Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

TEARDOWN By Paul Carruthers elieve it or not, theAMA Superbike National Champion is actually going to defend his title in 1996. Miguel DuHamel didn't scurry off to the airport, number plate in hand, knocking people over as he rushed to get the first international flight out of AMA racing bound for the shores of Europe and an awaiting Grand Prix or World Superbike race. Instead, DuHamel stuck around, signed a new contract, a few autographs, shared a beer with his team, and generally made the AMA Superbike paddock a happy place. He didn't bad-mouth the series, he didn't start speaking only in French, and he didn't depart in haste. Nope, DuHamel is staying put, at least for a few more years. When DuHamel signed his two-year contract on Sunday, he signed a commitment not only to American Honda and Smokin' Joe's Racing, but also to what has arguably become the most competitive national road racing series in the world - AMA superbike racing. He made a statement: Hey, maybe the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the Atlantic. And despite the fact that they must now compete with DuHamel on the race track for another two years, the French Canadian's decision to stay had a positive impact on the other team owners. They actually seemed to be as happy as Smokin' Joe's owner Martin Adams. Obviously, Adams gushed with pride after the race. "Miguel is the guy I started with, as far as having a real entity. in superbike racing, and I hope he's the guy I finish with," Adams told me. "He is the consummate professional. He has the work ethic, the drive, the personality, and the genes - he is the whole package. I've never met anyone like him " Adams had every reason to spout such kind words. Not only does he have a great deal of affection for the diminutive French Canadian, but he had also just witnessed the completion of an absolute turnaround within his team. Gone was the complete disaster of a season ago. His riders had just finished one-two in the final AMA Superbike National of the season, and his pride B and joy had not only captured the championship, but had shown some form of loyalty. An unheard of combination. But what abo'!t the other team owners? For years, we've been hearing that for the series to grow, the stars would have to stay. That the Troy Corsers of the world shouldn't be pe.emitted to just come in, win a championship and then leave. In order for AMA Superbike racing to be successful, racing fans have to be able to count on a few things, they said - namely star,-quality riders. They have to be able to count on see.ing the Jamie Jameses, the Fred Merkels, the Doug Chandlers... And wouldn't it be peachy if they could actually see the National Champion on something other than their television set, his image being beamed in via satellite from some foreign land. Okay, so DuHamel is a good start. He is the star of the series, and he's committed to staying. Honda, with the help of,the R.J, Reynolds Tobacco Company, did their job, But if DuHamel is the foundation, then it's time for the other team owners to step up and build on it. And that's where we run into a little problem. DuHamel was easy. He's a winner. Honda knows that with him, they can win. And winning is still the bottom line with these teams. But what about the rest? On one hand the teams want to establish stars, riders who are committed to staying in AMA racing. Riders who have either been there and done that, or riders who just aren't hell-bent on chasing a dream to another continent. Riders like Jamie James, Thomas Stevens, and Fred Merkel, to name a few. On the other hand, these same tearns need to win. And most of the time they've found that to win they need to discover a Corser, or a Colin Edwards young up-and-eomers who are really only using the series as a stepping stone. 50 these team owners tend to speak out of both sides of their mouth. The sport has to have stars, blah, blah, blah. But we've got to hire young Billy for the future, blah, blah, blah. Now it's time for them to either put up or shut up. There are riders here who are truly stars. James comes to mind right away. He's been here forever, and he's not going anywhere_ The likable Louisianan will race at least one more year, and he'll do it with Vance &< Hines Yamaha. Fred Merkel is also staying put. He's got another year on a Suzuki contract, and he's another star the series can build on. Then there's Freddie Spencer. Say what you will about the three-time World Champion, but there's no denying that he's a star U.S. racing fans seem to stand by. According to Spencer" he too will be back. And Pascal