Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126608
NAr-rIONAL PAPERS l When a person or group gets mad about something, usually they do one of two things: pack their bags and leave, or try harder than they did in the past. It appears that the people from Honda have taken the latter course. A couple of years ago Honda tried hard to get rule changes towards more 500cc involvement in dirt events. They lined up a dealer support program for racing participation , etc. Nothing really ever came of it at the AMA level. So if early 1982season Pro racing is any indication of the total commitment by Honda, the rest of the racing world had better get a tight grip and hang on. The red, white and blue "H" finished 2-3 in the Houston short track, and 2-3 in the Houston TT. Then they finished 2-3-4 in the Daytona 200 road race. They swept the Bell 100 Superbike road race and won the Supercross. Honda must be mad as hell. Honda put more riders into the two Houston finals than any other. brand, I I. Their riders now lead the Supercross point standings as well after five events. And they lead the AMA /Winston Pro Series Manufacturers standings. Honda has some very good riders, like all factories should. Mike Kidd for the dirt, Freddie Spencer and Mike Baldwin for road racing, and DarrellShultz and Donnie Hansen for MX events. With talent like this there should be results. But hold on for a minute. What about the kid, Steve Wise? Maybe it is an experiment with Honda or maybe Steve just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Or it could be pure luck on the part of the former MX racer whose last major MX win was the 1979 New Orleans Supercross, followed by his back-to-hack Superbikers wins. So the next stop was the National TT at Houston where he got third and more press than any other third place finisher in any race in the past. He rode differently, he raced against tradition - and nearly won the race . Long-time dirt trackers are traditionalists by nature and soare a lot of promoters. Early this year, following an AMA rules change that allowed him to compete, Steve was offered a Superbike ride, a ride that several dozen road racing "specialists" would have given just about anything to get. Wise finis hed eighth after getting a lap down, but rode much of the race right wi th third place finisher Roberto Pietri. For some unknown reason the number one road racer in Europe, Marco "Lucky" Lucchinelli, decided to pass up Daytona, even after testing down there prior to the event. This left an empty saddle for the 200-miler. Again Honda went to Wise and asked him if he wanted to go at the big guys in the biggest road race in America, and maybe the world, as far as importance. If a lot of guys would have liked to have his Superbike ride, imagine how many would have been willing to pay • . . .. . . " ~• •• 1' I' • H •• 'hb"' . anytnmg tor toe r orrnu ra u ne z u ride? So young Mr. Wise qualified and then went on to finish a respectable seventh. He did not run in the class with Freddie Spencer, Kenny Roberts, Graeme Crosby, etc ., but he did stay on the wheels and did not get in anybody's way. He also left Daytona with 300 miles of solid road race expenence. Wise , believe it or not, also left Daytona as the Winston Pro Series National point leader! And he 's second in Superbike points. After Houston and before Daytona he was quoted as saying he was going to win all three of the remaining National TT events! The next TT is the tricky Ascot National, running on Saturday night, Apr. 3. For years the race belonged to TT specialists of the Dick Dorresteyn, Eddie Mulder, Skip Van Leeuwen mold. As the years went by the nonspecialists had a chance and of late riders like Mike Kidd have an equal chance. Kidd has won it the last two years on two different brands of 500s. Ascot no longer has raft of oncea-month TT specialists. In fact, the long-time TT track is only used for the Nationa l once a year. The first National was held there over 20 years ago and to the credit of Wise he is the first to ever state before the race, in print, that he was going to win the final. . Ascot is not Houston. The tracks are in no way alike. You can set the entire Houston course inside the Ascot track and have room left over. The 500s can indeed win the event and most of the contenders have switched from 750s to 500s even a " "thoug h' rrtany 'S ufI re"el "tha i "a" gooa" rider on a good 750cc can blow the doors off the field. Mr. Agajanian should be very happy about Mr. Wise . He has a new kid on the block that surprised everybody at Houston and now says he is . ready for Ascot. It should be worth a lot of extra people just to see how good. or how close, he will come to taking it all. Steve talked with me twice at Daytona on the radio show. He is sincere and not trying to put down any other rider. He believes in himself and has more than enough desire. He also is very qualified to talk on the microphone. Kidd won the Ascot TT two years ago on a Honda 500: it can be done. Wise, not Kidd, is the point leader. Wise has now tried TT and road racing and has proved himself. How about the Sacramento and San Jose miles and the Ascot half mile that are just around the corner in April and May? Honda headquarters is just down the street from Ascot. Honda had well over 100 people in Daytona from Gardena headquarters. The whole factory shou ld be out for this one. Honda will come to Ascot with Kidd, Wise, Mickey Fay, Brett Barkman, Steve Morehead and Terry Poovey. No other brand will have that depth. Now all they have to do is beat out names from the past such as Ricky Graham, Jay Springsteen and Steve Eklund, plus Alex Jorgensen,to name a few. The Ascot TT has long taken a back seat to the twice-a-year National half miles. Not this time around. c-r 00 0') Roxy Rockwood N. W. RA CING TT RA CING AT ITS BEST ~i,.:Yer ~\9 50,000.00 .'b:! . Waiting To Be Won By You - "8 CASTLE ROCK is back on the track at the same location CASTLE ROCK RaeeSchedule JULY 10 24 28 29 Semi Pro Pro TT Semi Pro Pro TT $600.00 $1500.00 $600.00 $1500.00 31 Reg. Cha.pionship $8.000.00 ' largeSt Reg" Purse Eyer AIIpst 7 ProTT 21 ProTT 28 Pro TT $1500.00 $1500.00 $1500.00 Mt. St. Helens M.e. P.O. Box 51 Castle Rock. WA 98611 All Events to be held at Castle Rock Washington Fair Grounds ALL NEW TRACK SUPER RACE WEEK $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ OREGON SIDEWINDERS Raee Schedule .Iy Wed. 28 Semi Pro $600.00 C .R. Thur. 29 Pro TT $1500.00 C.R . Fri. 30 Regional $4000.00 Oregon S.W. Sat. 31 Regional $8000.00 C.R . a.g. Sun . 1 Regional $4000.00 Oregon S.W. $3000.00 to Any Rider Who Can Win All 3 Expert Regional Races OVER $2100.00 PURSE In 5 days of Su~ acing Go North Young Man Go North to Washmgton and Oregon ••y 21 28 Aug $1500.00 . 1 Reg . $4000.00 $1500.00 Championship 6 $1500.00 13 $1500.00 20 $1500.00 4 $1500.00 11 $1500.00 27 Reg. $4000.00 Championship 18 $1500.00 25 Reg. $4000.00. Championship ..... July 16 $1500.00 23 $1500.00 30 Reg . $4000.00 Championship Home of N.W. Friday Nile Pro rr Racing Greatest little Track In The World 7