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/127795
(Above) Mamola hams it up with Marlboro Roberts Yamaha's Norifumi Abe. (Right) When asked by announcer John Price if returning to the track where a comer is named after him, where he'd held the lap record since 1991, won three GPs and crashed once or twice made him emotional, Kevin Schwantz said: "Yes, several comers at Danington bring tears to my eyes." (Below) Chris Carter (right) interviews a recently hair-clyed Scott Russell. tire exploded (the two halves were later auctioned for $8 apiece), and he switched to a minibike. More microstunts followed, until he collapsed on the grass as the crowd roared. Rothwell claims, "I don't practice on public roads, promise!". Yeah, right. DoC is indeed the day the GP circus comes into its own. So furious were DoC '96 activities that Andrea Coleman made some fans instant volunteers. One was Captain Abdul Al-Rawahy (a pilot for the Sultan of Oman)~ attending for the first time since the rainy DoC of November 1992. He clocked the go-kart races, where F-1 Tyrrell Yamaha C81" star . Mikka Salo faced off against the punters. For his work, Abdul was rewarded with sunny weather, sunny smiles from organizers, and a T-shirt. This little story goes far in explaining the success of Riders for Health. Scheduled to be the first woman to jump' over 12 trucks was Fiona Beale. Unfortunately, she broke her collarbone in practice and is now recovering. Randy Mamola hastened to point out: "Fiona made the jump - twice! If you don't believe me, ask Loris Capirossi he saw her go end-over-end on her second successful try." RFH instructor, and former stunt rider Dave Taylor sent commiserations, along with advice to wait until a paying crowd gathers. See you at DOC '97, Fiona! Fans bought $1.50 raffle tickets for a "Pillion in a Million" ride on sportbikes behind Niall Mackenzie and Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Roberts Jr. If that sounds scary, consider what was parked in front of the Team Roberts garage: a beautiful, white-paneled YZF500 Yamaha built for two. Chuck Aksland laughed, "Mamola and Roberts have been working on it for a while." Not yet functional, the conveyance from hell will entertain future DoC-goers and other VIPs. This year again, the more prudent fans bought $5 bus tickets for a lap of Donington with safe and sane bus drivers Max Biaggi, Mick Doohan and Scott Russell. Other big draws were military bike team Wold's Wagoners, the Ling's Motocross Display Team, Max Biaggi's clay pigeon shoot, and more children's activities than Tara the Jester could shake a balloon at. In the 100-foot-Iong marquee tent, hard-working GP announcer Chris Carter interviewed Abe, Okada, Russell ("The Yank who talks slow and rides fast," Carter says) and others. When a fan told Carter he wasn't respectful enough to GP heroes, Carter said, "He must be insane!" All this was good fun. But on everyone's mind was Mick Doohan's pending haircut: Would it come off? H PR 96 THE AUCnON Why in the world would Doohan turn his handsome phiz into a cueball? Likemany tales, it began with too many ales in a faraway hotel room. Randy Mamola was watching Daryl Beattie use an electric shaver on his pate, when Mick Doohan blurted, ''I'd do that at Day of Champions, if you can raise 3000 pounds ($5000)." Randy quickly raised pledges at the Dutch and German GPs, and racers offered to make up any shortfall. Perhaps subscribing to the "Samson Theory" of Doohan's success, Scott Russell said, "I'm really looking forward to seeing Mick with no hair." On the night, the marquee was packed. Daryl Beattie waggled his shiny crown saying, "This is what you'll look like, Mick!" When Mamola taunted him, Doohan retorted: "Yeah, but mine'll grow back!" A fan paid auctioneer John Price $225 for the first swipe, like a reverse mohawk. Kevin Schwantz, Beattie and others paid to play barber. Once the deed was done, some observers saw a slight "widow's peak" on Doohan's forehead. Mick "took the mick" like a good sport, saying, "At least it's for a good cause." The insults faded when a punter paid a record $3800 for Doohan's leather~. (The unkind est cut was reserved for Randy Mamola: When Doohan won the British GP a few days 6 ary later, envious Randy said, "Mick' hair is already growing back like velcro.") Gear from Biaggi, Harada, Rainey, Roberts Sr. and Jr., Wayne Gardner and many others went for goodly sums. When Erv Kanemoto's shirts fetched $150 apiece (as much as Doohan's), Chris Carter quipped, "Erv's more popular than he knows!" Russell auctioned his helmet for $800, "Because I haven't won a race in it yet and I want a new one." To top off DoC '96, the African directors gave Doohan a plaque for his services to Riders for Health. The next morning, Saaka Dumba saw his first-ever GP practice. He commented on the cosmopolitan makeup of teams like Kanemoto Racing - a Japanese American team boss (Erv Kanemoto) with a European rider (Luca Cadalora) on an Asian bike (NSR5oo Honda). Turning to Mohale Moshoeshoe, now a seasoned GP fan, Saaka said, "This means Riders for Health can reach worldwide, wherever there are motorcycles." Yes, indeed. (N RFH· Ayear of struggle and triump_h_ "T he success of DoC '96 is a huge step," Barry Coleman says." ow we can fund more visible, bike-related projects. We expect big results for just a little money." It's been a crucial year for RFH. At last year's DoC '95, Princess Anne gave a royal nod to RFH's record of success in Lesotho, as it reached out to other countries like Ghana and Zimbabwe. But big changes were on the calendar. Because motorcyclists want to fund bike-related work, Riders for Health became independent from the wider-focuscharity Save the Children Fund. SCF's Mary Cresswell, on hand again at DoC '96, said there was "nb bad blood" between the organizations, which will continue working together on appropriate projects. The British government granted official charity number 105456 to Riders for Health. A board of directors (including a banker and a software magnate) oversees activities. A few fundraising activities at continental motocrosses and road races began to lift some of the administrative and financial burden from Andrea and Barry Coleman. A jubilant Jan Sikkens told us: "Local road racing was dying in Holland until we got Randy MamoIa to do wheeJies and lead fans around Assen. It wasn't just for charity. We're giving Riders for Health $9000 because they got us 5000 spectators!" GP promoters Dorna proclaimed RFH its official charity, and the bright orange and green "biker-nurse" logo was displayed along GP tracks. Randy Mamola (alias the Clown Prince of GP racing) started a new career as color announcer for Eurosport satellite TV. When he's not telling fellow announcers Dennis Noyes and Toby Moody what tire compounds the teams are running, he slips in news on Riders for Health. At NurbuTgring, balding Mamola revealed his plan to weave the leavings from Doohan's headshave into a trick new hairpiece. But Randy sacrificed his plan at DoC '96, when bags of Doohan's locks were sold for $50 apiece. Doma edited the 23-minute video "Riders for Health:' explaining the synergy between GPs and the very serious work of what in light-hearted moments could be called "Biker Nurses in Africa!" Order the video ($20 plus postage), new design shirts, mugs, decals, and more from Andrea Coleman, Riders for Health, Norton, Daventry, orthamptonshire NNll 5ND, England. For more information, call 011-44-1327-300047 or fax 011-44-132778816.