Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

changed things and it made my riding easier." Rainey was joined at the December tests by three-time World Champion Spencer and Rainey's Superbike teammate and good friend Bubba Shobert. Spencer had the 1986 500cc V-four Grand Prix bike at the Florida facility and Rainey got a chance to ride it. "That wasn't what I thought it would be," Rainey said. "It didn't feel nearly as fast as what I thought it should be, but I guess you always expect a lot more than what you really get as far as acceleration goes on a motorcycle. Compared to ,the 500 I rode last year, the thing turned better and when it accelerated it spun the wheel real easy and when it spun the wheel it would wheelie at the same time. It had good power, but I couldn't believe how smooth it was on the banks and on the straightaway. "I thought· 1 would have big eyes but it wasn't like that at all. It was actually a lot of fun to ride. I was surprised, it was a 101 di££erent feeling than I thought it would be. It's a very good bike." Rainey may not get "big eyes" from his newly-formed.dirt track program either, but he's hoping for a fatter wallet. Rainey, like defending National Dirt Track Champion Shobert, will ride the nine AMAICamel Pro dirt track events on the schedule, in addition to the nine Camel Pro road races. "I really am looking forward to doing the dirt tracks," he said. "When you look at the schedule it lures you in there. There is a lot of Camel money and my roots are in dirt track. Being a nine-race series and having Rob Muzzy working on it, I think we've got a real good chance of doing well. I'am going to put together the best privateer team I possibly can and I want it to look real good so my sponsors are happy. I got some good results on the miles before and 1 think the dirt tracking will keep me sharp and strong." What Rainey really wants, however, is that second Superbike championship to add to his 1983 title. He has set his sights on the title and the racing starts, as usual, with Daytona. His biggest obstacle at the Florida event is Spencer, but Rainey knows that the former World Champion won't be a factor for the championship. Spencer will ~ aboard a special Honda Superbike that has been shipped to the company:s V;S. headquarters from Honda Racing in Japan. Will Rainey's motorcycle be the same? "Not quite," Rainey said while laughing. "I looked at his bike today when I was down there (at Honda's race shop). It just happened to 'be there when I dropped orr my golf clubs and there are·a few things that are on there that aren't on mine. I don't know why. I heard I'm not going to get the same stuff, but maybe they want to maJ<.e sure F-reddie Spencer wins. He's three-time World Champion, so let's race on the same stu££, but maybe there are new things that we'll get later on in the year. "Who knows? Yes, there are a few thin.,gs that are di££erent, but that's His Honda VFR gets used infrequently for canyon rides. Rainey's I88son is oudined on a fairing that hangs on his garage wall; the Sears Point entry shoWi one reason why he won't be wearing number one. Riding his CR500s keeps Rainey in shape for a program that will include the nine dirt track events.. okay. Who knows ifthey are going to work or nOl? I have confidence in my bike and I know it will go 200 miles.. l haven't seen this new thing on the track yet, but I guess I'll find out down there. If it's got 10 mph on me then I might be a little worried about it. " Rainey says Spencer will be the man to beat at Daytona, but what about the rest of the season? ''I'd have to say probably Kevin (Schwantz), Bubba (Shobert) and (Satoshi) Tsujimoto because they've got the best bikes," he said. "We're all on factory bikes and those are the guys I'm going to have to beat. I don't know if Jimbo's (Jimmy Filice) Yamaha is going to be better than it was last year or not. "I feel the guys on the factory bikes are the guys I have to beat. Tsujimoto will have to figure things out because it will be his first time at the tracks, but he goes real good. At Daytona last year I didn't know who he was, but I got behind him a few times. and he's real smooth. He's aggressive, but he's smooth. Kevin knows the tracks now and 1 think he'll be in there. "We have a pretty good shot at it this year. The bikes are good and my team is good and I feel real good. The testing went good down there. We did a lot of tire testing so we didn't get a chance to really concentrate on any particular tires, but we should be right in there." The circuit will change venues this year from Pocono to Portland, and a new track tentatively has been added in Memphis. Rainey raced in Portland in 1983, and said he has few problems with any of the tracks in the series. "I like them all really," Rainey said. "They are all real challenging to me and they've all got their good and bad points. I like Laguna Seca because it's in California and my family doesn't get to see me race much anymore, so thaI's a good one for them to go up for. I enjoy racing at Laguna Seca more than the others. "The track that needs work is Loudon, New Hampshire. They've got too many boulders if you miss a. turn (Rainey crashed in 1985 at Loudon, hi t a rock and crushed his elbow). But I like Loudon's layout. It's probably one of the furmest tracks to ride because you've got to work hard and iI's a dirt trackers track. You've got to slide the bike around a lot and you're not going real fast, but if you screw up and go orr the track then you're in trouble. It needs some refurbishing." Part of Rainey's orr-season training has been aimed at better concentration. He claims that late in some races in 1986, he lost concentration and it's something tbat he has been working on. "When you get a lead, your mind tends to wander, (especially) if you've got a 10-second lead or something," he said. "You start losing concentration. 1 don't think this year will be like it was last year. 1 won't have 10second leads. So I've improved on ·(concentration). When I ride (motocross bikes) by myself, 1 take a friend with me to take lap times and my times have picked up over a long moto. The laps are all pretty close where before my la p ti mes wou ld fall orr at the end of the race. Now I'm able to concentrate bener at the end of the race. That will be bener when 1 have competition with me." As an overall perspective on the upcoming season, Rainey's outlook is similar to the outlook of the owner of the local Los Angeles Raiders. As Al Davis says, "Just win, baby." "There is a lot of money to be made and 1 want to win some dirt tracks and 1 want to win the Superbike title," Rainey said. "I guess, 1 just want to win a lot of things" •

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