Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

RACER X Bypavey Coombs ith the Olympics starting this week, now would be a good time for American motocross fans to start thinking about who they would like to see on Team USA for our sport'sversion of the Olympics - the 1996 Motocross des Nations in Jerez, Spain. However, unlike in years past, the fans have no input in who will be on the three-man tealll this year. In fact, the 1996 team was chosen long.ago - in February, to be exact, ,before the outdoor motocross Nationals even started. At that race AMA MX manager Duke Finch invited defending 125cc National Champion Steve Lamson as the 125cc pick, four-time 250cc Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath in the premier class, and Team Kawasaki's Ryan Hughes as the 500cc entry. Not a bad team at all, except for one glaring omission: What about Jeff Emig? Throughout the years America has had numerous problems fielding teams for the team championship event. Things like politics, budget, pride, holiday, injuries and a lack of interest have played as much a part in the selection of Team USA as outright speed. Every fan of the MX des Nations no doubt remembers how Team USA sent over four unknown Honda riders in 1981 with the help of then-Honda boss Roger DeCoster and MXA's Dick Miller. After several years of not even fielding a team due to a lack of interest, America sent the quartet of Johnny O'Mara, Dal1ny LaPorte, Donnie Hansen and Chuck Sun, who pulled off the greatest upset in MX des Nations history after America's other "best" riders (Broc Glover, Mark Barnett, Kent Howerton, etc.) were not available to race..That started a streak of 13 years when the Yanks would not lose either the MX des Nations or the now-defunct Trophee des Nations. But during that same time American interest started to wane again. Now it was the pressure of being on the team that actually blew the streak that kept some American heroes home. It got so bad in 1992 that Team USA broke a 1D-year tradition of denying GP regulars the chance to compete by sengmg expa-. triate Billy Liles as the !iOOcc rider after Jeff Ward, Jeff Stanton and Mike Kiedrowski all balkM. Liles held up his end of the bargain that year in Australia but was snubbed the next year in favor of Kiedrowski and newly-crowned U.S. W SX champ Jeremy McGrath, who had yet to show any outdoor talent at that point in his career. McGrath ran 4-7 in Austria and America barely won again. In the year that followed Jeremy took such a beating in some of the American magazines that he stated that he would not go to Roggenburg, Switzerland. It proved to be a smart move on his part because that's the day - after 13 straight years - the Americans finally lost. McGrath got better (much, much better) the next year as far as outdoor racing goes and he won the 250cc outdoor championships, but again he begged off Team USA because he wanted to go on vacation and Honda had no budget for him to go. This move caused quite a stir because Lamson showed up in Slovakia on Honda's dollar and McGrath showed up at a money-paying race in Italy the next weekend. (American riders receive no financial incentive to compete for Team USA - th.ey do it as a duty to their country.) America lost again and it was time to put pressnre on McGrath. In recent years the fans voted for the team on a popular ballot, but the AMA scrapped that after Jeremy kept winning and then turning down the election. This year the AMA took it upon themselves to designate a team and lean on those chosen to compete. From the start, McGrath.- now an extremely accomplished outdoor pilot - said that he would ride the 250, and the AMA said okay, mu~ to every lan's delight. Lamson, McGrath's Honda teammate, was a logical choice to return as the 125 rider even though he was somehow underpowered, and the Honda rider was soundly beaten by Sebastien Tortelli and Stefan Everts last year. But Lamson is faster, stronger and complefely dedicated to Team USA this year. "Sometimes it's all I think about, losing to that kid like that," said Lamson just last weekend af the Red Bud 125cc National. "I'll be out training or practicing or even doing laps at a National and I'll think about that day (in Slovakia) and just go harder and harder. I can't wait to go to Spain.. I have to race that guy again." Ryan Hughes also lost last year but his excuse was that it wa~ his first-ever major 500cc ride. A 125cc rider for most of his career to that point, Hughes was chosen as the Open-class rider because Kawasaki is the only team in America with a working 500cc race bike still in the race shop. Former teammates Kiedrowski and LaRocco left the company after the '95 season, and Hughes was the only man to take up the reins. Hughes was very close to beating Belgium's Joel Smets in that last 250/ 500cc moto, but Kurt Nicoll crashed in front of the American and that was that. To sum it up, Hughes performed admirably; he did as well as he could. Now' comes the controversy. Throughout the last four years only one rider has stepped )Jp to represent America every time he was asked - Jeff Emig. In four straight MX des Nations appearances dating back to 1992 Emig won his class three times, losing only to Englishman Paul Malin that strange day in 1994. Even last year, while Lamson and Hughes lost their classes, Emig won the 250cc class for Team USA. In eight career MX de's Nations motos Emig has never finished worse than second! "I look forward to