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/126462
; • • ~ E o 00 O"l ,...-l " \ ~: , . t ing 10 do the testing, John and Kevin Hagerty were the ones that proposed, "let's go racing professionally, instead of just halfway, Let's do it the right way," The top management took that into consideration and said, "it sounds good, let's do it really well." So they gave it to Kenny and Kenny said, "OK. I've got the OK, I've got the budget",and here we are with the new riders and the teams that we have now. Most of the major Japanese factories have enduro and Six Days teams. but Yamaha is the only one active in SCORE racing, For SCORE races, Honda's been involved a little bit. And I think Bill Bell got a little frustrated with them not wanting to do it with an all-out effort. I think h(' g-ot a lillie frustrated with them and at the same time Yamaha got interested, so it worked Out preuy well for all of us, really. Now Bill is working helping us race. ow the other Japanese factories. none are involved. Husky will still be involved. with Brent Wallingsford and Scot Harden. They'll be a good team; they'll be hard 10 beat. They have won quite a few races and they are very good. "It took me a long tz"me to decz"de. But 'it, seemed l'ike a good opportunz"ty to move on and do good. " Any thoug'lls on your future beyond 1980? Well, this year we are going 10 surprise quite a few people with our effort, We're already looking to 1981, and it's going to be better than 1980. With Yamaha and myself, we're working for next year and the year after that, and the year after thaI. The off-road, ISOT and enduro things' - I've broadened my riding into all these areas. I'm testing, developing and everything, I'm helping them out and also doing good in the races. Do you think this will lead to bigger and better things from aU the Japanese manufacture"? Yes. I wanted 10 say something about thaI. 1 think with Yamaha getting involved now, what will happen in the enduras? Suzuki has been involved, Kawasaki has t heir new effort, and now with Yamaha getting involved no one wants to let somebody get way ahead. I'm not sure about SCORE, the off-road races. but it's going to help the Six Days, the Two-Days and the enduras. Now there's Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. They are all involved. they are competing, they all have hired riders. It's at a much more professional level now. Have, say, Bruce Ogilvie or Chuck Miller expressed interest in riding Six Days? ' They're definitely going 10 ride the Two-Day Qualifiers and see what they can do. It's going 10 be a newexperience for them; new type of terrain. Same thing I went through. I think they can be gO<'