Word: sport
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...take correspondence courses to finish high school and admits that if he weren't racing he would probably be pumping gas or cashiering at a 7-11 store. Yet he says he has worked hard to be a positive role model for children and an articulate spokesman for the sport...
...raise his voice when he thinks promoters are exploiting drivers by making tracks too easy to give poorer drivers a chance, or cutting back on prize money to save expenses. "I'm brave enough and frustrated enough to speak out," he says. "I would like to help the sport...
Ironically enough, Bailey's erstwhile opponents--the promoters--also have an interest in legitimizing the sport. They say this type of indoor motocross will be the key to increasing the sport's popularity. "It's a better spectator sport in some ways than traditional motocross," says Michael A. DiPrete, promoter of Saturday's race in Foxboro. "From the spectators' perspective, it's a great show because they can enjoy the racing from the comfort of their seats...
...that promoters such as DiPrete hope to exploit television coverage. It's much easier to televise a stadium race than one on a three-mile track in the boondocks. Currently only one motocross event, the national outdoor championship in Carlsbad. California, is nationally televised. Promotoers say that for the sport to attract a wider audience, it must get more television exposure...
Bailey says that while most of the drivers are frustrated at their lack of exposure, there is a lot of disagreement about how the sport should expand. Riders seem to want the media exposure, but not at all costs. He worries that if the sport grows too fast it could backfire by making inexperienced drivers look foolish in the media fishbowl. Bailey, who is 22, says that because the drivers are so young--many are still teenagers and almost none are more than 25 years old--it will take time before they learn to give good interviews and present...