Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Cycle News 1996 08 14

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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CARR'S COLUMN By Chris Carr. oy, this was one weird week. Usually this time of year I've been racing dirt track every weekend and ooking forward to the Peoria IT. This ear, I've had a few weeks off and tead of Peoria, I was at Elkhart Lake or the NASB/Formula USA Race at oad America. Why? Good question, and I'll get to hat shortly. But I'd like to take a moment and Ik about what the Peoria IT has meant o me. As I'm sure the readers of Cycle ews are aware, I've had a tremendous ount of success in Peoria over the last o years, and I've often been asked uestions like, "Why do you go so fast Peoria? Why are you so dominant? hat is it going to take to beat you? at does this race mean to you?" and ince it was pretty common knowledge hat I wouldn't be there this August, 'Who's going to win?" First of alI, I go fast at Peoria for sevral reasons. When you win the first ational of your career, at any track, ou go into that race for the rest of your areer with a lot of confidence because ou've done it before and you know ou're capable of doing it again. Secnd, I grew up in Northern California n nothing but short tracks and TTs. unning 100 races a year on these tracks ould make just about anybody a pretty ood IT rider. Some of the other riders ave used the excuse that my familiarity with the 600cc bikes is the reason for my success there. Hmmm. Maybe those same riders shOuld have taken the time to race the 600s, like I did over the years; and not just run at Daytona and Peoria. After alI, practice is said to "make perfect." Why am I so dominant? As we all know, I've had some great points battles with Scott Parker over the years. And as we alI know, he's won the large majority of those battles. Scott is a great champion, and we've .become good friends over the years. However, it's only fair to mention that out of Scott's 73+ wins and six championships, he has not been able to beat me in Peoria. (I'm sorry I had to remind you of that, Scotty, but I just couldn't resist.) Scott's dominance in dirt track is tough not to admire. I'm just glad to say there was one place where he didn't dominate when I was racing him. I guess that's why I strived to dominate that place. From the way other AMA racing series have gone over the last few years, winning races has become addictive. I guess I was addicted to winning at Peoria. What's it going to take to beat me at Peoria? Well, for this year, we won't find out, but I'm not ruling out returning to Peoria in the future. But I can tell you that in order to win the Peoria IT, you have to be in shape; although the race itself only lasts about 12 minutes, it's always hot and humid, so condition- ing is a crucial factor. You need a good bike with good suspension; the jump and the tendency for the track to get rough require good bike setup. A good start is important at any race, but especialIy so at Peoria; The track has become very one-lined over the past few years, making clean passes tougher and tougher. Also, a little bit of luck goes a long way at any race, and Peoria is no exception (especially if you go gambling on the riverboat). The Peoria IT means a lot more to me than just my success there. All the racers and fans are indebted to a special group of people known as the Peoria Motorcycle Dub. The PMC has a long history as an AMA club, promoting IT races. They have offered a family atmosphere for racers and fans to enjoy, at their natural-terrain facility, since before World War II. To describe the atmosphere, I would say that it resembles that of an outdoor National motocross, but without the triple-jumps, whoop-sections or "nac-nacs." At least not yet, anyway: However, you are able to see riders hitting the jump at 60 mph and flying nearly 100 feet in the process. My unofficial, longest jump was approximately 130 feet, but I wouldn't dare do that again. The race at Peoria reminds me a lot of my roots. Every year that I went to Peoria was a reminder of what the "good 01' days" were like as I was growing up-and then the green flag would drop and it was back to work. I think alI racers like to" look back and remember' when they won their first trophy, or in my case, just finished a race without crashing. That is why the Peoria IT is a special place, a special race run by special people who have given countless hours every year so they can turn around and do it alI over again the following year. We, as riders and fans owe them a lot for that. I know I certainly do. Well, my reasons for not being in Peoria this past weekend are pretty easy to explain. For all of my