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/1546039
Go Nicky! As a fan of MotoGP and Cycle News, I find it irritating to continually read the remarks of Nicky Hayden critics. Come on, people! With his recent win at Laguna Seca, Nicky gained (not lost) points on Dani Pedrosa, who (as the points show) has not been as consistent. Championship-leading Hayden has proved that he can beat his teammate. Casey Stoner has only proved that he can crash. With Marco Melandri and Valentino Rossi both facing signifi- cant points deficits, this championship is Nicky's to lose. Maybe some people find this "unimpres- sive," but I don't. Samuel DeLozier Carrollton, GA Mr. Longevity Although I've lost touch with John Long, I enjoyed your "Archives" article on him. I first met John when he came on our GT Racing team as a substitute for Jonathan White at the West Palm New Year's week- end race for what was then the WERA National Endurance Championship final. All we had to do was one lap to establish enough points to beat Lester Wheels. Well, despite an engine change, we finished second. John was professional and a pleasure to work with. When our tires were down near the car- cass, John would say, "Just race them!" (as he hopped aboard). Later, we'd run into each other at Daytona. I got to know his father and mother, and visited John and his family in Miami. I will say that John and family "traveled in style." He always had a ready smile and an unassuming personality. I recall one year he was running third near the end of the Daytona 200, but a gas-cap fail- ure set him back. I also recall that he was a trusted test rider for Michelin - not the fastest (although close), but the most consistent. I recall something about Gary Nixon always blowing through the chicane on the last test lap, thereby screwing up the temperature numbers. John, on the other hand, would crank out laps like clockwork. I'm not sure, but John may have set a record for laps run at Daytona. At least it's likely for the number of consecutive races run. J.T. Hoagland via the Internet AMA Recommendations I worked in the automotive and motorcycle racing aftermarket for 16 years, but now I'm just a fan with a couple of longwinded recommendations for AMA road racing inspired by your recent series of round- table articles. First, the AMA should not be the main mar- keting machine. The ongoing negative press they receive within the industry proves they can't even adequately market themselves. Get a promoters' group to take this on and then market the strengths of motorcycle road racing - athleticism and action. Like many racing fans, I'm also a traditional sports fan (NFL, NBA) and I appreciate athleticism. Motorcycle racing, in general, is the most athletic form of motor- sport there is, and that's the reason I prefer it to car racing. It isn't just about being brave or crazy or "extreme." The combination of talent, finesse, strength and endurance it takes to guide two little contact patches to the conclu- sion of a race is unparalleled. Action? How about dragging your knee at over 100 mph with no roll cage? How about passing that has more to do with creative lines than it does with drafting? And, with the exception of Daytona, the action isn't in the pits. It's on the track, where it belongs. Second, once marketing efforts get new blood to watch on television and eventually attend a race, make the live experience worth coming back for. Of the three main forms of motorsport (circle track, drag racing and road racing), road-course racing has always been the most difficult and least satisfying to view in per- son. After all, how exciting is it to see the lead change after it happened instead of when it happened? Improved concessions, clean bath- rooms and new grandstands are nice. But if you want to keep a casual fan engaged in the action and engaged in the sport, I have just one word for you - Jumbotron. Chris Freitag Galt, CA Mad! I am mad. After many years of trying to live down the myth that being a motorcycle rider meant you were a member of a Harley biker gang, extreme street riders are now working hard to give us an even worse rep- utation. The new trend of extreme road- bike riding is very, very bad for the sport. While the track is a much better place for it, I don't mind riders running hard on canyon roads. If they make a bad mistake, it usually only affects them. But when I am driving to work in heavy traffic and some idiot is doing a wheelie in the fast lane 10 feet from my car, it just pisses me off. This is starting to happen all too often - wheelies, stoppies, sidesaddle feet dragging; it has no place on the street in traffic. If that idiot loops out, I don't want to run him over. I make it a point to stop these guys and let them know I am a 24-year member of the AMA, a former owner of a Kawasaki/Yamaha dealership and an ISDE gold medallist. In short, I love bikes, and then I tell them they are screwing it up for all the rest of us. Extreme riding has no place on the street. Keep it to private locations where you are not creating enemies among the car drivers around you. Duke Lambert San Jose, CA Laguna Bad Were you one of the lucky people who attended the MotoGP at Laguna Seca? If so, you were also one of the fortunate ones who got to stand in line for three hours in the blazing sun just to catch the shuttle bus back to the parking lot! Did you ever see a more pathetic display of crowd control in your life? I understand that the year prior was just as bad, but at least those lucky ones were able to sit in their air-conditioned cars for three hours while waiting to leave the venue. But, hey, I guess the folks at Laguna Seca thought that by handing out free water so we didn't pass out from heat exhaustion would make up for the fiasco. Not for this girl! I would like to encourage all of you to send an e-mail to Gill Campbell, CEO/general man- ager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and let her know what you thought of their so-called traffic plan. You'll probably get some form let- ter back like my friends did, but maybe if we bombard her e-mail, she'll get the hint. I also plan on writing letters to every single sponsor who sponsored that race. If you care to join me, you can find the list on Laguna Seca's website. Do I plan on ever going back to that raceway? No way! And neither do the hun- dreds of people whom I had the pleasure to get to know while standing in line. That was the general consensus. Lori Nicosia Lytal Mission Viejo, CA Laguna Good A motorcycle accident left me with a bro- ken leg just a few months before this year's MotoGP event at Laguna Seca. I was not sure if I was going to be able to enjoy the event as I have in the past, with my limited mobility. As I was struggling down the road on my crutches the first day, a gentleman driving a golf cart asked me if I would like a ride. I asked where he could take me... "Anywhere you want" was his reply. It turns out he was part of a small army of vol- unteers driving physically challenged race fans anywhere within the raceway. I was elated to learn I could go virtually any- where at the track with their help. I witnessed all kinds of people, with varying physical limitations, enjoying a weekend of world-class motorcycle racing thanks to the tireless efforts of the Monterey Veteran's Association and their fleet of carts and volunteer drivers. Although my disability is temporary and I will be off my crutches for next year's event, many others are not as fortunate. I cannot stress how important it is for someone with physical limitations or disabilities to be able to be outdoors and enjoy a racing event with the same level of access many of us take for grant- ed. I urge you to support their continuing efforts by visiting www.mbv.org. The next per- son they help might just be you. John Boissier Cupertino, CA "Motorcycle racing, in general, is the most athletic form of motorsport there is, and that's the reason I prefer it to car racing." AUGUST 9, 2006 • C Y C L E N E W S 6 V o l u m e X L I I I Sharon Clayton – President Robert NorVelle – Publisher EDITORIAL Paul Carruthers – Editor Kit Palmer – Off-Road Editor Steve Atlas, Jean Turner – Associate Editors Henny Ray Abrams – Contributing Editor Shan Moore – Contributing Editor Alan Cathcart – European Editor David R. 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