodbye Dick Hammer After reading about Dick Hammer's death, I felt like I had to tell how I felt after hearing the news. First of all, I'd like to give my condolences to Dick's family. I know you don't know me, but I knew Dick when I was growing up as a young boy. My father was a mechanic for Jimmy Gibson, who at the time was the number five plate holder. I basically grew up spending every Friday night at Ascot Park. My dad's name was Shorty Harman, and he always let me talk with the riders after the races. I always had to say hello to Dick, as he was one of my idols. Dick and my father were really good friends. Dick talked my dad into pitting for him at the Springfield National around 1964 or 1965, so my dad took us there for the family vacation. This was so exciting. Dick went out and broke the one-lap track record in qualifying. In the heat race, he set a new 10-lap track record while blowing away the competition. In the National, someone dove under him and took out his front wheel, causing him to crash, and he suffered a broken wrist. Needless to say, we were all bummed out. Anyway, I'd like to agree with Skip Van Leeuwen in saying that Dick was a straight shooter and a straightahead guy. I remember once a month on Saturday nights they would have IT races at Ascot Park, and Dick was always in the running, along with Van Leeuwen, Eddie Mulder and the rest of the Ascot regulars. I wish condolences to the family Dick left behind, and I thank him for providing some of the best memories of my youth. Godspeed, Dick Hammer - National #16 LouIe LA Harman Morlor\. WA KTM's Choices Everyone has tough luck - that's racing, and hindsight is always 20/20. However, after checking my Cycle News every week, I feel it's time to open my big mouth. Sure Jeremy McG rath retired and that left a hole in the sport as well as the KTM team trailer, but what about whom we let go to free up the funds to get him! I can only speak for what I see at the outdoor Nationals because I live in New Jersey, but if it was KTM's intention is to make a name for themselves in supercross, they should make a play to get Kelly Smith and Brock Sellards back. They both have been exciting in the stadiums for the last several years and complete gentlemen to the fans in the pits. They also had a few wins outside, didn't they? Sure it's just my opinion, and we all love to watch Grant Langston (maybe he caught something from Travis Pastrana that summer they spent time together), but I've made my choices (there are six KTMs and one Suzuki in my garage). Thanks for the forum. John Walaszek Jackson. N:J Jeremy, although a great champion, has never been a rider who easily adapted to new motorcycles. Remember the CRs he rode for Honda? They were never current-year models. He stuck with the year that he felt most comfortable with until he left Honda. He didn't adapt to the Yamahas right away, either. However, in time he adjusted, and the bikes obviously became much better because of his input. How can fans and the industry simply brush this matter under the rug? How in the world was Jeremy supposed to get used to the new KTMs in a matter of months? He couldn't, and that is one of the main reasons for him crashing and ultimately retiring. He knew he couldn't perform at the level necessary to win on the KTMs and took the respectful way out by not putting down Yamaha or KTM. It is for that reason that I believe race fans should consider boycotting or writing Yamaha and telling them of our displeasure with their management decision that led to the retirement of one of the greatest supercross riders of our time. I believe that if Jeremy, David Vuillemin and Chad Reed had continued to test and practice together, Yamaha would have claimed at least three of the top five positions in the standings at the end of the supercross season. I don't mean to throw a wet rag on Jeremy's farewell tour, but I bet if he had his Yamahas back, he'd rather be racing than watching. What motocross rider wouldn't? Thanks for your time and would appreciate your comments in regards to this matter. Wanting Road Racing Where the hell is Infineon Raceway? I hope it's in New England! We need to get an AMA National back up here. The Formula USA race last June was okay as a big club race, but as a substitute for the Loudon National, it basically sucked. 811/ SWenson N Springfield. VT Infineon Raceway is the new name of Sears Point Raceway. It's about 3000 miles west of Loudon ... Editor. Blaming Yamaha? I can't help but ask the motocross and supercross world one question: If Yamaha hadn't pulled the rug out from underneath Jeremy McGrath, would he still be racing today? The answer is absolutely yes! I have been riding Yamahas for over 20 years, and for the first time I am tempted to sell my YZ450F and buy something else for that simple fact. cue I e BobC/ark via the In~met With all due respect, are you out of your freakin' mind? By the way, how much for the YZ450F? .. Editor n e vv s