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/127735
He finally got a real motocrosser one Friday afternoon, and competed at Muddy Creek Raceway that Sunday. "I finished third in the Junior Mini class, and I've been going at it ever since then." Brown advanced a class each year until he reached professional status in 1991. He dominated at Muddy Creek, his "home" track, and is still practically unbeatable there. In fact he often drives . through the night after eastern supercrosses to race there the next day. "I like racing around home," he said. "I like racing with the local people~I get to see some friends and I don't have to go very far to get home." Brown's dominance in the Southeast led to his first ·big ride with the Peak Antifreeze/Pro Circuit Honda team in 1992. What could have been a ticket to the big time turned out to be a bad situation for Brown. "Nothing really worked for me there," said Brown. "Mitch (Payton, Pro Circuit owner) put a lot of pressure on me. You had to win, second wasn't good enough. I was young and couldn't hand Ie all the pressure. It could have been a good thing if I would have done well. But it just didn't work out for me." Perhaps it nearly chased Mike from the sport. Later that year he bought himself a late-model dirt track stock car and went racing on the local dirt ovals. "I raced the car about 10 times," he recalls. "I still raced motorcycles a lot. I just didn't care as much about motorcycle racing as I had before." Racing against some of the best dirttrackers in the region, Brown's best finish was a second. But he quickly found that car racing was too expensive. "I blew the engine the last time I raced it and it cost about 30 grand to fix it," said Brown. "It's £un racing cars, but it takes so much money and you don't win enough." Brown parked the car and got serious about racing motocross again. He recently sold it and isn't sure if he'll get another when he's through competing on two wheels. For now, Mike's goal is a top-three finish in the 125cc National Champi- Our advanced compounding makes your last stop as good as your first. Our higher braking coefficient reduces lever effort by as much as 40%. We consistently outperform OEM pads, and cost less. Just a few reasons that performance.oriented riders in the know will be demanding VelveTouch Sintered Bronze Brake Pads from SKW • Stops with authority, stop after top, without trashing your rotors • HH-rated -a step above the competition • Predictable, linear braking-the last stop is as good as the first • Builr with integrity from a cutting-edge Sintered Bronze Alloy • Descended from. the technology that stops military and commercial aircraft worldwide. , Guts. VelveToudt Rotors - tailor-made to stop in randem with VeLveToudt Brake Pads-can save you as much as 30% off the price of ~rzJcomparabie OE products! onship. "Right now I'm right there with the leaders," he says. "If nothing goes wrong I hope to stay with them to the end." And while he hopes his performance will bring.the factory team managers to his door, Brown is content with what he's got. "Everything is good here with Honda of Troy," Brown says. "There is a bit of stuff the factory has that we can't get, but this is like a factory ride." Along with a small salary, Mike is flown back and forth to most races, which gives him more time to be at home in Gray, Tennessee. Although training is taking up more of his time, he also likes to play golf, basketball and racquetball. He hopes to have a new home soon that he'll share when he marries his fiancee, Missy White. The wedding, however, will likely wait until his career slows down. If Mike Brown has his way, that won't be soon. He's already looking forward to competing in the 250cc supercross and going for the 125cc National title again next year. "I'm not going to get faster if I don't move up now while I'm young," says Brown. "I've always been fast enough, I just wasn't in good shape. Now I'm putting it all together." And judging by the £ire in his eyes on that Las Vegas night, he's not going to let anybody tell him differently. ~ Brllills. Tbll.lt WlII_ c.,. 6'10 CocIwJn Rd.• Solon. Ohio "'39 (100) 234..... Now Available Through Cycle News Video Theater Jeremy McGrath Music Video: . WINNING CAN IE FUNI (#70) America's most exciting motocross racer, Jeremy McGrath, stars in this entertaIning new music video, filmed with all-new footage in 1995. See and hear the explosive, heart-pounding world of motocross, along with the McGrath family values. . . Jeremy's positive lifestyle, combined with the love and encouragement from hiS family, exemplify what it takes to go after the checkered flag and be a winner...on the race track and in life! . 30 minutes from Musical Pictures Video. To Order Videos, Call (310) 427-7433 - Charge to 35