Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

tbeD IIooIt for someone else. You can· let a penon's ego get in the way of the sua:esa of the team." If you can, take a cloee look at EIduad's machinery lOme time. Scan the cylinder beads of his Harley· Dawidlon XR750 and note that they ba~ been machined down and there aR boles drilled in certain areas. The npIan ation is that you need only euoagb £inning to dissipate the heat. The ettra metal is just that . ettra. The boles create air turbulance and thus promote more efficient cooling. What you cannot see is in the iDiide of the eugine and transmission. "What changes we've made to make the engine and transmission more ef· ficient working components are our secrets. It would be easier to work if we bad an open formula. Then, you could do anything you wanted. To stay within rules and guidelines is much, much harder." Lighting another cigarette and refilling his coffee cup, Zanotti brings acrosa just how much winning the title means. He had received an invitation, he recounts, to present a research paper to a world wide meeting of theorists in West Germany during the firs~ week in September. He declined because he felt he was needed here. Later that evening after a dinner of pasta and steak, his wife told the same story, but added that an invitation to this conference is sought after by some for a lifetime. I ask whether winning the cham· pionship without Springsteen riding in four events (San jose and AIcot b,ter out) takes balance themselves DOt 14 something away from the accomplishment. "Life is nothing, but facts and statistics," he says. "That Springsteen missed four events is a fact, nothing more. "Steve and jay make themselves relevent," he continues. "Each brings the other to the highest level of ability. Where would either be if they did not have one another to race against? Last year's season ending AIcot Half Mile, even though we lost the championship, was probably the finest ride for both of them." F riday begins full of promise: Clear skies, a warm sun and the beach at Santa Cruz on the agenda. The outing is to be a foursome with Brandy, the St. Bernard, added to Steve, Ann and myself. Brandy, while enthusiastic to go hasn't quite gotten used to getting into the bunk behind the driver/passenger seats. The front paWl make it and the reat of the botIy waits for help. Half grumbling, half laughing Eklund grabs the furry 100 lbs. plus mass and heaves. The coastal mountain range separates San joee ,from Santa Cruz and the ocean. It also separates - on this day . the good weather from the bad. However, even grey skies do little to dampen Eklund's enthusiasm. There will be a party that night and a chance to see some old friends. After a short stroll on the beach and a tour through town it is time to return home. Once back, it is time for a bit of lunch and Eklund cranks up the grill. A checlr. of the food locIr.er reveals the need for a trip to the market . The short distance is an excuse to get Eklund to pull out the Ferrari. "The Porsche was nice," he says bringing the blaclr. beauty to life. "But when I saw the Ferrari, I couldn't pass it up." The throaty, powerful exhaust note turDs heads as he builds the revs through first and second gear. "I'Ye changed the exhaust and done some other minor work on the car. I would liIr.e to do a valve job and lOme other repairs, but I haven't received the owner's manual yet that I've been waiting almost a year for." The afternoon, with lunch out of the way, evolves into wash the van, repair the vacuum cleaner, mow the lawn and clean up time. As he does with his racing, Eklund taclr.les each job as though he were being graded for his performance. The party is a success. The guests eat all the munchies, drink the beer keg dry and straggle out until 5 a.m. Many aR school chums or people Eklund used to work with when he was doing carpentry for his father. Others aR friends of his fIanCee Ann. Only a few are racers. Loud music can make enemies of your neighbors. But not if you invite them to the party also which is exactly what Eklund does. Given the businesslike, no nonsense style of his riding. you would not think that he is totally the opposite when the music comes on. Dancing the niJht away would be a very good descripuon of his party demeanor. I liIr.e to relax on the day before a race if I can, mentions Eklund at somewhere around 10 a.m. For the next three hours the action alter· nates between watchina: television, sleeping, and answering the telephone which seems to always he ringing. One call informs him that Zanotti and mechanic Fillmer will run the bike through sound inspection while another and another and another wish him luck. Finally, be heads for the garage to do aotne weiabt lifting. Twice during the week he has gone to a health club to work out. Today he does a short session to keep the muscles IUpple. The idleness, even though he covets it, seems to begin to get to Eldund. Perhaps it is the thought that in less than 56 houn he will be the new AMA Grand National Champion. Although the subject has been conspicuously abo sent from his conversation, Eklund acir.nowledges the fact. That must be what you call it when you start handing out T-shirts reading "Steve Eklund, AMA Grand National Cham· pion" a week before you win. "I can't say that there was any real turning point in the season. It was just a matter of keeping the presllUJ'e on," he says while cleaning his leathers and helmet in preparation for the next day. "I was feeling pretty good after the Indy and Syracuse miles were out of the way. Those were the events I was worried about because I thought Harley would pull out all the stops. I was surprised because I don't- think they really did. You can never really let up, but after those races the pressure was off me and entirely on Springer."

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