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8/30/99: Ug. The e-mag is way behind. Backlogged projects include finishing a web site for Stefy Bau, the review of PACE's video Bar to Bar for 1999, and tons of photos still from Loretta's and Binghamton.

8/29/99: It didn't seem funny at the time, but it turns out RC's extra motivation for stomping the first 125 moto and clinching outdoor 125 title #3 wasn't just his legendary speed and strength. He wasn't feeling too good and some internal movements were spoiling his comfort. He needed to get going.

When he stopped for the TV interviews and the #1 plate photos, he politely said, "Hey I really need to go to the bathroom." Everyone still wanted the photos, and the statements, and all that so he endured... So RC, "How was it out there? How do you feel about title #3? Are you riding 250s full time next year? Is there anyone you would like to thank?"

Silly Season is still slow, but just a few notes... Vohland to Pro Circuit, Button re-signed with Yamaha, and Vuillemin planned, not signed. Dowd isn't sure, neither is Ferry. Ward to Kawasaki. LaRocco is doing the same gig. Here's a surprise...Damon Bradshaw is not only riding a four-stroke (he won a Four-Stroke national in Idaho and is doing the Denver round according to sources close to sources), but he has been riding a two stroke and ... nah couldn't be ... no?

Oops. This guy looks like he is about to take out the photohound. But the tree behind and to the right is scarier than hitting my big self. He managed to hit neither.

"Stefy Power", aka Stefy Bau, did line up in a qualifier for the men's pro class right after winning the WML women's final round. She missed the fizzy shaking because she was back in the pits getting ready to go back out for practice. She finished the first lap in 13th after going way around a first turn pile, but the moto was red-flagged due to a nasty crash that left a rider in the track. She had a rotten start in the re-start and didn't have anything left to charge. She said three women's motos (the first was mistakenly finished early and had to be re-done), a men's practice, and that re-start was about all she had left. She still says she can run with these guys... Good for her.

Mike Jones is having surgery today (saturday) on his neck and back due to a big crash. It's not as bad as it sounds. He drove six hours after the crash but went for X-rays later after he felt too bad.

Mototalkers by now have all seen a few different versions of Fro's weekend troubles. I have heard conflicting reports so I'm holding off on this one. Whatever happens lets hope the best outcome for a SX/MX champ. No sense in bagging on him now.

Motonews cub reporter Don Graber is ready for his third outdoor this year. At Binghamton this weekend he will be interviewing a top 250 rider on an independent Honda team, learning who "Snoop" is, and having a blast I hope.

I guess stevey d is the only normal person left. He sent this in. The 'blue hairs' are DC, Bauer, Bryan Stealy, some spectator, and Schutte.

8/24/99: Last night Tallon Vohland had a long report for his old buddy and fan club president Marc Vickers, a long-time Motonews regular. Vohland is for sure off to Pro Circuit next year with a nice package and a full-on killer bike. He had nice things to say about FMF and looks forward to the USGP at Budd's on Sept 12.

RC reportedly put in the good word for him at Pro Circuit. He should know who to recommend for his old job since he was seen chasing Vohland for the lead more than a few times.

8/23/99: Stefy's new nickname is 'Stefy Power,' after the summer movie. She was 12th in the "A" class this weekend at Englishtown. Next weekend we will be watching (and covering) the WML race saturday at Binghamton, and monitoring her shot at the 125 pro class for the national. Trivia folks: How long has it been since a woman went for it at an outdoor national?

The message board wars are flaring again. This time its over Launi's open letter to grumpy. The e-mag has learned most of the noise you hear over this is one person! Yep, just one irresponsible crank who just won't stop stirring up web trouble. People who work hard and do positive things for the sport don't need the abuse, and this person needs to see a professional for mental help.

8/21/99: Our esteemed colleague Denny Hartwig, Pat Schutte's excellent PR intern, is on his way to Atlanta to start his bold new adventure at Seals to handle the Motoworld.net site. Wish him luck! Look for Denny working Press at all the major races, and doing the 'elbow war' thing with myself and DC when the races are over and its interview and photo time.

Media attendance from the US down to Brasil for the MXdN is going to be very, very light. The e-mag empire had some ideas for the trip but they aren't coming together, but it looks like there will be a way to pull together a pretty fast and detailed MXdN report anyway. Stay tuned.

8/20/99: The French Supercross championships kicked off last weekend. Our favorite spectator in Paris Dominique Sourie was quick to post two killer TFS e-mag reports from France, but I was slow getting them ready. Here are short cuts to the reports: Round 1, and Round 2.

Debbie Matthews reports you can keep up with her Women's Motocross school at www.dmsports-wsmx.com. Debbie knows her stuff! The key to having more fun and less injuries for beginners is tossing the ego and getting some good instruction from the beginning.

8/19/99: "We don't spectate because it is easy. We spectate because it's Supercross." OK, so I stole a phrase from the jacket on the new PACE video Bar 2 Bar 1999. A review is in the works. It will be done today or tomorrow. The video is damn good! The review will say it's just what you need if you want a season re-cap. It will also say the unexpected bonus, as least for me, is how accurate the whole thing is. If you want to know what the people in the pits and on the floor were saying and thinking as the Supercross season unfolded, you will find it here. It was done by people who know.

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Win a THQ sticker pack!

