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/128385
"They want big crowds - this is not the way to get them." Leners to the editor .hould be ..nl to Voice•• Cycle New•. PO Box 5084. Cosio Me.o. CA 92628-5084; foxed 10 714·751-6685 or emailedloeditor@cyclenews.com. Publi.hed letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News, Inc. Letlers should not exceed 200 words, and all ore subject to editing. Anonymous leffers will not be considered for publication. . _ -....- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - AJlletters should conloin the writer's nome, address and daytime phone number... Editor. The Daytona 200 Revisited Seeing that the AMA has decided to continue to have the Daytona 200 with Formula Xxtreme bikes just verifies why I quit renewing my AMA membership. With decisions like that, it's pretty obvious the AMA doesn't have its race fans in mind. I understand the need to do something about the high horsepower bikes and their effect on tires, but to take the premier bikes out of the premier race borders on comical. It would be very easy to make the 200 safer by doing something like making it a mandatory four-pit-stop race, changing both tires at each pit stop. They've taken the biggest race of the year and made it a joke. Seems my opinion is in the majority. The AMA needs to pull their heads out of their collective butts! Mark Klein via the Internet The Daytona 200 Revisited II '1\MA Pro Racing has confirmed that the 2006 Daytona 200 will again feature Formula Xtreme motorcycles." This is not good racing. I won't go, and my friends won't go. We're in our SOs, and we like good, fast, top-class racing. And this is not that. They want big crowds - this is not the way to get them. Roy Kennedy Lunenburg. MA The Daytona 200 Revisited III Formula Xtreme (-Iy lame) for the big race again, eh? How much money do you suppose Honda "donated" to the AMA to make that happen again? John Bell Nashville, TN Live Streaming I have seen the future, and I like what I see. Recently, there was an offer to subscribe to live streaming feeds of the remaining FIM Motocross GPs. Since, after 3S years as a motocross fan, I have long yearned for GP motocross to be televised in the U.S., this was a dream come true. The opportunity to watch these races live was fabulous, the streaming seemed adequate and I am looking forward to watching the remaining races and then haVing the opportunity to watch the Motocross des Nations live as well. 6 JULY 6,2005 • CYCLE NEWS Even better, if I am out racing or riding on Sunday, which is very likely this time of year, the feeds are archived so I can watch them when I get home. Now, if we could only do the same for AMA Motocross, I would be thrilled. Greg Labbe Longmont, CO Urgent Care I read with interest Henny Ray Abrams' recent article about the need for urgent care at the road racing tracks. As an avid motorcycle enthusiast and an orthopaedic surgeon, I had the pleasure of serving on the medical team at Laguna Seca for the World Superbike races from 1999 to 2003. Few lay people and media people realize the quality of medical personnel who volunteer their time for the riders. Our medical director assembled an outstanding team of trauma surgeons, anesthesiologists, orthopaedic surgeons, emergency phYSiCians, an Xray technician, as well as helicopter transport, ICU and ER nurses. During the races, we worked more than 12 hours each day staffing every race and practice session in exchange for a small stipend to cover our travel expenses, lunch and a hotel room. At the track, we were concerned first and foremost about rider safety and expedient treatment of injuries. I personally find it frightening that a rider with a ruptured spleen was almost released to ride, as in the case of Jason Pridmore. Those experienced in treating trauma victims know that a ruptured spleen is exceedingly difficult to diagnose by a clinical exam only. A team of only orthopaedic surgeons would likely miss this nine times out of 10. When one rider went head first into a wall at turn three, an experienced anestheSiologist had secured his airway within seconds and the rider was flown out within minutes to a major Bay Area trauma center. When another rider dislocated his shoulder at the beginning of a race, one of our orthopaedic surgeons had his shoulder back in position within minutes. Unfortunately, far too often, the "business" of racing takes precedence over rider safety. More than once a major race was started before all of our medical personnel were in position because the race was scheduled to be televised "live" and couldn't be delayed! Fortunately, there were no incidents; unfortunately, rider safety was compromised. I couldn't agree with you more about the need for experienced medical per- sonnel who understand the seriousness of the sport. An experienced mobile team is a great idea. Assembling such a team can be difficult because each member of the medical team would have to be licensed in every state that hosts a race. Licensing is expensive, and takes time and paperwork to secure. (The popular "C1inica Mobilia" personnel from Europe essentially practice medicine without a license at the racetrack and once "cleared" a rider with a spine injury, but without getting X-rays or an orthopaedic evaluation!) The United States has the best physicians in the world, and strict licensing procedures ensure quality and consistency of training. Even so, I cringe every time I have sent a rider to the local hospital for care, because the medical profession in general has an intense dislike of motorcycles and the people who ride them, and rarely do they acknowledge the intensity of fitness and training that road racing requires. I hope that the logistiCS and the expense will not prevent racers from getting the best medical care that they deserve. Jennette L Boakes, M.D. Stockton, CA Tire Woes Fans of motorsports, whether two- or fourwheel, had to be shocked, dismayed, and embarrassed by the Formula One farce at Indianapolis. It wasn't bad enough when Michelin recently threatened to pull out of motorcycle road racing due to the alleged theft of a single tire - a single tire - but to stage (and it was obviously well coordinated) a boycott of a major international auto race right before its start was short-Sighted, tragic and, from a fan's perspective, downright criminal. I can only hope this French company does the right thing and reimburses fans who went to Indy to see a race (not a Ferrari parade) for not only tickets but for transportation, lodging, meals, etc. I for one will never buy a set of Michelins either for my Nissan truck or my Triumph motorcycle. They should do everyone a favor and just pull out of all forms of racing, and concentrate on selling their over-priced passenger tires. Better yet, become an official supplier to NASCAR. With that sanctioning body's internal politics and public shenanigans, they deserve each other! It would be a match made in... Marseilles! Tim Marsh Los Alamitos, CA