Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Troy Corser By Ken Wootton ha t's happening to World Championship road racing? Americans have dominated the upper echelons of both 500cc Grand Prix and World Superb ike racing in recent times, winning 11 of the 12 World Championships in the pa st six years. The only hiccup in the chain was Ra ymond Roche 's World Superbike crown for Ducati in 1990. Yet for 1994 we find a .22-year-old Aussie snaring what many feel is the number-one superbike ride in AMA road racing. Troy Corser, the 1993 Australian Superbike Champion, will ride for the team that guided Doug Polen to two World Superbike Championships in 1991 and '92, and the '93 AMA Superbike National Championship - Fast by Ferracci Ducati. Corser isn't the only Australian who will be racing in the AMA series in 1994, as Kevin Magee will join him on the superbike grid aboard the Smokin' Joe's Racing RC45. Wh ile Magee's name is already a familiar one, Corser is the new star who has suddenly shot to prominence. "Who's Corser?" the international pundits are asking. If they'd been watching a then-1Syear-old back in 1990 aboard his Suzuki RGV250 production bike, they co uld have saved themselves from asking the ques tion. It was obvious even then that this kid had oodles of nattiral ability. If it could be harnessed and directed, then there was a star in the making. Corser won a national star search in Australia as a 17-year-old, getting a sponsored ride in Australia's premier novice race - the Stars of Tomorrow at Phillip Island. Initially, the prize was a ride aboard a loaned 1988 Yamaha TZ250U which was pretty good tackle for a young novice. But then Honda Australia also jo ined in a nd offered an HRC-kitled RC30. As the judging panel's numberone selection (two riders were chosen), Corser had the first choice. As a measure of his maturity, after much discussion with his parents and other seasoned experts, the teenager chose the donated TZ250 rather than the high-profile and very tempting Honda superbike. "1'11 learn more by riding the TZ," Corser said at the time . "Whereas if I choose the RC30, people will expect me to win. This whole experience is a learning experience, so I need to ma ke the best of the opportunity. Learning has been something Corser has valued highly throughout his short four-and-a-half year road racing career. He sees the move to the AMA series and the ride on the Fast By Ferracci Ducati as the next step to his final goal - the 500cc Gran d Prix class. "The only way to improve is to race against the best. You d on't improve if you only race on one or two circuits all the time." . They're Corser's words , bu t it's not somet hing he said recently - he said that back in 1990 when he trai pse d aro und the coun try with his father Steve and mother Carol, following the ina ugu ral National 25Occ Prod uction Series. Steve prepared his so n's race bikes and took on the role of mechanic at eac h race, while Carol was kept bu sy prep aring resumes, packing gear, cleaning vis ors, and so on. It was a professional ap proach from a low-budget family team. Corser is quick to ackn owl edge his three apprenticeship years of na tion al- W level road racing, before it all came together in 1993. "Each year I learned someth ing which has helped me with my racing, " Corser said. "25Occ Production racing really taught me how to race - it was close and hard racing . The next year on the 250cc GP bike taught me a lot about carburetion and engine set-up, while 1992 on the aWOl Superbike taught me a lot about handling, suspension and bike set-up. I'm always learning." It all came together for Corser in 1993 when he and the Winfield Honda RC30 became a lethal combination - if not in a straight line, then certainly under brak- ing and around the comers on some of Australia's bumpier race tracks. But when Corser won the fiercely competitive Australian Superbike Championship after beating his teammate from the '92 season, Scott Doohan, there were many willing to cry foul. 'The bike's a cheater," they said . "No

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