dirt track friends and fans that I've met over the years, and who I dearly miss, I'm sure you know that I've been road racing for Harley Davidson on the VR1000 for the last two years. This is a personal goal I've always wanted to pursue, and Harley Davidson has given me that opportunity. So this weekend while the IT was run in Peoria, I was competing in the NASB event at Road America. We decided to use the race as an opportunity to test our bikes for the last two rounds of the AMA U.S. Superbike Series at Sears Point and Las Vegas. We're hoping to finish the season on a strong note. Well, now comes the time to answer the big question: Who did I think was going to win the Peoria IT this year? I'm sure Scott Parker is a favorite to win this year's event. His experience and speed demonstrated at Peoria over the years would make him the guy to beat. I'm writing this before the race has been run, and you'll be reading this in the same issue that the race results are printed, so this is no easier for me to predict, than for any of you. With my record at Peoria, people may think that winning there is easy for me, but that is far from the tru tho Just as everyone expects Scott Parker to win championships, I was always expected to win Peoria. As I'm sure Scott would confirm, winning every year only gets harder. So, the guy who will have won the race by the time you read this is, in my opinion, a guy who has just won the first National of his career. He has grown up riding short tracks and ITs. He hails from west of the Mississippi ,River. He's in great shape, he's on a good bike, he's ridden a Jot of 600 races, and he gets good starts. The guy who has won the 1996 Peoria IT is a guy like me. C'i There a;e those who would argue that the only way Chris Carr would fail to win the Peoria TT is by not being there. Carr's record of nine wins, including eight in a row, at the famous circuit may never be broken... Editor. LOOKING BACK... YEARS AGO... GUST 24, 1971 Sante Fe.. Short Track ational, held in Chicago, Illinois, on an Ossa. Rex Beauchamp finished second on a Harley Davidson and Neil Keen got third on a Yamaha. Scott brought his Triumph home in third in a tight duel to the finish ... Dutch privateer Jack Middleburg pulled off a ycle News ran an interview with huge upset by winning the 500cc British Baja and ISDT-racer Gene CanGP, making his pass on the last lap. nady, who was also an LAPD Yamaha's Kenny Roberts and Suzuki's etective... Suzuki-mounted Rich Thor15 YEARS AGO... Randy Mamola settled for second and aldson won the Open race at the Dirt AUGUST 19 1981 third, respectively, after dicing back and iggers European Scrambles. Husky , forth over the lead for most of the race... iders Mitch lex Jorgensen dominated the -""-...L Santa Fe short track for his fourth Husqvarna-sponsored Tom Webb took ayes and the overall win at the Pasadena M.e. . rthur Kanpp career ational win. Mike Kidd took second on r.o--.__ Lights On Enduro, held in Barstow, CaIook second and a Yamaha and !f;:j.....;-r,.,...L_ifornia. Just missing out on the overall . d, respectiveTerry Poovey win was IT175-mounted Bill Fulmer Jr. Larry y. futzenreuter got third on a 5YEARS AGO... on the 101Honda. On 50cc class ... the same douAUGUST 12, 1971 elgian Joel bleheader OichirO Honda, 84, founder of the oberts weekend, Honda Motor Co., died in a Tokyo ntered the Yamahahospital on August 5th, due to ecord books mounted complications from a malfunctioning s the most Scott Pearliver... In his quest to become the first uccessfu I son continmotocrosser to win three AMA National otocrosser ued his Championships, Team Honda's Jean Michel Bayle, who had just been ver by win- ,:=~5~---"'::J domin.ation . g his fifth 250cc World of the Peocrowned 250cc SX and 250cc MX ampionship at the Finnish Grand ria TT ational Champion, scored the overall rix, where he finished second to Suzu. Winston Pro win in the 500cc National Champii teammate Sylvain Goeboers... The Series National with his second onship opener at the Spring Creek 'little General," Robert E. Lee, proved consecutive win. Randy Goss finished Motocross Park in Minnesota. Honda e liked Friday the 13th by winning the second on a Harley Davidson and Gary teammate Jeff Stanton got second after A S being passed by Bayle in the last comer, and Team Yamaha's Damon Bradshaw finished third on an air-cooled WR490. Team Kawasaki's Jeff Matiasevich broke his femur while leading a qualifier race for the 500cc class, thus, ending his season prematurely... Honda-mounted Ronnie Jones won the Rapid City Half Mile National in South Dakota. Will Davis finished second on a HarleyDavidson and Larry Pegram took home third on a Honda. C'i

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