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/128355
lenees 10Ihe ed;!o< ,hould be sent10 Voice" Cycle News, PO Box 5084. Coste M.eso, CA 92628-5084 ; foxed 10 714·751-6685 or emoiled 10 ed;loI@cydenew,.com. Publi,hed letter! do not necesscrily reRect the position of Cyde News, Inc. letters should not exceed 200 words,and all ore subjectto editing. Anonymous lelfers will nol be considered fOf publication. Allieners should contoin the writer's nome, address and daytime phone number... Editor. Remembering Crandall Not only did Ron Crandall have an influence on developing supercross tracks, he was also a motocross fan and a teacher who changed many students,' lives. I grew up in Southern Californ ia in the early I970s , and my father (who knew Ron ve ry well) introduced me to motor cycles to keep me out of trouble. Ron had started a big eve nt at Co ro na Raceway in the mid-70s - high school motocross. The event sta rted to draw more spect ators than Friday night football, so the event was moved to Thursday nights. We had a large number of high schools com peting from all over that area and it was a great mean s of keeping students busy on the weekends. I know why my fathe r, who was also a school te ache r, introduced me to motorcycles - we were racing every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It was grea t. Many o f us ex-high school racers will never forget those high school nights at Co rona Raceway. Thanks , Ron, I'll never forget it. And, yes, I do remember that very frustra ting starting gate! Rollie Smith via the fnternet Tim Nething, 1957-2004 The desert racing and off-road co mmunity suffered a great loss with the recent passing of Tim Nething. The final checkered nag new for Tim while he was out doing one of the things that he loved to do - he was riding the tra ilsof Red Mountain. California, with his friends. An accom plished racer who earned top -IS plate hono rs in the 250cc Expert and Vet 250cc Expe rt classes in D.RA and District 37 desert and enduro events , Tim was a fierce competitor with a passion for racing and riding. Quic k with a wo rd or an idea for a performance or tec hnical tip, Tim was always willing to do what he could do to help. A member of the Sodb uste rs M.e. and the United Enduro Association, Tim was a friend and fellow competitor who will be missed by many. Gods peed , friend. Mike Hood Chattaroy, WA "I do remember that very frustrating starting gate!" ,.r- . . ,.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - shop for years to come, as most of us never get the chance to acquire such photos . Thanks again. I also want to thank you for your coverage of nat track. It is the best in the business. Michael W. Kassebaum Lawrence, NE. Follow Dirt Track's Lead? Regard ing the backmarker prob lem in AMA Supe rb ike racing, it see ms the solutio n to the proble m is right in front of everybody's faces. The easy way to solve the pro blem is do what we do in dirt tra ck racing and in supercross: Run heat races, se mifinals and main events. The system of heat races, semis. and main events is de signed to sort out the field - so the main event is made up of only the fastes t riders at the event . It is fair beca use all the riders get the same amount of track time, and the fans get what they came to see - mo re racing. Since the main event is made up of only the fastest riders, safety is now equa l among the com petitors . We could eve n have a "B" main for next group of riders and possibly a "C " main. This system would also take the pres sure off the tire situation, as the races wou ld be fewer laps. Heat races could be I0 laps, semis 12 laps and mains 20 laps. All participants would get to race against the fastest in their heat races, and the next fastest in the semis, and their matches in their prospective main event. A point system would have to match the plan. I think if I were to plan it out. I wo uld match the AMA nat track syste m and add in a "B" main that paid money and points. This syste m wou ld work, while keeping the same timing in prog ram . It also would allow the fans to see a lot mo re racing and closer racing, as the riders would be more matched by their ability. As far as race-day time is conc erned , it can be worked out - most likely with less prac tice time and mo re racing time. just like the nat track boys do . Com e on AMA. open your eyes . and go for it. What's not to like? You do it in your other series. Patrick C. Hayes via the fnternet He's a Captured Audience Worried in Ohio just a sho rt note to let you know that I really appreciate the Captured photos now being a center spread in Cycle News instead of two pages in the back. Those pictures w ill grace the wall in my bike I sure would like to know why the AMA always schedules the big Oh io races on the same wee ke nd. First. it was the Kenworthy round and the Mid-Ohio round on the same weekend . Now they 6 lA~UARY ~2005 • CYCLE NEWS have scheduled the new Greenville halfmile and the Mid-Ohio Superbike Na tional on the same weekend. Come on, guys. You've got the whole summer to work with - why lump it all together? Not to mention the hit I take on the old wallet. Spread it out. It makes the summer a lot more fun. Ray Merkle Wilmington, OH Wanting KTMs As a longtime reade r (I think the new format and co nte nt has bee n awes ome!), I was actua lly co mpe lled to write to you in regards to a recent cover sto ry. How can you have a "2005 250cc Four-Stro ke Shoo tout - The Battle of the F's" w ithout including the KTM? Did they refuse to give you a tes t bike? I just find it hard to believe that a publication as po pular and Widely read as yours can continue to ignore the orange and black factor - especially since you, normally, do such a goo d job of taking a neutral sta nce . Yeah, I am currently riding a 450EXe. However, I have been riding motorcycles for 37 yea rs (47-year-old Dist rict 36 Se nior), and I have ridden , and owned, all four of the japanese bikes, including actually working in a Kawasaki/Yamaha shop for two years . I am interested in, and appreciate, all two-wheeled vehicles. I realize that it may have been difficult, and possiblyirrelevant. to include every single 2SOcc motocrosser manufactured today, but the omission of KTM, if for no other reason than its share in th e market, smacks of favoritism. Perh aps you should have titled the cover, "200S 2S0cc japanese Four-Stro ke Shootout." You certainly can't call them the "Big Four" anymore, as I believe KTM has surpassed both Kawasaki and Suzuki in off-road sales! Check the local results in the pages of your own publication. Thank you for your carefulconsideration. Brad Kahler North Lake Tahoe, CA The explanatian is simple: The KTM 250cc (our-stroke wasn't available in time (or our shootout. In (act , the (octory team still doesn't have enough to go oround. We wauld have include the bike i( we had one, and we will (eature a (ull tes t on the new 250 as soon as we can get our grubby little hands on a test unit... Editor