Comment (September)
By TMX Archives on 14th Aug 03
But all my worries just melted away when I clicked on the attached jpeg and was rewarded with the sight of Jeff Perrett and the world's fastest MX rider, grinning from ear-to-ear and flipping me the bird. But all my worries just melted away when I clicked on the attached jpeg and was rewarded with the sight of Jeff Perrett and the world's fastest MX rider, grinning from ear-to-ear and flipping me the bird. Now just a few minutes on the blower to Mr Perrett normally has me beaming like the Cheshire Cat - but Ricky Carmichael as well? Bear in mind that the pic was taken at Washougal, one week after RC had seen the end of a win-streak lasting almost two years, and it's a double shocker. Sliding inside Jeff's bubble of lunacy didn't do him any good - Kevin Windham beat him again that weekend - but the impression I got is that he found his brush with British dirtbike journalism a refreshing break from reeling off the usual list of sponsors to the aren't-we-great US journos (obviously, there are some notable exceptions to this rule). Our Rear Gunner was Stateside to take in a few races and file a 'road-trip' feature for the October issue. Find out how he got on in next month's mag.Back on the home front and the New ACU have made the headlines again - and for the right reasons. In the face of opposition from the Euro bike importers, Rugby has put on hold plans to restrict the Maxxis Open class to an upper-limit of 450cc. There was a time when such an edict from the Old ACU would have been carved into a stone tablet like one of the 10 Commandments and no amount of pressure would've got them to change their minds. But times are changing and the daddies of British motorcycle sport now appear ready, willing and able to put common sense before ego and arrogance - and good luck to them...And that's not the end of the good news this month! Britain has another world champ in the form of Shaun Morris. The 19-year-old from the Red Rose county clinched the FIM world junior trials cup in France after a storming season shadowing Dougie Lampkin and the rest of the top men around the world. Top work Shaun! And while we're on the subject of Dougie, the great man is in pole position to make it an astounding seven outdoor world trials titles in a row. Okay, so trials may not be as flat-out exciting as MX, it may not attract the same mega-bucks as MX and it may not help flog as many 'units' as MX. But it's still dirtbiking. Now try and name someone else who's dominated their chosen off-road motorised two-wheeled sport the way Dougie has. You can't, can you. I'm not entirely sure what my point is here - but I know you know where I'm coming from...