Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

; III • ~ t o 00 O"l ....-4 written, then it's going to get done. But I don't know if it is and you don't. I don't think anybody knows excep t Him. I just go from race to race and try to do as good as I ca n an d m ake sure I have food on the table every week an d pa y some bills. As a matter of fac t, th is year is the onl y yea r I've never even rea lly given anyone a thought, and I'll be darned if I'm not leading the m. It's dazzled me and that's another reason that I can't deny what's going on in my life. I will not do it. If I did deny it , I'd probably drop back to seventh or eighth and bust my noodle here and now. You mentioned that you put about $15,000 of your own money into the program last year. Are you putting your own money into the program this year? I'm putting in everything I make except a percentage which goes to Sal (Acosta) while I'm back here. I've got to buy the tires and buy my gas and pay my own expenses. I have a lot of overhead buying all that stuff, but as long as I'm finishing up in there, I'm making a few bucks on the side plus paying for what I need. That first half Winston Pro Series payoff should really help me , because I'd like to get another 500 for these other TTs. Its hard to get one of these 750s running around with those things. You're doing a lot of your own maintenance this year. I like to get out into th e ga rage and work on the bikes . For example, after last weekend and three races in Ohio I got up Monday morning, washed the th ing, and took it completely apart and b y that afternoon I had the top end back on . I put new rings and stuff in it and the rest of the week I just spent time going over it with a fine why. I don't know if people pick on him , and tell him that he's over the hill which he's not. I just th ink that he needs to get on th e righ t track . Mike Kidd? Mike is prob a bly th e best groove blocker in the world. That cotton picker. he is the hardest person to pass on a groove I've ever raced against. At times you ca n' t bea t Mike on a groove. Last year at T opeka nobod y was going to beat him. Then there're other times that he'll get on a groove and he'll just putt around. When he's on the bubble he's fast. I've never seen Mike really do too good on cushions. H e's another one that's good all around . He can d o good on TTs and short track. Mike is fully capable of getting Number One with the right program -- if he doesn't ha ve as much equipment failure and if he doesn't tip over too much. RandyGoss? Well , last year he didn't have the Harley factory ride behind him and he won three Nationals. I think the • factory is between here and there right now. They don't know what they want up there. They're experimenting again, trying to find that right combination. I don't know what it's like to be up there. Gary has told me things and Morehead has told me things , but I really don't know myself. Do you find some people skeptical about your being born again? Yes, people always say you lose friends and stuff over it. I haven't actually lost any friends, I've had them talk about me behind m y back and stuff, and say things which don't bother me . I kn ow where I'm at and I know where I'm going and it's only go ing to be to th eir disadvantage. I know it works . and they can do the same th ings . . anybody can do the same thing. I feel sorry for them. I don't th ink I'd like to say "If He's got Number One m store for me, nobody will have a chance. " 12 tooth comb and making sure that everything was righ t and nothing's going to break. I do it every week , I mean at least six to seven hours a day just making sure that everything is good. It pays off. I'm pretty sure that God's not going to help me unless I help myself. He's not going to set there and say 'You don't have to do anything to it Hank. It's going to be OK .' That's full of bull, you know. I've got to do my part and He'll do his part. Let's assess some of the riders - their talent versus your talent. Steve Morehead? Morehead's a good all around rider. I think I've got an edge on him on short track and TT. Steve and I are pretty evenly matched at any half mile we go to. He's better on the cushion than I am, but I think I'm better on the groove tracks. As far as day-to-day racing on the miles and half miles, Steve's the one I usually look forward to beating. Steve Eklund? Eklund is a very tough rider, but I don't know what's wrong with him this year . He's had bad luck , but I've also noticed that his riding style is a lot more conservative than last year. He was hanging it all out at this time last season now he's riding very conservatively. I don't know , ma ybe there's something playing mind games with him . Your brother, Gary seems to be riding pretty good. He's got a lot on his mind . He used to have a lot of confidenc e in himself. you know , when he was going fast with the Triumphs and with H arley a nd with Carl Pa tr ick and stu ff. He won six nationals when he rod e with Sal Acosta in 1977 . Ga ry's lost a lot of confidence in himsel f. 1 don't kn ow something bad about them . For every person that does talk bad about me , I've met new friends , I've had people come up to the race track and want to shake my hand and tell me, I think your testimony on TV was the greatest thing that ever happened. I've had a ' lot of people do that. I think it's great. I believe Dale Singleton is a member of Team Jesus. Ted Boody is too. Do you tithe anything to Team Jesus? I've never paid a tithe in my lite . . which is paying one-tenth of your income to the church .. because I don't belong to a church. I talked to Jerry about it and he said to pray about it and ask Him and He'll direct you. When I was at Houston for the Nationals, I felt compelled to give some money to Landry because he brings his bus to the races and gives away orange juice, coffee and donuts to the riders. The Lord says you pay your tithe to me and blessings will pour out of heaven. I'll be darned if I didn't get home and I had a check for $750 waiting in the mail from a gentleman · John Sullivan . whom I don't even know. He had gotten in touch with one of my sponsors, Jack Sisemore, and given him money for Gary and me. How do you explain something like that? Has your faith enabled you to reconcile yourself with your brother Gary? I'm not ma d at Ga ry. I do n't ha te him . H is life style is com pletely d ifferent from m ine. He's a di ffe rent person than me, the Lord is not mad at me for it. You know, we get along bett er if we'r e apart and that 's t he way he sees it and t hat's the way I see it and t ha t's

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