that rac~ every year and I'm always ready to go wherever they want me to go for Team USA," said Emig last weekend. :'1 was ready to go this year but at the Atlanta Supercross back in February the AMA asked me if I would ride the 500, and I . said, 'Hey, I shouldn't have to ride the 500. We hadn't even started the outdoor season yet and I was planning on beating Jeremy and being the best guy for the 250 class. That night in Atlanta last winter, I wasn't even thinking about a race in September!" The AMA was, and that night they invited Lamson, McGrath and Hughes tb be on Team USA. Emig was crushed. "I would've said yes to ride the 500 if that's what it took to get me on the team. I would say yes right now, 125, 2500r500!" No one here doubts Hughes' desire and worth as a 500cc rider, or that of Lamson in the 125cc class or Jeremy in the 250s, but in April Ryno broke his jaw and missed six weeks of action. Still on the mend from that accident, Ryno i.s still working on getting his speed back. Meanwhile, Emig is the only guy to have beaten McGrath all year. He has beaten him three times in 22 races. Last weekend, rolling the big KX500 out of the cobwebs for a run at Mammoth Mo~ntain. Ryno was defeated in the ond 500cc moto at Mammoth Mountain sec- by Ty Davis - the AMA National Enduro Champion. But this article is not about criticizing Hughes, Lammy, Jeremy or Emig. lt's obvious that there are four guys qualified for three spots, which means someone would have to stay home, anyway. The question I'm raising is this: Why was the team chosen so early? According to the AMA's Duke Finch, "We wanted to get a team announced early this year to get more attention and get travel plans finalized." Does Finch think Emig deserves to go? "Of course he does. But so does Ryno and Larnrny and Jeremy." Will the AMA consider a change at this point? "We've announced a team and we will stick with it barring any injuries or withdrawals.... We really didn't think Emig wanted to go." What does McGrath think of all this brewing controversy? In a recent interview, McGrath said that he felt Emig deserved the first invite - even before him. "1 think Jeff should probably be on the team, because he's been on the team so many years and he's won every time. I think it's kind of bogus that he's not on the team, but I think that the other riders on the team are capable as well.. .. but if anyone's earned their way, it's Jeff." And then there's Hughes, who's huge heart, unquestioned desire and never, ever surrender attitude make knocking him here hard. You know that if it came down to it, RynQ would kill or die for this team. "You can't say Jeremy doesn't belong there - he's done a phenomenal job on the 250 this year, indoors and out," reasons Hughes. "In the 125 class Lamson is the National Champ, he's leading.by points 80 and he's the fastest guy out there. Lammy didn't blow it last yeari it just maybe wasn't his best day. As far as the 500cc class goes, I' think I pro~ed myself last year, and I'll be even better this time." But what does Hughes think about the absence of Emig an the team he's led for the last four years? ''I'd put him somewhere, but f just don't know where. Jeff said before that he doesn't want to ride the 500, and if he did he might not- be able to ride it as fast as I can. So where else are you going to put him? I guess the problem is this: lt's no who's on Team USA - it's who's not." CN I· 25 YEARS AGO... AUGUST 3, 1971 ycle News con- C ducted a test on Yamaha's 1971 R-5 ani:! came a way quite .., impressed with:"the performance, but author Ron Schneiders compared the styling -'-:""~:.:::..:::::::::..::~ to a juke box combined with a slot machine... Mark Brelsford was the winner of the 20th annual TT National held at Ascot Park, California. Only eight other riders 'finished the race, and Dave Aldana took second while Eddie Mulder finished third... Norton-mounted Jody Nicholas took first place at the Yamaha Gold Cup held at Ascot Park. Lloyd Houchins finished second on a BSA and Norton-mounted Mel Lacher finished third. •15 YEARS AGO':.. JULY 29,1981 a n d y Mamola, riding a year-old Suzuki RG500 works bike, won his first National with a win at Laguna Seca. Wes Cooley finished second on a Suzuki and Rich Schlacter brought his Yamaha TZ750 home in third ... Team Suzuki's Mark Barnett decimated the field at the nint·h round of the Wo'rld Championship 125cc MX Series held at the MidOhio Motocross Park. Reigning 125cc World Champ Harry Everts finished R second on a Suzuki and Honda's John- _ ny Omara took third... Bruce Penhall, Kelly Moran, and Dennis Sigalos all transferred to the next round in the' World Individual Speedway Championships by qualifying out .of the Overseas Final held in White City, Lonaon, England. LOOKING BACK~.!··I at the Guatemalan GP. Holland's Pedro Tragter finished second and Swede Joakim Karlsson took third ... ran an intelOview with soon to be crowned 125cc World Champion Stefan Everts. c. 5YEARS AGO.., JULY31,li91 H onda's Jeff Stanton won the 250cc class l't the Lake Sugar Tree National'125/250cc MX held in Axton, Virginia. Honda's Jean-Michel Bayle finished second and Yamaha's Damon Bradshaw rounded out the top three. In 125cc action, Kawasaki's Mike Kiedrowski took first followed by Suzuki-mounted Guy Cooper and Jeff Emjg on a Yamaha... Belgian Stefan Everts strengthened his lead in the 125cc World MX Championship standinF;s with a win 67

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