Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

.... ell M N ~ Z ~ w Z W ..J (.) > (.) PRO·fILE John Gennai--An Original By Bill Spencer Reno, Nevada, the biggest little city around where marriages are made and broken in a weekend and bankrolls in less time than that. For John Gennai, motorcycle scrambles racer, it meant another kind of break on Thursday night, Sept. 9, 1971. John Gennai journeyed to Reno for an Amateur AMA scrambles at the Wasboe County . fairgrounds. This is sort of unusual for Gennai Ijves in Los Gatos, Ca., more than 200 miles away. Why would a 17-year-old go that far away from home for a TT scrambles when the next night nearby Fremont Raceway would hold a similar event and the next night, another at Hayward? Gennai was on tour and up until last Saturday night at Hayward, was leading in points for the No.1 plate in District 36. On that fateful evening in Reno, during the 650 Expert Main, Gennai fell and broke a bone in his wrist that may cause him to lose his bid for the title. Arch·rival Jim Foley went on to win the 250 feauture and in the next two nights pic ked up enough poin ts to regain a hold on the position that he has held for the past two years. Is this title really so special? Since its inception in Northern California, three men have earned that coveted plate. The first man was Jim Rice, now holding the National number two plate for the BSA factory. The second man to have the number one was Paul Johnson. Many considered him to be better than Rice and in his Novice year on the professional scene, he was looking very good, but Paul suffered an injury in the middle of the season and when he returned( his heart wasn't in it, although he rode well the few times he rode. For him, the circuit was too much and he had other interests. Jim Foley won that plate from Johnson that year and then came back to get it again the next. What of John Gennai? J obn started his racing career on a Hodaka 90, like a lot of kids. After three races he started collecting brass and a career. John went from his Hodaka to a Moto-Beta and a few rides on a 100 Bridgestone. After some months he started accumulating enough points to think about going faster and as an Amateur, he rode a Bultaco Metisse and suffered all the injuries he has had up until the crash at Reno. In 1968, John made the Expert ranks but spent much of his racing. time on the bench watching guys like. Rice, Brelsford, Odom, Hansen, Bill Jamison and Bob Self. Not identifying with anyone rider, John spent a lot of time developing his own talents. The age-old question of, "How do you think you would have done against guys like Rice if you could have ridden against them?" Candidly, he said, • "I can't say. I'd have to ride against cern. U Gennai has a style of his own; he doesn't resemble anyone rider from the past. His current style of feet-up slides just has to be seen to be believed. His following at the races is ever growing. He has all the potential of a Brelsford or an Odom or an Al Kenyon. John Gennai will be 18 on December 12 of 1971 and will ride his first professional race at the Santa Ciara County fairgrounds the following Friday night. "Are you ready for the professional scene'?" uYea, sure, but I'd rather start as a Junior. More money." "But everybody starts as a Novice; it's the way things are done." "I know, but I feel that 1 should start as aJunior." "Why?" "The system should not be based on age but how you do in racing. You should be an Expert for sure in scrambles, but age isn't really nec essary ." John isn't really confident about pro racing; he knows that he needs practice to be an accomplished rider. But like many newcomers, he doesn't like the idea of a year as a Novice. After all, he didn't take a year to become an Expert in Scrambles. "Who's your favorite pro rider, John?" "Uh, don't have one." "[sn't there someone you try to identify with?" "N 0, I just try for perfection. I know I have to be good as a Junior. When you're a Junior is when the factories look you over and it's either make it or back to the scrambles." Gennai is totally devoted to m'otorcycle racing as many of his kind have been in the past. So totally devoted that school is forgotten. These racers only live from race to race. During the week, if they work, they just do that until time to tune up the scooter. This time is also the time for doing the bench racing and it helps get the weekend doser. John Gennai has been ready for the professional scene for some time. His best buddy is Pat McCaul and John borrows cards and whites to go to the races with him so he can watch what the pros are .up to. Veteran Expert Bob Scally has witnessed this young speedster in operation and has helped him with the verbal stuff that gets the kids to thinking about the pro stuff. Scally says, "This kid is going to be one of the greatest." While Gennai is no mechanic of the caliber of Jim Rice, he has aU the help he needs for this end in the form of Rich Porter for his Bultaco 250 and Chuck Hikson on the 650 Triumph. While the Triumph is just a casual affair, the Bultaco is much more. Porter and Bultaco hav,," certain ties that include the supply of the motor that he rides, although it does not actually belong to him. Gennai will ride for Porter for this season and the indoor series that starts soon. Combining Gennai with the likes of Rick Hocking, currently third in points, makes for a formidable team and should the Yamaha Silver Cup make a good comeback for '72, these two Bultaco aces will be right there. After John's fall at Reno, he w;" told to layoff the riding for four weeks. He was back in two with a plastic cast and while he wasn't as good as before, he still managed to make the Mains. The break in the wrist cost him, though, as Foley quickly scored enough points in the next three races to take over the lead. He has stretched the lead to 25 points at.one time but John is back in form now and the count is down to 15 but with only a few more races left. /t's going to be tough. For John Gennai, 17-year-old super-scrambler, it's "I gotta get number one." Next week, NoCal correspondent Bill Spencer takes a look at defending champion Jim Foley and his fight to retain the coveted number-one black plate. ~ ........ • Suzuki • Kawasaki ~ r----- 50 cents - - - - . . , CYCLE NEWS Montesa • BMW' Selby Motors = ~ Sales Service = Redwood City. Calif. (415) 369-4112 ~ Cycle News Dept. CNB Parts 346 EI Camino Real HOT HATS P.O. Box 498 Long Beach, Ca 90801 - - - - - 50 cents - - -...... Sales * Service custom work * all ma kes Bultaco • ~ TROPHY 184 San eyeLlS Mt. View,Antonio Rd. Calif. 94040 SUZUKI PUCH MAICO THE LITTLE BIKE THAT WINS THE BIG RACES Featured at: E.T. CYCLE SALES 2268 EI Camino Real Mt. View, Ca. 9404t? 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