Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

26 National round there. "I went off a jump, landed sideways, and broke my left shoulder. I wanted to get it fixed right, so I went out for a year and had two pins put in it to make it strong." 1979 saw Mark again looking to be on his way to a National 125cc title, but again a crash stopped him. "I landed on my head after Hangtown and got a blood clot in my eye. I could see, but I saw a spot. If I would have crashed again I could have pulled the retina off the back of my eye and lost the eye. I missed the Phoenix National because of that. I would have been a lot closer (in the 125cc final standings) if I would have won that race." Barnett did claim the 125cc USGP win in Ohio that year, but he still fell short of Broc Glover in the 125cc National title chase and ended up second in the standings. Then came 1980, Barnett's golden year. He was stronger than ever, had a good attitude, and was constantly testing and changing his bikes with the aid of his new tuner, Jeff Clark. Doug Grant had been Barnett's tuner in previous yean, and though Barnett and Clark were newly aquainted an instant compatibility surfaced. "We both work as hard as we can. It's a 110 percent effort thing for both of us. Like at Washougal (Washington) we tested until eight o'clock Saturday night." Barnett landed a Supercross win in New Orleans in May, and then it all came down to the final round of the 125cc series in St. Petenburg, Florida, on August 31. It was Glover by three points over Barnett. Barnett and Glover went 2-3 in moto one, leaving moto two the decider for the title. When it was over Barnett had almost lapped Glover and claimed the l25cc championship by nine points. Glover claimed a fading shock stopped his charge, but whatever the circumstances Barn~tt had finally overcome. Mark recollected the chain of"events leading into the final round. "Our bikes (Suzukis) were as good (as Yamahas) the first part of the year, but the second half Yamaha had new bikes. The Floater (Suzuki's new single shock rear suspension released mid· year) was 18 pounds heavier than the twin shock bikes, and in the 125 class weight is criticial. I rode the twin shock bike in five races (including St. Pete) and the Floater in two races. The Floater was built too strong. It wasn't really tested. "I went into St. Pete thinking I had to win both motos; I needed good holeshots. Ward got out front in the first moto, but I knew I didn't have to beat him. I took second and saved energy; the smartest tbing was to save energy. If Glover wanted to go wide open I would have gone wide open, too. I didn't get psyched out--1- got loose. If you beat the guy you want to beat you've taken the edge. "Sometimes I wished something would happen to Brae. Felt Oim Felt, . Glover's -tuner - u- -the' -time)- said his (Glover's) shock never went out that day. When I saw I had a 71 second lead (in moto two) I was pumped. I didn't even have time to get sick." Getting sick. That was one of Barnett's biggest foes in 1980. It started with simple stomach pains, maybe nervousness, Mark reasoned. They used to come before a race, and Barnett used willpower and concentration to mentally dissolve the pain. Then, in the final National rounds when pressure was tbe greatest, things started to wonen. The pain came baclt during the motos and stayed there, many times until Mark fell asleep at night. No, Barnett wasn't being unhospitable when he avoided most everyone after his Trans-USA opener victory in Ohio. He merely needed to get away as quickly as possible to be alone with his problem. While in Los Angeles during the Trans-USA Series Mark visited a doctor and had a series of tests performed. The diagnosis was an wanted to ride the Alabama Two-Day. I asked Mark (Blackwell) to send me a PE to run it, but it came a week late. I love hare scrambles, too. It's like a wide open motocross. " Mark eats lunch and then lets the food digest while listening to some more music on his 250 watt per channel stereo. Then it's back out to ride again. Barnett also keeps weights available in the house, so if he comes through for a drink or telephone call be can take a quiclt stop to run through a few reps. While some riders believe staying away from riding during the week is the key, Mark believes riding all the time is what put him on top. "Watanabe (I25cc World GP contender) freaked out when I told him I ride every day. " . Barnett also allows time during the day to take care of 25 cows he recently purchased. Though his days are full and he enjoys being a low profile person, Mark doesn't know if he'll reside in Alabama forever. "1 spend three quarters of the year in Alabama. I have some friends in a town nearby and we go out and get crazy once in a while. I don't know if I could stay here all my life." Barnett is feeling good about what's ahead for him. He's proven himself as a top National, Supercross, USGP and Trans-USA competitor and plans to take things in stride, hopefully complete a successful career, and then get out of the game. "There's no pressure at Suzuki. They know they're taking a chance when they hire you. I've always tried my hardest. Even now (as a National champ) there's no pressure. "You get respect from your teammates when you beat them. Then if you beat them too much they don't like you. But that's my job, to beat everyone. Suzuki might have been a little shaky this year if I didn't win the title, but I did. I