Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

TIME REMEMBERED 1981 MX des Nations 2 how they started calling me the O'Show, because I was different. I had success right away and winning the Motocross des Nations certainly helped things. That was certainly a very special moment. I hate seeing the guys lose a couple times now. That must be hard to swallow for those guys to go over and lose. That was my next question. Were you bummed when they finally lost in Switzerland? Yeah, I definitely was. You know I was kind off doing my own little career in mountain bikes, but I still kept a pretty good following on everyone, staying in contact with guys. You knew it was going to happen at one time OT another, you just didn't know exactly when and then they lost two in a TOW. It's a bummer. I'm pretty confident the guys can go back and win it this year. I pretty much think they are going to win it now with Jeremy out there. I think it is going to be tough, though. I went over to England this year and saw (Sebastian) Tortelli ride and I think he is going to give Lamson a run for his money. That's going to be a strong French team with Demaria and Bolley. The U.S. guys are going to have to be on to win. I think Hughes is getting better and better, but he had that little injury and they chose him over Emig which could be a little controversial, but hopefully Ryan will step it up over the next month. (Editor's note: Hughes broke his ankle at the Steel City National MX, September 1, and will not be able to compete at the MX des Nations. He will be replaced by Jeff EmigJ. Stefan Everts recently told me that when he was younger, you were his favorite rider. Do you like hearing that you were an..influence on a number of present-day racers? Stefan is like my favorite rider too now. I love the kid to death. When I went to Foxhills, England, I hung out with him all day long. We had so much fun. He remembered hanging out with me when I was over in Europe. I'm real proud of him. You can definitely tell that he examined myself, David Bailey - the American-type riding style - because he looks like an American when he rides. I was very impressed with him at Foxhills in England. He is so smooth and calculated. I can really appreciate that. That's also why I like watching McGrath ride. He is real smooth and creative and always thinking in advance. To this day, a lot of people believe that you and David Bailey had the best, smoothest style in the modem history of the sport. Do you stilI hear that a lot? I definitely get comments wherever I go. J always get that type of comment that people loved watching me. That "you and David were the most stylish."And it means a lot to hear it. I don't need to hear it, but when it's said sincerely from someone you don't know, or from another country or state, it does make you feel good. David and I did the sport 24/7. It was the only thing we did. I think a lot of guys these days have a lot of other interests and they just don't devote themselves enough. They get tired and that is not acceptable. As a professional, that is not an acceptable excuse. They are being paid to be an athlete. That window of opportunity is so small and over very quick. It seems like just yesterday that I was at Lommel racing, and like you said, that was 15 or 16 years ago. Life goes by quick, so you better give it your best shot or you go through life pretty miserable. You can't look back later and say, '1 wish 1 would have done this or that." I tell people that I used to run 10 miles a day and run two tanks of gas through my bike and some of the young guys just can't fathom that. But I did it. The good guys from my era did the same type of things on a daily basis. The guys that took it seriously are . the ones who were champions; the ones who people remember. They are the ones that don't have to have a job either, or they can go off and do whatever they want. Speaking of jobs, how is your new Oakley vocation? It's real good. It's a big adjustment for me, there is no doubt about that. There couldn't be another job better suited for me. I'm on the other side of it now and I'm learning the business part of it and the company itself is just amazing. I've always been an Oakley-sponsored athlete. However, I never knew the other side of it. I was getting free product and they would pay me, and sure I would go in there once in a while and say "hi" to people. Now I can see the other side. The quality of the product, the direction they want to go. I'm learning marketing strategy. At times it is very difficult for me, but I really appreciate all of it. I really needed a change in my life. I needed something to do and this way I can give back to the sport and be affiliated with such a great company that has helped me so much throughout my career. The job is just perfect for me and I am having a great time. You went into the 1981 Motocross and Trophee des Nations as an AMA national champion. What were your thoughts when you were chosen to be a member of the American team? It all started for me at Washougal. As you know, Washougal takes place every August and the des Nations in September. Before the Washougal National, the different American factory teams weren't really prepared or ready to make the investment to go, and that's what led Roger DeCoster to say, "Hey, we'll do the whole thing. We'll just send team Honda riders." But I don't think that final decision was made until two or three weeks before the event. How did that come to be? I remember Hannah, Howerton, Glover and Barnett were squared away to ride the events, but then it was announced that the American team was going to be four yourig Honda riders. I remember th.at I was pretty disappointed. I don't know. There were some possibilities that those guys might go, but they didn't have a full commitment from each of the factories and I'm not sure -that everyone..wanted to go at