Cycle News

CN III VOICES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR P18 "What does David do when Goliath just walks away?" Honda Says No To Baja I received the news about JCR/Honda pulling out of SCORE in Baja a few days ago and have mixed emotions. What does David do when Goliath just walks away? On one hand I am sad that Bonanza Plumbing can't finish what it set out to do four years ago. My original plan when I started out advertising in off-road racing was to beat JCR Honda in the Baja 1000, break the 17-race win record and do it with a KTM. Yes, I did sponsor a Kawasaki team in 2011 (we finished second) when KTM couldn't get me factory equipment, but KTM is where my heart is. On the other hand I am happy for my friend Johnny Campbell going on to hopefully more productive and profitable ventures. After the Kurt Caselli tragedy I would have to think long and hard about racing another SCORE event again. Johnny Campbell got out of SCORE and Baja while he was still on top with the longest winning record in motorsports history still intact. My hope is that we can find another venue for Honda and KTM to fight it out with the same intense passion that we had in Mexico. Dean Potts Via the Internet Potts owns Bonanza Plumbing, Inc., the sponsor of the factory KTM off-road team since 2010… Editor Carruthers Says Read you're really nice account of an evening at the bullring ("Carruthers Says," Issue 2, January 14). Of course there should be a short track in conjunction with Laguna Seca… Monterey Fairgrounds? Or maybe down at the infield lake at Laguna Seca itself? Or the Salinas Rodeo grounds if we can't get on the Peninsula. That Texas race… well, I'm pretty sure you can get Colin [Edwards], Kevin [Schwantz] and the Scherbs to make something happen. At Indy we already have the mile already rolling and it seems like it's a shoo-in for a short track? Dirt trackers have always been road racers, but it's always been amazing to me how many road-race fans have never seen a dirt track? Really? People who call themselves race fans need to see a national dirt track race if they have not? Gordon Rudy Via the Internet Carruthers Says II Just read the article written by Paul Carruthers and really enjoyed it. Great job, Brad Baker. I agree that this event could be a boon to the AMA, and God knows they can use the help. But it's going to take more than a short track race to get interest in dirt track elevated to where it needs to be. I have an idea that may seem far-fetched, but I like nonetheless. I call it Super TT (as opposed to Supercross). I imagine a track inside a stadium shaped similar to a Supercross track, only flat. No berms, and class C tires only. There could be a couple mound-like TT jumps and one reasonably long straight, with a long, sweeping turn - larger and faster than a short track turn but smaller than a half-mile turn. Promoted properly, it should attract a reasonable sized crowd, more than any short track could ever envision. A clean viewing environment, along with good concessions, is a big part of why Supercross works. I went to the Astrodome years ago to see the TT and Short Track races. It was great. A big crowd, as I recall. It was a nice, clean facility. I also caught every Grand National Half Mile and TT race at Ascot, from 1974 until it closed down. Ascot was an icon of a racetrack, but the facility was a s&^% hole. It seemed to me that only dedicated race fans were there for the race - not moms and dads bringing the kids like you see at Supercross. That's what is needed for the sport to thrive. That's what I mean by thinking big. The Europeans won't come over here for a dinky little short track, but they might for a stadium event. Dan Henry Encinitas, CA Letters to the editor can be sent to voices@cyclenews.com. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News. Letters should not exceed 150 words and are subject to editing. Anonymous letters won't be considered for publication and each letter should contain the writer's name, address and daytime phone number… Editor

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