consider myself one of the top five in the nation .. ulcer, a price Barnett paid along the road to being the champ. Instead of being depressed concerning the results of the tests, Barnett regarded it as a relief and was glad that some medication could finally be prescribed. Though he crashed out of the Atlanta Trans-USA round, Mark said the pills given him did the trick. He went the entire day --:ithout any stomach problems. As Barnett's success with racing increased, he felt it was time to make it easier on himself to race and train. He solved the problem by moving to his grandma's farm in Alabama. "At home (in llIinois) I got lazy. There's .nowhere to ride, and the cops throw you off the land you do ride on. "In Alabama it's cheaper and there's better riding. I'm more relaxed there and no one bothers me. It's like a training camp. My grandma cleans for me, and I ride and take her to town for things." When Mark says he rides, he means it. During the racing season he isn't "I was approached by two satisfied unless he runs five gallons of companies for the coming year, but I gas a day through one bike or another. didn't waste their time or mine. I'm Barnett builds a new track with the already signed with Suzuki for next farm's tractor whenever he gets tired year. I'm not complaining. You hear of the previous one, and also does a stuff how the other factory guys are bunch of woods rid;ng on one of the better off, but the grass is always PE Suzukis he owns. It: all, Mark now greener on tbe other side." has eight production bikes on the Being a winner has its rewards in farm. any activity, and Mark feels totally A typical day for Mark on the farm entitled to his share of the spoils. ''I'm starts at 7 a.m. when he gets up and all for big buck contracts. We train eats a hearty breakfast. Then it's into harder than most football players, so the shop to work on his bikes, with the why shouldn't we make what they are? assistance of some tunes from Lynyrd I race to win and then the money Hendricks, or Skyn yrd , Jimi comes in; if I win the dollars take care whatever else Mark feels like starting of themselves. When contract time the day with. comes around, then I worry about After the bikes are ready to go dollars. Mark rides until noon. "Sometimes the "Europe doesn't excite me right track gets old, so I have little tracks in now. The money and the market are the woods, which gives you better here. If I ride fast here I can ride fast skills. There you learn throttle control there. and clutching. You have to know "I've just incorporated myself, and both. my mom takes care of the money. I "I get into woOOs riding. Last year J~ • ••1eo-hi~aD 1lCCOuntant to switch -the money around. This year I only made $10,000, the rest was invested. The first year the government took half. of the money I made--that's bullshit. I won't get burned again. Now I have write·offs with my cows and other investments. "Whatever happens, my goal is to be Number One. My fint goal was to win a championship. Next year I want the 125 title again, and then I might move on to the 2505 or 5005," The years to come are sketchy, but Mark doesn't see MX going away--at least with him still involved in it. "I haven't heard anything about Suzuki cutting back next year and Blackwell hasn't said a word. I feel we did so well last year that Suzuki's ready to go for it again, to put in the effort. "Next year you probably won't see as many privateers at each race because of the cost of traveling, parts and other things. I don't really look on the privateers as competition. I look at who I have to beat each race. "A shop was giving me bikes and parts when I started. If you have that you can probably handle it. If a guy's paying everythinf; he'll have a hard time, but if he IS paying everything he's probably not that good anyway. That's the, way it is; if he's good someone will want to help him. "I see all the hot guys that are winning now staying around for another four years, and then a bunch of the new young guys from California will be coming in. We won't all drop out at once, but one guy will drop out at a time and the younger guys will slip in. "What I see is when a guy makes hismoney he gets out. You get burned out racing for ten or 15 years, and when you make your money you've met your goal. ''I'm not burned out yet. Some guy wants to set me up to ride two GPs nett year, but I'D have to see what U.S. Suzuki says. I would like to go over and get a taste. Who knows, I might come back from there hating life." What happens if motocross does go back to the basics and the factories pull their support? "The factories would have to be a part of it for me to ride. Once the factories are gone I'm gone too. It would no longer be profitable. You'd be working against the salary you built up in the past years. Then there'd be no more development to put into production bikes. That's really why we're racing. That's our job. Without the factories there'll be no more motocross and the spectators will go away." Mark Barnett isn't ready to go away just yet. If something does get in his way he'll overcome it, at least until he feels it's time to move on to other matters. Projections into the far future are dim for Mark, but mostly it centers around living life the easy way. "I just hope I have enough money to kick back for the rest of my life. Who knows, maybe I'll just go and tend to my cows." •

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