With the sudden and untimely death of AHRMA Trustee, Mike Lightfoot, the AHRMA Board of Trustees expects to fill the vacancy by selecting a member to serve. The Board asked for resumes from interested members and Dave Boydstun asked to be considered. We caught up with Dave during the AMS sponsored "Dual in the Desert", which is the opening MX and Trials event of the AHRMA National series. We wanted to know what he feels he could bring to the Board of Trustees and where he thinks AHRMA is going in the future.

Dave Boydstun surrounded by a large group of women racers who all competed at AHRMA?s Arizona National Vintage MX. Front row, left to right Suzette Stamey, Julie Salsman (Expert winner), Arloa Cole, Peggy Cozart, and Tammy Ritzheimer-Mount. Back row, Tina Harlan, Roberta Ewart, Karen Steel (Intermediate winner), Sandy Ross, Linda Neilson (Ace Photographer), Shiela Gaworski, Robin Webster (Novice winner), Jada Berryman, and Kim Sutton.

Q:     In the past you have advanced proposals to substantially change machine eligibility within AHRMA MX classes. Why have you changed your mind about these proposals?

A:     I don?t know that I necessarily changed my mine on all of the proposals, but it took me a few years to see the big picture of what AHRMA is all about. AHRMA?s based primarily on the preservation of the motorcycles and the class structure complements that.

A:     I think for the time being the class structure is correct.

A:     It may seem to new members that the board moves very slowly. I know that they do move slowly and surely at making changes. But, I also think that each move they made has been real solid and has been based upon a lot of information from riders. It?s always the ones that are outspoken that don?t seem to get it, I don?t know...as you are first into a group, sometimes you don?t really understand what it?s all about. Myself, I think that it was about five years, this is my tenth year of being a member, I think that it was five years before I even understood the class structure completely and what it was all about. Of course, when I first came in I couldn?t understand why this bike or that bike wasn?t in a specific class. But after you understand it a little bit better, I still don?t agree totally with all of it, but you understand the main idea behind it.

A:     Being a promoter myself, I can understand all that goes right or wrong on race day or before race day. It think that I would add a lot to the people that are enthusiasts and who don?t necessarily realize what it takes make an event happen.

A:     I?m going to have to say that I have two answers to that; the first one I would have to say, is my enthusiasm and second, my experience with the vintage bikes.

A:     Well, on that I think a lot of people forget that every expert use to be a novice and intermediate rider too. I?ve been involved in a local club in Arizona for ten years and its growth is basically due to the attention that we have given to the novice rider.

A:     Well, I think it?s hard to say whether it would be a good or bad situation for my business. But, I?m willing to take the chance either way it goes, because I really want to be part of the wheels that make AHRMA work. So, as far as its recourse on my business it would be hard to say. I could be a good guy or at the end of the whole thing, or I could be marked as a bad guy. I did it, trying for this position, not thinking that it's going to benefit or hurt my business but for what I could do for AHRMA.

A:     I think too many. I think twelve would be a number, splitting the country into possibly six regions, seeing two event in each of the six region, have the regions select the tracks that best represent them. Of course, with guidelines that AHRMA would need to attend to. Such as convenience to a major airport, parking for RV?s and plenty of hotels. I think there are a lot of different things that AHRMA needs to ask for in the qualification of a National event that at a current bike race never even get considered. The majority of the National entries are local, but travelers make up about 30% of the entry at every one of these events. So considering the needs of these travelers is a very important consideration to the event location. Travelers are very important to the feel of the Nationals, because the riders bring unique bikes out for people to see. If you make it too hard for them to come, then that will just be the event they miss. The idea of a National is to showcase the motorcycles not usually seen in a regional program.

A:     Tech. inspection of the bikes at the Nationals, the balance of National events across the country, and possibly some more attention to the quality of the Nationals.

A:     Well, actually I think these issue are the same as I mentioned in the previous two answers. Except, I would add the need for the National office to lend support to local series as well.

