Ask Ping
Hi my name is Hayden Juneau. I'm 11 years old and I dirt bike race at CMX Racing every Sunday and I was wondering if Racer X could sponsor me in dirtbike racing? I can send results of all my races I do good I usually get 2nd or 3rd so if racer x can sponser me please email me back. thank you for your time.
Dear Hayden, We'll kick in a free Racer X travel mug with our sponsorship!
It sounds like you are doing great at the races; that is awesome. Racer X is always going to support young, talented riders like yourself because you are the backbone and the future of the sport. Here’s what we’ll do: First, we will give you a one-year subscription to the magazine for just $19.98. That is, like, $1.67 per issue (and trust me when I tell you that it is a good deal). We will also send you all the stickers you need for your bike and equipment; just send us a SASE [ask your mom or dad what that is] to us and we will take care of everything else. Good luck this season and make sure those Racer X stickers are visible on your helmet and front fender!
PING
Dearest Ping,
I have noticed a growing pattern in motorsports here of late and was hoping you could help. Recently, while watching the opening round of the Outdoor Nationals, there was an interview with Josh Grant and I couldn't help but notice he was wearing a shirt of his own. I don't mean like a mock jersey or something like that; I mean a shirt like you or I (well, not me, but someone) would purchase with him on it. Then, while watching the drag races yesterday, they interviewed Sebastian Bach (you know, from Skid Row, I know you rocked out to "18 and Life to Go") and he too was wearing a shirt of his own with a picture of his latest solo album on it. Am I the only one who thinks these guys are douches? Now, don't misunderstand: I'm not against self-promotion. I just think it is extremely pretentious to be seen wearing a shirt with your own image on it! Can't they just wear one of those button-up pit crew shirts with their name and sponsors on it? Surely you, Ping, have never rolled out sporting a shirt with a picture of you on it and huge script letters saying Pingree? I hope not. Thanks!
DC in SoTex
Dear DC, GEICO Powersports Honda's Josh Grant photo: Simon Cudby
You know, it’s funny, I saw Grant wearing that shirt that same day and it struck me as odd. I mean, first it struck me as conceited, arrogant, egotistical and self-worshiping. But I just filed it away in my mental Rolodex as odd. I’ve seen hip-hop stars wear shirts with their new albums title and release date on it as a way to promote their new albums and that is so lame. Look, we don’t need to take anything else from that industry, folks; from the flat-billed hat with the sticker still on it and ears tucked into it to baggy pants with your underwear hanging out to speaking like you learned the English language from a heroin dealer in the Bronx… stop borrowing from this industry! I don’t know if Josh has just been watching too much 106 and Park on BET or if he just grabbed the only shirt in his closet that was clean that day but his fashion choice spoke volumes about his love for himself. There’s no excuse for Sebastian Bach—he is just a tool. Still, he had a couple hits there in the ‘80s and I’m pretty sure I blasted them in my Sony Walkman frequently.
PING
Hey Ping,
I just finished your article on the vintage race in Idaho. Great article, and it looks like so much fun that I want a vintage 125 to relive my youth. Anyhow, in the article it shows a pic of you on the ‘74 YZ 250, and the story says that you road a ‘78 with twin shocks like Hannah used to race and Yamaha would raffle off. The ‘78 YZs were of course monoshock equipped, and I don't believe Hannah rode for them until ‘76. Keep up the good work, and tell DC the readers want more vintage, less freestyle!
Rob
Dear Rob,
Thanks for the letter and for being so respectful in pointing out my misprint. Hey, I’m not going to lie to you—I don’t have an extensive knowledge about the bikes of that era. I believe I stated that in the story. I wasn’t even born when most of those bikes were made! And I did my best to get the right information about which bikes were which. But I had a lot of numbers thrown at me and, frankly, my pea-sized brain mixed up a couple of the dates. The photo caption has the right year for that Yamaha (1974) but somehow the text says 1978. I apologize to all the vintage fans that were disgruntled by this lack of consistency. And trust me, there were plenty. My email In-box has been flooded with vintage fans pointing out the error. And some of them sound like grumpy old farts that took the mistake as slap in the face to vintage racers everywhere. It was a simple mistake, folks, nothing more. I have nothing but respect for the riders and machines of that those eras. Here’s to vintage bikes, veteran racers and all the Levitra you can shake a prescription at.
PING
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