Food for thought: Eliminate career numbers, with the exception of 450SX or 450 MX champions. No longer perpetuate triskaidekaphobia (the irrational fear or avoidance of the number 13 for the homeschoolers). A rider who earns #13 should not be afforded the arrogance of choice and deny a working-class racer the privilege of being rewarded the national number he or she has legitimately earned. Riders who earn one of those bottom spots just inside the top 99 are typically privateers, whose programs are often elevated in sponsor opportunities and national recognition by this achievement. A lot of time, dedication, money, blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifice—not only by the racer, but many other supporters—helped put them there.
Art, I don’t think it’s fair that you penalize someone who does that well with the burden of having to wear #13 so that one more rider can get a two-digit number. I know a few guys who raced with #13 and were rather unlucky with it—the late Gaylon Mosier and the late Brian Swink come to mind, as well as Ricky Johnson, Sebastien Tortelli, and Jessy Nelson. I know the numbering system isn’t perfect right now, but I still think it works well. DC
I was reading your Reason for Being article about inclusion into the AMA Hall of Fame. As a lifelong motocross enthusiast, nonprofit corporation racetrack promoter, and lifetime AMA member, you have my support for inclusion of Ron Lechien into the Hall of Fame. I will try to ask everyone I know to do the same. I just hope I don’t forget to vote.
Mike Roark // Racer X Online
I really enjoyed the Jeff Emig article [“The Upside Down”] in the May 2019 issue. I’ve always passed on to people the huge accomplishment that he made to be announcing on TV when he had such a stuttering issue when he was young. Many people don’t believe that it’s possible. The only letdown of the article was that Emig is in one of my all-time favorite shots, and that shot was not included. I think it was from the mid-nineties, but it was a shot from him being at Motocross of Nations and he was railing this berm and had both feet on the pegs. It was not a large bowl turn, either! I’d love to see that shot again if you could happen across it.
Phil McDowell // Hillsdale, MI
Phil, we recall the photo too—it was from the ’92 MXoN in Manjimup, Australia, and it appeared in Dirt Rider magazine. Alas, we don’t have the rights to that shot and could not include it in Racer X. Thanks for reading our stuff! DC
Would supercross or motocross ever put speakers in the riders’ helmets just for track-safety announcements? “Red cross in section one.” Many forms of stock car racing have this. What are your thoughts?
Mike Larson // Racer X Online
Mike: I get the safety aspect and possibilities of helmet communication, but I also imagine it would be difficult to address one area where there might be a downed rider and not throw off everyone scattered around the track with the announcement. I’ve never been a fan of helmet communication in SX/MX, and I think it would become difficult and cumbersome to build and then monitor a communication system for our kind of racing. DC
Mike will receive a pair of racer x brand shield socks.
