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/128337
Letters to the editor should be sent 1 Voices, Cycle News, PO Box 5084 , Costa Mesa, 0 CA 92628-5084 ; faxed to 7 14·751-6685 or emailedtc edilorilcyclenews.cam. Published letters do nol necessarily reRect the position of Cycle News, Inc. Letters should nol exceed 200 words,and all ore subject to editing. Anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. Allletters should containthe writer's nome, address and daytime phone number... Editor. Motocross des Nations Dilemma I just read the update in Cycle News and am very disappointed wit h our curre nt state of allairs. Y can't te ll me that Steve ou Wh itelock from the AMA can't put toget he r at least a privateer team to send to this historic race . I know the fans wou ld kick in some money, along with the factorie s, to make to this happen. T he re has got to be th ree professiona l riders w ho wou ld consider this an honor to represent the U.S., and it' s important in time s like these that we make an appearance. Co me on , Mr. Whitelock, let's put o n the thinking cap and make all us AMA members proud. George Ste phenson, /I via the Internet Motocross des Nations Dilemma II Once again the AMA in all it' s infinite stupidity is going to let something abso lutely importa nt to all the fans as well as every one else in the world (especially abro ad) of motocross slip away. You are doing as much for this as you guys did for the twostroke in California. In what month do you get to ride? This is why I moved to Nevada. No mor ons te lling me where to ride . This is our O lympics, and we need to make the trip w ith PWSOs if we have to. Accord ing to the AMA, "Whitelock also recognized the fans who have con tacted AMA Pro Racingurging that a te am be organ ized. We have received plenty of e-mails and lette rs from passionate fans who want to see an American team unde r any circumstances. "We empathize with that passion, but it' s our responsibility to make the decis ion that 's in the best interest of ou r riders. Bowing to public pres sure and throwing together an under-supported team is not in the best interests of anyone, particularly the sport of motocross in the United States. " Best interest of the riders? Who makes it possible for people like you to have a job? Is it the ride rs? Co me o n now. As long as the bikes and the track are sale, ou get your asses o ut the re . Y know you have the money to get them there, and whoever you send will have awesome "This is our Olympics, and w e need to make the trip with PWSOs if we have to." bikes with or without the factories help. There are a lot 01 talented people out there who don't work for the facto ries. How about a litt le effort? Th is is why I refuse to be long to your grou p. I am truly so rry for the oth er lans. Sergio Navarro via th e Internet Roundtables Having greatly enjoyed your tw o-part rider roundtable discussion, I've bee n anxiously awa iting the follow-up roundtable discussions with the AMA racing heads and track owners fo r the ir side of the story, but no luck yet . Is one in the pipeline? I've ridden several 01 the tra cks the AMA runs (Road America, Road Atlanta , Barber, Mid-Oh io, Laguna Seca), but the perceptions o f racing school students and track-day enthusiasts are drastically differe nt than top racers ; we're on slower bikes and have the luxury 01 riding only as fast as we're comfortable rathe r than having to hang it out everywhere fo r a living. Even so, I was astonished to see MidOhio listed as pub lic enemy numbe r two behind Daytona lor rider safety. If Mid-O hio is that bad, it wou ld be perfect subject for a follow-up article on seve ral Ironts . I. Is the track in the black finanCially? If so, by how much? If it' s a publicly he ld company, an analysis of the balance sheet wou ld tell t he tale. As Mid-Ohio 's biggest draw (est imated 50,000) and biggest money maker in 2004 , the AMA riders should be afforded e xtra accommodatio n in track development if they're swimming in profits. If not , it' ll be more difficult to justify a radical track makeover. 2. What are the danger areas (specific turns ), and w hat options are there to correct each of them (from Air Fe nce to more runolf room dug out to changing the layout of that particular area)? How much wo uld eac h cost? What pr iority wou ld Mat Mladin and company place on each of the problem areas (from "must fix now" to "wou ld be nice to change, but not required")! This wou ld give a cost range Irom zero (no changes) , unacce ptable to the ride rs, to pe rfect (several million do llars), unacce ptable to the track 4 • CYCLE NEWS owners. Having the roundtable six and a re puta ble track building firm work toge the r with a track map could provide a multiple tiered solution 01 both salety and cost estimates lor each . 3. Are there differe nt require me nts for pavement composition lor motorcycles versus cars? Mid-O hio hasn't been re paved in eons , so the next coat 01 black stu ff will shape racing there for the next 2S years. Thanks for the great magazine. Hope to see the follow-up soon . Joe Gath right Louisville, KY Part one of our roundtable discussion with AMA Pro Racing is in this issue... Editor Jack Hart, R.I.P. jack Hart was a wonderfully intense man and tough competitor, who brought glory to WMRRA when he and driver Bruce Lind put TZ75 0 power to the ground, winning the AMA Sidecar Champ ionships and New Zealand winte r series in the I980s. If only they had funding for Europe, I have no doubt the y'd have en livened the FIM Grands Prix. jack was a hard worker who made us realize how much better we could be as race rs and people il we wor ked as hard as he did. He could also be amazingly kind. He was a good man and is ve ry sorely missed . Bruce Scholte n Durha m, England Domestic Violence was alarmed to read that Ange lle Savoie's ex-husband is now engaging in domestic violence, but happy to find out that Angelle wo n her last competition you can't keep a good woman down. As for the person who wrote in upset because Cycle News had publicized "a figh t with a [boy] friend," Cycle News was right to publish that news . The ex- husband allegedly broke into Angelle's house and threatened her with a gun. That isn't a little tiff- that is a serious felony. Do mestic violence is unlortunate lyone of the to p causes of injury and dea th for women. So metimes I think there should be wa rning stickers on marriage licenses. 40th Anniversary Many women are far safer out riding motorcycles than staying home . Margie Siegal via the Internet Supercross Blues What on earth is this thing called T HQ Supercross? I see it is extremely po pular in some place called Anaheim and a state I've heard of called Flo rida, as we ll as o ne or two other out-of-the-way places. Here in the Northeast , we've never heard of this thing. Perhaps il they bothered to have an event anywhere near us, we co uld get to know it. I'm pretty sure th ere are motorcycle riders in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New jersey, New York, Co nnecticut, Delaware, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine. Hmmm ... memo to THQ marketing staff: A substantial part 01 the popula tion of the U.S. lives in these states. We have money. We go to motorcycle races. Getti ng any ideas? Henry Kwiecinski Philadelphi a, PA Alessi Defender Not that the facts sho uld ever get in the way 01 a good tirade, but I think a couple 01 points need to be made in regards to K. Beckman's lectu re on manners and moral s to Mike Alessi. First, Stepha n Everts (not Steven ) was ex pressing a feeling he had abo ut Alessi that he believed Alessi tho ught he cou ld beat him. Alessi didn't say anything to this effect , but it is being inte rpreted as if he did. Second, he holds Everts up as an exam ple of the kind of lather and husband that Alessi should aspire to become. For the record , Everts and his girlfriend - not his wife - are having a baby. Sure, Alessi is re ported to be con fide nt to the point 01 being annoyingly cocky, but he's also a kid who will grow up. There are many lessons ahead lor him, most likely starting in Millville. Rick Schwalbach Houston, TX It 's Stefan, not Stephan or Steven, or Bill for that matter... Editor