Picotte is also staying, as is Tom Kipp, who will begin the second-year of his tw~year contract. That's about it on the definites. But there are others. Doug Chandler, Steve Crevier, Thomas Stevens, Mike Smith...and Jimmy Filice. Smith will likely be a shoo-in to get a ride, but will it be in AMA racing? Chandler, Stevens, Crevier and Filice don't have rides, at least not yet. There's good chance that Chandler will race in the AMA Series next year on a Muzzy Kawasaki. That a would be a good thing, for both Muzzy and AMA racing. But Chandler always seems to have a GP or World Superbike carrot that hangs in front of his nose. Although he is one of the genuine stars of AMA racing, Filice doesn't yet have a ride. The AMA needs Jimmy Filice to race here. The little Californian is liked by all, and he very easily may rival James as the most popular rider in the country. And then there's Crevier and Stevens. Two guys who have names that race fans in this country recognize. Guys you can count on to run at or near the front of an AMA Superbike race each and every time out. Those are three - guys who seem pretty committed to staying in AMA racing. Will Filice get a top superbike ride next year? What about Crevier and Stevens? Mike Hale is the latest in a long line of rising stars in AMA racing who will bolt the series for the prestige of a World Championship. He isn't the first and he won't be the last. We need young stars, and there are a lot of young stars who will end up going to Grand Prix and World Superbike racing. And that's okay. It's the nature of the beast. NASCAR doesn't have this problem. That's because driving a NASCAR isn't exactly on-the-job training for racing a Formula One car. Racing a top-level superbike tends to get you ready for loftier goals. 50 it's time for AMA team owners to step up to the plate. The same team owners who get discouraged when their young stars leave need to start thinking of ways to keep the current stars racing here. Put yourself in the shoes of the promoters. Try to sell your upcoming race when asked the following questions: "Where's the series champion?" "Uh, he's in Europe." NWhy?" . "Well, they all go to Europe after they win here." Well, not any more. . "It wasn't easy," Adams says of the Smokin' Joe's team's successful courtship of DuHamel. "It took a lot of work and an emergency flight from old Martin (Adams) to Montreal. But it's done." And that's a good start. 1'X LOOKING BACK... 25 YEARS AGO._ OCTOBER 20, 1970 nternational Six Days Trials competion in Madrid, Spain, saw America's best performance. in 45 years, with the yanks taking . s!x gold medals, f . _,,,,,._.__ . ,.... t,• .... ". five Slivers and ~i· J ~.."'-", "''ci;-~,}''-;. ~):~~:~iff eigh t bronzes. lilt; """.~~ ..• The tea m was ~=="'-----headed by Malcolm Smith, who replaced Bud Ekins as captain after Ekins fractured a bone in his hand trying to deck motorcycle artiste Kenny Von Dutch ... Englishman Jeff Smith rode his BSA to a double-moto victory at the La Rue, Ohio, launch of the TransAMA series, the AMA's first try at championship motocross. Huskymounted Gunnar Lindstrom actually finished first in the first moto, but was penalized for an early start and scored second in the race and overall... Arne I =-__J grapes at the 55th International Six Days Kring was the big winner in the second week of the Inter-Am, contested in PepTrial in Brioude, France, taking three perell, Massachusetts. Kring's crowdclass wins, two seconds and a third. pleasing, low-flying technique got him Guglielmo Andreini's 500cc win put the win over runItaly over the top for the World Troner-up Bengt ''il'7iTr~~~~"",!:phy Wes Cooley didn't have long to ... Aberg and thirdenjoy his win at the final round of place Ake Jonsson. the National Superbike Championship at Daytona Beach, Flori- Fi~~~_ da. After series points leader :=;=r::=,-...._ 15 YEARS AGO._ Eddie Lawson crashed out, dark OCTOBER 15, 1980 horse Cooley squeezed by Freddie Spencer for the win and the lo rid a's Billy Labrie title. However, a protest was was number filed claiming that Cooley's bike one at the 2a-lap was unfairly modified, Fast National Half Freddie was eventually credited Mile at Ascot with the win, and Lawson got Park in Califorthe title. nia, but fifthplace Randy Goss ended up with the number-one plate, beating Labrie by one point in the AMA Grand National Championship series. Steve Eklund, who carried the plate through 1980, finished second in the race... The Italians abruptly when the last-ever Half Mile National at the 50uthern California facilstomped the competition like so many F

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