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/128340
"This sport can use more like Don Jones. " Liked Peoria IT The Peoria TT was the best race I've seen in a long time. I have been going to Peo ria since 1964, when I was a Novice riding a Montesa . Sunday's show was the best racing I have seen there in many years . Instead of a black, Single-file, follow-the- leader groove, they kept it dug up, which made fo r multiple lines and lots of passing. We were sitt ing in turn four, and Steve Morehead kept trying to pack it down, but the guy on the tractor dug it up. Chris Carr got passed more times on Sunday t han he has at Peoria the last 18 years combined. Keep it loose for much better racing. Rick Moore Indianapolis, IN Don't Make RC Mad Can we (the paying public) get you (the media) to shut up about Ricky Carmichael already? Every time you guys print a word or two of doubt, it seems to piss him off and inspire him to smoke every body by 30 or more seconds. This is getting qu ite boring. He is now on the verge of a second perfect season. Boring! This, of course, is all happening after he missed the entire Supercross season . The med ia predicted that this past year 's "lack of competition" (in Supe rcross) wou ld hurt him. The press printed a lot of negativity toward RC, mostly abou t the few but loud "boo birds" that just took up space at the stadium. A useless minority, but loudly blessed by alcohol consumption. Thanks to all of you for the boring season . You really pissed him off. I've got o ne more thing to add: Anybody w ho has watched Ricky since the early days knows t hat he has at least one more gear! His riding has slowed to the point that he only choo ses to win by 30 seconds. (Reme mbe r the "Hannah-esque" way in wh ich he rode - feet off ofthe pegs - for laps on end without crash ing?) When Bubba Stewart steps up to face RC, I will bet that RC steps up to take care of Bubba. At least that first year. But until then, quit pissing RC off. Qu it do ubting him, and making him faster and faste r yet . I wa nt not hing mo re than to see good racing again. But in the meantime, I will enjoy watching o ne of the greatest racers ever. Howard Halterman via the Inte rn et A Fine Homecoming This past week saw the final homecoming of one of Leominster's finest sons in Aaro n G. Creamer. A professional moto rcycle racer in the Ame rican Motorcycl ist Association Grand Nat ional Championship Dirt Track Series, Aaron was our frie nd, rider and teammate on Team Motorcyclist's Post. As fate would have it, our dear friend was taken from us on August 12 as a resu lt of a tragic accident involving seve ral ride rs at a race in Sturg is, South Dakota, the previo us evening. Aaron was a po lite, kind and humble young man whose pers onality made it easy for anyone he met to remember him and call him the ir friend. Since word of his passing, there has bee n a tremendous outpouri ng of support from across the co untry as well as within t he New England commu nity. Many people, both motorcyclists and nonmot orcyc lists, followed the exploits of this likeable young man as he competed in one of the most difficult and competitive forms of motorsports known . Wh ile we know that Aaron died while living his life's dream of competing at the highest level of this sport, it is nonetheless difficult to grasp the depth of this loss to so many that knew and loved him. We are overwhelmed by the courage, grace and love shown by his parents and immediate family as they welcomed and shared co mfort with thousands of friend s and we ll-wishers at Aaro n's services. The funera l procession, led by a large gro up of friends on motorcycles, flowed through the streets of Leominster, past the neigh. borhoods where Aaron grew up. We were overcome with emotion at the sight of so many people stand ing on the streets outside their homes and businesses displaying signs of support, respect and love for this young man. We would like to thank the Mayor, the Chief of Police, and all those responsible for helping to make this a posit ive celebration of Aaron's life. The police department did an outstanding job of directing the movement of the large procession, while showing patience and respect fo r this falle n son and his family, as we ll as those in attendance. As much as he truly loved being at the racetrack, it is now easy to see why Aaron was always excited to be heading home . O ur thoughts and prayers go out to his paren ts, family and friends. Godspee d, number 64. Youwill always be part of our team. The above let ter came from Team Motorcyclist's Past, New England HorleyDavidson Dealers Association, N.F. Sheldon Harley- Davidson/Buell, Performa nce letters to the editor should be sent to Voices, Cr,de News, PO Box 5084, CostaMesa, CA9262 8-5084; faxed to 714·751-6685 or ernul ed to edilor@cyclenews.com. