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/126478
o 00 0') ...... Tuner Greg Arnette says it all. overcome it somehow and get a couple of good finishes to regain your confidence:' One of the things that helped Kent regain his form was the good working relationship between himself and the Suzuki Team Manager, Mark Blackwell. With Blackwell's coaching and inspiration, Howerton was able to recapture his speed and confidence. "Suzuki is a good team to race for; the bikes are good, and we have pretty good communication with the factory. We know we are capable of winning, and having a good team manager like Blackwell is great because you know he will back you up and take care of any problems," At age 25, Howerton seems just to be coming into his prime. As the 1980 race season got under way, the savvy San Antonio rider talked a bit about momentum: "I'm a little worried about the lay-off between the seasons because I don't want to lose the edge I had last year. I really peaked as the 250cc Nationals ended last year, and I have to keep up my momentum somehow. It's important tokeep in tune for racing without actually having to compete and bum-out in the off season." He needn't have worried; 1980 would turn out to be his finest season. Trailriding with teammate Brian Myerscough and racing in local events near his home in Texas, Howerton fine tuned himself for the first race of the year, a Supercross event in Seattle's Kingdome stadium. A bad fall on the first lap left Kent with an injured arm and a last place position. Remounting quickly he charged up through the best riders in America to finish fifth. In pain after qualifying for Sunday's race Howerton admitted, "My arm is really swollen bad and feels like it's broken. I know it's not, but I can't lift it higher than the bars!" 12 . Displaying the determination that pushes a championto do his best under any circumstances, the Suzuki ace moved up from a poor start to finish sixth and nail down second place in the Supercross standings behind Mike Bell. Winning at Oakland but suffering from bad suns on most Supercross tracks would leave Howerton in second place for most of the stadium series, always within striking distance of leader Bell but working hard to do so. "The problem with the starts was the stadium bikes we tried to ride at the beginning of the year. They were too short and would just wheelie on the starts if you got on the gas hard. I'm pretty sure I would be leading if we had used my outdoor bike:' Indeed the outdoor tracks would be better suited 'to Howerton's famed come-from-behind drives that had often carried him to victory in the past and would now carry him to the 250cc National Championship. Kent opened the season with a convincing win at the Hangtown classic and backed it up with the overall at the next week's Saddleback National. "We weren't really ready at Hangtown but won anyway," commented Howerton in the pits between motos at Saddleback, "But we're ready this week, and the bikes are working great. I've never felt better about my riding, and I think we're gonna win this year:' And win they did as Kent and company continued to dominate the series with a string of overall wins and a 77-pointlead.Dver second place finisher Bell. The Greg Arnette-tuned RH250 performed flawlessly the entire season. With Howerton on board, riding smoothly and consistently, the cbampionship series seemed almost effortless and trouble-free. That was on the track, but Howerton remembers that incidents before the race often presented their own humorous difficulties: "I was having some stomach problems before the Colorado National and was in the can just before the race. Mark (Blackwell) was yelling that the two minute sign was up, and I threw on my gear real quick and took off running. The pits seemed like they were two miles from the starting line, and as I got to the line, I saw the sign go sideways. My bike was at the far end so I took a chance and ran right in front of the gate because I figured they wouldn't drop it with me in front. At least that was what I hoped I " Howerton made it to his bike okay, finished third for the moto and clinched the overall victory in the fimll250cc National. A fittinjt finale to the season. We had breakfast with the -Champ and his wife Jill the morning of the Bel-Ray 500cc USGP of Motocross, and after the standard fare of bacon, eggs and several coffee refills, the talk turned to motorcycles. Kent: At the first of the season, I thought I could win every rnoto. I was really in great shape and riding better than I ever had. Jill: That was the plan at first. But after Saddleback, Kent still figured he could win every overall. That's what he was really trying for . Kent: Yeah, I burned myself out at the first moto at Saddleback working up from a bad start and taking over the lead, and I guess Tripes was just cruising along and finished fifth or something. I just was too tired to work past him early, but I thought I could pass him on the last lap where he took a slow inside line and I knew the outside line would be faster at the end of the straight because the line was smoother, I don't know what the flagman was doing, He had the two- lap sign lying on the ground and he had the blue flag , the white flag and the checkered flag all in his hands. I couldn't read my pit board cause the mechanics were off to the side, and I was concen trating on Tripes. When the checkered flag came out, I thought there was still one lap to go. CN: How did you have the confidence to plan on winning every moro in the 250cc class against so many top riders? Kent: Well, you know, it's kinda like if you read a book and then you know what it takes to read another book , and pretty soon you can read any book. It 's the same when you ride every week against the same guys . You learn how fast they ride, and you know pretty well when you can ride faster . Some of the guys can really ride fast but aren't consistent enough to always do good , Jill: I think Kent just knows he can do it. Kent: I was having some problems with Injuries before and now I'm finally completely healthy , I have