Cycle News

CN III ARCHIVES T here aren't many people in America's motorcycle racing paddocks today who can boast of being part of seven decades of the sport. Pat Alexander is one such person. From his earliest days of motocross racing in the late-1960s, to managing Suzuki's racing pro- grams today, Alexander's life in motorcycling has been intertwined with many of the legends of racing. A humble man who finds it difficult to talk about his own career, Alexan- der's track record of being a part of successful racing programs is nearly unmatched. Alexander grew up in Southern California in the 1960s and began racing motocross as a kid. His first machine was a Suzuki TC120. "I rode that until it broke into little bitty pieces," Alexander laughs. "It had a pressed frame and riding at Saddleback it didn't last long. Then a friend of mine at school offered to let me buy this CZ, so that was my first true motocross bike." Motocross was becoming so pop- ular in the late '60s to early '70s that Alexander said you could race four or five nights a week, and he often did. "It was a crazy and fun time to be a part of the sport when it was just getting going," Alexander said. But then Alexander got hurt rac- ing and was laid up for a while and then he came back and briefly got into boat racing. It was a school buddy named Mark Tyer that pulled him back into motocross. P106 THE MAN WHO'S SEEN IT ALL According to Alexander, DG Racing had an interesting deal where they ran Pro-Fab frames, and then would use whatever manufacturer's engine they wanted. So, for example, Broc Glover was on the DG team running Honda CR motors, while Alexander's rider, Dave Taylor, was running Ya- maha YZ-powered machines. While the competition on the track could be intense, Alexander says the motocross circus back then was very much one of friendly ca- maraderie and people helping one another. Even in the days of works bikes, it would be hard to keep se- "He was turning professional, and he coaxed me back into helping him do some nationals over a month's time," Alexander remembers. "So, I took a sabbatical at work, a toolbox, 300 dollars, a sleeping bag and was on my way." Alexander's summer trip with Tyer included a trip to the 125cc USGP at Mid-Ohio, where Tyer's claim to fame was nailing the holeshot in one of the motos. "We drove a 1963 Helms Bakery bread truck," Alexander grins when he recalls his first big motocross ex- cursion. "Originally it was supposed to be three guys, and then Mark dragged me along, so it was four guys, and they had three bunk beds, so somebody had to sleep outside. We flipped for that." Alexander loved being on the circuit so much, he quit his day job and, not long after, signed on as a mechanic for the burgeoning DG Racing squad. One of Pat Alexander's first jobs with Suzuki was wrenching for Danny LaPorte, shown here far left with the 1978 Florida Winter-AMA Series Champions. (L-R) Danny LaPorte/ Suzuki RA 125 with mechanic Pat Alexander, Bob Hannah/YZ 250 with Keith McCarty, Rick Burgett/Yamaha YZ400 with Larry Carpenter. PHOTO: ©JIM GIANATSIS/FASTDATES.COM BY LARRY LAWRENCE

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