Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

worked up to first. By the fifth lap, I had a 12 second lead. Then I went off a jump and my forks broke off right at the triple clamp. DiStefano's clamps broke a few weeks later at a stadium race and Roger D's broke at Livermore. Nothing's going right, I thought. The first time on a factory bike and the front end falls off. It scared me to death. I finished the series with a second in the final race behind Tony. I was really pumped after that. . Suzuki was pumped too, because I was a new rider and already taking seconds to Tony, who at that time was atwo time 250cc National Champion. But after the front end fell off, especially after I started the 125cc nationals, I couldn't ride without thi,nking' every time I went over a jump, '} wonder if my front end will stay on.' It kinda de-tuned me for a while. CN: The 1977 Florida Winter AMA MX Series seemed to be all yours. D1: Well, it was a good series. I won the championship and Brae got second. We had some pretty good races that winter. Then on to the Nationals again. I was just thinking the other day, I've ridden over 150 races, that's 300 motos since I've been with Suzuki. CN: What will you be doing in the Trans-USA this year? DL: There's a new thing this year. The class will be open to all sizes. It's going to be pretty crazy. I'll be riding a ,500cc machine. If it rains and gets muddy, then a smaller machine has no chance against a 500. -The 500 throws big rocks and you can't throw them back on a 125. They make a big difference on the start. The lap times may be the same but for a 125 to pull up even with a 500 and pass is almost impossible. Even on a 250-it will be rough. . CN: Do you think we will see many Europeans this year? DL: I think a few will show up halfway through the series. Graham Noyce may ride and Roger DeCoster may ride a few because DeCoster has a, really good chance to win with Hannah out. He's really riding well now. I think if it rains he'll like it. Last year it didn't rain at all. He likes those muddy tracks. They're more challenging for him. I hope to see a lot of Europeans come over to race. We get a lot of spectators at them, but the AMA doesn't seem to think they're really that important anymore. They're not trying to get anything organized for that time of year. I'd like to see a six or eight race series - four in Eurbpe and four over here. 'CN: Why do you think there has been such a lack of interest by the AMA in the Trans-USA? DL: I feel the AMA is thinking too much about Supercross and not the sport of MX. It's ,so much easier for them to run a stadium race. They (the promoters) make more money and events get more attention. They're also cleaner. So the AMA is losing interest in promoting MX as a spon, I think. I've heard people say (at an outdoor event) 'Just, think if we were in a stadium it wouldn't be muddy or dirty.' Or they'd say, 'Look at this placethey only drew 3,000 people. It isn"t even worth the promoters time.' When they start thinking like that then that's the way it's going to start leaning. It takes a long time to promoter 'a sport. MX is still new here in the U.S. It seems they've found another sport Supercross - and they've decided to go that way. CN: Do you enjoy Supercross racing? DL: No, not as a sport. Not at all. It's not the sport I'm in. I like MX because it is the sport for me. There's a lot of money and publicity in Supercross. That's probably the only attraction for me. Racing is more like flip a coin and take a chance. The guys go so beserk trying to get the holeshot and keep from crashing that I just don't like the atmosphere. It is an entirely different sport. I'm sure if the AMA had their way they wouldn't havt' anything outdoors. They'd have 30 of those (Supercross) a year and that would be it. If ,it ever comes to that point then I will quit racing. I don't like. the way they schedule in the stadium races. They have one early in the season right in the middle of what could be a good winter series - like the Florida Series or the CMC Golden State Series. AMA schedules one. two or three weeks later and then another two weeks aIter that. They reaIly kill a lot of time because you train for one and get all ready and two or three weeks later you have to start again. It doesn't give the riders time for a vacation. I don't think the AMA is worried about vacation time for us. The schedule of races affects my whole lifestyle. I don't want to race 12 months a year. CN: In the free time you do have, what do you like to do? DL: I like to snow ski and water ski and I like to hunt. I now live in Ketchum, Idaho. It's right next to Sun Valley where Scott USA is. They've been really good to me. That's one of ·the main reasons I moved out there from California. I go trail riding and skiing with some of the guys who work there. CN: How do you feel about the claiming rule? DL: I don't think there should be a claiming rule' at all because the factories do a lot for the sport. It's not what the AMA does for the sport.. The AMA is like a middleman between the factories, riders and promoters. They take care of insura'nce and rules and do a lot for the rider. But the claiming rule, I just don't understand how they even allowed something like that. The factories are bettering the machines for the people who buy them, like the privateers. The bikes would not progress if it weren't for the factories. When someone claims a bike, It kinda hurts the pride of the company to 'give away all the technology that takes so long to develop. CN: Some privateers may say that the claiming rule is necessary because the factories have an advantage. How do you feel? DL: It's just the way it is. It is a fact of life. It won't do anybody. any good in their career if they are thinking all the time. 'Well. these guys are better and the bikes are better and 1 can't compete against them.' It is really obvious to ,me at the races that some of the privateers get a chip on their shoulder. I really respect most of the privateers for traveling and working so hard. I was lucky and never had to do that, because I got a ride so quickly. Some of them get a bit depressed because they think so negatively all the time. It's not healthy. Psychologically. it's got to mess them up for racing. CN: How long is your contract with Suzuki? DL: I have a one year contract with Suzuki. It's over in December. . CN: Have they talked to you about resigning? DL: Not yet, but I'm sure they will. I'll sign with them again because everything is coming together now. I'm just getting the machines the way I like them and I'm sure they are going to take care of me next year. If I were to change it would be in a couple of years. It wouldn't be now. CN: Will you defend your title next year? DL: I don't know what they've decided, for me. I'd like to ride the World Championships. That's my main goaL. To me it's still the biggest and best thing. A lot of Americans have gone over there, but they come back and say things like 'Who cares about Europe, it's stupid.' I think it's just sour grapes. It is very competitive over there. It's not easy. The language is. different, the food is different. I respect the Europeans. After all, I wouldn't be making money now if they hadn't started in Europe. I don't think the other riders think about that. All they can do is complain. CN: Have you talked to Suzuki about going to Europe? DL: No, I'll just leave it up to them, My first goal was a National Championship and my second is the World Championship. I like change - I don't like getting stagnant. I've raced all over the United States on the same tracks. I know all the people. I'd like to move on to different things. CN: Have you set any long tertn goals for yourself, say five or ten years down the road? DL: No, not really. I go year by year. I don't want to plan too far ahead, 'cause I could decide I want to do something else. I don't think I could sign a three· year contract to race. Three more years. my gosh. I Ilke new and different things. change. CN: Many riders will sign a long tertn contract for security. DL: Yeah. but it doesn't bother me. What happens, happens. Tomorrow I could quit and just go do anything I want. I'm happy doing anything in this life. I don't think I could work in an office or anything like that. I like· being outdoors. CN: Is money important to you? DL: Yes, it is. The more you make the more it becomes important. I'm pretty tight with my money. I don't go around and spend money buying boats or this or that. I usually buy property. Money is very important for survival. It's nice to have it, you know. I wouldn't tum it down. • o ~ 1-0 Q) ..c o -l-I U o 21

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