FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I guess it happens all the time, right?

~http://www.lewisvilleleader.com/articles/2007/12/11/lewisville_leader/news/05front.txt~

“*Robert Travis Marshall, 32, of Flower Mound, was arrested Thursday on charges of driving while intoxicated. Bond was set at $1,500.”

Marshall is a 2007 CCS “Novice” champion and man behind the CCS-South series in 2008.

Thanks –

Lindsey Leard 

CMRA Expert #97 

Member since 1987 

BoD Member 2003 – 2007 

League City, Texas

And now some reaction from the CMRA:

Please note that Lindsey Leard is a member of the CMRA in good standing, however he is not a:

-Spokesperson for the CMRA

-Member of the current Board of Directors

Best regards,

Harry Tomlinson

President CMRA, 2007-2008 

Irving, Texas

And another e-mail from Lindsey Leard:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION:

First, let me state that I stand by my dissemination of public information to Roadracing World. If it is news within the motorcycle road racing community, I know that Roadracing World is interested in hearing about it.

With that said, I think it is important for me to point out that I sent the news article’s link to Roadracing World for reasons that are purely my own; my submission to your website was not intended in any way to represent the CMRA or the current CMRA Board of Directors. Indeed, while I am a member in good standing with the CMRA and I did serve on the Board for two terms, my last term ended on December 1, 2007; I am not a member of the current CMRA Board of Directors nor am I a spokesperson for the CMRA in any capacity. The signature line that was included with my original e-mail to Roadracing World was out of date and, unfortunately, may have given the false impression that I was acting on behalf of the CMRA.

Sincerely,

Lindsey Leard 

Expert #97, CMRA Member since 1987 

League City, Texas

More reaction, from a conspiracy theorist:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

While I would never trivialize anyone getting arrested for DUI, the fact that Roadracingworld.com published this surprises me. The fact that this was submitted by a member of CMRA makes me suspicious as to the motive behind this.

I’m sure that it’s just a coincidence that CCS-South will be attempting to attract riders from the same geographic pool as CMRA. And I’m sure that it’s just a coincidence that members of CMRA have been attempting to discredit Robert Marshall since the October CCS ROC. Is it fair to arrive at the conclusion that RRW supports CMRA in this attempt at discrediting a race organization official? Or is it standard practice for RRW to publish traffic violations of this nature for all race officials? 

Rick Weaver 

CCS Midwest Tech Inspector/Starter 

St. Peters, Missouri

Roadracingworld.com’s Official Answer: If a racer, an official with a racing organization or some other sort of public figure in motorcycle road racing gets arrested and news of that arrest is published in a general interest newspaper or on a general interest news website, or reported on the local TV news, and we find out about it, we will report the arrest and if possible post a link to the original news source. The way for an already controversial racing official to not make the news for getting arrested for DUI is, don’t drink and drive. And calling DUI a “traffic violation” is a bit of a reach…John Ulrich, Editor.