Ping,
I am a big fan of your work and I appreciate the creativity involved in selecting random photos for "Ask Ping." I have attached several photos that I took at my local track in Austin, TX. When I saw this guy rolling up, I immediately thought "this is something that Ping will appreciate." My question is this: Do you applaud this guy’s ingenuity for solving the problem of how to get his bike to the track or do you condemn his stupidity for putting a 10" bolt through the roof, directly beside the driver’s seat? The driver of this rig was a kid about 18 years old. He drove up in a pair of Wranglers and a starched flannel shirt. I later saw him on the track wearing the same outfit, in addition to a helmet and an old pair of Fox boots. I think this is the first time I have seen a Cowboy who didn’t own a pickup truck. Apparently Kia’s have a remarkably solid rear window… Who knew?
I purchased your motocross101 DVD shortly after it came out. I found it both informative and entertaining and I’m not just saying that to get my letter printed. Keep up the good work!
Dale
Dear Dale,
You bring up a conundrum that I’m faced with frequently with this column. Do you applaud the determination to ride or ridicule the absurdity of the effort? Is he a jackass or a genius? I’d really like to sit down with the guy and get in his head. Does he use a ramp to load it up there? Does he leave the massive wooden wheel chock in when he uses the vehicle for work or dating? Has he ever impaled a girl with those bolts? Honestly, that is some of the shoddiest carpentry I’ve ever seen. And then there is the issue of the gear, or lack thereof. Riding in Wranglers and a flannel is not cool unless you are a member of the Professional Bull Riders Association and you’re attempting to go eight seconds on an irritated animal named Dr. Broken Bones. Still, I could overlook the gear if I had to. What tips the scales for me on this one is the car itself. A Kia? A cowboy in a Kia? That’s like President Obama rollin’ up to the White House in a lifted truck with super swampers, a gun rack and a rebel flag on the roof. Cowboys drive trucks or old Cadillacs with bull horns on the hood. Period. This guy is a jackass.
PING
Hey,
I have a question for you. You obviously know what the logo for James Stewart Entertainment looks like, right? Well, I was reading an article in a Canadian - based magazine from 2001 and saw the picture I have attached in one of the stories. Doesn't the logo look just like JS7's company logo? Do you have any idea what the logo on the hat above is or what company it represents? Cause I'm pretty sure James Stewart Entertainment did not exist in 2001. The picture is of a guy who lives in Montreal, Quebec. I'm just curious if you guys know the origin of James' logo, when it was developed, etc. Or if this is just a coincidence of two logos looking really alike.
That’s all. Cheers!
A moto fan from the Great White North
Dear Steve Matthes' brother,
The two logos do look curiously similar, don’t they? I stared at it for a while and tried to figure out what it could be… and then it hit me. Puffy. Puff Daddy. P Diddy. Mr. Sean Combs started a clothing line called Sean John somewhere between sampling every 1980’s pop hit for his own use and dating J-Lo. The company produced a logo that was simply an S and a J intertwined and that is what you see on that hat. I don’t know who created the logo for James Stewart Entertainment, but it’s pretty obvious they "sampled" it from Puff Daddy. It’s fitting, I guess. Somewhere, the Notorious B.I.G. is looking down and shaking his head at all this.
PING
Stewart was big in Quebec back in 2001.
Ping,
I was recently educating my little MX'er about great races in supercross history. You know, things like the Bailey/RJ battle in '86, Atlanta '90, countless Hannah, R.C. and M.C. stories, etc. But then I got to thinking about "moments" during a race that were unforgettable. There were a lot of thoughts about guys getting stuffed, unbelievable jumps and that one Monster girl that I can't get out of my mind.
And then it finally hit me.... without a doubt, the most memorable "snap shot" in supercross history belongs to you. That night in Phoenix the front end snapped off of your little pumpkin was freakin’ awesome to watch! I had it recorded on VHS and watched it over and over. I'm pretty bummed out now that my wife threw out all of the old VHS tapes and I can no longer enjoy it.
Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know that I will always have that thought of you in my head.
By the way, as a collector of motocross goodies I was pleased to win a signed Suzuki #35 Pingree jersey on eBay for the tidy sum of $35. Even though it's a Suzuki jersey, I will always think KTM when I look at it.
Thanks for the memories,
Rob Thompson (braaap)
Dear Rob,
I wish there were another race of mine that stood out more than that one. That’s like being remembered as the guy who got drunk and passed out at a party with his shoes on and was drawn on with a Sharpie by everyone in attendance. I actually sketched a little pirate mustache on my buddy’s girlfriend once when she passed out and it was a lot of fun. She inherited the nickname "Captain Morgan" after that and, sadly, it stuck.
Anyway, I wish I had a ’86 Anaheim I could be remembered for, but I don’t. I guess I should just own the one event that will always conjure images of me. It was certainly an inspired crash. I am the Picasso of dirt bike yard sales in that regard; nobody does it better or with more style. And just like that my self-esteem is back to levels that don’t require medication. Wait, you paid $35 for one of my jerseys? That was the year I won the season opener and led the entire series and you only had to cough up 35 measly dollars?! Time to get a refill on my lithium prescription.
PING
Got a question for Ping? E-mail him at ping@racerxonline.com. Need an idea for a Christmas present? Check out www.motocross101.com.
