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/126901
SPEEDWAY FROM ASCOT . The 22-year-old Tho rpe is the second youngest rider ever to win the 500cc Motocross Championship . ./ position would give th e Bri ton th e title . But a breakdown would lose him everyth ing . Ma lh erbe made no m istake. He led from th e first turn to the flag. Thorpe again started clearly and kept out o f trouble. H e eased from third to sixth in the seco nd p art o f th e rac e to become 1985 World 500cc champion . For father Kei th , w ho af ter 17 years is still h is so n' s mech anic, it was the lo ngest race o f his life. H e knew if he'd mad e just one mi stak e p reparing the bike between th e races, th e title wou ld be forfeited. " I though t m y wa tch was goi ng back war d s," he admitted lat er. But after th e race he was n owhere to be found. A quiet place to relea se a ll ten sion a n d emo tion was a ll h e needed . And Dad wa sn 't th e o n ly one h it by emotio n as th e Thorpe family cla imed its prize. In th e stands , wife Sharron wep t as husband David ca me over th e line to be lift ed shou lder hi gh by h is fans . Even th e norma lly ice-cool rider himself h ad a co n fession : " I cried most o f th e way aro un d th e la st lap . Wh en I saw Sharron and Dad 's faces after I'd fin ished. tha t sai d it a ll for me ." But a lrea dy T horpe is loo king to th e fu ture. Financially, h e's a lrea dy secure. " I ca n't say wha t it's worth bein g cha m p io n fin anci ally. Bu t it 's a sixfigure sterl ing su m . I won' t kn ow u n til I' ve been ch ampion for a year. I'm told An dre wa s ea rn ing so meth ing like $900,000 a yea r as a cha m pion a nd th at wo ul d be fin e. Wh at I would h ave go t as seco nd is peanu ts com pared with wha t the cha m p ion ge ts, h ow ever. . "The money is certa in ly extra mot iva tion fo r m e, but bein g cha mpio n is a lso a pe rso na l th ing. I wanted to win for m yself and m y fami ly - just to kn o w th at I was wo rld cha m p io n as m uc h as a ny th ing else. " Being ch am pion is the on ly th in g I h ave th ought a bo u t a nd worked o n since last Novem ber. It 's been the o n ly thing th a t' s m attered in life. "You can' t blank it o ff during th e week bet ween races. You th in k a bout it a ll th e tim e. Now I a m cha mpion, however, I won 't be co m placent next year. " H a ving the number-one p late mak es me even m ore determ in ed to win it again a nd to keep it for as lon g as I can . "An dre h as told me h e'd o n ly lend me th e plate for a yea r though - so co me n ex t April it is going to be just as hard a ll over again . You ca n be su re of th at. " • Produced8y Ta'ent8y Interviews 8y Co'or8y CHRIS AGAJANIAN LARRY HUFFMAN KIIS Radio's RAECHEL DONAHUE MARGO KING SANDONA MONDAY AT 10:00PM SATURDAY AT 4:00PM CHANNEL KDOC-TV Subscribe to Cycle News (213) 427-7433 K£VINS4CYC"£ racingV5upply Ent.r • new d'men-'on. THE OFF-ROAD ZONE I SPROCKETS A Y LLO $22. -$2B. 95 STEEL GROOV $2B.-$ 3B. 95 ED ALSO IN STOCK- -------- - -- SideWinder SPROCKETS LOWEST PRICES ! HUGE INVENTORY D.I.D CHAIN ISU A B KI 520x120 DID O RI N 520xl12 G DID O -RIN 520x120 G R O K -RING 520x112 RK O-RIN 52Ox120 G $29. 95 $49. 95 $54. 95 $42. 95 $46. 95 PROTECToRS HRP FLAK JA 2 K $B4. 95 HRP (ki dB )FLA JAK $64. 95 K HALLMAN PRO-ARMOR $79. 95 FOX ROOST-0-FLECTOR$49. 95 FO (ki dB)PR TECTO X O R$32. 95 ONEAL ROK-JAK $33. 95 JERSEYS CRIUL ONEAl $14. 95 HON ./KA ./SUZ. /YAH. W A HUSKY/KIM XO $14. 95 JT H USKY/K IM $17. 95 BOOTS SIDI CARLA ~ $139. 95 BLUE ,REO ,81.ACJC SIDI CY CLlltoI: BLUE , RED rox DIRT BOOIS B LACK $104. 95 $B 95 9. SCOff' GLOVES AXO SERIES 29 J T LIFE- LINE FOX PAWTEC TORS ONEAL PR -LI IE O O EAL CO L- LHE N O J T WE T GL O ES V $2B . 95 $29. 95 $17. 95 $16. 95 $20. 95 $2.95 GCJGGLES $17. 95 SCOTT B9R AKLEY 0/20 O SMITH SMX SMITH ClIIlPACT SMITH coeo , .JlJI'ES $13. 95 $IB.9 5 $I B.95 $32. 95 $Z2. 95 HELMETS ~ BELL HOIO 4 BELL PRO MOIO 3 SHocI V - 3 X SH OEI VI-l JT AlS- l $14Z.95 $109. 95 $119. 95 $69. 95 $149. 95 MXPANTS E:P J I UNLEATHERS $B 95 9. H NDA O RED HOWA BLUE K WASAK I A GREEN SUZUKI Y ELLO W YAMAHA REO H USKY WHT/ B E LU KIM BLUE JI PLAIN LEGS $B9 . 95 BLUE/Rt:D/vELLOW CBIINow ToOrdert 617-285-4342 FaR ""........"'..._c,,,. CATALOG sa == 41