Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Freddie SReDcer 'There'. alway~ Den year' . By Gary Van Voorhis In a year filled with peaks and valleys in his quest for a second-straight World Championship title, Freddie Spencer now finds himself in a valley from which there is no escape and his crown slipping steadily from 'his grasp. Until his Saturday, July 21, practice! qualifying session crash at Laguna Seca, Spencer had been on (he oHense. and was steadily closing the point gap on series leader Eddie Lawson. With three CPs yettoi'unthe British, Swedish and San Marino rounds - Lawson, with a 2o-point cushion on Spencer, was far from being home free with the tide. Spencer's accident and what will Likely be a four week (or more) healing period has completely changed the face of the championship chase. Spencer now finds himself in the role of a defending champion who, suddenly, has no defenses. Contacted at his ShJn'ePOrt, Louisi. ana, home, Spencer tried to present an enthusiastic. optimistic image_ It was smothered by the weight of the realization by Spencer that his 1984 tide chase is over and the crown he so brllliandy fought for and won last year will fa II to someone else this time. Spencer hesitandy conceded that this latest injury will cost him his tide. "It's a bummer to lose the championship like this and I real1y feel bad for everyone concerned with my racing e£Con. However, there's always next year and I feel it will be a good year because we will have a year of experience with the (our-cylinder (NSR500) and we shouldn't encounter lhe problems you d6 when you start (resh with a new bike. The '85 model 'lwe~MM ,.~I will go well like lhey did when we staned the 1983 season. "The good side ohhings," Spencer continued, "is thaI I feel I've been riding really well in the CPs and I (e1t I had a good chance 10 take the tide again. When things have been going good, they have been really good, but that also goes for the bad times. It's been a year o( extremes. In this situation, by missing the (August 5) British CP I've taken myself out of contenlion. Did Spencer regret racing at Laguna Seca? "No, it's just one o( those things. You can't say the championship was totally lost because of my riding at Laguna Seca. The ankle injury I got at the South African CP and the foot injury during the Match Races in England were a problem and caused me to miss two World Championship rounds. but the spark plug lead problem we had at Assen in the Dutch TT was really a blow. The race should have been a win for me and with that the points right now would have been extremely close barring any other troubles." Spencer was dismayed by the broken colJarbone he sustained in his Laguna Seca accident and felt he probably should have been bruised and ballered, but definitely not have broken 'the collarbone. "The break is in my left collarbone at the exact place where it was broken two years ago when I was involved in an accident with Franco Uncini attheCerman CP. My doctor told me that when I crashed I didn'l hil lhe ground lhat hard, but somehow !A:~a~,!~d~OU$lt;~.caus~!,he_ bOne 'lO'&iC"l( 1Ig:nrr. *pp3nmtf,~ tI bone had not healed properly or it wouldn't have broken. "The accident was o'ne o( those things where I was at a point ofheavy braking. I pulled in the lever and immediately realized I didn't have any (ront brakes. At that instant, it was already too lale to do anything so I had to lay the bike down. "Right now, I'm wearing a brace 10 restricl movement. I'm also going to physicallherapy sessions every day to make sure it heals properly this l~me." With Spencer out, Eddie Lawson's competition will come (rom Randy Mamola and Raymond Roche. BOlh ride on non-factory eHorts, but have received increased help from Honda as the championship chase tightened. "I would say the ball is now in Randy's court to try and win the championship. Although he's been oHered the four-cylinder, he's decided 10 continue to race lhe three because he feels he's beller oH on that bike rather than learning to ride the four. h will be interesting to see how much pressure Randy can put on Eddie. Realistically, Eddie would have to break and not finish one of the (inal three races for Randy to have a good shot at the tide. Additionally, Raymond would have to continue his string of strong (inishes and keep' Eddie behind him while Randy wins all three rounds." Although Spencer had ridden the first half of'the season solely on the four-cylinder NSR500, he had gone back to an updated version of the three-eylinder for some races. "Had I been able to ride all the remaining rounds, I most likely would have opted for the (our at the British CP. We were workingon some new engine combinations so that I could utilize the torque of the engine at SilverSLOne. The trade. in Sweden. and the one in Italy where the San Marino CP is run. favor the three a bit and that's what I probably would have raced in those events. "If my collarbone is healed to the satisfaction of my doctor and Honda then I might ride the final CP of the season, but we'll have to wait and see. h's five weeks away (September 2) and if there's a race I'm fairly certain I'll be there. But there's a possibility o( a ride.r boycoll by the 500cc riders. It's the last thing we want to do, but if we do boYCOll it will be (or reasons which mean a lot to the riders. "There have been many problems 1~ ly. an~'t' f ~et inl!: to. .tNo rinint , .... .. c. _ .C . r: ,]'i.:). :r':<:.rr:. __ . w ere ll'lte !t se se-many -ptt'passes-' that the number o( (ans in the pits have an effect on the mechanics and their work. We, the 500cc riders and some of the top riders from t'he other classes, have protested this practice and other paddock area problems like ~estroom facilities, to the organizers and FlM jury members a number of times in the past year. Based on their responses, it looks like we're going to have to boycott a race to be heard. I'm not leading the group or anything, although I was the one to go in front o( the FIM'representatives in BeIRium to point out all the problems we were having that weekend. It's great to have enthusiastic (ans and have them want to see the riders and machines close up, bUlthe actions o( a (ew are causing problems and thaI a((ects the majority. There are other problems also and we (eel somelhing has 10 be dIme. That's the bottom line." A case in POint on enthusiastic (ans happened al the Italian CP al Mis. ano earlier this year. Fans literally tried to steal winner Spencer's Honda (rom undernealh him when his way to winner's circle was blocked by a mobo( (ans on the track. In addition, some fans Iried 10 take Spencer's helmet - while he was still wearing it. "It wasn'l a very funny situation," Spencer recalls, "trying to hold onto the bike and keep my head attached to my shoulders at the same time." Spencer's forced rest period will allow him to spend more time on the business side of his affairs for the next (ew weeks. Spencer recently ended his business relationship with Dolph Miller and Associates, his public rela· tions firm for the past two years. "Dol ph and I have ended our association, but it wasn't a parting on bad terms or an unfriendly separation by any means," said Spencer. "It was stricdy because o( a change o( ideas and the times. A lot has changed in my career since we started working two years ago. We accomplished all the goals we set out to do and now it's time to head in a different direction. I won't be racing (or a long, long time . so I've gal to keep moving and lboking (or opportunities." Spencer is deeply disappointed by the events o( this year's CP season which have conspired to keep him (rom a second-straight championship. However, he doesn't dwell on the subject and one can almost sense he has already put aside the unpleasant aspecls and is racing fulllih, in his own mind, on a track laking him to i year'sl(ille. I" , • 'ne

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