Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

-- ~ ~ CN 00 0') Q(") ~ ~ =' ~ -, ~ " Hangiriout with Mark Barnett By Tom Mueller Mark Barnett's performance through the 1981 MX season will be hard to match by other riders in years to cq,me. He devastated the 125cc Nationals, claiming 14 moto wips out of a possible 16. The frosting on the cake came in the form of the Supercross title, where he was the dominatingforce through most ofthe schedule. While most top ranked MXers live on the West Coast and do their training in that area, Barnett has opted for a quiet hfe in A labama on his gr.andmother's 400 acre farm, removedfrom city-style hustle and bustle and most of its complications. We pulled out a map and took a look, and soon realized Barnell was less than 300 miles from the Cycle News East offices in Georgia. What was life down on the farm really like, this place Barnett rushes back to after every race? Hangin' out with him for a few days looked to give us those answers, so we set up the tr.ft. Here's what we found and learned about in the three days we were there. I 20 "When you get that far. stop at the Army Barn-it's a surplus store-and call me from there. I'll meet you up the road and show you the way." said Barnett over the pay phone I was calling from. I had already covered a couple of hundred miles and was deep in the heart of Alabama. Finding the Army Barn was no problem; I went in and asked to use the phone. a request the folks inside didn't seem to take kindly to until I told them who I was calling. "Oh. you want to call the Barnett boy? He lives just up yonder. go ahead and call." said the lady behind the counter. . I got "the Barnett boy" on the phone and we set up a rendezvous point. I only had to cover a few more miles and I'd be escorted to the farm. Sure enough. as I rounded a curve I saw a Team Suzuki truck jamming across a field. then sliding ontO the road in front of me. the dog in the back having a great time. I thought my journey had ended. but I was wrong. Once off the paved road another 10 miles of dirt roads lay ahead before we reached the farm. The trip was pleasant as the sun filtered through the trees lining and draping across the shady lane. As we covered the last mile before the farm we crossed two wood plank bridges: I made a lTJental note to line up my van's wheels on the sturdy cross timbers the first time across. It was Thursday afternoon and as far as Barnett was concerned there wasn't much time to spare. Mark's dad. Benson. was down from Chicago (where Barnett's family resides) for the week to help Mark set up the mobile home he had had delivered the 'day before. We did a quick once over in the farmyard. saw Mark's converted egg workshop - a house-met his grandma, stowed my gear. and suited up to get in some riding before it got dark. "I learned a long time ago that I can't afford to entertain everyone who comes over here." said Barnett. "I show them where to sleep and where they'lI get fed, and then they're on thei r own. I used to show everyone around but then I didn't get anything done. I didn't get any riding in." Mark had his Suzuki RM250_ prepped and went out to warm up. His idea of getting started was taking a few runs at a double step jump next to the house. flying about 30 feet each time he hit it. "If you hold the gas on over the first jump you'lI clear the ;'hole thing." Anything you say Mark. I thought. With that we headed down the road towards the woods. One of the first things I learned about Barnett. contrary to other MXers. is that lately most of his practicing is done in the woods. We hit some tight trails and Barnett was gone. Alii had to go by were acceleration marks through the turns. A few O1iles later we cut back onto the road and Barnett performed a few tricks. first gassing up sheer embankments along the side of the road and jumping off them. then pulling wheelies for a few hundred yards at a time. A new trick I hadn't seen went off when Mark locked the front brake and held the gas on. dragging the front wheel. When he dumped the brake it was wheelie time again. Whatever he did. it a II looked so easy, something Barnett took into consideration. "Lateley I've been paying more attention to who's riding with me. I finally realized most guys can't do what I do with a bike. A while back.a guy broke his back riding with me. There was this wash·out about six feet across. and I just flew across it. The guy behind me didn't even know it was there and crashed hard. Now I watch out so that you'll know what's coming...· It was already late in the afternoon and we headed back to the farm. Priorities first, we got out of our gear and started to move Mark's stereo system into the mobile home. Music-loud music-is a big part of Mark's life, and it was seldom that [Unes weren't blasting through the farmyard .. We 'got everything hooked up and Mark put on some Van Halen (a top hard rock group) to stan the evening. We cleaned up and headed over to

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