The fine folks at THQ kicked in 10 RC Championship Motocross sticker packs, just for you. For the last two MX rounds, the best five for the week in Snoop's Mototalk fantasy MX scoring will get a set of 8 stickers.

Who is Snoop? Stay tuned. Snoop is a pro rider you have seen on Motonews more than once.

8/18/99: So whatever happened to Silly Season? That fun time of year when everyone seems to move up, out, or on to greener grass? This one has been pretty slow so far, but a few changes are starting to hit the rumor mill.

The slow start for the season and hints from a few that say some real surprises are in store probably mean this... Maybe one or two really big changes are in work, which are holding up announcements from the rest. This happened in 1997 also, when everyone seemed to be waiting to see what MC would do before the rest of the teams re-aligned.

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8/17/99: Millville had great racing! The 250 class has seen frequent close battles for the lead between 2-6 riders amost every event, and Millville's were awesome. Button led both motos, Reynard was all over him in early the first moto, and Windham in the second. Albee has just two races to hold on before his dream of winning a US 250 championship comes true. Everyone likes Albee. He has worked for this for years. Good for him.

(Left) Roger gets a head start on smiling for Albee's title.

Nick Wey won an all-out battle with Vohland in the first moto at Millville. So far this year no one but RC and Brandes (in one moto at High Point) have done that. Congrats to Wey for his first outdoor moto win and overall.

RC's bogus start in the first moto at kept him out of the points for the overall, which means he won't be breaking Mark Barnett's record for outdoor 125 wins. He will need to win the next two to tie the Bomber's record, then he's on a 250 full-time.

The USGP at Budd's, just a few weeks away, will only have Team Suzuki out in full-force, the top Euros, and a lot of fast US guys. Jon Beasley from Budd's has been busy rounding up the fastest folks he can and getting the tower ready for a live TV broadcast in four languages.

The Euro Honda team guy Doug Grant who reportedly got the US Honda Team to stay away from Budd's got the boot from Honda and will take Everts to a Husky next year. Honda's Euro effort should be going to PAMO, the folks who sponsor Ryan Hughes.

DC's latest Racerhead is up, DC has always been kind to Motonews and the e-mag, but this week TFS made "Player of the Week." Whoa, thanks DC!

Millville is Sunday, the third-to-last outdoor national of 1999. Dang. Hoppen is going, Schutte from PACE is going, but I don't think they are going to buy the place this weekend, they are busy with the new Freestyle series, PACEFMX.

Forget about the show-vs-race Supercross debate that often pops up on Mototalk. Freestyle is all show, no race. It will be interesting to see what PACE does with their new series. If anyone can turn bike stunts into an evening of entertainment that works, PACE can. People have complained the Freestyle is boring or the stunts are cool but the shows are lousy. Maybe our favorite bigtime entertainment folks will make something of it.

This would be a good time to set some standards for this new sport/game/show or whatever. My vote would be no shows where there are crosswinds (Schutte says theirs are indoors for now), and jumps with consistent length, or better yet, extra dirt to have tabletop landings instead of nut-crunchers if you come up a little short.

8/12/99: Button, Ernesto, MC, Bud-man, and Emig all were at Stadium Pizza in Temecula off Winchester Road, for the fund raiser for a little boy with cancer. Wish him good luck. According to Steve G, who stopped by, "Dad said it was a big deal for the kid (who has Leukemia). Second time he'd been out of the house since he'd been diagnosed with it."

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PACE just posted a couple of bits from the new "Bar to Bar" video series. The new video is the third annual. I like them because they are pure indoor racing and no goofy skits.

These two on the left are frequently spotted on the floor taping the video. PACE also just posted a preview of their new Freestyle site. Check it out on PACESupercross.com.

David Vuillemin won last weekend's French Supercross championship event. This came in from across the pond:

"(La Tremblade). Quatre mille spectateurs d�chain�s ont assist� aux succ�s de Rodrig Thain (125 KTM) et David Vuillemin (250 Yamaha) lors de la seconde soir�e du championnat de France supercross sur la superbe piste."

I think that means Thain won the 125 class and Vuillemin the 250. I'm a little worried about that last word though, I don't know who is piste at who. Can't we just all get along?

8/9/99: The TFS e-mag Empire took a sabbatical last week to visit the Loretta Lynn's AMA Amateur National Championship Finals. Everyone knows about Loretta's week and the importance of it, so there is no need to make up a fancy description. It's just heavy duty. Motonews teamed up with sponsors Racer X, FMF Racing, Fox Racing, Works Connection to do the biggest, baddest on site web magazine ever attempted at a single event. You can check out the result (still in progress) at Racer X Ill or MXSports.

There will be more added about LL's so you will be plenty up to speed before the print stuff comes out. To sum it up, a quote from our man Steve Giberson after he checked the LL's web report - "Looks like a combination trade show, championship race event, and social gathering." Exactly.

8/2/99: Washougal Results: Wow! For the second week in a row, Yamaha shoots down the Albee vs the Big Red Machine (-2) concept for the 1999 outdoors series! Jimmy Button pulled off his best day ever and took the over all with a 3-1!

FMF's Brock Sellards 125 ride was just as impressive, he went 1-3 and took the overall, just a point ahead of RC (2-2) who had to work through traffic in both motos. A (1-3) beats a (2-2) in AMA scoring, but you knew that...

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