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/126416
"I really felt good in the second moto. It was another step up the ladder. In my eyes, I was eighth that moto. I had worked up; I'd passed van den Broeck, Bruno, and I was working on Schmitz, I was feeling good, SO I took a chance passing him, and I got hung up with a lapped rider. That put me back to 10th, and there wasn't time to catch up. "But right now, that stuff doesn't matter. I'm just happy that I'm riding good again. I can do it now; that's what's important. Another thing, you know, is that you're battling for ninth or 10th place with guys who have won GP motos, Everything's coming together, All I've got to do is polish up the rough spots, "I have Eric again, and we can really work well together. Pelle's a good mechanic, and he knows his stuff. He's been around for a long time. I've learned a whole lot from him, But I think there's just a, .. a generation gap between us. He's over 40, and I'm 22, I just can't seem to talk to him the right way, the way I would like to, taking nothing away from his abilities, you know?" Is there any money over there? "In the International races, there's pretty good money. I've been gelling an average of $800 to $1500 for start money. And you can win more, which is pretty good. The GP money isn't SO fantastic, but the GPs are really somethingl There's an air about them! There's a special intenseness about them, "But I've really ... I've learned how to ride since I've been over there. I've learned a lot.,. about travelling, dealing with people ... I've learned a lot about everything. It hasn't shown up in my results, yet. But it wiU." "But it will"." Sun's closing statement came echoing back the following afternoon when he put in his best GP ride of the season at Carlsbad. In heat that melted the best efforts of the top 500cc class riders in America - and in the wo'rld - Chuck Sun held on a little bit longer. " ... I had to elevate my condition and my concentration," he'd said on Saturday, "Everything had to be higher to compensate for it.' So, when this wrist gets really well, it's going to male me a better rider, quicker." He pushed a little harder, a little longer. "I can't complain about the pain," he'd said, "watching Heikki go out there with his freshlyoperated knee and just smoke everybody!" The wrist held out; other alternative. "Nobody seems to understand the difference between Europe and the United States," he'd said, "But it's just more difficult." USGP winner Gerrit Wolsink backed up his statement from the winner's podium: "It proves that grand prix is the highest form of racing - higher than national class racing. It's a very special form of racing." "Everything's coming together," Chuck had said. Everything's coming together. . . • Editor's note: Everything's not coming together, anymore. A call from Husqvarna on the day this article was sent into typeseW'ng carried ironically sad news: While playing tennis, ,Chuck's foot slipped, ,and he fell breaking his knee. By the time this story reaches you, it will be old news that Sun didn't ride the Canadian round. And at this point in time, it appears doubtful that he'll be able to co~test anymore of the rounds in the 1979 'OOcc World Championship MX Sen·es. Cards may be sent to Chuck at home: 180 NW Jrd St., Sherwood, OR 97140. 29