Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

maybe Travis can go back to the 125cc class once Bubba is gone." 11 ••• The AMA And MX wanted to drop you a message to rotest against the AMA for even onsidering taking the High Point ational MX away. I'm not sure what heir reasons are, but I can assure ou they're not good enough. Taking hat weekend away from the racers nd fans would be devastating to a lot f people. That is the best weekend f the year for a lot of us East Coast iders and fans. I'm sure thousands would agree hat taking this event from us is dead rong, and it won't go unnoticed or ithout protest. If the AMA takes this vent, they're going to make a lot of embers very angry - including me. he AMA needs to get their stubborn eads out of their butts and leave igh Point and its followers alone! Guy Hili vta the Internet Knee Braces hy would any team manager not ontractually insist on a rider wearing nee braces at this point? It's baffling o me. Travis Pastrana has had multiIe knee injuries but wasn't wearing nee braces. Sebastian Tortelli just ad major knee surgery but wasn't earing a brace. This is just plain tupid and a huge investment loss to uzuki, not that Suzuki is alone in his situation. In virtually all other major sports, he players have contract restrictions hat allow the team to limit a player's ctivity if they think it could jeoparize the player's heath. Why is otocross seemingly immune to his? CTI was built on motocross nee injuries, so it isn't like it's a new roblem. While I'm at it - hey, AMA, how bout bringing back the 40-minutelus-two-Iap motos at least for the 50cc class? That last 10 minutes eally separated the men from the oys, and I'm sure it would be even ore dramatic now. Rob Green vta the Internet Roger Lee 'm writing to bring attention to a angerous situation I thought of while atching Roger Lee Hayden attempt o re-enter the race after crashing in he 600cc Supersport race at Road tlanta on TV. Nothing against him, ut his bike and tires were covered in lick mud, and if he'd been successul in getting back on the track, he urely would've put mud down all ver the racing lines, and more rashing could've easily resulted. As was, the race was stopped due to his leaving his bike where he dropped it, endangering everyone else in the process. My suggestion is that the AMA and riders get together and create some sort of a wet-ground rule where any rider going off the track where mud can accumulate on the tires can not be allowed to re-enter the track without clearance from an official or cornerworker. Riders could be informed of the wet grounds ruling being in effect prior to the race. Riders and officials can work out the specifics, but the danger is obvious and preventable. Roger Falasco vta the Internet They Weren't I attended the outdoor MX National at High Point Raceway. During the last lap of the final moto, after about twothirds of the riders had passed the back part of the track, a teen-age boy darted out onto the track and began to tear down the banners that were in our area. Seeing this, approximately 15 to 20 kids, many as young as 5 or 6 years old, followed - running directly into the path of oncoming riders. That none of them were hit is a miracle. The flagman was waving the yellow flag at the riders while trying to herd the children off the track but was hopelessly outnumbered. By the time the last riders went past, every banner had been taken, and the kids were scurrying back across the track with their arms full. They narrowly These young guys are going straight to Hie top - look at John Hopkins. MIchael Chordas vta the Internet No More Travis I was disappointed to hear that Travis Pastrana will not be racing the Nationals this year again due to injury. He was my favorite rider to watch, and I couldn't wait for the Nationals to start. I guess lowe my friend money since I bet him Travis would last at least until High Point this year. I find it funny that Travis said he decided to take some time off from the race schedule. I can't remember in the last two years when he raced more than 50 percent of the supercross or outdoor races. I guess the 250cc class proved to be too much for him. That gives me a lot of respect for the privateers on 250s and Chad Reed, who made the switch and could hang. missed getting hit again. I watched this in shocked disbelief, and never once did I hear a parent yell for their child to stop or not go out on the track. And worse, when it was obvious that many of these children were in danger of getting hit, not one parent went out to try to retrieve or protect their child. What were these parents thinking? Jlrn Seibert Youth In MotoGP It's great to see a youth movement in Grand Prix racing now that Kiyonari is getting a GP ride on the Honda. It seemed for a while it was the same riders just moving around from team to team. Some of them seemed to be milking the situation, riding around without chancing a big crash. I know - I'm there too, though not in GPs. It seems the teams have realized the potential in young riders, the value in learning early and not developing bad habits on other bikes. I hope this continues - it definitely makes the racing much better. I know this first hand from chasing my son around, and it keeps getting harder. Well, maybe Travis can go back to the 125cc class once Bubba is gone. Garrett Landers vta the Interne t Helping Out The following misunderstanding has caused our club untold headaches. We try very hard to decode and follow the many rules scattered throughout the AMA rulebook. We cue I e hope that those who compete will understand those rules. It would be helpful if Cycle News would report the rules correctly so we don't have to listen to: "Yeah, well in Cycle News they said I could do it." It gives us hives. In the May 14 issue (Issue #19) in the article "Brown Comes Alive" (round three of the AMA National Hare and Hound Series), there is an statement in parentheses after a quote by Ty Davis: "I went up there and walked [the section prior to the race]," Davis said. (The rules permit competitors to practice the bomb run, but they're not allowed to ride beyond the bomb. They can walk any part of the course beforehand, though). According to the 2003 AMA rulebook, this is not true. The following excerpt is from Chapter 4 B. Race Rules 2: "In an enduro, hare and hound or hare scrambles ... Except for an official parade lap or in an official event, no competitor will practice ride or survey the course by any means (I.e. mountain bike, horseback, airplane, by foot, etc.) at any time prior to the start of the meet. If they do, they will be adjudged as having an unfair advantage and will be excluded from the meet." That's pretty clear. We realize that in other types of races, competitors are allowed to walk the course. But not only is this an AMA rule, it is also contained in our local rules. And racers are required to obey our local rules as long as they don't conflict with AMA rules. We hope this clears up any misunderstandings so we don't have to flog anyone in the future ... or worse, send them home without having raced! Klrn Orndortr vta the Internet Orndorff is the race referee for the Sage Riders M.e. in Utah ... Editor n e _ so • JUNE 1 1. 2003 5

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