that time. Then it came down that one factory wanted to make a commitment and say, "Let's go," and Roger was responsible for that. Roger was the driving force. He took the position of guiding the entire effort for Honda. We had the capable riders, because Hansen had won some events and was coming on trong and LaPorte was a past national champion and O'Mara was also coming on strong. I had won the 500cc National Championship the year before and had the number-one plate that very year. Coming into Washougal, I was having a mediocre. year. I was running second in the championship series, but I couldn't get fully motivated to repeat. It just wasn't a flow like the first before, and of course Broc was riding quite well. There were just a few points, even with an offyear, separating Broc and me for first and second and that is how I ended up on the team. So word comes down from Honda that you are going to ride on the team and that Roger DeCoster is going to manage it. However, America hadn't really proven itself overseas up to that point in time. Did you think you guys had a chance to win? Oh I think so, absolutely. We knew that we all had the talent, but there was something lurking behind myself that did pose a question and that happened at Washougal. At that national there was just a few points separating Broc and me, and in the first moto I started out last and I finally ended up side-byside with Glover. With half a lap to the finish line, my throttle slicks over this huge tabletop jump; in fact to this day that jump is called the "Chuck Sun jump." I got off hard and tore the ligaments in my right ankle and ended up with a soft· cast on crutches after Washougal. Three weeks before the Trophee des Nations I was on crutches and Roger had already made a commitment. With no one else really there to replace me, there was concern on whether I was going to be able to make it. It healed real well and so for the first race I had my ankle taped up like a cast. I couldn't even move it. It was my right ankle. Had you been to Europe before? Yeah. It's a little-known story, but in 1978 I was riding the last two World Championship rounds and I was third in one moto in Russia. It was the last two rounds of the 250cc World Championship and I was on a Husky. Then I did the Motocross des Nations with Rick Burgett, Bob Hannah, Tommy Croft. Rex Staten was supposed to ride, but had hurt himself and they needed a replacement, so th.ey gave me a chance at it since I was already over there. The first race was the 500cc event at Gaildorf, Germany. Hannah was second the first moto and I was eighth. In the second moto, I was second behind Mikkola. Mikkola won both motos. It was huge for me because I was not even a factory rider yet. We were third overall and if Burgett or Croft would have placed within the top 20 in either moto, I believe we would have won. No one knows that story! So I really had some very good experiences in Europe before the 1981 des Nations. You guys pull into Lommel, this whacked-out, whooped-outrsand track, the Europeans are giving you guys a lot of heat about being a "B" team - what were you thinking? It was an awesome track right in their backyard. It is always a little bit more. exciting to be the guy that is not expected to win. To be the guys that are underdogs, and also knowing that we were potentially the best, was great. There wasn't much to say. We hung out together. We were having fun. Johnny was a lot of fun. Hansen was quiet and LaPorte knew some people over there and had a good relationship with DeCoster. We were all just enjoying ourselves. We all knew our abilities were sufficient to do quite well. We went as this energy, as this whole team and strived off the fact that we were just toads (laughter). I believe that we really enjoyed that. After the qualifier, it was so funny because over there they have these tents in the pits that are closed off all around. We were sitting there and in every nook and cranny where there was a crack in the canvas, there were these eyeballs looking in at us because after qualifying, everybody's image turned. They knew we could do well. What was real satisfying about it was that Belgium is, even today, really the backbone of motocross in Europe. There is just a lot of history there; a lot of world champions and Lommel was a traditional training ground. We also knew there were going to be a couple of sand masters there that would just be unbelievable, that could beat anybody in the world on that track. Later, after you guys won, did you realize the impact that victory would have on worldwide motocross? I don't know if we looked that far into it. We were just pretty high right then. There is a different way that they celebrate over there, a different type of involvement. This event had a true international, world championship status. I mean I enjoyed my national championship here in the United States, and the celebration was tremendous, but there was just a little bit of a di fference at Lommel with the podium, the wreaths, the champagne, the absolute admiration of the fans there. It was really an exhilarating feeling that none of us had experienced before. You can see that on your faces in the Lommel victory podium pictures. I think so. How was the week between Lommel and Bielstein, Germany? The next several days were still settling in. We were feeling really good. Then we wanted to do it again on the 500s. So then we started to test and get the 500s ready. There was a lot of riding during the week. Then you could feel the stress start to come up because we were hearing people say that the first win was a fluke and that the 500cc division was the real man's class. You had the most open-bike experience heading into the Motocross des Nations at Bielstein. How did the race go fOT you? At that event, I did very well in qualify-

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