Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

ing. However, in the second moto it started to rain and it was real frustrating because it was a hard-pack track and off-camber and there was only one groove that was about six inches wide. It was real strange because everybody would follow this one tiny, small groove. Twenty-tWo bikes and nobody side-by-side, just one line! I thought, "Man I've had it with this. I'm from Oregon and I have had plenty of mud experience, so I'm going to get out in the slick stuff and make my move ann select a new groove." Well, when I got out of the groove it was like grease. The bike got completely sideways on me 'and I almost saved it, but then I went off the highside on a downhill and landed on my stomach and the bike hit me one place - on the foot that I had taped u'pi To this day, I had never experienced pain quite like that. I was done. I DNFed onemoto. . Didn't Sweden's Hakan Carlqvist take a kick at you during a moto that· afternoon? Yeah. This might've been later that moto after I had gotten up. I had to pull off because the pain was so bad. I was circulating the track fairly slowly. I remember he came up on me and was faster, but I was just holding, my line. I don't even think he passed me. Whatever it was, we crossed the finish line and he was still behind me. He never made a move that was strong enough to pass. I remember him ranting and raving and waiving his arms around. However, Hakan is a hell of a nice guy. He settled down afterward. Okay, it is now 16 years later. How do you perceive the- effect you guys had on the motocross world with those wins? I guess it's something like when these people win gold medals. It is very satisfying that I was there and that I was a part of it. It is something that nobody can take away from you. It feels good that I was there at the right time to be part of the tearn. I never expected that there would be that type of domination from then on. We won the first time, we fought hard for it, but it wasn't like we walked away with it either. Do you think that the United States still rules the motocross world? I think that Europe has made some strides, but I don't think that anybody has the depth that we have here. I think that there is no question that we rule, but I arn actually glad to see that the des Nations are becoming more gompetitive now. Everybody likes to win, but let's not have the same boring thing. It was also sad to see who was going to be the first to lose. tt was like a breath of fresh air when we lost. I don't want to sound unpatriotic, but I think that change is good. You're only as good as your competition, so if you can't get beat every now and then, something is wrong. Do you think the Americans will win in Spain this year? I think they have as good of a chance as they have ever had. I think that if somebody would have sneezed differently last year, we would have won. Our guys have done as well as they always have, . it's just that the challenge is now stronger. I don't think anybody failed. I think we succeeded in doing the best that we could. We lost by the smallest of margins. These guys are to be commended for their efforts, but I think it woujd be really exciting to see us win again. We're due. Since you are still involved in motocross with KTMlHusaberg, what developments would you enjoy seeing within the sport in the future? I would like to see a continued introduction of these four-stroke world championship bikes into our events. I think there could be an additional element of having an open, almost "formtilil" class of four-strokes:' An open, four-stroke national championship series without all of the strict production rules. You could have a number of manufacturers involved that could make it very exciting. It also would be great to see the four-strokes competing in the 250cc class. know for O'Mara and myself, we were living together at that time. It was the first time in Europe for both of us. The fans were coming unglued for us over in Germany because of how well we were doing against the world's best. There were thousands of people on the hillsides and it was a beautiful day and they were cheering for us because we were the underdogs. When you went into Lommel, Belgium, which was at that lime the center of Grand Prix motocross, did you feel inquridMed at all? . Oh yeah! Real intimidated. We took what we knew and what we had and did our best out there and we carne out on top. O'Mara and LaPorte did the best on our team that weekend. Sun and myself were still real consistent, we helped with the points to take the overaU. That was also the roughest track I had ever seen. Deep sand and whoopedout - huge whoops. It took a lot out of you! Were you guys really treated as a second-rate team when you arrived in Belgium? I don't remember Lommel as well. After the first week, after we had won at Lommel, Germany stands out a little more vividly for me. We were no longer the underdog team when we went into Germany. You did really well in Bielstein, you finished second in the first moto. What went through your mind. when Yeah, right. I got a