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/128225
"Enjoy watching an exceptionally talented racer who is raising the bar for everyone..." Xaus Fan It's always a pleasure to watch Rueben Xaus hanging it all out on Speed Channel and to see what a gentleman he is on the podium. I've heard his name pronounced by the commentators as Zaus, Jaus, Chaus, and other variations which I can't even figure out how to spell. How does Rueben pronounce his last name? Dale Edwards Roseville, CA The correct pronunciation is Chaus ... Editor Enough's Enough I've had enough! I just finished watching the latest coverage of the Budds Creek 125cc Motocross National. I was greatly anticipating some outstanding racing as it was described in Cycle News. I had read all about James Stewart's last-to-first ride in the second moto and was so disappointed by how it was shown on television. This was possibly one of the greatest come-from-behind performances ever, and ESPN shows a whopping 12 minutes of it. If you add in the 14 minutes they showed of the first moto, that adds up to a measly 26 minutes of race coverage out of a possible 65-68 minutes of racing. How I long for the days not too long ago when the supercross and motocross shows were two hours long. You got to see so much racing, I felt like I was actually there. The two separate shows for the 125s and 250s are just plain stupid. Come on, ESPN, do you really think a motocross fan would only follow one class? One two-hour show meant we only had to see the Suzuki-not-so-fast lap once, we usually only had one flashback episode, and we only had to meet the hosts once. This format allowed for so much more coverage of what we really want to see - racing! All of the fluff that gets crammed into one of these separate one-hour shows is killing me. Guy Cooper is a great guy, but Stewart's ride was history, and ESPN barely let us see any of it. If I'm the only one who wishes for the two-hour format, don't print my letter. But if I'm not, let others see it so that they can write in and hope for change also. Tracy Miller via the Internet Pit Area Blues I've just returned from my annual trek to Laguna Sec a and I'm still pissed. On my previous seven trips I've always enjoyed getting into the pit area with my son and actually getting up close to the machinery, the mechanics and the riders. This year was not the case. With Paddock Pass in hand, we tried to enter the pit area but were denied access and told we needed a different pass! Apparently, the Paddock Pass no longer allows entry into the pit area. This requires a new pass that is only available as part of the $195-and-up weekend packages. I reviewed the flyer they send me every year, and it makes no mention of this change and only mentions a pit pass in the Big Dog Weekend ticket. No a la carte pit pass listed in the flyer. The paddock pass now only gets you a close-up view of a lot of parked trailers! This is a rip off, and I can't believe I'm the only one who was pissed. If World Superbike continues to devolve (which I think it will), I'll be going to the U.S. MotoGP next year instead. Hopefully, it will be at Barber's track and not at that NASCAR knucklehead oval. IgorA Pelse via the Internet And Clarification Following up on my letter to you, I received a clarification from Gill Campbell at Mazda Raceway regarding paddock passes and pit passes and the new garages. In previous years, team tents faced into the infield paddock area with full access to anyone with a paddock pass. This was always a great opportunity to see the teams in action, take photos and get autographs. The pit lane always did require an additional pass, but most of the action was in the paddock by the tents. This year with the new garages that, of course, face out onto the track and pit lane, the paddock area only affords a view of the back side of the garages, which were all shut tight on Saturday. As a result we saw no teams, bikes or riders. A request was put in to World Superbike to open up the doors, but we did not bother to go back on Sunday. IgorA Pelse via the Internet As further follow-up, the promoter of the World Superbike round at Laguna Seca, Dan Murphy, sent the following e-mail: "Igor, I am sorry to hear that you did not get your value that you thought you would have with your paddock pass. The paddock pass, however, has not allowed you on pit lane since we started this event nine years ago. Maybe our poor security did! We did add new garages this year, and WSBK did not do a good job of keeping the garage doors open. Next year I will force this issue by locking them open so the fans can get closer to the action with a paddock pass. If you make a trip to Alabama to see the GP, keep in mind that they don't open the paddock at all - not to mention pit lane - to the customer. We all know this from the old GP days at Laguna." Old Guys Stefan Everts recently won in both the 125cc and MXGP races at 30 years of age. Mike Brown and Ryan Hughes are two of the best in the 125cc class, and both of them are 30 years old. Cycle News stated that Doug Henry, at 33, is still competitive and would be at least a top-10 rider. Why are all the Vet riders so fast and dominant? Bob Hannah says today's riders don't have the proper work ethic and are spoiled. Is he correct? I'd say yes, at least partially. But all of these riders are old enough that they started riding on old-style MX tracks. Jeremy McGrath dominated during his era; Carmichael and Stewart are dominant now. One of the biggest complaints I read about is that the races are boring, as everybody is racing for second. If you build a Jeremy McGrath track for Jeremy McGrath, then Jeremy is probably going to win, ditto for Carmichael and Stewart. In the old days you could hold a National race, and after the race, with a little bit of grooming, any MX rider, from expert to beginner, could go out and ride that track. That is definitely not true today with SX tracks. In fact, with all the injuries to top-level riders, this last supercross season it appears even the top riders can't necessarily ride these tracks. Even MX tracks, which the AMA states will not have supercross-type obstacles, have supercross obstacles sneaking in. The MX Grand Prix tracks are good old-fashioned MX tracks. Are American tracks and riders better? Maybe, but the GP riders ride on old-style tracks then come over here and are competitive against American riders raised with SX-type obstacles. I recently had the pleasure of watching several MXGP races, and they are fast and exciting. They remind me a lot of older MX and SX races, which were exciting back in the day. So my point after all this rambling is that we should get rid of the "pogo stick" racetracks and take a step back to the older style of tracks. The races would not only still be exciting, but possibly safer and more competitive. The top riders will always be on top, but wouldn't it be nice to have a race where any 10 riders could win instead of just one? DanCarneron Woodlan4CA Boring? After reading an editorial from the July 16 issue entitled "Boring?" as well as reading comments from some 125cc Pro class racers themselves, I felt the desire to comment on James Stewart laying a good ole-fashioned ass whipping on the 125cc class. Mr. Farenell states that Stewart's "presence in the class is a farce," "by conI: U I: I e tinuing to dominate the underclass," and that he is "cherry picking." First off, as we all know, this is only Stewart's second year as a Pro, and there is no rule that he has to move up to the 250cc class. Second, it is a wellestablished tradition for a returning champion to defend his title. Oh, and obViously at the ripe old age of 17, he is ready to move up? Of course, those are the obvious facts, and I really don't think anyone could have predicted, especially after his injury, that he would be so dominant. It's interesting that sandbagging has never been an issue before when multitime World or AMA National Champions stayed in the 125cc class or moved back down to it (There are currently three riders who fit this category). Yes, Stewart is smoking the living hell out of everyone and making it look like a Pro in the Novice class. But I say good on him. The fact is that the only one stopping him from winning every remaining moto is himself, that had he started at Glen Helen he could have quite possibly tied the "impossible" Carmichael every moto win accomplishment, that watching what he can do on a bike leaves the likes of David Bailey speechless while commentating. We should all be enjoying the fact that we may be watching the rise of the most naturally talented, hardest working and possibly dominant rider ever. There will be more than enough time to watch him in the 250cc class next year, and mathematically he isn't out of winning the championship just yet (now that would be history). Though if it does look like he is out of the 125cc title hunt officially, it would be some good "practice" and interesting for him to perhaps race one of the final rounds on a 250. Anyway, quit your whining about Stewart sandbagging or taking advantage of the poor 125cc National Pros! Enjoy watching an exceptionally talented racer who is raising the bar for everyone - in every class. ErfcO'Ha"a via the Internet n e vv s JULY 30,2003 5