Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

-.RACER'X" By Davey Copnibsack in the days before fax machines and 1-900-numbers, I would wait by the mailbox every week for Cycle News in order to get the 250 and 500cc Grand Prix results from "In The Wind." How Heikki Mikkola and Roger DeCoster did at The Citadel in Namur somehow meant more to me than how Marty Smith and Bob Hannah did over at Appalachia Lake Park. When I grew up (kind of) and became a journalist, I realized that I now had the chance go to some of those same races I only dreamed of as a minibiker, and the annual Motocross des Nations was number One on my wish list. Having been to the last three such races - Austria, Switzerland and Slovakia - I now know that the Motocross des Nations is the greatest motocross event in the world. People who frequent such famous races as the outdoor nationals at Unadilla or Mt. Morris, the supercross at Anaheim or Daytona, or any of the Grands Prix of Europe, might argue otherWise, but I've had the chance to be at some of those other places, and they were nothing like the MX des Nations events I've been lucky enough to see. Take last weekend's 1995 race in what used to be Czechoslovakia. The event marked the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall that a former Eastern Bloc naHon would have the opportunity to hold the World Team Championships. The locals went all out, plastering the landscape with huge blue, white and orange race posters that announced the "Motocross Naradov" in Povazska Bystrica-Sverepec, Slovakia. With road trip partners Jeff Cernic and Larry Sidor riding shotgun, I knew we were close to the track when we started seeing street-legal motocross bikes and super-pollutant cars with names like Lada and Skoda flying around the streets in races of their own. And when we reached the banner- and flag-draped front gates we knew we had arrived - one of the cars in front of us carried five-time World Champion Georges Jobe. Jobe was just the first of a dozen heroes we would see and be seen with B at this race. We had beers with Harry Everts, pasta with Heinz Kinigadner, watched TV with Kees van der Yen and had another beer with Gerrit Wolsink. DeCoster was obviously there, but I did not see Mikkola. The facility itself was something out of a communist propaganda film. The announcer's tower was a six.-stories high steel and glass structure that seemed more appropriate for shooting down NATO planes than watching a motorcycle race. The grandstands were long wooden benches on a concrete floor that stretched across an entire hillside. Once this might have been the perfect setting for an official visit by someone from the politburo, but now there were nearly 30,000 motocross fans stretched out on the benches. The track was brilliant old-school. motocross. Steep, rocky hills and sweeping, rocky corners and long, rocky straights made it Jook just the European tracks always did in the magazines. There were a few tabletop jumps tossed in as a nod to the '90s, but everything else was ancient motocross - including the 100-yard, flat starting stretch that was powdered with black coal dust "because it is beautiful," said the one marshal who could speak English. The race track and the crowd were separated by, in order, white marking tape supplied by the West Cigarette Co., wooden billboards only the locals could read, armed guards, and a snow fence. Regardless, by the time the third and final moto started on Sunday most of the tape and all of the guards had been replaced by the rabid fans. All day long on Saturday during free training and the qualifying races, we occupied our time sneaking into the West Cigarette VIP tent where the 12 most beautiful girls in Slovakia waited on us. They carried free beer, free coffee, free everything. Here we had the pleasure of "dining" with Klaus Beerman from Boyesen and Paul Karsmakers from Twin-Air, who's brothers are named Toon and Pierre. Yes, that Pierre Karsmakers. Later, under the Becchis Honda/Pepsi 25 YEARS AGO... OCTOBER 6, 1970 those when Beirer crashed in the last moto, but by then they had drank so much Budvopar beer that I don't think they reaJized who was winning. So the air raid kept sounding. I wonder if the Serbs could hear that thing about 100 miJes down the road. The Belgians won, the fans tore the track apart and no one got hurt. WhiJe waiting for the trophy ceremony I walked up to the last concession stand that was opened and watched them take a carp fish, ram a sharp stick down its throat, through it's belly and out its tail, pour some beer over it and lay the thing across an open flame. They call it "sticklefish." I passed on dinner and decided to go back to the hotel for the Belgi.an victory party instead. It was there that I realized just how important this win was to the 1000 or so Belgian fans and officials who traveled there in buses. They had case upon case of champagne and they danced alJ over the bar and tables. Drunken men were dancing together and singing weird Belgian radio songs at the top of their lungs. They were pulling the tablecloth out from under stacks of champagne and beer bottles and behaving like the wildest of wild fraternity boys. There was even a conga line! Then someone called the cops and things got realJy interesting. Ten police commandos came down the steps of the Billiards Bar with night sticks drawn and proceeded to beat the hell out of the first 10 Belgians they could find. The last time I