Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ INTERVIEW I like a do rk when I was there. I know I can ride better. I wasn't ' used to the bike, but that's no t really an excuse. I was just really nervous. I wasn't racing for fun, I was doing it because there was something on the line. I don't want to be associated with a team that loses, that's for sure; I don't want to be remembered for that. But I think I'll ride next year if I get chosen, beca use I think I'll be better at it. And if I get chosen to ride a 250 again I'll be good, because I'll ride the 250 ou tdoors this year, and I'll be used to it. The tracks over there (in Europe) suck, though. They're so one-lined I can't believe it." McGrath will contest the 250cc Nationals for the firs t time next year . His success out doors has paled in comparison to h is domination of su percross, prompting criticism from some. But third place in the final standings of the ultra competitive 12Sec class is nothing to sneeze at. "Some people talk bad about how I ride outdoors:' says McGrath. "I think they're just comparing it to how I d id in th e supercrosses. It's n ot r ea lIy tha t I did bad in the Nationals, it ' s just th a t I d id better indoors. I'm looking forward to rid ing the 250s because I like them better . You don 't have to be as exact (as you do on a 125). In supercross you do . (have to), because it's all timing, but na tural tracks with a 125 is all about momentum. I jus t think I ride 250s a little better. I know it's gonna' be tough and I'm gonna' have to train hard er, but I'll have more fun. I already know that it's gonna' be tough for me to win an outdoor Na tional Championship. It's go nna' ta ke me ma yb e another couple of yea rs, but I want to win . This year, I'd definitely like to win 'a couple 250 Nationals if I can." Bu t before that, McG rath has his supercross title defense to worry about. "Winning the series again is my goal. That's a big thing to me. I want to be remembered. Not th a t that's what I'm out there for, but that's a big deal to me. I've wanted to win and just because I've won it once now, I don' t want peop le to think that I don't want to win it again. Another goal that I want to achieve is to get the most supercross wins in my career. RickyJohnson has 28, and if I can win 11 races this year, I'll be pretty close already. That would be sweet." If Jerem y d oes brea k the reco rd for most career wins, he w a n ts to d o it quickly, not by waiting out the competition. He accum ulated 10 wins in his first year, and if he continu es at that rate, he could break the record in '95. "I'll probably be around for three or four more seasons. I don't think I want to be like Guy Cooper or Jeff Wa rd, where they've hung around a long time. Of course they were milking it, I'm sure they were. I don't want everyone to say tha t I wa s out there to milk it. I guess Coop er wasn't really milking it because he's given his heart out every time, bu t I think Wardy was. People remember you for your last race. I mean, I'm not going to go out a winner. I'll at least ride a season or two after I stop winning (titles), bu t I don't want to be out there just 16 Camel Su ercrossCham ion Jerem 'M rath cG cruising. I know I'm not in it fo r the money, but if I'm set, and I know I can still win, then I'll race. But if I'm set and I can't win, then I'm done, because there's no sense in risking it if you're not going to get the satisfaction of winning. It's an in tense sport. If you don't have 100% a tte ntion on what you're doing, it's not worth it." Helping McGrath with his concentration is his factory Honda team, noted for their ability to create a winning environment. "Dave (Arnold) is a great team manager," McGrath explains. "He'll do what it takes. Sometimes he's a little lazy, but he takes care of business. He gets all his stuff done when he needs to, and he' ll do whatever it takes for the team. He loves no thing more than to win, just like the riders. Everyone gets a little mad or a little upse t sometimes, but he's part of the team, and,he's a reason why we win, too. "My mechanic, Skip (Norfolk), and I Jeremy doesn't feel that you need to hate your competition in order to rema in aggressive. But not even McGrath gets along with everyone and, ironically, he's had the most troubles with another of the "friendly" riders in the pits. "I get along with almost everyone, but there are people I have problems with and Jeff Em ig 's one. I try to be friends with him, but it's useless. He just doesn't like me . It's a girl thing...It started a long time ago and should have blown over by now, because it's not a big deal to me. I mean , Ldon't care about it, but he's just a jerk abo ut it. He's such an emotional guy, it 's not even funny. He's the competition, which makes it worse, I'm sure, but I can understand that. But it's alrigh t if he doesn't like me because of that. If that's what it takes for him to want to beat me, or want to win, then that's cool. Everybody has so mething they need to win. He's an awesome rider, and he shouldn'i need to do that, but if that's what it takes, I wouldn't ever be mad at him for tha t. It's natural, but the other thing is stupid." McGrath is doing his bes t to not be affected by his new-found fam e. "It's really awesome that I'm the ch am pion, but I tr y no t to think about it:' McGrath says. "I still conside r myself the underdo g because I'm still kind of new, and still kind of the rookie. I am the champ, but when that sinks in with some people, they think they're a d ifferent person. I tr y not to let that happen, so I won't get a big head. Plus, as soon as someone w ins something, th e other people take it wrong. Peopl e trea t me d ifferently, bu t I don' t wa nt them to. My friends jus t treat me the same and I think it's cool, because I do n' t try and attract the attention. When I'm at the track, that's at the track, but I'm still just a regular person, like everyo ne else. I get as much attention as I take. If I wanted a lot more I could have a lot more, but it's not important to me to have that. I can just ignore it ignore the phone calls, ignore everything and stick to my friends and family . That's the way I handle it . If I wanted to have a lot more attention I could try to be Mr. Cool and all, but that's not me. When I start acting MOT OV IOEO like that I feel stupid." It's clear that McGra th is still adjusting to the responsibil ities of still get along pe rfectl y. He's a super being Supercross Champio n. Now the mechanic on the bike. He ' knows exactly expectations are hig h, but in '93 every what I want and how I wan t it, bu t I think win tha t the rookie pulled down wa s one of the biggest thin gs is he knows me, an unexp ected bonus for his Ho nda and he knows what makes me work and team. what makes me not work. It's not like " I don' t th in k too !fia ny people other mechanics I've seen that throw fits expected me to win it all in my first and get all mad. Sure, he gets upse t someyear. It shocked Dave Arnold, that's for times if I don't put my effort in, but I'm sure. When I wo n four races in a row, he not a quitter and he k nows th at. He was like, 'How?' Ho nda was expecting knows me as a person and how I thin k it to be different. If it wasn't for me they and what makes me want to race and wo uld've lost. They probably expected want to win. I think that's really imporJeff to win, but I think what happened tant. We're perfect together. was Jeff and Damo n were too concerned "I like all my teamma tes, too, but I about each other, and that might have don't really hang out with them,because screwed so me of their year up. Everythey're different than I am. They seem one w as thinkin g, ' Da mon a nd Jeff, like they're a litt le mo re seri ous than Damon and Jeff, Damon and Jeff.' They me. I proba bl y ge t alo ng with Stev e forgot about Mike Kiedrowski, and they (Lamson) the best." d idn 't even consider me." Indeed, McG rath gets alo ng welI On e thing's for sure - after last seawith most of the riders on the professon, McGrath will definite ly be considsional motocross circuit, whethe r they're Qj ered in '94. on his team or not. Unlike som e racers,

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