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/126938
much as I can until the enjoyment of it starts to taper off, and the idea, is, to try and make enough money doing it at that level to where I could retire if I wamed. "A World Championship in anything would be really neat to have, so right now I'm doing real well at road racing 0 I would havea better chance of being a World Champion motorcycle racer than I would say a pingpong player or a basketball player. I would like to try for a World Championship. " Before he can become a World Champion. Polen must continue to dominate the club racing cene and also make a dent in the National circuit. With the way he performed at Road Atlanta, lhe latter may be a po siblity. Polen demolished the field in the GSXR750race, but finished second in the G XRllOO event. He was, however, consistently the quickest rider at Road Atlanta. Track time across the country paid off for Polen. "At repeat race tracks that I went to in the beginning of the year, I've gone between two and three seconds a lap [aster on each bike," Polen said. "And it'S smoother with a 10l less eHorl. My visual perspective of it is lhat I'm nOlgoing two to three seconds a lap faster, it look to me as if I'm going as fast as I did, bu t on the clock I'm faster. To me this says thalthis is a lot of track time involved and I'm so u ed to it that any subtle differences go unnoticed." What in Polen's view makes him better than the rest? "I've worked a lot with something that I really haven't told anybody and that is how far I can brake going into a corner," he said. "I've figured out how I can brake all the way into the apex o[ the corner. That allows me to brake later, enter the corner at a higher speed and start turning while still brakin . "That allows me to get a quicker speed to the apex and carry the same exit speed as I normally would. It took me about five or six races to where I could really get the feel down on the motorcycle, becau e that's whal it really takes. It's a lot of feel in the front end and how far you can push it. It's worked out really well. I've noticed where r can really make up lime." Polen gOl a 10l of money from uzuki in 1986, but he also gave something back. Prior to Road Atlanta, Polen pent two days doing television and print media interviews. Promoting Suzuki while promoting himself became second nature to the Texan. "It's al ways good to do all that you can do when you're not al the LOP," he aid. "Even if that means doing something for somebody else for free. You figure that they will remember what you did [or them and in the future that could payoff for something that you want to do. lt helps meget my name out; itget exposure for me, it gets exposure for Suzuki and that's imporlant.lf somebody was to consider somebody [or a factory ride. it's not only on the race track that is the responsiblity o[ the rider. It's also the public relations [or the company that you work for, so this for me is experience which r didn't have before. "From the stan of the season till now. I've had some people such as Larry Huffman and· Dave Despain saying that I've gotten a lot better as far as interviews, speaking on television and things like that. It·s really different than what people perceive it to be. lt lQoks real easy, but there's a lot of things that people don't see that's involved in it. It's really hard work." And Polen was the hardest working club racer of all in 1986. • MOTORCYCLE ATVEJCPO December 5-7 Anaheim Convention Center Every major motorcycle manufacturer together in one place! • Hundreds of motorcycles, ATVs, accessories & apparel • Free rider education seminars by the Motorcycle Training center • Tour Country product display and demonstrations sponsored by Rider Magazine & Rider Motorcycle Touring Club • Fashion show with all the latest apparel and dance entertainment by "Spirit On The Move" • Cycle World Magazine's Collector Series display of antique and classic motorcycles • Register to win Vance & Hines' 1987 Suzuki GSX-R750, Nissan's pickup truck or Trac West's new DH1 00 Just In time for Christmas shoppingI Friday, Dec. 5 5 p.m. - 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 11 a.m. - 1~1~p~.m~.,~~~~~ . Sunday, Dec. 7 11 a.m. - ~ p.m. Discount coupons at local participating motorcycle and NISSAN dealers. Endorsed "DY the ~ Produced tly@ EXposltlons & Conte,ences, 714/2s0.8060 First is always best! - READ CYCLE NEWS! CHUCK MILLER and HI-POINT AP AR Tough Enough To W· The SA EAST· 1115 MOan Ayenue, Amherst, OH 44001· (216) 988-4474 WEST - 11249 Sunco Aye.. Rancho CordoYa, CA 95670· (916) 635-2141 2