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/1530649
VOLUME ISSUE DECEMBER , P211 remainder of the season. Never- theless, he came back and played a key role in leading Australia to its first-ever Motocross of Na- tions title. Clearly, his credentials for our 2024 Rider of the Year were solid—once again. If not for Jorge Martin's impressive and crazy year, which saw him secure his first MotoGP Championship, Jett Lawrence would likely have become our second-ever back-to- back ROTY winner. If you haven't done so yet, check out Neil Morrison's cover - age of Martin's remarkable year in this issue. A lot of good stuff in there. I find Martin's achieve - ment almost unbelievable. Win- ning the MotoGP title is already challenging, but to navigate all the hurdles he faced—especially winning it for the first time—is astounding. How he was able to maintain focus at such a high level of racing for an extended period, knowing your team had publicly announced that they weren't retaining you at the end of the season, opting instead for another rider, even if that rider is Marc Marquez, is beyond me. I can't grasp what it must have felt like for Martin to celebrate the MotoGP title with his team Sunday night, only to be riding for a different team on a differ - ent bike on Monday morning at the Barcelona test. I think many people will be pulling for Martin and Aprilia next year. It's hard for me to believe that Cycle News will be celebrating its 60th anniversary next year and that another 50 issues of Cycle News have come and gone. Every year seems to be getting shorter and shorter, but I must give a shout-out to our loyal readers for making 2024 our best ever. More eyes read Cycle News in one form or another this year than any other. Our digital magazine reached more than 500,000 unique visitors, up 11 percent over last year. We had 3.5 million unique visitors to our website, up 16 percent, and we enjoyed 7.7 million page views, an increase of 15 percent. Even our YouTube channel viewing has grown by 16 percent. You keep reading and watching, and we'll keep delivering. A big thank you! However, as good as 2024 has been, it does end on a few sour notes following the recent passing of AMA Hall of Fam - ers Mary McGee and Malcolm Smith. I, unfortunately, never met Mary, but I did have several good times with Malcolm, as many of us have had. Perhaps the most memorable was when I rode on the same minute as him at the Mauna Kea 200 Enduro in 1986 when we came to a large fallen log blocking the trail in the dense jungle. I stopped to as - sess the situation, contemplat- ing riding around the log, which seemed only slightly better than going over it. Then, here comes Malcolm. He stopped, too, and without saying a word, turned around, got a run at the log, wheelied up to it, and ghosted his Husky to the other side. He picked up the bike, got on, and rode off. I chose the more time- consuming and less spectacular way around the log. I will never forget that moment, nor his iconic smile and distinctive soft voice. What a gentleman. I was also stunned by last week's unexpected passing of Scott "The Burner" Burnworth, who rode for factory teams at Suzuki and Yamaha. I feel fortu - nate to have watched him race and to have written about his career. He was consistently ap - proachable, honest and friendly. While he might not have secured major titles, he garnered the respect of his competitors as if he had won 20. This is such a significant loss, and he was far too young. The year concludes with trou - bling news regarding the financial challenges currently faced by KTM. This unfolding story will be interesting to follow in the coming months. I recall witnessing the company rebound from a near demise in the 1980s and look at where they are now. They perse - vered then, and I believe they will again. Time will tell. However, one thing remains constant: Cycle News will strive to keep you informed about all the latest de- velopments in the motorcycle and motorcycle racing scenes, just as we have since 1965. Just a reminder that this is our last issue of the year. Expect your next issue to be delivered to your inbox on January 6, 2025. However, our website never sleeps. See you at Anaheim 1. CN