New generation bike racer
err
ance
By John Germain
Photos by Charles Morey and John Nititas
Terry Vance could be called a new generation motorcycle racer. At
age 25, Terry's amassed a family, two houses, a joint partnership in an
industrial building, two 'adequate' salaries, and four #1 Pro Stock
Championships. He's accomplished these feats through unparallellied
dedication, countless 15-hour days, and personal as well a.s monetary
sacrifices. He's not a newcomer to drag racing, either, not by a long
shot. Terry's been drag racing for 10 years, and he's been doing it fulltime for the past eight.
16
, What 'was the fint motorcycle that
you ever owned?
Well it wasn't really a motorcycle.
Actually my father took the engine out
of a lawnmower and put it into an old
minibike frame. 1 believe 1 was 14 at
'the time.
What was your fint experience with
drag raciJig?
The first time 1 ever saw a drag race
was when 1 was LO; it didn't leave any
lasting impression, though. Tbe first
time 1 ever drag raced a motorcycle
was when I was a junior in high school.
A friend of mine convinced me to take
my Honda 550 to the strip to see what
it would do. He was going to do the
same with his new CB750. The 550
didn't really impress me, so 1 asked if 1
could make a pass on the 750. After
that it was pretty much settled. Later 1
bought his bike and set it up for
bracket racing.
When did you fint become auociated
with RUlli Collins and Byron Hines
of R.C. Engineering?
.
When 1 was 17 1 met Byron at a local
track, and after watching him for
awhile 1 decided 1 wanted to be on a
winning team. So I talked Russ in to
hiring me to answer the phones at
R.C., so his machinist could keep
working; my starting pay was $125 a
week. Since that time. eight years ago,
I've moved up to the pos.ition of
general tjIlanager overseemg 50
employees. My salary has increa-sed
accordingly with the phenomenal
increase in Russ' business. (R.C.
Engineering expects to gross three
million dollars in fiscal '79.)
Why did you make the switch, fint
from Honda to Kawasaki, then to
Suzuki?
.
We left Honda because toward the end
it was becoming increasingly difficult
to beat the Kawasakis with the "little"
Honda. ¥ter staying with the
Kawasaki engine for two years, Byron
and 1 decided that we should be
getting some kind of sponsorship out .
