Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

I I Mike - Bell c ~ E 0 00 0') ~ CN ~ ~ s:: ~ ~ The man American motocrossers look up to By Dale Brown Photos by Charles Morey and Brown Mike Bell, Team Yamaha's -long-legged 500cc class star, did what no other rider could do in 1979; finishing zn the top three zn all three major AMA series', the 500cc Nationals, Supercrossand the Trans- USA Series. Bell, 22, is a standout on any track. At 6'3" he towers over his machz"ne, often the only n'der on the starting line with both feet J14t on the ground. He's a standout on the track in terms of ability as well, winning the last three 500cc Nationals in an intense battle that saw him and 10 Danny LaPorte take the title fight down to the last race of the year where it was ultimately decided in LaPorte's favor ", a scant three points. Bell 'burst on the motocross scene in 1974, putting together an amazing collection of night race wins to take the Continental Moto-sports Club number one plate in the 125cc Pro class_ In 1977, a weekly habit of cleaning up in both the 250 and 500cc Pro classes at CMC races, as well as a Support class win in the Carlsbad USGP, helped Bell get a Yamaha contract. In 1978, after winning the Super- bowl of Motocross, Bell started off hot in the 500cc Nationals. A knee injury, however, put him out of action after only a few races. We sat down and talked With Mike the day before the Anaheim CocaCola Motocross Finals. He was prepan'ngfor a trip to Australia for a stadium race, still getting moved. into his new house in Orange County, as well as getting ready for the Anaheim ewnt. Here's how it went . .. In the last seaJOn you've had two runner-up leries. How do you feel about 1979 as a year? I don't know. I feel bad about losing because of the things that happened. Maybe it could have been different, but I think I've learned a lot this year from my mistakes and I think we've got a real Rood shot next year. The competition's going to be different, so it's really bard to say. All I can do is my best. Next year there are going to be a lot of riden changing teams, except for Yamaha. Do you think that's going to be an advantage for you next year? Yes. We should have an advantage right off the stan. In the first seven races next year we'll be riding our '79 bikes. so we won't bave any big changes right off the bat. Then all through that time we'll be testing the new stuff off and on, getting everything ready for the Nationals. That's the main goal. Everybody wants to win the, Nationals. We're just going to try and outride them in the Supercrosses. How do you feel abOut Supercross growing? There's lots more races next year. The National series isn't keeping up. Well, it's understandable the way people and promoters are. It's so much easier for people to come to a stadium and watch a race. It's a lot more expensive for promoters to run Supercross, but they do have a big turnaround on it. Outdoor promoters of these small backwoods tracks, really nice tracks, JUSt can't put up enough money to put on a big. full-scale event with a lot of advertisement and get the crowd. I like Supercross in some ways, but not like I like outdoors. That's my first love. That's what I've always worked for, and what I trained for. So it's kind of disappointing that sometbing that has just sort of been spun off of motocross, Supercross, is becoming a lot bigger. Financially, it's a lot better. But it could be better yet. There's still some bugs in it. But it's a good show. What would you do to improve it? I don't really know. There's just some things like as far as the money. The promoters bave their feelings about it and the writers have, and we have our feelings about it too. There should be some kind of a compromise in tbere. The Superbowl however many million dollars they make on that race - the first place rider only makes $4 700 or something like that. It's not worth it. You should come out of there with no less than $10.000 straight off the top for first. I mean if Saddleback can give $10,000 for first place in the Olympiad. there's no reason why not. And at Saddleback I don't think they bad over 10,000 people. I think there could be some kind of a percentage on the gate figured out. Sometimes maybe the riders might lose out. but that's tbe thing. If we had to promote the race too. then we could get people more excited about it because if we knew tbe more people tbat were coming. the more money we were going to make. I think that's a possibility. It might be all backwards. We might all lose our ass on it, I don't know. Do you see youneU going to Europe to race? I guess I dream about it. I'd like to go over there and compete in the World Championship, but I know I need some more experience and I can get that in the Nationals. I'm hoping that next year or the year after I can get some experience during some of our off times - go over to Europe once in an international meet, maybe not the GPs. Just go over there and check it out, get a little experience. I hope next

• Cover