Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

or better, and I ended up third. " I'd like to thank Don Godden , who did a fantasti c job on my en gines. , ride a Weslake for speedway, but a G odden is the best long track bike. " Win n i ng th e World Long Track titl e could ac tua lly turn out better for me th an winning th e world individua l sp eed wa y title. I sh o u ld mak e a lot o f money next seas on riding at lon g track and g rass tr ack me etings o n th e co ntine nt. I'm h oping for a bo u t 40 meetings next yea r o n th e co n tine n t, mostl y o n Su nda ys." '" got sta rte d riding m ini bikes with m y broth er Kell y a t Sa ddlebac k Park an d Indian Dunes. On e da y we sa w Gen e Wood s practi cing o n hi s speed way bike so my dad took us both to Costa Mesa to check it o u t. " Pre tty soon, , was ridi n g Jun ior Speedwa y aga ins t m y brother ; Lan ce King and Dennis Sigalos . It reall y h elped my co n fide nce and m y atritude to ride co m peti tively, instead o f just pract icin g a lo ne a ll the tim e. Wh en Kell y turned 16, a n d ' was sti ll 15,' too k up surfin g and h ardl y went to a n y of Kell y's races. " In 1978, wh en th e seaso n ro lled aro u nd , , sta rted racin g but wasn't ver y successfu l a ny whe re excep t a t Ascot. , really got into it , th e size and a ll ; I'v e always lik ed th at tr ack . " Bu t th at was a ll a lon g time ago. I'v e been riding in British speed way fo r four seaso ns now. This season didn 't sta rt o ff so well , br eaking my a r m , , mean . Bu t as lon g as , ge t bett er , th at 's OK , bu t if I stay th e sa me, I feel let dow n . , g uess th is yea r tu rn ed o ut fin e. " I' d like to race in Aus tra lia th is winter , but I'm no t sure yet. R ight n o w, I'mjust ha ving fun being home in so u the rn Ca lifornia . , lo ve it h ere, bu t as far as th e raci ng goes, , like it i n Eng la nd . It ·s mu ch more pro fessiona l o ver th ere. For ins ta nce , th e referee sits in a box h igh eno ug h 10 see th e ent ire track. '" li ve in a p lace ca lled Eccles field - it 's o n ly a bo u t five minutes away from m y home track , She ffield. I like th e tra ck ; it 's th e biggest o n th e ci rcu it ; it's 440 yar ds lo ng and D-shaped. I race a t least twi ce a week , but sometim es 14 days in a row . It depends. " Whe n , co me ba ck here during th e seaso n a nd see all th ese gu ys - , hardl y kn ow a ny of th em - and everybod y's goin g for it. It didn ' t used to . bu t now H and icap ra ci ng worri es me. It 's h a rd [ 0 ada p t ri g ht awa y. , like Sa n Berd oo , a t least until th e last Spr ing C lass ic. no , o n ly kidding; I'm int o th e sha pe. Cos ta Mesa is a good track bu t I do n 't like th e low fen ces. Vent ura is O K. 100 . Basicall y. I just li ke the a tmosphere wh en I'm h om e. " I' m j us t a spe ed way rid er. , lo ve ridin g . raci ng and going fast. It 's a bitchi n ' feeli ng. , don 't like bad prom or ers, so me o f th e stupid tire a nd ca rbura to r ru les or track s th at have p oo r safe ty featu res like H ackney w here I broke m y leg, Kell y broke h is ba ck. a nd Denn y P yeatt and o ther rider, died . " I'm not go ing to race until I'm 30 or ·W . bUI ma ybe just si x or eig h t mor e yea rs. I wa n t to be fin anciall y ind epend ent . It 's not easy; it tak es a 10 1 of effo rt an d expe n se. Wh en yo u blnw a n en g ine, tha t's six hundred bucks.:: I I's Il Frid ay n ig ht at Cost a M esa in 1979 an d t h ere's [u st n o W il Y Moran is going to w in this m at ch race, certainly not wit h Gene W oods holdin g a three-length lead co ming around tu m (our tu'th e ch eck ered . But, what's th is? H ere co mes M ora n with su ch a p ow erful dr ive that he lost h is bik e! M OTan 's bik e bucks h im off and he f li es across th e lin e jus t ah ead uf h is bi k e and W oods , landin g 10 feet past th e lin e. slid in g on h is knees. Just an oth er n ig h t for ." Th e M iracle W orkei ," T hdt 's'spelled IV-O -W ." , • ' . " -, Y In 1983 at O'Neal U.S.A. we have achieve our most prosperousyear yet and like to 'say thanks to you . You liked our quality. you liked our servce. and you liked our style. over and over again. Here's to all of you : dealers. distributors. riders, and consumers : Thanks for letti ng O'Neal be your favorite motorcycle -cloth ing and accessory sup pl ier. Have a ,A D A GREAT I •• YEA ---- ....... ....... Happy and Healthy 19841 HIGH PERFORMANCE LINE-UP Our unique formulati on reduces pisto n scuffing and ring wear in high output comp etiti on engines. Our high performance oil especially blen ded for liquid cool ed motorcy cles. NEWI A lighter vi scosity t ra nsm ission oil blended for t he ext re me loads of motocross. Less clutch drag and smoother sh ift ing. NEW ! Same featu res as our " Light" but for long distance. heavy duty use. ' Duralube 270 No. Vinedo Ave. Pasadena, CA 91007 OFFICIAL OIL OF KTM AMERICA For orde ring info . call : (21 31 7 9 5-7 6 2 8 OFFICIAL O IL OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HARES, HOUND HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Jan. 8. 1984. Las Vegas . Nevada Dear Brad. Christmas IS fast f our letter. d Thank you or " 've shift ed tnto over .five, appro ach ing and we to mak e t he h oliday t the w ork shoP. here a ne for you. season a spec ial 0 11 mv local Rocky , DIng to ca n Th iS y ear I m 9 od mo t orcvcllsts 0 rep to supply all a t th: g~arnes a com plet e un e my Itst , like you . ROC : accessones. includ ing a d of motorcy cle par ts xc! UsIVe tin es. T h e" h~lIe many of t heir own e ear gloves and so t s parta n leathers, falnW \or " _ irts and much sh k excit ing co b k and l uggage, shoe 5, t o Outf it 'Your , e Take it from Santa. Call your local Rocky Dealer for the best in mo t o rcy cle parts and accessori es. A nd nave a "

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