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News, Inc. Letters should notexceed 200 words, and all are subject to editing, Anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. AU letters should contain thewriter's name, addressand daytime phone number... Editor. Ha rley-D avidson, Bettencourt 's Honda , Saddlem en's Performance Vehicle Service. Motio n Pro, BBVR Performance Products, LLC, Shoei, VP Race Fuels and Digatron... Editor Jones And McGrath I cou ldn't help but notice , in your August 25 edition of Cycle News, the extre me differe nce in att itudes take n by athletes of varying eras in this bea utiful sport. The interview with Don Jones e nds w ith th is quote: "We didn't make a ton of mo ney do ing it. but that was o kay because we were used to that," Jones said. "We just loved the racing." In the Br iefly... section elsewhere in the magazine, there was a paragraph mentioning that Jere my McGrath might race one of the last three Natio nals. but "...word in the pits was that the pro moter wou ld have to pony up 20 large for the supercross king to grace its track." Now I don't know if that's tr uth or fiction, but if it's true, then that is extremely sad, considering how much mo ney McGrath already has to his name . Th is sport can use more like Don Jones. Alex Soko lov South Pasa de na, CA One Man's Solution AMA Pro Racing? Ifthere is one thing that has kept the sport down, it has to be management by the AMA. Daytona used to be one of the biggest, most impo rtant races in the world. Now it is beco ming a glorified club race . And I am ashamed of the state of dirt-track racing. Here you have one of the most exciting fo rms of racing, domi nated by American HarleyDavidson. yet the AMA has never been able to make it click. If there ever was an op portunity to build a NASCAR-Iike series, that was it - and they blew it! And now they want road racing to be like NASCAR? It's not the same fan base , guys. And ge tti ng rid of the 500cc motocrossers. And the 250cc road racers . And making four-str oke motocrossers twice the displacement of two-strokes... Then there are the opin ions of the racers. Kenny Robe rts and a who le slew of racers have always criticized the AMA for their handling of rules, races , promotions, etc. You wou ld think by now they would have systematized holding most types of raci ng eve nts and things would run smoothe r. Yet they always seem to be flying from the seat of the ir pants. I thought sanctioning bod ies were ther e to set standards for such things as corner workers, their training and their locations on the www.c y cl e n ews .c o m track. Yet in your interview, those guys seem trapped in the mentality that there is o nly so much they can do . It is like. "Gee, I guess we could address all these complaints that have bee n re peate d ove r and over again, year after year, and maybe improve commun ication and other stuff." Anyway, here are my ideas for the road-race classes... Super bikes: Allow pipes, car bs, suspensio n, whe els, and gearing changes only (th is to keep the cost and horsepo we r down, yet make the machine closer to real racing machines). No cra nks. pistons, valves, can rods. cams, etc . O r lim ite d production machines. O r add a $25,000 claiming rule. 600s: Same modifications as Supe rbikes (isn't it stupid to call 600s "Extreme"?) Someth ing t hat allows Buells. Big, modified Buells. And add to that mix the club variety show (bikes of many co nfigurations that cut laps close to those of the Buells) . How can you not have Harleys in the sport, eve n just from a marketi ng standpoi nt? Judging from the past , I guess Harley doesn 't want to road race , or else those infamous strings wou ld have bee n pulled (as they were for their "Supe rbike," which would neve r see light as a pro duction machine). But I am sure a lot of H-D dea lers and e nthusiasts wou ld love to build and run machines. But not 883s - big Harleys. That is their way! Strokers, pistons, cams, car bs. 250s: Anyone who unde rstands road racing understands 250s and their impo rtance to the sport ove r the last couple of de cades . The AMA ridding the schedule of these bikes shows how superfic ially they rea lly unde rstand the sport. And (I know fro m your last issue your opinion of this) sidecars! These should be phase d in to allow builder s to modernize. I have bee n going to Laguna for over 30 years with a whole lot of different people, and sideca rs really turn the crowd on especially first-time attendees (do you wa nt 'em to come back?). There is just something spectacular, in an odd way, about these machines and the guys hanging off them . Guys I we nt wit h 20 or so years ago still talk about the hacks. And, finally, the sport sho uld be sta bilized by lock ing many of the rules and classes in for multiple years . And when changes are made , they should be made on a fixed schedule that mandates their finalization six to 12 mont hs prior to implementation. David Bell Oakland, CA CYCLE NEWS • SEPTEMBER 8, 2004 5