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/127607
The·long and winding roadi • • to road race with a chance of going 'places tha n to make nickels and a few more dimes in dirt track with no hope of going anywhere. Unless you're a factory rider, there's just not a lot to be ma de on the dirt." With Graham declining to commit to another full year of dirt track competitio n, tuner Goad h as signed o n Larry Pegram to race the Team Undo bikes, alongside returning team me mber Brett Landes . Graham will ca m paign selected races aboard his perso n al Honda, with Do u g la s Fa y spinning the wrenches. "There's no hard feelings between Ricky and I," said Goad . " 1 would ha ve lik ed to defend the number-one plate with Ricky, bu t he feels like he ha s so me unfinished busin ess w it h road racing. There's no w ay that w e co u ld h ave duplicated what we accomp lished la st year, and I 'm happy that I was a pa rt of it. I hope tha t he gets a road race rid e, be cause if he' s not rid ing for me on the di rt , I damn su re d on 't wa n na ha v e to chase after him all yea r lon g." Unfinished bus ines s in deed. In 1986, Graham was gi ven th e op p ort unity to try his hand at road racing, b ut op ted to pass. " Rob Mu zzy had offered me a ride on one of his Kawasakis," said Graham. "The deal was for bikes an d equipment, but no salary . I t h o u g h t about it a n d remembered how many times I ha d to h it the w all at 130 mph to learn to go fas t on a di r t tracker, and figured that if I had to hit it that many mo re times in order to learn how to road race, I'd pass. I definitel y regret that cho ice now . I passed on a challenge an d just co n ti n u e d to go th ro u g h the motions on th e dirt. "H in dsig ht is 20/20, but if I had tried it out, I wouldn't have had this past year. But, on the other hand , maybe right now I'd be making millio ns of dollars racing i n Europe." And what does Graham think his chances of making a successful transition are? "1 feel that my chances are better now than they would ha ve been when I was yo u n ge r," Graham said . "Right now, I'm riding better than I ever have, and I think th a t my years of experience will work to m y advantage. Plus, m y body' is in the best sha pe ev er. I had the opportunity to road race severa l times this yea r, and each time out I fe lt that I ma d e progress. Every time I got on the track I went faster th an the last, and I never felt out of my element. I'm very con fi-' dent that I'll be ab le to adapt." Throughout our interview , Graham continued to stress the fac t that h e will co ntin ue to race d ir t track, and tha t he w oul d ne ver fu lly leave th e sport which made him fam ous. " Dirt track racing is the best, mos tintense racing in the world," Gr aham said. "It's the most exciting racing that there is, no d oubt ab out it. I jus t can't u nd erstand w hy t h e r e is n ' t m ore sponso rshi p . Well, maybe I can. Dirt track racing - be it on cars or motorcycles - seems to attract more of a "beer dr inking" crowd, while ro ad racing attracts a more elite crowd. You might call it a "martini" crowd. Road racing is mor e professional, period. The facilities are high class - just look at Daytona. Com pare tha t to some of the d irt track 'ven ues . Th e sponsors ar e bigger a nd mor e p rofessio nal, also. Plus, all of the major factories are in vol ved ; in d irt track, there's onl y one. "I've al ways sa id tha t this comeback was n't a bout mone y , it was about prid e. Eve n now, .my decision isn't abo u t m on ey , it ' s about wha t Ric ky Gra ha m wa n ts to accomplish during his career. I won't be satisfi ed leaving the sport of motorcycle racing until I've tr ied my hand a t road racin g . I know that I on ly h a v e a fe w yea rs left in me , and I want to ma ke sure that they're good on es. " At press time, Monday, December 13, Riclcy Graham had not yet secured a road race sponsorship, though he was undergoing neg ot iation s with two different Honda -us ing road race teams. Graham was optimistic, and report ed that his chances of competing at Daytona in Mar ch aboard a Honda RC30 superb ike looked good. "M y goal at Dayt ona is to turn in a half-way decent finish and gain some attention," said Graham. "Obv iousIy, I won't be out to win the thing - neither the bike, nor my road racing skills will be up fo r that . I just want to show people that I'm serious about going road racing. I need to make my presence known 01 out there." 1978 - Earned enough points to become a Grand National Expert - Qualified for three Nationals - Finished 10th at the Ascot Half Mile - Finished the series ranked 50th 1979 - Finished second at the San Jose Mile, third at the Peoria TT - Finished the series ranked 13th 1980 . . - Earned first-ever .National win at the Indy Mile, setting new 25-mile race speed average record of 101.3 mph. - Won second National at Tulsa Half Mile - Finished series ranked 3rd 1981 - Raced through most of the series with a broken wrist - Finished second at Knoxville Half Mile - Finished series ranked 13th 1982 - Competed aboard a Tex Peel-prepared Harley-Davidson - Scored four National wins, five second-place finishes - Earned first-ever Grand National Championship 1983 - Defended title aboard Peel's Harley-Davidson - Won four Nationals (including last three of the series) - Held back by DNFs, ended series ranked 2nd 1984 - Signed with Team Honda - Scored six National wins, five second -place finishes - Earned second Grand National Championship (the first -ever for Team Honda) 1985 - Series plagued with injuries (broke ankle trail riding before the season opener; dislocated knee- suffered in car accident early in season; compressed vertebra e, broken thumb and wrist suffer ed at Ho usto n TT in crash with teammate Bubba Shobert; broken femur suffered while practicing at Kenny Roberts' ranch) . - Scored four National wins - FInished series ranked fifth - Lost Honda factory ride 1986 - Competed aboard personal Hondas, tuned by brother Troy Graham and Rob Muzzy - Scored three National wins -Set a new 25-mile speed average record of 103.6 mph at Springfield Mile - Finished the series ranked 5th 1987 - Competed aboard personal Hondas - Four second-place finishes, four thirds - Finished the series ranked fifth 1988 - Started series aboard former Grand National Champion Mert Lawill's Harley-Davidson, but was hampered by small mechanical failures - Completed series on personal Hondas - Disqualified after winning Louis ville Camel Challenge (protested by Chris Carr for rough riding) . - Finished the series ranked 12th 1989 - Opted to run only selected races - Finished second at Ascot Half Mile - Finished the series ranked 12th 1990 - Opted to run only selected races - Posted two fourth-place finishes - Finished the series ranked qth 1991 - Signed with Eaken /Sponseller Racing . . - Detained for having an open alcohol container in vehicle - Won the Springfield Mile, ending a five-year dry spell - Arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol - Dropped from the Eaken/Sponseller team - Considered retirement, but recruited by Johnny Goad - Finished series ranked ninth 1992 - Competed aboard Goad 's Hondas - Won Syracuse Mile - Posted consistent top-four finish es throughout the series - Finished the series ranked third 1993 -Competed on the Johnny Goad Team Undo Honda - Scored a record-setting 12 National wins - Set record for most-consecutive National wins (six) - Set record for most Half-Mile National wins in a season (six) - Earned third Grand National Championship - Set record for longest period of time between championships (nine years) - Eight-time fast-qualifier. . .. - Earned inaugural Harley-Davidson 883 J:?irt Track Champlo~hip . - Earned inaugural Harley-Davidson Continental Cup Championship 9