Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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INTERVIEW Steve Hatch to send a letter to all my professors, explaining that this was a once-in-alifetime deal , and hoped when 1 came back that they would have a good sense of humor about th e whole thing and let me back in class. My college advisor reall y helped me out, because he knows wh at I'm doing. 1 ended up showing my professors articles of the Six Days from magazines; some of them even read the whole articles. Most of them thought what 1 did was pretty neat. " I ha ve one more year left of college, ana it's going to be tough, because my final s happen right around the tim e of the ISDE Qualifiers." Although schooling takes up most of Hatch's tim e, he spends summer vaca tion working part-time in construction and helps his dad restore exotic cars. "M y parents help out a little with my expenses, and most of the money 1 make during the summer months usually pays off my debts from the last season. " Pete Dennison of Moose Racing in Colorado helps me out a lot, too . In fact , I couldn 't have accomplished what 1 have without his help. He does the suspension and motor work on my bik es, and he went to all of the West Coas t Qualifiers to help me. Wh en Suzuki said they weren't going to rent bikes to us for the Six Days this year, Pete did all the work getting my bike ready. He prepped my bike for two stra ight weeks. 10 hours a da y, while 1 was at home trai ni ng. I didn't have to worry about shi ppi ng the bik e to Czecho, building a crate. or anything: 1 was the luckiest guy going. " Suzuki helps me out, too. No salary. no money. but they do give me parts, some travel supplies; they basically give me anything I need. Charles (Halcomb) has been a really big help. He 's put me on a tiaining program. which includes the Stair Master. rowing. treadmill and bicycling stamina-type things. Stamina is real important in off-road racing. Not onl y does it help you physically, it helps yo u mentally, as well. If you go into a race knowing you 're in good shape, yo u' re already one step ahead of the . game." Ov er th e past year, Hatch and H a lc o m b have developed a close relationsh ip. " Steve is a joy to work with, " said Ha lcomb. "He listens to advice an d he appreciates it. He's a very sincere and down-to-eart h guy, and it's all of this that makes me want to do more for hirm, " " As far as his riding ability, Steve is very fast," added Halcomb. "We just have to calm him down a little. He's comparable to Guy Cooper and he's aware of that. Steve rides a bike nard, perhaps too hard. He needs to start short-shifting his bikes rather than revving them out too much. He 's got a lot of potential. He takes racing more seriously than the average gu y." New York's Hatch hopes to figure in to Suzuki's off-road raci ng pl ans in 1992.: TEAM KAWASAKI Mike Kiedrowski 1991 4th Place AMA Supercross Series 1st PlaceAMA MX 125ccNational TEAM KAWASAKI Jell Ward 1991 5th Place AMA supercrossSeries 2nd PlaceAMA MX 500Cc National O-RING Chain "Vector Classic Series" Patented "TFC" Connecting link The springassist design reduces vibration, ter increases mas linklife 2.2 times longer than conventional types. and remains tight under high stress conditions. The best performance value • New Patented "TFC · Conn Link • Solid Rollers • Pre-Stretched •. Heavy-Duty Link Plates • Quad Staked Riveting • Shot Peened Parts • Special Alloy Steel • Unlimited Mileage Warranty • Special Lon9-Life NBR a -Rings • High Cylindncal & Roundne ss Accuracy • Exacting Tolerances Provide Low Friction . • Extended Riveted Bushing "Anti-Kink" Design • Exclusive "V"-Grease Design Locks Out Dirt Photos courtesy of Cycle News Magaz ine. ffiJUQ)® The World's #1 Motorcycle Chain 66