Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125835
.. _.. ... ,.. ....... Over a JD1IU hump, left foot out through a sharp left, gas it up on to the rock hard berm. Gas it, hit the brakes to set up for a hard right, gas it out, rear wheel slinging left, gas it again on to a short straight. I'm doing it all right, so how come so many guys are in front of me? Over another little hump, brake hard, left, right; over a set of three jumps too fast, too far forward on the bike, rear wheel waving in the breeze and bouncing spasmodically. Almost lost it. Gotta watch that...Ianding on the front wheel with the rear pitching around isn't the hot set up. Another left, gas it hard two·three·four on the high berm, up to the jump I found I could take faster than any other "squid" class rider during practice. Fron t wheel up, hit the ground, brakes on heavy, throw it into a sharp left, gas it into a hairpin right with a narrow line, gas it again, over a fall away jump. Landed on the front wheeI...easy, easy, gotta watch that. A little jump, a left, a righ t, a left, and back onto the front straight. Is the crowd watching? The hump, turn, tum, turn again, three·in·a·row little jump/humps, easy left sweeper in the midst of the triplets, a hook left. Hot damn! I'm gonna pass somebody! I'll get him right before the jump. Hot dog! GOT HIM! Gonna be a motocross star! HOT DAMN! Now to just boogie over this here jump... The beaming face was back. "Do you know where you are?" "Uuuh...ambulance." The high red roof section shines, reflecting light from I ~ng little windows painted with transIucen t crosses. A siren wails from what seems like far away. "Uuuh...what happened?" "You fell down," the face said. "Where am I gomg?" "You're going to the hospital. They'll cool you down some." Sweat made my jersey sticky. "Am I all messed up?" "No, you're fine," David Dyleson said. I knew it was really David Dyleson. "I didn't break anything?" "Does anything hurt?" David asked. UN o ... uuuh." "Then nothing's broken." David 'again. "I'm not messed up?" UN0, you're fine." flThen how come I'm in an ambulance?" The siren wailed and wallen, and faded. Everything faded. Next was a slow dream, a hallucination. Sign a form wielded .by a girl in a brigh t flowery dress. X rays, a million X rays. All a blur, like marshmallow cream over a television screen. A needle in one arm, another in the other, tI\is time connected by a tube to a clear bottle high, oh so high, above me. Nurses poked, temped, shOl;!e lights in eyes, demanded hand squeezes, and disappeared with alarming regularity. Each time it was a little clearer, made a little more sense. From nothing at all, through a succession of little dawns, to remembering, understanding, fearing a little less. "Jesus! You should have seen it, John! I was sure you were gonoa be a tomato<: when it was all over, or maybe a cabbage...you weren't bleeding. You lost' it over the jump, slid, and highsided. You should have gassed it. The bike came off the ground, got upside down with you still on it, and slammed your head into the ground. I thought it had killed you!" Good old Dan. He had picked up the bike, loaded up the van, and now had returned to the hospital a day after the race...he swore he had been there before, but I saw no one. "It was the best crash of the day. You really had the promoters worried... they thought it upset the crowd so they wouldn't want to come back next week. Me and another guy loaded your van, after the ambulance guys gave me the keys out of your leathers." Faces appeared, family and friends. "You're going to stay away from t.his silly motocross now, aren't you?" "You are going t.o give up racing for your own good, right John?" "I think we better keep you on the street, John. n "You don't understand! I was having • a good time until I crashed..." 101M THE EXCITIMEMTWITH KYA/KYA-FM E • ~ E SUNDA~ NOVEMBER 2S GREENVILLE ROAD HWV.SO • W. TO OAKLAND '''':~~~:''"''7....:-&.~--..~-(E. TO STOCKTON· -t SACRAMENTO CORRAL HOLLOW 9:00 A.M. PRACTICE 1st MOTO NOON CARNEGIE CYCLE PARK RIDERS, FROM 1 ~ COUNTRIES REPRESENTING 10 FACTORY TEAMS BATTLE IN THE $254,000 TRANS~MA SERIES Advance discount tickets are on sales now at Sears, Wards, Emporium and all other Ticketron outlets and all Kawasaki dealers. Tickets go on sale the day of the race beginning at 9:00 A.M. Rain or Shine. Information (415) 581-1256 ~;;~~A RACE PROMOTION 17