been working out and training and just gelling stronger and better in shape than ever because there aren't any injuries to hold me back. Last year toward the end of the season I was feeling pretty good, My confidence started building as I found out that I could ride , faster than Hannah . At Southwick I caught him and took over the lead. He stayed with me , but m y mechanic said that they gave him the pit sign to go faster with two laps left, and Hannah just shook his head . He was going as fast as he could. CN: It would have been quite a season if Hannah had been able to race this year. Kent: It would have been a lot tougher, but I think I could have beat him. Hannah has always done good for more reasons than just riding fast. He 's always been in such great shape that he could always go fast, Other riders can ride as fast as Bob but he can go fast in every race, the whole race, and other riders tire or make too many mistakes. That's why I did so good this year because I'm finally in great condition. Han nah also wins because he really wants 10 win hard enough 10 really try. And he has the confidence to know he can, CN: Most of the riders are working hard on their conditioning . , . . Kent: True. That's another problem because they can go faster than their skill level and eventually take themselves out. The thing is, you have 10 be careful not to let them take you out, too. Especially in the stadium races. I think there are just too many riders in a stadium race. The racing would be better with less riders but riding faster. If you can't get a good start, you can't really work up and win. I really don't like having to ride so rough and bump guys and block pass to get around . I think if you are going faster there should be enough room to just blow by and never touch. CN: The Supercross Series has been tough for you. Kent: It has , but I still think I have a chance to win it now that we are riding our outdoor bikes , I'm getting better starts, and Bell isn't too far ahead . .. about 30 points or 29 or something. If he has one bad race , I'll be right in it. Of course, if I have a bad race that will pretty much put me out ... Jill: Kent's going 10 win the Superbowl, Kent: I sure do need to . I know that Bell must be really nervous about the series. It 's his first chance at a title, and I know how tough that is. He finished second in the 500cc Nationals last year behind Danny (LaPorte) , then second in the Trans·USA and now second in the 250cc National class this year. It 's got to bother him. I know he wants to win. But nervous or not, Bell is a very good rider. He'll be tough to beat. I think he was kinda discouraged in the 250cc Nationals, and it affected his riding. But he goes really fast in the stadiums. Jill: We thought there were only going to be four more races, but now there are five. The Yamaha guys are saying we're just going to keep adding races until Kent wins. Kent: Another rider who is really gelling to be a threat is Warren Reid. He's always fast , but he has the wont luck. Something always goes wrong for him, but I think he will get a lot more consistent in a couple of years . CN: He always seems to be the guy you take the lead away from. Kent: Like at Anaheim last year and 'then at the Superbikers . . . I remember he tried to square-off a tum on the pavement like you would a motocross tum, but we were going way too fast and pavement is different! You can go just so fast and then suddenly no traction! At Colorado I thought he was finally going to beat me. I caught up to him in the second moro, and I thought he was leading. I had worked up from a poor start. I was still tired from running down from the pits and my stomach hurt prelly bad. Real bad! I just couldn't get enough energy to go around him. Of course Darrell was actually leading and I just didn't know it then because Greg Arnette, my wrench, wasn't at Colorado, and Rick was helping out but didn't really know how . CN: You won the first moto though . Kent: That really makes me feel like I showed every· one that I deserve 10 be the National Champion. I had a last place start and worked up to win. You wouldn't believe how rocky it wasl Rocks this big (gesturing with hands around 12 inches around) all over the track, and dust, too. Right at the start I thought , "Well that's it, I'll never win this one." But I just kept working my way up and finally I got the pit sign that I was in fourth . I still thought I was prelly far back. When the two- lap sign came out, though, I could see those guys ahead, and I just got on the gas and went right by them . It felt great. Jill: Roy Turner (Kawasaki mechanic) said , "I thought Kent was gonna let us win one. " CN: The year is still young , and the 250cc USGP is ahead . Then the Trans·USA, too , How do you see things going? Kent: I really want to win at Unadilla again . I think that's the best track in the U .S. I wish they were all like that. I think I can win the Trans·USA even though the class will be tougher this year with everyone on 250cc bikes, and Hannah might be back. I'm not sure that he will be strong enough to win after such a long lay-off. but I'm sure he'll try . We've been working with the new floater rear suspension. and I think it's working prelly nicely. Our cantilever suspension is working good right now , too, but the floater seems 10 give the bike a lillie bit more feel on off-camber and seems more stable. It needs more time to develop though, and the regular suspension is really improved after we tried Ohlins , We kept testing and testing the Kayabas, but it was useless, They just didn't work right. We put on Ohlins and picked up three seconds a lap on the test track. CN: Well, I guess we better head over for the track. Good luck and stay on the gas . We need the heroes. Kent: Thanks, I'm gonna keep winning, I think. I know I never felt better or rode faster. It seems like I just keep riding faster and faster. There must be a limit , but so far I just 'keep amazing myself that I can always go a lillie bit faster when I need it. It sure feels good to be National Champ again. It's been a long . ,time!. •