Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

o u t, it look ed lik e Garv SCO ll d id n' t want 10 ri de for H arl~v beca usehe d id n ' t ha ve co m pe tirive equipment . Th a t's no t rh e tr u th . Th e truth is w e cou ld n 't co me IOg eth er o n rnonev. Fo r wh at ever r~ason , be it p ersonality ; prideorsom..thin g cis.., O ' Brien , . I feel. fail ed beca use he wo uldn 't even talk 10 m e. O ne wa y o r a noth er , I shou ldv.. had someon.. tal k to h im as a go- be tw een 10 straig h ten the differences o ut. I'm su re we co uld 've worked som ething o u t if we co u ld' ve go u en togeth er. It shou ld hav e been clear 10 those who kn ow m e I wouldn't quit beca use th e m achin ery su pposedl y . wasn 't co m p e ti tive .:.... w e had just won th e cha m p io nshi p with th e bik e, I went 10 the Iact o rv fo r talks i n N·ov em ber (1975). O 'B~i en made m e a n o ffer, I m ad e a co u nter o ffer a nd th at was it . Nea r th e en d o f Decem ber I went back up a n d O.B. di dn 't even ' pick m e up a t the a irport so I kn ew th in gs wer en ' t going 10 go well. We m e 1 a nd I told h im I wou ld ac cep t hi s offer i f H arl ey would a d d so me ex pe nse m oney for tne publ ic relations Juncti ons th ey wanted m e to do . H e didn 't want 10 ta lk a ho u t an yth in g . I was o u t of a Iactoryride, I g uess it lo ok m e a bo u t.a yea r o r so before I saw w h v Lbelieve h e d id n 't reh ir e m... I' ve ' never rea llv talked a bo u t thi s mu ch . hut I be l i ~v e I lost m y j ob so O 'B ri en co u ld j us tify asking m an agem ent for a big rais.. in rh e raci ng b udget - wh ich I th in k was o ver 5400 .000 in 1975 - so he cou ld wi n hack N um ber On e which I took wh en I left. H eknew he n....d ed to p ca li ber com petitio n 10 run aga inst 10 mak e th e Iactory effo rt lo o k good , becau se at tha t ti m e Ya ma ha's d irt tr ack ef fort was not to o stro ng. II' s fun n y. hut I succeeded in m a king hi s decisio n look good beca use J a ySpr ingsteen won the ti tle from m e in a close bat tl e, If I had won Nu mber On e in 197(> I th ink thin gs wo u ld ' ve g o tt en a bit ro ugh for O 'B ri en . It 's a lwa ys eas ier 10 lo ok back on th in gs a n d see why so me th ing wa sn 't clear at th e lim e it happen ed. I th ink th at 's a pretty good explanation o f wh y the final de cision m a y h av e been m ade. I've don e a 10l1O prepare my self for the d a y. when I qu it .racin g. I've i nv est ed my mon ey in renta l prop er . ties and rea l esta te wh icha property mana gement compan y handles for m e. I've also pUI my money in bonds, sto cks, cert ifica tes o f deposit a nd o the r items. incl uding preci ous m etals, o ver th e yea rs. I guess ' I've g ot a bas ic co ve r -yo u rse If - for -you r-I a te r- yea rs program . I've a lways been a worker. If I had to , I co u ld go to work for KK Mot orcycle Suppl y (in Dayton , Ohio ) as a sa les person or I co u ld g o do wn th e ro ad from m y house a nd be a welder. I'm not a fra id o f n ot ra cing becau se I kn ow I'll a lwavs be a ble 10 find so me th in g to do. ( can 't reall y say w hi ch way I' ll go wh en I retire. I haven 't rea lly thought a bo u t it ye t, It 's a new fronti er th at I' ll cross when I get to, a n d whatever it is I ge t into I'l! gi ve it the sa me d edi cati on as mv racin g. If yo u d o a good job, no m atter wh at it is, vo u 're a winn er. I honestl y f~el the 1985 season will be m y las I. I want 10 run the season as hard as I ca n a n d th en a t th e en d sa y I've had a good 14 yea rs a n d leav e racing o n a go od n ot e. I sti ll enj o y racing, but I ca n' t do it forever. There's a time wh en you just hav e to decid e to step as ide, not only for pe rsona l reasons a lt ho ugh my fami ly is very invol ved , in my racing ah d m y son ha s grow n up with m y ca reer. T he re's a lot o f wear a n d tear o n a per son , wh ich yo u ca n o n ly take so long. Th er e' s n o qu esti on G ary SCO ll will be in th e top 10 a t the end o f 1985. I' d li ke 10 win a t least o n e Nat io na l a n d, if I' m runnin g as co n sistently as I hope to be, that sho u ld n' t be too- mu ch ta ask fa r. " • , : . , e ' . ~ For some riders, the difference beour tough ,hand-built frames designed around " , ., . tween a winning and a losing season our new Quad Link II suspension. The hanis a matter of luck, ling is superb, the comfort inspiring, Those are not the kind of riders who choose . And we've tested every can-Am model Can-Am. thoroughly in t he dirt, sand and forests . Can-Am is built from the engine out to of America, To make sure they can take the leave little to chance, Our Rotax powerpunishment your season demands. plants are envied the world over for their It' Sa long way from here to the end of uncanny ability to combine outstanding your season. see your can-Am dealer now. performance With n. And make certain matched reliability.um you've got the bike ell ' that will get you we've wrapped " those engines in t here first. . mw ffl7!llJlIl T H E R o T A x R I D E , · -Trademark. of Bombardier Inc. 23'

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