A:     Possibly, sometime in the future maybe, the vintage bikes might be the support class for the long travel bikes. But, I really do believe we?ve got as good ten year stride, with what we have going now, before we really should be looking beyond the bikes that are currently in the AHRMA national program.

A:     I think that AHRMA?s main focus is the preservation of the vintage bikes, meaning pre 75? bikes and racing of that type. I think that AHRMA will be sure that the historic classes will not detract from or deteriorate the pre 75? classes. But, we know that in the natural future we have to look that way, and make adjustments for them. My suggestions have been along the lines of those bikes running the following day, as most East Coast races are on Saturday. The longer travel bikes could run on Sunday, with vintage support classes catering to the sportsman era rider, or any bike pre '75. Offer classes for guys that tend to be younger, or think that the tracks are not rough enough. They would then have the option to ride a rougher track and share the day with the long travel bikes. Actually, that would be an interesting test to see how long the vintage guys would be happy racing as a support program with the long travel bikes. It?s that sort of problem that long travel bike riders have with us.

A:     Well, I would like to think that most of the violations at tech are ignorance of the rules. Just not knowing. I don?t think that people intentionally come up there and think that they?re are going to buffoon us. Most of the problems will be with misinterpretation of suspension travel. How to come up with travel. A lot of newer riders think that it?s the amount of shock travel movement, no matter where it is on the swingarm. That can always be addressed, because we always have travel limiters, we can always fix that and the rider will be allowed to compete that day no matter how the shocks are mounted. A lot of riders just don?t read the rulebook and then come to tech. with questions that are clearly outlined in the rulebook. But the rulebook can be confusing to the new riders and it does take a while to understand. When I work tech. we never go after someone. We always assume that they didn?t know, and try to treat them that way. I think that starts the day off a lot better that way. To say "I guess you didn?t know, that this won?t work in AHRMA and you?ll have to put some tape on this and some rubber on that and your numbers aren?t big enough, or something like that". We always have travel limiters, number plates, numbers and letters at all the National techs. So, most of the infraction can be address right there. Now, guys coming up with bikes with later model items on them, if the rider didn?t know, we go ahead and let them ride. Letting them know that if someone protest them then they wouldn?t have a leg to stand on and the protester will win. I can?t think of a time that a rider was denied a ride due to tech.

A:     Because most guys find AHRMA has recaptured a time gone by and want to associate with like minded vintage folks. Riders that love old bikes and a race day that goes a little easier. I find that there?s as much going on in the pits as there is on the track. In fact, in most cases, (laughing) a lot more going on in the pits than is happening on the track.

A:     I think that the best thing for AHRMA to do is to stay with their class structure. The quickest way to lose membership is for the member to go to the next races or series, and find that their bike has been put into another class, or other bikes have been put into their class. That?s one thing that AHRMA, by moving as slow as they have, has done to stabilize the classes. So, when you're done with your three thousand-dollar project, it's safe. Other clubs that I have seen are constantly adjusting the classes. "Like we have TT500 Yamaha?s coming so we need a class for them" that?s great, but don?t put them in with existing classes.

A:     Well, honestly in road racing I have no experience at all. But I?m a quick learner and if I get this position I will definitely focus my learning towards understanding the road racers, although most of my time will be spent in the dirt. That is one aspect of five that AHRMA runs and I know about the other four. I will look for advice from the other Trustees who specialize in road racing of course. For them to advise me and give me insight. In the 70?s, I raced TT and Flat Track for about five years, so I think that I have a good sense of what is involved in the decisions on tech and I?ve helped at the flat tracks with tech. and competing. It?s not my forte, but I think I understand the flat track program pretty clearly.

Dave Boydstun is the owner of Arizona Motorcycle Supply (AMS) in Phoenix AZ and promoter of the first AHRMA National MX and Trial series event. Dave is also a former professional MX rider from the 70?s and is the AHRMA 1999 National Champion in Classic 500 and 250 Expert. The Board of Trustees is expected to make the decision on who will be the newest AHRMA Trustee during Bike Week in Daytona Florida the first week in March 2000.