saw Joel Smets they were kicking his ass up the steps. We took some warm beers from the bar and watched the riot for a while - until we realized that they when the Stazi were done with the Belgians the Americans were probably next. With that in mind, I downed the last of my Budvopar, found the back exit and called it a road trip. America finally gets the Motocross des Nations event back in 1999. I hope we can give the rest of the world as much atmosphere as they've been able to give us over the years. £N who dominated the second mota... In his third 50-lap victory of the year, hardcharging Gary Scott rode his Bultaco to victory at the Trojan Speedway in South Gate, California, ahead of second-placed Kirk Redding and previous SO-lap winner Dale Hopkins'- ith a perfect score of 15, Rick Woods of Huntington Beach, California, rode the wave of his success to regain _ the U.S. Speed- '/.1. way Championship. Steve Bast had taken the title from Woods in 1969, and the two battled to the bitter end at Costa Mesa (California) Speedway, with Bast ultimately claiming second. Mike Bast took third behind his big brother... Sweden's Ake Jonsson led his team to victory in the 500cc Motocross des Nations in Maggiora, Italy. The second-placed Belgian team lost almost twice as many points as the Swedes. The best individual performer was Jiri Stodulka, representing the now-defunct nation of Czechoslovakia, W Max tent, we swapped race stories with the British media. Paul Malin stopped by and entertained us with secret stories about every rider on the GP circuit as we polished off some free wine. Malin is a good guy and would be a great media guy for the sport if only he were a little faster. Kind of like Denny Stephenson here in the States. Once darkness fell we found ourselves in a rented Opel Vectra fourdoor car with six members of the Chesterfield support team and one West Cigarette girl who could not speak English. Two of the Italians were in the trunk of the car with a case of beer they borrowed front the West tent. Ever sneak someone out of a race track? Back at the hotel the basement bar turned into the capi tol of the motocross world as practically every important European rider of the last three decades stopped by to say hello. The star-gazing was going great untiJ we ran into three-time 500cc World Champion Dave Thorpe, who still hates Americans for what one magazine did to him after he lost to Johnny O'Mara on a 125 back in '86. Thorpe was pissed and I was the nearest American journalist, but after a few insults we sorted things out and had a good time bragging about our respective teams. I was going to bet some guy that Emig would kick Kurt Nicoll's butt on Sunday, but he insisted on no less a wager than $100. Too rich for my blood at the time, but on Sunday I could have kicked myself for passing up the chance to take money back to America. Race day was fantasHc. The crowd was several rows deep all along the track and there were hundreds of flags, drums, air horns and whistles. The craziest fans were the Germans, who had the unexpected pleasure of watching someone named Pit Beirer win the first 250cc moto. Every time Beirer came around the track they turned the arm on a manual World War II air-raid siren that was handed down to some motocross fan from his father, the party official. I felt bad for World Team Cup at Wroclaw, Poland, Hansson, Hakan Lundberg and Jimmie with 40 points. As Mike Lee had Eriksson won in their classes. Top already claimed the individual title for American was Kevin Hines, edging out England and countrymen Peter Collins Kelby Pepper... David Sadowski won and Dave Jessup had taken Best Pairs, the 600cc Supersport Championship by this made for a smashing hat trick. The narrowly defeating Scott Russell after a American delegation to Wroclaw scored nip-and-tuck, lead-swapping, 14-lap 'ri7f)';~iT~.J_29points, mostly courtesy of Bmce Penbattle at Willow Springs International Raceway in California. Sadowski bested • hall and Scott Autrey... Randy 15 YEARS AGO... Marnola beat the Brits on their m,.,,~~I"!"_' Russell by 129-117 points in OCTOBER 1, 1980 own turf, winning the Race of the final standings. Jeff the Year road race at Mallory Farmer took third in the race nly two G ran d Park. Mamola finished 150 and third in points with 107... National yards in front of former World Defending Grand National Championship Champion Barry Sheene. Champion Scott Parker won hopefuls remained his fourth consecutive National after Ricky Grarace, beating out teammate 5YEARS AGO... ham crashed out Chris Carr at the San Jose Mile. of contention durSEPTEMBER 26, 1990 A first-lap crash mangled Parking Round 24 at wedish riders chewed er's bike and broke former San Jose, CA. up the competition like champ Ricky Graham's arm. Randy Goss rode his Harleyso many meatballs at Parker's tuner, Bill Werner, was Davidson to the win ahead of Hank able to replace Parker's exhaust the 65th International Six pi pes, handlebars, steering Day Enduro in Vasteras, Sweden, takScott, putting them four points apart going into the final. It was Goss' first ing the World and Junior World trodamper, a shock absorber and a wheel phies. Native son Dick WicKseli took before the restart. Graham was sent to National win of the season... Brittania the hospital for repairs. ruled the Speedway in 1980, taking the Overall Individual Honors, whiJe Peter fN filM -=-.. . ---_JJ O S 71

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