Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

differences and split up. I went back to O'Brien and asked him if there was a way I coul(i build my motorcycle at the factory and ride out of there. He was receptive to the deal, but that didn't mean it was a filII boat ride by any means. I actually built a motorcycle out of machinery Mark Brelsford had ridden before he hung it up. It had new fiberglass and a new frame and we freshened the engine up a bit. That was the week before Louisville. We went there and I got second behin~Jay '(Springsteen). I had things going pretty well and racked up another second at Columbus. I also ran second to Jay at Harrington until the cam. bearing broke. I wasn't setting the I've got nothing but good memories. What regrets could I have after all the good things that have happened to me? Do you wish rou had started earlier? You know, you wonder about that. You wonder if things would have gone the same. However, you can wonder about it all you want, but you'll never come up with an answer. I may have started earlier and gotten burned out. I might never have made it. I really think I was in the right place at the right time. Things just happened to work out. I wish eve.rybody out there could have the Possibly that had something to do with it. Whatever it was I appreciated the support because it makes you feel very good when you know a lot of people care. Are you disappointed you never had a shot at winning the Grand National Championship? To be honest, being Number One was never a goal of mine .. until it was too late. The closest I came 'Was in 1975 (4th). If I had ridden some races that year like I rode them later (in my career) where I made main events .. like the Ascot TT .. there was probably the possibility I could have few who can ever be Number One and the rest of us are just around. What would you say was the highlight of your career? I really have two. The first would have to be winning Louisville the frrst time. I was probably floating at 30,000 feet that night after the win. The adrenaline was flowing so good I didn't get any sleep that night. It took me a long time to come down. I was so pumped I probably could have carried my truck on my back to get it home . The other event that stands out in my mind is the (1975) Toledo Half Mile National. Up to that time my success I've had and felt. It's like nothing I've ever been through before. Did it surprise you that you became so popular with the fans? It was a little surprising to me. I guess when you begin to do good the fans begin to follow you. I had a fair amount of success in winning five Nationals and doing good otherwise. I'm very sure my age had something to do with the fans ·reaction because a lot of people who go to the races are past the age of 25. There are a lot of fans who ride street bikes to the races. Hey, if there are 14 guys on the line for the National and one of them has a full head of grey hair it stands out a bit. put on a good run for the title. I think what happened was by the time I realized I really did have a shot at it, I didn't any more. I'm not family knew I raced, but they didn't really know the level of competition. The morning of the Toledo National my dad called and mentioned there was an ad for the event in the local paper and asked me if I was going to be there. He'd never been to a National before and he came down to watch. That was a night when I could do no wrong .. of course that goes along with times you can do no right .. and won the National by about a straightaway. Seeing how I did there set my dad to thinking and since then 'he's been to a lot of Nationals. I guess it showed him the money he spent on the motorcycles I wrecked when I was ..... 00 ..... 0') "After seven years of racing it dawned on 'me it was about time to go on to something else. " world on fire, but I was staying near the front of the pack. By the time the Indianapolis Mile rolled around Harley had built me a .new miler and O.B. assigned Nick Deligianis to work with me the rest of tbe season. I was jazzed. It ended up to ,be my best year ever and opened up a lot of people's eyes. I finished fourth in the standings. I also turned 30 and I'm not sure if that was a high point or low point of the year. It affected me a little, but it's only numbers. I got the nickname "The Grey Ghost" that year. I won the mile at Syracuse and Toledo's half mile back to back at the end of the season.' Somebody asked O'Brien what he thought of the' double wins and he said something like "Not bad for an old man." The stuff about being older started then, but I think I thrived on it and grew on it to some extent. 1976 was not a good year although I did win the Harrington National. I broke my leg at the Peoria TT and was out half the season. A lot of people felt it would be the end of my career because of my age. I didn't think so and I tried not to let the talk bother me. Harley still had faith in me and signed me up for 1977. We went to Houston with our new (two·stroke) short trackers and Jay won, Ted (Boody) got second and I got sixth. It ~as my best finish ever at Houston and it pumped me up. Although I didn't "I guess my situation was unzque zn that I never had a factory ride until I was 29. " win a National, I feel I had a good year. I finished sixth in the standings and financially it was the best year I ever had. 1978 wasn't too bad a year either. 1979 came and I was not a full factory member .. Steve Morehead took my place .. but I was still receiving a good amount of help although I didn't get a salary and I didn't have a mechanic on the road. Still, they let Al Stangler (my mechanic from 1978) work on my bikes at the factory. I made money so I ",an't complain. That brings us back to last year which got cut short. However, I had already made up my mind that I was going to retire at the end of the season. I knew it was going to be my last year before the season started. "I wish everybody out there could have the success I've had and felt. " disappointed. I've watched close friends Jay and Randy (Goss) get it. The way I feel is there are only a select 21

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