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/126458
o 00 0') ~ "Weinen doesn't have a chance. He's, too old and it's harder to ride .. 125 than a big bike. Besides, he weighs too much and won't get good starts. With Barnett gone it'll be a lot easier. He's really the toughest rider to beat if he doesn't fall or break. " Going to the big bikes was just like starting over, but the experience of riding a mini that was slower than the other bikes taught me strategy~ 14 Ward abo has a few things to say about a couple of other one-two·five riders. "Brian Myerscough is a real threat, he's really fast and capable of winning the first moto. But in the second. he tires out - especially in hot weather. If he trains hard he'll be right in it. Honda's Jim Gibson always goes plenty fast." At the Superbowl Ward roosted the Coliseum track like he owned it, but once again problems kept him from the winner's circle. "The Superbowl is the race I'd most like to win. Last year 1 almost did, but the track was really tough and 1 wasn't completely recovered from my fall at Seattle. I was riding with a back brace on and my back just got too tired." Ward still ended up fifth at ,he Superbowl and he was definitely pumped to do well at the final stadium race of the season held at Anaheim. "I would have gotten the holeshot, but 1 blew a shift." Jeff got lost in the pack for a while and then quickly began regaining positions until he got out of shape. "The bike hit the concrete wall and bent the'forks and broke the brake off, all 1 could do was motor around and finish 20th. " Sometimes there is quite a bit of pre-race maneuvering in the form of psychological games. One rider who is renowned for his abilities to induce nervousness in a competitor is Weinert. Jeff admits "I don't even want to hang around Weinert this year, all he tries to do is psych you out. Like at the Superbikers he was going around talking about how fast it is and how scary it is to ~ 110 miles an hour." Anothe,r nder who likes to go one up on the competition is Bi'oc Glover says Ward. "Brae is really sly about it. He'll say 'lets get out front and I'll lead and you stay right behind me. We'll get one-two. If you don't think about it, it sounds good, but he's always bluffing I can beat Brae Glover. I know I can outride him... anyway and you jilst can't listen to him. You can psych him back though by just not talking to him. That really bUll'lhim," .. Weinert and Glover try to psych each other. At the AMA Awards Banquet they really got into it. Weinert doesn't have a chance. He's too old and it's harder to ride a 125 than a big bike. Weinert said he was gonna roost Broc and Glover said 'you got to catch me.' Weinen then said he would just knock him down and Glover said he'd be too far in front. "Last year we had a production motor and it wasn't quite fast enough. 1 think this year will be different. They may have a watercooled engine since the claiming rule has been dropped, but I don't know if they're really any faster." At the 125cc USGP Harry Everts' Suzuki was watercooled, but Brian Myerscough's was just as fast and at Anaheim the Hondas didn't look very fast at all." The Uni-track is here to stay according to Ward becaUse they are very good. "Confidence is very imponant to have in ~X," says Ward, "especially on the starts. Some tracks are really scary and you have to really go for it to get a good start. The stadiums are the worst though as it's so imponant to get a fast stan since the first tum is pretty dangerous ... Some riders have difficulty adapting to different bikes although Ward thinks it's no real problem for a 125cc rider. "It's easier for a rider to go from 125 to a big bike than the other way because a 125 is harder to ride. A big bike does more. of the work although you do have to have more thtottle control. The 125's are more tiring since you have to ride them wide open all the time and you can't afford to lJlake any mistakes." Jeff has high hopes for his future in MX and plans to continue racing for many years. "I'd like to win the 125cc National Championship and then do it again to prove I deserve it . especially if Glover has a bad year. Then I'd move to the 250cc class and win that twice and maybe win the Open class a couple of times. After that I'd head for No matter how fast you ride there's always someone right behind you. Europe. It would be nice to be World Champion. I'd like to ride the GP's although I've heard it's pretty tough over there. Minibike rider extraordinaire, 125cc ace, stadium threat and maybe someday World Champion, Jeff Ward sums up racing when he says, "No matter how fast you ride there's always someone right behind you." •