Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

think th at is what brings OUl th e best in Steve Lucero . . Of a ll yo ur victo ries, which o ne h as been the sweetest? Wins a re a ll sweet. IL is hard to say which one is th e swee test . I go LO th e tr ack lO win. Wh en I do , it makes m e feel good , I a m sa tisfied . I get 10 go home a n d share it with m y wi fe an d m y kid . IL is hard LO say wh ich o ne co u ld be th e best. I co u ld win a Nati on al a n d not be happy. I co u ld win a norma l main event and be even happier because I rode wel l that night. I a m JUSl stri ving a t th e ra ces LO win. When I do win tha t is sweet. Each one is swee t 10 me. The ni ght yo u won th e 1988 National , it was probabl y the most borin g N ationa l of a ll-time . The rea son I say that is, you had everybody beat after . four rou n ds . You did not have to ride your last rid e and yo u were s till champion. Have you ever ridden better than that n ight? Yes I have ridd en bett er , bu t I haven 't won. Wi n n ing th e Na tional Cham p ionship in four rounds I wou ld not co ns ide r borin g. Especi all y wh en n o o ne else has ever achi eved th at in th e. hi storv .o f spee dway . Wh en the last ro u n d did co me a ro u n d a nd I kn ew that no o ne co u ld beat me, it ki nd of clicked in me th at f a m National Cha mpio n , I just let th em (the o the r rider s in hi s last race) bailie for th e silver. I su p pose th a t is why it CQu id h ave bee n boring. I think th e o the r riders made it more boring th an I did. Even wit h a ll of those wi ns , an nou ncer Larry Huffma n used to refer to yo u as th e "rid er who gets no respect. " Do yo u feel tha t yo u do not ge t th e respect yo u deser ve? First o f a ll , I don 't ride LO make o the r peop le happy. People wh o kno w th e real me, g ive me th e respe ct I deserve . I think m y mou th gets me in trouble, but I o n ly spea k what I feel. I speak m y m ind a nd I spea k the truth, That is wha t I thi nk peop le don 't respect. I a m not a back Slabber a nd I don 't kiss an ybod y's bu tt. O n e race yo u have . n ever wo n is the America n Spee dw ay Final. You think you ha ve .a good shot this yea r. T ell us why. Yes, I do. Espec ia lly since I ro de well a t Ventura . It. wi ll be h eld this year a t Ventu ra as o p posed lO Lo ng Beach ( w he re it wa s h el d eve r sin ce 1983). The Eu ro pe- base d Am eri can rid ers h ave th ei r eq u ipme nt up LO dale a nd fine tuned for th e larger tracks wh ich t h ey ri de e xcl us ive ly ( i n Eu rope). We just do n't ride th e bi g tracks en o ug h LO get tuned in over her e. IL is a different sly le for th e bi g track s (like L ong Beach ). At Ventura th is yea r, I think everyone has a chance. IL is go in g lO be very di ffere n t. I was ta lking to Billy Hamill (a n Ameri can wh o made last year's World Final) the other night and h e sa id this co u ld be one of the toughest Am erican Finals of all time, Oh yea h , I think it is. Mike Faria ha s won how many mains th ere? Eighty so me! Bobby Sch wa rt z goes th ere and sco res clean swee ps. Myself? I a m , a lways co ns istent th ere. I thi n k it is going to qua lif y o ne of us (riders who choose to stay in th e Sta tes rather th an ride .in Eu rope). We are just going lO have to find OUl o n Ma y 30th. Yo u are a n independent ra cer. Russell R acing's number one rider is National Cha mpion Mike Fa ria. They provid e him wi th 14 motorcycles to ch oose fro m. You h ave two in your stable. H ow ca n yo u co mpete with th em ? We a re independe nt racer s and we have n o factories. You can co m pe te against something lik e th a t, You don 't make as much money (as ' R ussel l' s riders) because R u ssell Racing is ba cki ng th e The latest on. tvvo vvheels! ·C y c l. e N'"e'VV's e'V"ery 'VV'eek.! 'lIMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 'ROADRACING Come grow with us in 1992 American Motorcyclist Association Professional Racing Division P.O. Box 6114 • Westerville. OH 43081-6114 . (6141891-2425 19

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