Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Interview: Speedway National Champion Bobby Schwartz The speedway champ on defending his title and ... By Scott Daloisio Bobby Schwartz is one of the greatest riders in the history of American speedway racing and he is the defending National Champion. He also happens to be a fierce competitor who truly loves the sport of speedway racing. Schwartz and his longtime mechanic, Craig Conners, have been extremely busy preparing for the October 3 National Speedway Championship at Costa Mesa, ..0- California's Orange County Fairgrounds, but Schwartz found time to sit down and talk with us in the comfort of his Costa Mesa home. u After eight successful seaSoDS in the • • •-. -. British League, you decided to race in southern California in 1987. Why? I always said to myself that once I went for that National Champion· ship a~d became Champion, I would' like to stay home. In the two years before this year I was second (in the National) and it was marginal if r was going to stay home or not. I was being touted back to the British League with different offers from different clubs. When I didn't win (the National), it gave me more of . a reasOn to go back. It was becoming leaner over there because the league had dwindled down from 17 teams to II and there wasn't as much racing on the continent. Less teams and less races equals less money. At times, you had to hassle to get some of your money. I got kind of burned out on it and the novelty sort of wore off. I realized that after Bruce Penhall, Dennis Sigalos, John Cook, Scott Autrey and a lot of them had left. It was like leaving high school and your friends. It wasn't as much fun anymore. I decided I wanted to win that National Championship and I also had some personal reasons to come home. To be a little more' domestic. I kind of felt like a prisoner over tHere. I was home alJ alone a lot of tirues. I didn't really have anybody to share my success or failures with. When I did win the title it really gave me the reason to stay home. Are you happy with the way things have gone in 1987? Yeah. Things have worked out well. The racing here is just as tough as it is all over the world. It is even a little .more aggressive over here. It reallY' takes its toll on your body night after night. I am 31 and a lot of these kids that are racing are 17 or 18. They have brains but they have no fear. They just go for it. They are great little riders and they are going to be ~eater, especially when they get a bIt more saddle time in. When they get ~s much experience as Bruce, Dennis, myself and the rest of the boys in Europe, they will be even bigger and better than we ever were. That's what I am wishing for. In England you were a controversial figure. You had a few run-ins with the officials, fans and other riders. Here we have seen none of that and that are doing it. The people that you seem happy all the time. are doing it are either idiots or they are drunk. They don't know any I didn't have much trouble with the officials or other riders. It was a lot different. Here, most of the people of the fans. They just picked on me. that are doing it don't really have I was so far away from home I had a high standard for themselves. I try nobody to defend me and back me. to keep a -high standard of myseH. I just got tired of people spitting at The best thing I can do is just wave' me and calling me names. I don't and smile. Like you said, there have know if any human being can take not really been too many instances that for very long. It was just a when I have had any problems. bummer to go to the races. People When there are problems on the track knew that they would get me riled that could be a major deal, it hasn't up and they really hassled me. Here, happened. You have never ever seen a few of the people have booed me me throw my helmet. I guess I have and said things to me but I just wave to bite my tongue sometimes and say, at them and smile. I have grown up 'OK, Bobby, you are the National a lot through what I went through Champion. You have to set an in Europe. I have seen the people example here.' "' I:- t E o American riders were the kings of speedway in winning ways and with the fans. In 1982 the U.S.A. won the Grand Slam (World Individual, Best Pairs and World Team Cup)• .rhen Penhall, Autrey and Preston retired and Sigalos was forced to retire. As you said earlier. it wasn't the same. Where would you guys have been today if they were still there? We would probably be the same way that the Danes are. I don't know that for sure. I felt that we had a real comradery, between us that was unstoppable. It did rub off a little bit on the Danes and the English. They learned a little bit from us. That comradery, in England, is no longer there with the Americans. . OccasionalJy, there are a few bad thorns in the team from what I hear. There have been certain times and certain things that have happened. They have told me that I have been missed over there because after Bruce left in 1982, I became the captain and the organizer of things. Shawn Moran has done a good job and has asked me for some advice. He is doing as good a: job as he can possibly do for the team. rm not saying it is me that is missing. Maybe the boys who were younger have grown up a little bit and gone their separate ways. Life changes over there. Years ago, in 1982, it was for real. We were the best and now we are not. It has been proven that we are not. Maybe one day we will be again. I feel we will with the boys that are upcoming. Right now we are in a litue bit of a stagnate stage. There's really not a lot to offer over there unless you are actually after the World Championship. H the old gang was still there would you still be there with them? I probably would be. We pulled together all the- time. Whatever we could do for each other. It was such an electric feeling with an American team that couldn't be beaten. When Dennis and I won the World Pairs in 1982'we worked together so well. It was just fantastic. I don't think there has been a pair that has worked as well since. Shawn and I tried and we tried our best. I think what has really happened over there is the Danish riders have gotten that much better in their equipment and their sponsorships. The Danes have their whole country behind them. Those guys are on TV and they are sports superstars in their own right. They have big $20,000 or $40,000 s~nsor ships for Mercedes vans with air .compressors and fans. They have three or four mechanics and six bikes. They have what it takes to be successful. The American boys are just kind of scraping together what they can since the British League isn't so financi4l1y rewarding. We just don't have the organization that it takes to win and it takes a lot of organization.. The Danes seem to have it along with all the talent that they have. You have been racing ,four nights a week all season long and you have only missed two races. You went down hard a few times but it hasn't stopped you. The two races that I missed were because I decided to take a break for the week of the American Final. I have the determination of being the number one rider. I really want to do the best I can. I wanted to try to be.the best number one since Bruce Penhall or Kelly Moran. The durability factor is in my own heart. I eat, drink, sleep, live and love speedway. I d0 the best I can for the sport and the spectators and that means me being at all the race tracks. It does take its toll on me. Health-wise I am pretty worn out right now. I have had problems with my knees before and I'm finding that I am having problems later in the year now. I have had a few crashes and a few knocks with them. These knees were hurt when I was 15 and 16. I do find it hard to walk after the races and when I get up in the morning. I still love the sport and wouldn't change anything I have done for the world. Everything I have ever gained and done is well worth it. As we speak, you have 54 wins on the year. Only one of those wins has been in Handicap action. The rest have been in Scratch. Explain your Scratch racing success. I really enjoy the Scratch racing because it is so much easier for me to battle with the guys I really know and trust. I know how their riding styles are. It is just a lot more fun for me because you can ride flat out as fast as you can artd trust the riders. Scratch racing is all out, go for it right from the start, balls out racing. I find in Handicap racing, when you start behind everybody, it is really tough to get up the speed that you need and you really take your life in your hands. A lot of the riders (Handicap) are young and ambitious. They are very aggressive and they go for it. A lot of them end up bouncing off the walls and doing tricks. Even when you don't try that hard in the Handicaps you can still get yourself in a lot of trouble. You

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