Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

a<") 00 O"l ...... 1-4 q; o .. ..0 u o By Gary Van Voorhis Photo by David Edwards Harley-Davidson factory rider Randy Goss is poised on the threshold of his second AMA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series title. He is in the enviable position of having a 27-point cushion over teammate Jay Springsteen after P lacing third in the September 24 Ascot Half Mile. With two races left in the season, the 26-yearold Goss stands a very good chance of taking the title back to his hometown of Hartland, Michi~an. Goss' first title fight in 1980 went right down to the last lap in the final National of the season with Goss taking the crown by a whisker-thin margin of one point over Hank Scott. With that in mind and the evaporation of a similarly strong position in the point standings last year by Ricky Graham, Goss stands by the rationale' "There's no such thing as a sure thing." A "new" Goss has emerged this season, one who is decidedly more aggressive in his riding tactics and even a bit more flashy in his style. "I look at this as a fight," says Goss. "I think I have them (Graham, Bubba Shobert and Springsteen) on their knees. Now I need to knock them on their backs. Of course, there's no sense fighting unless you jump on them after you've knocked them down." Goss' strength, his "knockout punch," has always been his consisteney. His Brent Thompson-tuned XR750 very rarely records a DNF, and Goss' clean, smooth riding style keeps him out of trouble and on two wheels. He may not be the circuit's ....._- -..:~.: =.:...: .-4:l._•.:. .: . .r...:...~_-_ winningest rider, but he's always near the top and manages to bring home some series pojnts. Goss has finished no lower than third in the final standings since 1980. How does he see the rest of the season and seasons to come? Read on and gain an insight to the rider who shows no intention of letting up in his quest for the crown. How does it (eel to have a substantial points lead this late in the season? It feels pretty good. The best points lead I had before was 16 over Hank Scott when I was going for the title iri 1980. That didn't last long because I didn't make the final at the Tulsa Half Mile and Hank finished second. We left tied on points with two Nationals to run. I think having that happen was actually good for me because it made me realize there's no such thing as a sure thing. I think about what happened in 1980 everytime I go to a race now. Do you have a strategv you'refollowing (or the final races? The strategy is to take it one race at a time, concentrate totally on that race and try not to think about the next one. The plan is to win whenever we go to the track, but it seems I always come up with seconds. I'd like to win acquple more before the season's over. Everyone remembers who wins, they don't remember who finished second. It doesn't bother me too much that I • don't win more races because my fin.ishing is very cons.isteJ;l~ ~here a lot .. _·.- ..- :: :.-::-: ':,.:. ~ •. ':.:. ~ :.. . of riders who win can't always put together a string of strong finishes. Is there much pressure on you this time? There's a lot of pressure from different things. I don't think it's as bad as it was in 1980 because I've won a championship and I basically know what to expect as the season winds down. If anything, I'm one of the ones who says don't count on the title until you have it right in your hand and no one can take it away. Does having your (amily along at the races make things better (or you? It depends on the person, but in my case it definitely helps me. It's an asset. Our family life and entertainment is mainly concentrated around racing and that helps a lot. Vickie is just as much involved in what I do as I am. Janice, our baby daughter, went to her first National at the age of two weeks and hasn't missed one yet. Even Angie, our dog, has been to all but four Nationals since we got her five years ago. She's been to more· Nationals than a lot of racers. When you have your family along on the road you don't get homesick. I would think that's a problem for some of the California riders when they come back East for two or three months. Sometimes, they probably begin to wonder what they're doing and why they're doing it. Does Harley-Davidson pay a bonus (or winning the Grand National Championship? Harley pays $10,000 to win thecha'mpionship and adds a $10,000 salary increase for the next season. Out of my salary, I pay for meals, motels, and gas to the events. Harley pays us a fee for the public relations work we do at Harley-Davidson dealerships. Do you (eel. in ligltl9( bonq~ in the ... ... -.. - - -- .-.-:::: .. -: .... ..... ~",;~-.-_ ~ .... $100,000 range paid to motocrossers (or a series title. that riders in the Grand National Championship might be getting the short end of th,e stick? . Hearing what they're making reall makes me think about how we cou19 get that type of money in dirt track, ft seems as if even Honda is pretty ti' flh with money in their dirt track R gram. I heard that Mike Kidd h two-year contract for $60,000 aye which is good, but it still isn't t much. If Honda paid some megal)l'J salaries then it would be bargal' ~ power for everyone. I make ~ d money, but it isn't in the Mike K'Cia league.. 'N Are you surprised the Hondas h been as competitive as they've been? No, not really. The way Jerry Qrij; fith works on the machines I knew 'I wouLd be only a matter of time be'OIlll he had something capable of r all'9 doing bu iness. They may stilbbll searching for consistency, but haviJJg run with them, I'd say they rea.lJl work well. I think they'll be strortg next season although I don't see them being able to just split and run awa~ from everyone. OJ Why do you race in events other than the Nationals when teammates ScOll Parker and Jay Springsteen seldom do? I like to race at Santa Fe because the competition is always tougb and a number of riders who do good there don't follow the circuit. If you can race against them in the regular weekly program at the track tben you might have an edge on knowing how they ride if you come up against them in the National. I learn something every time I race there. I've always had trouble at Santa Fe and I think you're kidding yourself if you go to Nation- . als at that track thinking you Cdn win without having gotten in a bit f H; practice beforehand, The main reason I race non-Natio )al races at Ascot is that we don't re on tracks like that anymore, Asco' much more of a physical track anq t takes a grit-your-teeth style of ridi to do well. After racing on trat which groove up for most of the se son, it takes a while before you ada t to the style needed at Ascot. Actuall' I' I like Ascot because it's so tougH a track to master. ' How many more years do you pI n on racing? U I'm not sure. Probably more tha think. As it stands right now, th more years is about the most I'd rea like to chase the championship Js 100-percent effort. It's getting ve , very competitive out there. I feel next year we'll see an even tougher sea • with the new guys becoming stronger and Honda playing a bigger part i,n things. It's going to be so toug'P think we'll see riders spectating could just as easily be winning a given National. In circumstances Ii" that it's going to take even m eHort than it does now to do go over the long ha 1.1 I. The more em it needed, the more strain it puts on ute rider. ,,,., Is your teammate, Jay Springsteen. still the rider to beat? £l1 Theway Jay was runningon the td\£ miles earlier this year, I half-jokin~1Y said he should be put on the penaffy line to give everyone else a chance. That's about the way I felt. Jay, when he's on, is tough to beat. I don't thmk there's a doubt in many peop ''s minds that he's the greatest ride of all time, Jay is so good I'm not sure he really knows sometimes how 0 why he wins a particular race, He just does it. How different are your bikes com· pared to the others on the team? There's quite a bit of difference between the bikes we ride. Every rider and t'uner pretty much run their own ;1 • \

• Cover