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/128220
"Thanks to '60 Minutes' there will be more 5X tickets sold next year." David Jefferies It was really sad to hear about David Jefferies passing away. I will always remember him pulling wheelies down the long rolling straights several years ago at the IT. He just seemed to so enjoy street racing and the whole island thing. Godspeed, David. Mark Ertckson Nederland, CO 60 Minutes II The "60 Minutes" show didn't slam us (motorcycle racers) too bad. It was good to see motocross on primetime and to hear that motocross is the fastest-growing motorsport behind NASCAR. Other than that, the show was pretty bland actually. The main reason it was bland was that the reporter acted like he was bored to death. I suspect he was daydreaming of the days when he will be allowed to cover real sporting events such as the mega-hit blockbuster events on ESPN2 like women's slow pitch softball or the national spelling bee! DavfdEvans via the In~met 60 Minutes II II I know there was much skepticism on what the goal was of the "60 Minutes" report on extreme motorcycle competitions, but I think this might be of interest. A 62-year-old grandmother, who works with my wife, saw the show and was quite inquisitive. She has had no affiliation to any motorcyclists. I answered all her questions, and now I am planning on taking her to the Dallas SX next year. Thanks to "60 Minutes" there will be more SX tickets sold next year. Darryl Smith Fomey, TX Eric And Mat We just came back from the wet races at Road America. When Mr. Mladin won on a dry track, no one thought otherwise. But when Mr. Eric Bostrom wins on a wet track, the cheers are so loud you can hardly think. It's amazing how Mr. Bostrom wins the races when all of the horsepower is out of the picture. At Pikes Peak, Bostrom cannot be stopped - and it's definitely not a horsepower track. In the wet at Road America, Bostrom won by 30 seconds. So Mr. Mladin you better not look back when Mr. Bostrom has a 1000 under him - then you can whine. Good job, E Boz, on that old 750. Mike Zalusky via the In~met Where You From? Hey, Wisconsin/California! Just a short note from a Minnesota native: Your coverage of dirt track is awesome! Do not change a single thing. All my friends in Iowa agree! The guys from the great state of Illinois are in love with your coverage, and those Canadians could not be happier! As far as mentioning a sponsor instead of the state where we all hail from! Hey, you can always get a new sponsor, but you only hail from one place, eh! Keep up the good work, and up here in Minnesota I will be reading you soon! And don't let anyone call you a quirk. ~ve L Erlckson Farlbault MN Dear Travis Just a quick note to wish you, and the young gentleman who was in the car with you, the best of health and a quick recovery. My son and I, who both race motocross and have followed your spectacular career, have been with you in spirit through the ups and downs. As a father, I hope you'll reflect on this recent accident, count your blessings and think about your future. You have been blessed with some incredible riding skills which have put you at a level that falls into the less than a tenth of a percentage of riders in the world. It appears that you have a wonderful mom and dad who have given you the confidence and warm personality that separates you from the average person, and that has added to your celebrity. Travis, while you're recovering, I hope you'll think about where you are now and all your aspirations. Use this time to decide what career path provides the most stability for you. Most of us, I'm sure, are hoping that will be motocross. You have been given another opportunity to refocus your life and turn this life-threatening event into a strength - but you have to make it happen. Someone up there has been watching over you, and now you need to commit and get your career back on track. You've been given a gift; now you can return it by getting back in winners' circle, where we all think you belong. George ~phenson, /I filii via the In~et Hillhopping After hearing about the Travis Pastrana auto accident, it brought back bad memories for me as a father. Here, in the state of Maryland, what Travis was doing is called "Hillhopping." It has been nearly a year now since my son's Hillhopping accident. On July 17, 2002 at 9:30 p.m., I received the phone call that no parent wants to hear - that "Your son was in an auto accident." My son (Travis, 18) along with his girlfriend (17) and two other friends (both 17) were involved in a Hillhopping accident in Frederick County, Maryland. He and his girlfriend were in the back seat of the vehicle. The other teenager who owned the car was in the front passenger seat, and he was letting a friend drive. It was estimated that they were doing around 80 mph in the 1996 Ford Escort that they were in. Getting airborne over a hill, the car hit the edge of the road in the grass, causing the car to go out of control, then go off road. The car went into a cornfield and flipped six to seven times. The driver was thrown from the car and landed around 70 to 80 feet from the car. The other three were still in the car. The top of the car had to be cut off to get them out. The girl was taken to a local hospital in Frederick, the other two boys, along with my son, were flown to "Shock Trauma" in Baltimore. My son was cut, bruised, beaten and battered from it all, but he had no major injuries. He was released to me about 5 a.m. the next morning. The owner of the car spent a couple of days at "Shock Trauma," and the driver had major back injuries. He spent two weeks there and came to a full recovery in about four months. This accident made national news, and a friend of mine saw it on the new in St. Louis, Missouri. It was a hard lesson for all of them to learn, and they do thank their lucky stars that they are all still alive. My son Travis (now 19), my other son Chris (21) and myself are all very big fans of Travis Pastrana. And the boys have raced against him back in the minibike days. As they got older, the eldest became a high nationally Jr. Expert Cross-Country mountain bike racer and now has quit racing (he now works for me in the family business). Travis has been a high nationally ranked Expert BMX racer. Our prayers go out Travis and Matthew. Keith C Williams via the In~met Ride Thanks On the weekend of June 7 the Merrimack Valley Trail Riders hosted the 22nd edition of the New England Classic Charity Trail Ride to benefit The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Over 500 adult riders and 34 kids joined forces to raise $ 107,000 to research a cure for this dreadful genetic disease. Title sponsor American Suzuki was represented by Rodney Smith and his lovely wife Lori, who rode two-up (passing good riders in tough sections) on a DRZ400S, and by Shane Nalley, riding out of the Team FMF Suzuki big rig. Glenn Mitera, of Concord, New Hampshire, was the lucky winner of the DRZ400E raffle at the riders' meeting on Sunday and sprinted out cue I e of the crowd to claim his prize. Ben Watkins of Rhode Island won a pair of American Airlines tickets for raising the most individual pledge money at $2875, and the winner of the Club Challenge Award was the Pilgrim Sands Trail Riders with $6600. Ray Lajoie, of Nashua, New Hampshire, was presented with the first annual Hawk Award exemplifying long-term behind-the-scenes dedication to the Classic. This award perpetuates the spirit of MVTR charter member Tom "Hawk" McAlpine, who recently transferred to God's main event after a struggle with cancer. Special kudos go to the AMA's Roger Ansell, who offered some great suggestions for future events, and to the King Philip Trail Riders of Massachusetts. Their enduro, scheduled for the weekend before the Classic, had to be postponed due to high water in the State Forest. It was already laid out and arrowed, and the easy thing would have been to run it the following Sunday. Instead they chose the right thing, postponing it so as not to force the enduro riders to choose between their points chase and a charity event many had pre-entered. MVTR wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to all the riders and sponsors, including American Suzuki and the New England Suzuki Dealers, New Hampshire International Speedway, Trail Rider Magazine, American Airlines, Dunkin Donuts. The Red Roof Inn, Spectro Oils of America, Torco Oils. Abbot Rental, and the New England Trail Rider Association. MVTR also wishes to recognize Lisa T. Babaian. executive director of the Northern New England Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Without Lisa's tireless dedication to the CF families and monumental attention to detail, the ride would never have achieved its current status as the top charity fundraiser among offroad motorcycle events in the nation. Go Team CF! :John M. O'Connor via the In~met n e uv s JUNE 25. 2003 5