It's not just a Tough event!
By TMX Archives on 22nd Jan 09
This week JD is not actually sticking up for Steve Ireland, but he can see where all his hard work and cash goes - and also finds out how you can name a bike...
I DO try to keep the page 5 column topical and it doesn't get more topical than The Tough One, the WOR Off-Road Blue Riband event that took place in the remote Nantmawr quarry last Saturday. You can read a comprehensive report of the event elsewhere so I don't want to dig too deep into that side of things here.
All I want to say is what a brilliant day out it was. And judging by what I heard and saw on the day this was a feeling shared by all. There was no moaning, even given the fact that we were knee-deep in wet mud all day and there was such a feelgood factor in the quarry you could forget, for a few hours, that the entire world was in meltdown.
One of the reasons for the laid-back atmosphere has to be because of Tough One organiser Steve Ireland's management style. Now, I am well aware (as is he!) that Steve has his detractors and not everyone appreciates his ‘benevolent dictatorship' style. But, what you can't argue against is that Steve gets things done in a no-nonsense manner. There is no ducking any issues as Steve leads from the front. Where other organisations'officials take a step backwards and look for someone to blame for whatever (clerk of the course is usually favourite) Steve sorts out the issues immediately, as and when they arise. Say what you like, and you will, Steve makes things HAPPEN.
I can feel his detractors lining-up now. "Why are you sticking up for him, our club members work for nothing and we could run events like that.” I couldn't agree more, there are loads of clubs that COULD run an event like The Tough One. But Steve Ireland actually IS running The Tough One. Sure, he runs events as a business and to make money. On the other hand he risks his own money in order to stage them. Sorry chaps but you can't have things all ways.
In the past, I would definitely have been in the anti-Steve camp, having been (and still am if called upon) a work-for-nothing club member. No problem with that at all and such clubs will always be the backbone of the sport. But once you move into the realms of ‘professional' events, i.e ones where large sums of money are involved and where risks (monetary) have to be taken I no longer have a problem with those who are prepared to take that risk.
And if someone is spending weeks of their time organising events, including bringing in sponsors to pay for them,I can't see what the objection is that they be paid to do this. This is where the rigid club system breaks down because individuals then get hot under the collar as they don't get paid for their hard work while the ‘professional' promoters are making money. All I can do is repeat myself, "You can't have it all ways!”
THANKS for all your feedback regarding last week's column and the subject of manufacturers giving competition bikes names as opposed to boring model numbers. I was offered numerous additions to my selection such as the Greeves Hawkstone, Royal Enfield Bullet and the Cotton Cougar. Wonder if Cotton (if they still existed) could have stunned Henry's outfit for a few quid when the came up with the Ford Cougar model. Going back to Greeves, they were pretty good at coining model names, they had the Greeves Silverstone in their road racing line-up. Then again, Ducati had their Monza models - one-up on Silverstone in the one-upmanship name stakes I reckon!
On the road bike front there have been some great bike names. BSA used to have the Road Rocket, Super Rocket and Rocket Gold Star. It couldn't get much better than that for the bum-up head-down cafe racers of the late 1950 - early 1960s? BSA's Rockets ruled the roost right up until the Triumph Bonneville took over as the most famous name on the road. BSA then hit back when they named their 1970s 750cc triple the Rocket 3 - which in my opinion was a better-sounding name than the (more popular) Triumph Trident option.
All of which is getting a bit off course... more amusing was several readers enquiring if I remember the off-road racing sidecar outfit that was pretty successful several decades ago called the Dratsab. Oh yes, I do remember it, for the same reason that our readers did! If you haven't seen the joke yet, just read the name backwards! I'm pretty sure that it was a grass track rig...and if it wasn't, I reckon one of you will tell me..please!
STOP PRESS: Would you believe it? After this column was finished came news of the exciting NEW Greeves trials bike (see story on page 2) and they are to run a competition to find a NAME for the bike....!