decent start, a 10thyou were chosen .to be a part of the place start, and worked up to second 1981 American des Nalions effort? behind Carlqvist and I also fell off too We were all real excited to get a chance during that moto. I came out of the to be a part of history. To be able to do trees, into a rough section and I ended something for our country, as well as for up on the back of the bike and grabbed ourselves, was a great opportunity. a handful of the throttle and I couldn't Did it come out of the blue? get off the gas and' ended up throwing I don't remember exactly, but the origithe bike, jumping off the back of it. I nal tearn that was picked didn't want to started back up and continued on and go back there and Roger still finished second behind Carlqvist. DeCoster said, "I've Then in between motos, it started raingot a team, I'll send ... ~. ing and the hard surface of the track got my team," That is real slippery - like snot - and all I was how it happened. I trying to do was stay on two wheels and don't remember it I ended up right inside the top 10, in being a real lastninth. I think LaPorte did the best minute-type " overall. situation. '~';. What do you remember, Had you • after the two races? Did been to!J , you realize the impact you Europe /1. were going to have on the before? ( way international No, 1/ motocross was perceived? don't '.~""",Not right then. I knew that we had made history believe by being the first American tearn to go that I ......'. ..,... back there and beat the Europeans. had. It That was something to think about, to be able to beat the best from around the world. The second-rate team that we supposedly were, going and beating the best out there was great. A lot ,of people helped us. Bel-Ray lubricants was a great help, they were sponsoring Team Honda then, and their guy, I don't remember his name... ThuurCoen. Yeah. He was a great help. Thuur got us the food we needed. American food like pan- 4 ,_: cakes and jelly for the pancakes instead of syrup. Everything was great and all of it helped us cope and put it all toget;!1er back there in another part of the world. We had Jeff Spencer, our trainer, who was working with us when we were off the bikes and at the hotels and stuff. We were in awesome shape 'and mentally we were so strong, especially after winning Lomme!. We knew there was no reason why we couldn't win the next weekend on the 500s. And it turned out that's exactly what we did. I know your son Joshua races; does he realize that you were a part of the first victorious American Motocross des Nations team? Yeah, he does. He knows all about that. He's at the age now that he really wants to run motocross. He tells me that all he wants to do is ride motocross and be a motocross star and be a champion someday. But he just has to learn that you have to be dedicated, which all comes in time. To be able to realize what it takes to become the best and beat the best, it's not a dream where you just go out there and do it, it's hard work. All these riders out there, they watch ESPN, watch a supercross race or watch a national or they go to a supercross race and see a Jeremy ~Grath or Jeff Emig and that's what they want to do. There are a lot of kids ou t there that don't realize what it takes. Like I tell my students, "That's the easy part - going ou t there and racing." The hard part is being dedicated and devoting your life to the sport, and that means eating good and sleeping good, training and practicing, everylhIDg that it takes. For the kids doing it as a hobby, that is great and that is fine. But later on, if they want to do it fulltime and be a champion, they have to realize that it is more than just going out and racing on weekends. Were you disappointed when the United States finally lost the des Nations? Well, yes and no'. I was happy that we kept it going that long. We had a l3-year run. We finally lost it and that was a bummer. It was kind of a shame that at one time some of the top riders didn't want to go over there to race, but that happens. What have you been up to lately? I know the Donnie Hansen Motocross Academy has been very well received. We are doing excellent. The motocross school is called DHN):A and is doing outstanding. This is our 12th year of being established and each. year it seems to be getting stronger. We have riders from all over the world attend our camps here in Northern California. We limit the classes in size. We don't take a whole lot of riders, we take 10 riders'so that we can work with them individually. That mean~ a lot because we can keep it real personal. . To stay so involved at that level, it sounds like you still really love the sport. Yeah, I enjoy it. I'm really fortunate to be able to do s.omething that I love doing, and not too many people out there can say that. They have to go to work hating their jobs and I don't have to worry about that. One more thing, we just put a bid in at Colorado Springs, Colotado, and we may be transferring there. If everything goes as planned, we'll be up there in Colorado. fN

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