Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

10 U.S., up until the last three years, and now we've got a really strong team together. They're starting to look up to the Americans and they're going to start giving us more people in our rounds and in the very near future we're going to see a lot of World Championship rounds, Best Pairs and Team Cup over here in the States. And I think that's going to help quite a bit. We've heard the 1982 World Finals going to he at the L.A. Coliseum. That's all go now, but they've got to hold one FIM event on that track before they can run a World Final, it has to be approved by the FIM. I think they'll put together a little world championship series with the Europeans over here, they'll get to try the track out. I think we deserve a World Final here; I think a lot of other countries deserve a World FinaL. I don't think it should be basically done in three countries which it has been. We want this sport to expand, to grow and a lot of the people in England want to boycott it because they've heard how unor· ganized we have been in the past as far as the championship round goes, and a few other odds and ends, but we're really getting our organization down pat. I think everybody's putting it together and within the next two years I think you're going to see speedway really develop and really grow. I think it has a lot to do with us being in England, and getting a lot of TV with CBS has been fantastic to us. I think the American team with its delermina.lion has really lifted a lot of eyebrows and a lot of new people that haven't even been involved with speedway are seeing it on TV. Since I've come home these last couple weeks people have come up to me and said, "Hey we've seen you on TV. You guys are really good, you should keep it up and go for it, I hope you win next year," and stuff. It's just blown me away becauSe I really didn't think that it was going to expand that much in that short of rime, but with the TV it's just really boosted us and really helped us out a lot. Next year we're going to get twice as many spots on TV, because of America being the underdogs in speedway now and to put it on all those old ~ys really lif:ed a lot of eyebrows. Talked to many other Americans riden who will he going over there nest year for the fint time? Yes, I took Lance over with me this year, he was over there for about two or three weeks, but he has to be 18 before he can get the FIM license you need to ride in England. I think he will be 18 for the start of the season next year, or it might be like in April when he's 18. So I'm going to take him back. on our team this year, I feel he's really going to be an asset to our team, he's a really intelligent rider. The guy's 17, but he's got the experience of a 23year-old. He's really clever, he uses his head. I haven't seen it in speedway for a long time. A lot of those new riders are a little bit over their heads, like I used to be: Everybody goes through that stage, but Lance has ridden under Mike Bast, who has done something for the kid. Mike's a fantastic rider and I can see a lot of Mike in Lance. He's really clever, he's got a lot of finesse and he's going to go a long way in speedway. Any other new riden the promoters looking at? There's stacks of them. All the promoters in England are looking for Americans because they're seeing people like Dennis Sigalos, Bobby Schartz, Shawn Moran and Kelly Moran just go over there and try and try and try. Maybe tht")' haven't had such a good season but tht")"re always trying and that's what the promoters want. They want to see riders that put in 110% all the time, and they're The folfovving list of top AMA ricler5 is but a small portion of the nation's motorqcle riders and racers who trusted their suspension needs to \M:lrks Performance this past year. To those listed. and to the thousands and thousands of others who have discovered the \M:lrks Performance advantage. we say. "Thank you. And may 1981 be even more enjoyable and bring you even greater success:' WORKS PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS 8730 ShIrley Avenue Northridge. CA 91324 (213) 70HOI0 EASTERN SER\lJCE CENTER KEYSTONE MOTOCROSS WORKS 1426 21st Street Seaver Falls. PA lSOIO Steve Rf1yan (Maico) (WInner, Golden Stat~ Series) Alan King (Maico) (Winner, Flonda Winter Series) val Tamierri (Maico) /Winner. Mickey Thompson LA. Coliseum Race-I981 CMC 500 Class Ifl plate) EriCk McKenna {Maico) (WInner. SCORE Riverside Off-Road World ChampionshIp) Jim Meenan IKTMJ .fWinner of 10 New England MX Championships) Jim Holley (MugenJ (1st p"vateer AMA 125 National Championship) Denny Swartz {Maico) Steve Srackable (Makol Me Englt.nd ~hal GaIy Pustelak (Kawasaki) DannyliJmer (Maicol Marlc RalcestJaw (Honda) Dane1 Rhoren (Hondal Jim TarclntJno (Hondal Dean Wiggiis fMaicO/ 1412) 846-8361 ISDI' Rick ~ IMai:oI John A)'eIs (SuzUciJ /BeSt Q:Jen Oass~ilOi~ Dan Cooway jI-lc:n:&J Jeff HicIts I'Awlliflill PaU MahiIIiIc IHa'ldaI TimIlO Ri:haIds

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