Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

after we put the new belt drive on, it went quicker than the new record we had set with the gear drive. Then we knew that it was under control after that. All we had to do was keep the motors together. We have been running the same drive belt between the motor and the clutch since we put it on. The points chue eveutnally came down between you and Thacker. Did he give you any trouble? Frog is the kind of person that tries to psyche everybody out, I think the only place where he might have honestly psyched me out was Epping, when he took about a tenth holeshot on me. I was probably a little overconfident and he cut a good tree and that was it. What, looking back, was your bigest disappointment in I98O? Breaking the gear drive at Indy. We had a chance to catch Frog and pass him at Indy, but we didn't even make a pass. We broke the gear drive ten feet out of the hole. We had no spare parts and it (gear drive) was totally destroyed. Frog was able to jump quite a few hundred points ahead of us at Indy. "l would race roller skates if I had to. I'm a racer!" Due to the fact that a lot of changes had to be made in a .hort period of time, you were forced to spend a lot of time on the road literally living out of that camper. Right? We put 60,000 miles on the road this year spending an honest seven months away from home. It's hard on people being on the road that long. Living together, trying to ge.t along together you get what I calI cabin (ever. When you get personalities that have to work together and you're that close for 50 long the slightest irritation can become monumental. However, we are all still friends. We might have had a few bad words now and then, but we're all still friends. With the tedious boredom of the road, what were you able to do to relax? Actually, I don't think I've relaxed yet. It's been race it... blow it up... repair it... bad on the road... race it, etc. Between races this year the longest time that I have had at home to relax was probably one weelr.l Even then it was come back to St. Pete and rebuild the motors. Are the motorcycles aDd their riden ready for the mea and 200 mph? I think there's a lot of riders out there that can handle sixes and 200 miIes an hour. But, I don't think that there are many tracb that are ready for sixes on a motorcycle. There may be only four or five traw in the whole United States that a motorcycle can actually have the rider feel safe running those ETs and speeds. h just takes the tight conditions and you being able to relax enough to keep the throttle on all the way through the traps. You have to know that the track is flat and smooth. I think there will be quite a few sixes in 1981. Are the laDctioning bodiea tough eDough on Iiceming riders for Top FueIcompetitioD? I don't think 50. The old organization (AMDRA) used to have a licensing procedure just like NHRA does with Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers. I don't feel thafjust anybody should be allowed to come out and get on a Top Fuel motorcycle. I think there should be a period of time that he has to spend in a lower class where he learns to ride a lay·down motorcycle. There's a ,lot of differe1]Ce ~etween riding a "The actual mn is just easy... the shut-off is hard!" lay-down motorcycle and riding a sit· up bike. He should spend 50 much time in one ET bracket. Say, 50 many months in the nines, 50 many months in the eights, 50 many months in the sevens before he is allowed to ride a Top Fuel motorcycle. h's not easy, especially if you have a bad handling motorcycle. If you have a good hand1iog motorcycle it does make it a little easiet. How many people are there in the world that have ridden a seven second motorcycle? You have to think about that, Has another'. ability, or lack of it, ever worried you when you pulled up nellt to a competitor during a race? I respect anybody that is running in Top fuel. There are maybe one or two that shouldn't really be out there. I'm not going to name any names, that's up to the sanctioning bodies. A lot of times I've worried about the machine that was in the next lane more than the rider. I've seen too many people out of control right off the starting line and they don't have enough sense to turn it ofL It takes a lot of common sense to ride one of those things. You have been racing for about twenty...ilt yean. What's down the road for Bo O'Brochta? I don't even want to think about it! Probably as long as my reflexes stay good and my mind stays clear and my body stays together I'll be racing. I think everybody knows when it's time to quit, everybody knows when they can't do it anymore. I thinlr. I'll know when it's time for me to quit, It may be next year, it may be ten years. I feel like I can do it for ten more. When it is over, what are your plam? I'd like to stay around bikes if it's just working on them, tuning, telling people what they're doing wrong or right. I just love motorcyclesl I love racing! I'll stay around them as long as I can. I don't have any definite plans; I tend to try to live one year right after the other. I haven't made any long term plans yet. Whenever I make any long term plans they change. Has the 1980 _ D I1lccelll1lDlr. in yet? "l thz"nk there wz"ll be quz"te a few sz"xes zn 1981" Not really. I realize that we're going to carry the Number One plate nellt year. I can tell myself that it's the quickest motorcycle in the world. But I think that it all just means that. I know that it's the quiclr.est motorcycle in the world, but it hasn't changed my outlook on anything. I probably haven't even realized it yet. . CaD the 1980 _ D be duplicated? Oh yeah, I think. 50, It's just a lot of hard work, If for some reason Mike Grey aDd Co. decided to get out of raciDg would it end your career? I would race if it was a B/Stocker I had to race or anything -- I would race! I would race roller skates if I had tol I'm a racer! I love it. I know nothing else. If I lost the people in the present operation, I would be upset, but, I would find a way to race. I'm a ra~er' " '. " ...... ~ .e. 23.

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