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/128327
Letter. 10theedilorshocldbe 5Onllo Voice., Cycle New., PO Box 5084 , CosioMeso, CA92628-5084; foxed107 1.\.751-6685or emoiled 10edilorilcyclenews.com. Published letters do nol necessorily reflect the position of Cycle News, Inc. L e rs should notexceed 200 ett words, and all ore subjectto editing . Anonymous leiters will not be considered for publication. All Jenen should contoin the writer's nome oddre!S and daytime phone number... Editor. , "So bring the MotoGP to one of the greatest road racing courses in the world." Old Stuff Fan Partial To Barber I look forward each week to the articles by Scott Rousseau on various racers and events . I also was at the Indy Mile in 1975 when Roberts stunned the Harley Davidson factory team by winning on the last straight. One had to be there in that era to really understand because there was such emotion between Yamaha and the Harley effort . Keep up the articles with the style that conveys what it was like to be there. The other article that was interesting was on Gary Scott and his battle with Harley and his dislike of Dick 0 ' Brien. This relationship I believe was a two-way street. I once saw Gary at the Indy Mile ride into the pits and throw his bike down in disgust because of something that was not pleasing him. I do respect the battle Gary gave the Harley factory and wish he had beaten the Harley group in '76 . Maurice McCoy Moninsville, IL For all of the hoopla about curbing the escalating top speeds with mechanical means in all of major open-wheel , NASCAR, and motorcycle road racing today, it's interesting that the main complaint about Barber Motorsports Park is that the 270 horsepower MotoGP bikes will not be "able to stretch their legs" at the technical, beautiful and safe 2.2-mile Barber Motorsports track. The fact that few AMA Superbikes can use more than the three bottom gears testifies to the fact that unsafe warp speeds on a motorcycle are not a reality at this track . I was at the AMA event last year and wouldn't have missed it again this year for anything. I heard the same complaints from riders last year that it was more of a 250cc GP course than Superbike . Big horsepower cars complain of the same inability to attain high speeds at Barber. Where, however, could any race fan sit at a U.S. road race track and see a minimum of 60 percent of the track and experience any closer racing than we experienced two weekends ago. This is to say nothing of having the Barber Museum and 450 of the best restored and displayed motorcycles in the world . I have yet to put a wheel on the track at Barber, but have done so at the (now) other two mentioned tracks that have been given cons ideration for the MotoGP. Laguna Seca and Road America are great tracks to drive on , but they are not terribly technical and apparently not viewed as safe as Barber is in its current condition . Most really good drivers/riders would prefer the challenge of a technical track to a horsepower track any day. Road America is a horrible track to watch a race . Although Laguna Seca is better to watch at than Road America, it in no way compares with Barber. And when it gets down to it, would you rather watch a motorcycle going through a straight line speed trap , or watch the likes of the best in MotoGP and/or AMA Superbike battle handlebar to handlebar, scraping their pucks through the turns? Give me a good techn ical track where I can watch a good rider on a mount that has great suspension, excellent power-to-weight ratio, fabulous brakes , and tires to handle it any day to bikes that could equally hold their own at Bonneville or the strip . Barber is first class except.. . George Paso Robles Rules The World Paso Robles is a small town of about 30,000 people in central California. As you drive around in this small town , the interest in motorcycles is obvious by the number of home-built motorcycle tracks you see from the freeway . As I read my Cycle News every week, the re are three guys right now kickingass, and they are all from Paso Robles - Jake Zemke, Johnny Murphree and Nathan Woods . There is also a boatload more of up-and-comers. Hey, guys, keep up the good work. Brett Butterfield via the Internet Italian Miracle I just finished reading your road test of the Moto Guzzi Cafe Sport (" Mande llo Ripper" by Neale Bayly) and came away impressed with what the Italians can do with a 60-year-old pump motor and some Ohlins suspension pieces . Particularly impressive was the description of "92mm pistons thundering up and down 80mm bores. " I would have thought the sound would have been more of a screeching noise. Ah, the miracle of composite bores, right? Rene LaPrevotte Placerville, CA 6 JUNE 9, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS Barber must go to some of the tracks he's raced at and see some of the seating and permanent concession amenities that he so desperately needs . Take a hint from Road Atlanta with the tiered seating provided at turns lOa and lOb. If he had that on the back straight and the end "bowls " of the track, there wouldn't be any better seat ing at any track . It would also esthetically enhance his natural landscaping . Secondly, the track concession and available seating to eat are abysmal. Take a clue from Road America and Ume Rock for good food , reasonably good service and a place to sit. Obviously, Birmingham, Nabama, can't hold a candle to Monterey and Carmel, California. Making a speed week of MotoGP to include NASCAR only exaggerates that difference. There are enough MotoGP fans here to make it happen on its own. Although not in the numbers of Spain, I will sadly be disappointed with less than 50,000 spectators if MotoGP is still sporting no less than five American riders, but money talks. Bill Luken via the Internet Partial To Laguna In regards to finding the appropriate site to race the GP bikes in America, I suggest that we consider the weather - seeing how the schedule is looking at about the same time frame as the current World Superb ike round at Laguna Seca. If that's the case , the weather pattern favors the Monterey Peninsula. First look at the Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Anyone who has ever been in the south in the month of July knows that heat would be unbearable for the race fans. Not to mention causing dehydration concerns for the riders, their pit crews and the cor ner workers/safety crews working at the track . As for Road America in Wisconsin that's also hot and humid by the second weekend of July . So that leaves us with Laguna Seca Raceway - which during the summer features sunny, pleasant and cool weather. NI of that and a racetrack that is very spectator- and race r-friendly. Now for the vendors . I have never been to either Barber or Road America, but I have been to Laguna Seca several times . And the cuisine there is superb fresh calamari, Brazilian BBQ, Chinese food, pizza, southern BBQ, and anything 4 0 t h Anniversary else you can imagine. Now in Wisconsin you can get some nasty bratwurst. In Alabama you can get some old, nasty, dried-out shrimp. Well, it appears to me that LagunaSeca is the logical choice - pleasant weather and great food and even better race fans. So bring the MotoGP to one of the greatest road racing courses in the world . David Stuan S. Lake Tahoe, CA More On Janklow I was shocked, once again, at the level of pathetic behavior Bill Janklow continues to get away with . These excerpts are quotes from an Associated Press article carried by the LA Times, page A27 on May 28, 2004: "Former Gov. Bill Janklow pardoned his son-in-law in 2002 for three drunkdriving and marijuana possession convictions, according to documents unsealed Thursday on orders from South Dakota's highest court." " In an interview with Associated Press, Janklow said he had no idea the pardons could not be legally sealed and that he feels 'heartsick' for people whose pardon informat ion has been released . Janklow said he pardoned his son-in-law after he assured the governor he had turned his life around ." records released "Among the Thursday was Janklow's 2002 pardon of William Gordon Haugen II, who is married to Janklow's daughter, Shonna. The pardon covered drunk-drivingconvictions in 1983 and 1997, and a 1993 conviction for marijuana possess ion." "Janklow initially refused comment Thursday when reached at his home, but later gave his first interview since being released from jail. He said he pardoned Haugen after he promised that he would go straight ." "My son-in-law did thingswhen he was a younger person that he paid for. He came to me and asked if I would clean things up because he wanted to go to law school. I said, 'Is this all behind you?' and he said, 'So help me God, it's behind me.' I said, 'Are you ever going to embarrass me or anybody else?' He said, ' Never,' and so I did it, and he's just fin ished his first year in law school and is a very good student." The story speaks for itself! Alex Sokolow South Pasadena, CA