"I take exception to defining
the I25cc National Championship
as a 'support' class."
lelt... 10 !he edi"" should be ...110 Voic.., Cycle News, PO Box 5084, Costa Meso,
CA 92628-5084; foxed 10 714-751-6685 oorily rofIect !he position of Cycle News, Inc. leIte.. should not.xceed 200 ....
words, ond 011 or. subject 10 editing. Anonymous Iottors will nol be considered for publicotion.
All letters should conloin !he writer's nome, oddr... ond doytime phone number... Edi"".
Our New Favorite
Reader
I subscribe to every U.S. national motorcycle magazine, and a couple of online sites.
Cycle News is hands down the best. Your
new format is highly readable and the quality of printing absolutely kicks ass for a
newsweekly. The World Superbike coverage from the Gordon Ritchie/Gold & Goose
team is just quirky enough to make it a special read.
The amount of space and quality of
reporting that you allocate to my particular
favorite - dirt tracking - is amazing, especially considering the size of the sport. Your
"Captured" photos have frequently made
me stop in my tracks and just stare - the
recent photo of the start of the 250 national at Broome-Tioga was simply stunning in
its depiction of the first-corner action. I'm
still picking the dirt out of my teeth!
Now, if you could open up a new division and take over sanctioning from the
scandalously pitiful AMA, and let them concentrate on their strength in marketing hatpins, motorcycle life would be heaven.
Okay, now can I get on next week's
cover?
Randy Kremlacek
via the Internet
The Name Change
I applaud the AMA for addressing the confusion of class names for motocross and
supercross. It has been confusing in recent
years (With the rise of four-strokes) to the
casual follower of the sport when there
were racers on the track on different-displacement machines in the same class. It is
even difficult to be clear when you write a
letter to the editor about class definitions,
too, as I found while writing this letter. That
said, I find the new class names may be confusing to people in other ways.
In the AMA press release, Scott
Hollingsworth says, ''This direction accomplishes several objectives in terms of clarifying the classes, defining the hierarchy
between the support and premier class..."
As a former competitor in 12S, 250 and
500cc Nationals and 250cc Supercross
(125cc 5X did not exist until the midI 980s), I take exception to defining the
125cc National Championship as a "support" class. There is no less talent and dedication in the 125 Nationals than there is in
the 250 Nationals. In 125 Supercross, yes,
the top riders can "point out" of the class.
6
But the 125 Nationals - no way!
Giving the new class names of
"Motocross" and "Motocross Lite" reinforces that "support class" perception
among casual followers. I am sure the dedicated MX fans feel there is no prestige difference between the 125 and the 250
National Champions. You can bet that past
champions who have won National
Championships in the 125 and the 250
and/or 500 Nationals are equally proud of
all of the championships they won and do
not consider their 125 Championships to
be "support class" championships.
Idon't know if there is a name that could
have been picked that does not give the
"support class" perception, but maybe
Motocross Heavyweight and Motocross
Lightweight would have been more accurate class names. A bOXing World
Championship in any weight category is still
a World Championship.
Since it is too late to change the name
again, as far as the Nationals go, I would ask
the AMA to consider dropping the "support
class/premier class" moniker from the
nomenclature of the AMA Motocross
Nationals. In comparisons of 250 SX and
I25 SX, the support class/premier class
moniker is fine and descriptive, but not for
the Motocross Nationals.
There is no asterisk next to any past 125
National Champion name indicating that
they won the support class. It shouldn't
start now. That would be confusing.
Warren Reid
via the Internet
,
Motocross Lites and Supercross Lites
sound stupid. Scott Hollingsworth is a
moron if he thinks the casual observers of
the sport are going to be drawn to it
because of those names. The true fans of
the sport think the names are horrible.
I love that the AMA just continues to
push bad ideas down everyone's throat.
Please use whatever influence you have to
pass on my sentiments to the AMA. What
are they thinking?
Morgan Strobel
via the Internet
The Name Change IV
Why would the AMA try naming anything
after the wonderful job they have done in
road racing? I have followed all types of racing via Cycle News for 30-plus years and still
can't tell you what runs in the four road racing classes other than Superbike.
Now the same bunch of rocket scientists
wants to start renaming other disciplines.
Let's put them all in a shipping container
and send them to the NHL - these people
all deserve each other.
Let me try my hand at this: AMA Pro
Racing - Barnum and Bailey Racing On Two
Wheels; Scott Hollingworth - CEO of
Formula Extreme/Daytona 200 Fiasco (I
really like this one; I crack myself up); Kerry
Graeber - VP and Chief Clown.
Jerry Welch
Independence, KY
Hotel Blues Already
The Name Change II
I just wanted to write and say that
Henny Ray Abrams' article ("Chicanery,"
Issue #35, September 7) on the Supercross
movie was the funniest I think I have ever
read in Cycle News - and I've been reading
Cycle News cover to cover for about 28
years now.
Also, in regards to the new names the
AMA has forced on us with no fan suggestions or feedback for the classes in
motocross and supercross, I would like to
propose new names for the AMA board
and its yes men (i.e., Steve Whitlock) "Idiots" and "Idiot Lites."
Lewis Greer
Springfield, MO.
The Name Change III
The new AMA class names are crap.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS
I just thought that I would drop you a note.
Today I called the motel (Best Western Park
Crest Motel) [at which we've stayed] the
last five to six years when we went to
Laguna Seca to watch the bike races. Today
they told me that they now have a fournight minimum. This looks to me like they
are starting the gouging early and hard.
I specifically asked why the minimum,
and they responded it was because of the
MotoGP races. I explained that we had
been attending for five to six years and have
been staying at the same motel, but this
made no difference.
Last year we paid considerably more in
room rates, but this may break the
camel's back.
Allen Stanfield
via the Internet
