Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

A· VIEW FROM THE'FENCE , , . By Eric JOhnsOn ' "Things are really bad back there now," quipped former 1993 125cc World Champion Bob Moore. "In my 12 years over here (Europe), things are the worst they have ever been as far as support. Things are going downhill. "1 don't know why it has changed. It is real tough for the racers to get rides and support. Tim Ferry called looking for me the other day; I guess to investigate the possibilities of going over there.. I don't think anyone has taken him up on his offer." With these words, one has to wonder what has become of the notorious Trans-Atlantic cultural exchange of MX riders. Throughout the '80s and into the '90s it was not uncommon to see a large. number of American racers turn their backs on the- volatile world of American motocross and head over to Europe to make a mark on the FIM GP circuit. However, recently, the trend appears to be going the way of the dinosaur. Not only is there a significant lack of American interest in the overall GP scene, but now it appears that virtually every talented young MX rider on the planet seems to have his sights set on the shimmering, prolific scene that is American motocross. What has transpired to cause this cultural shift within the sport? Read on and I will try to explain. In 1985, a young Bob Moore, hot off winning the inaugural AMA 125cc West Coast supercross championship, packed his bags, went over to Europe to compete in a few international events and never came home. Tired of trying to make ends meet, and lured to the land of his boyhood heroes, Moore decided that he would instead chase his dream of becoming an FIM world champion. He would not be the only one. Soon thereafter, a number of support-starved youngsters - also-rans, has-beens and never-weres - left the United States for the greener pastures of the Old World in desperate search of sponsorship, fame and a chance - a chance they were not able to receive in the high-jinks world of American racing. Riders such as Moore, Trampas Parker, Tallon Vohland, Danny Schmit, Bader Manneh, Billy Liles, Micky Dymond and Mike Healey all surfaced in Europe in the mid to late '80s and were for the most part immediately competitive. In fact, Parker - who had done time in the Italian National Championship Series before moving on up to the prestigious FIM GP circuit and was a complete unknown back hQffie in America - won the 125cc World Championship in 1989. . The late Donny Schmit would then leave America with a bitter taste in his mouth after rampaging to fourth overall in the 1989 AMA 125cc National Series as a complete privateer. Convinced that his excellent results would load him back into the easy life of the American factory rider, Schmit was shunned, perhaps for negative comments about his disdain for supercross, and he stomped off in disgust toward Europe. Sylvain Geboers, realizing the amazing potential in Schmit, immediately hired the young Minnesota rider onto his Belgium-based Bieffe Suzuki ·team. Schmit delivered with the 125cc World Championship in hi$ very i4'st year. Parker and Schmit would then go on to claim FIM 250cc World Championships in '91 and '92, respectively. Europe was truly the land of milk and honey to the American journeyman motocross racer. Meanwhile, back in America, another cultural exchange student from France was on the verge of forever changing the complexion of international motocross. In 1989, a young EM 125cc World Champion named Jean-Michel Bayle arrived in the United States with nothing more than his riding gear and a dream.. Convinced that he would someday be known as the fastest rider on the planet, Bayle set to work on his "vision." Initially shrugged off by American Honda (despite gleaming references from Roger DeCoster and a number of European insiders), Bayle remained steadfast and picked up support from Mitch Payton at Pro-Circuit who had always believed in the Frenchman's abilities - and DeCoster, who gave Bayle his big, silver Ford Econoline cargo van to truck around in. Armed and ready, Bayle set out to do battle in the AMA SX Series. While it took a few events to get things sorted out, Bayle began to improve his speed and style at each successive event. By the time the circuit hit Miami in late February, Bayle had pulled down an amazing second-place finish to the thenunbeatable Rick Johnson. The Americans began to worry.. However, Bayle's finest hour was yet to come. Two weeks later in Gainesville, Florida, Bayle stunned the collective motocross world by winning the Gatorback 250cc National. It was the first time the Americans had been beaten "heads" in over a decade. When the smoke and dust cleared, Bayle then headed back to Europe to honor his commitment of racing the 250cc World Championship for Honda of France. He won easily. In 1990, Bayle returned to the. United States as a member of the mighty American Honda factory team. After a bitter, season-long battle which went down to the very end, Bayle lost the AMA 2SOcc Supercrbss Championship to Jeff Stanton after an early race shunt between the two at the San Jose Supercross. Stanton and Bayle touched tires in a tight corner which left the Frenchman on the ground. Bayle said it was intentional and Stanton called it a racing incident. In any event, it put the relationship between the two on the rocks for the remainder of their careers. xn 1991, there would be no challenging Bayle as he ran away with the American supercross championship. The result was truly stunning and even more impressive when you consider that Bayle 'gave up everything he had accumulated in Europe to come over to a strange land to take on the world's best riders. In a quest to prove he was the best rider on the planet, Bayle threw caution to the wind, came to America and ultimately claimed the title he so desperately wanted. Jean-Michel Bayle and his incredible talent changed the face of international motocross and - for the first time in years - put doubt in the minds of the omnipotent Americans. In fact, Bayle and his lofty achievements ultimately would change the competitive face of motocross around the world. Jean-Michel Bayle, for all intents and purposes changed e",erything. He proved that the Americans could be beaten. For the up-and-coming generation of European motocross riders, particularly the French, Bayle provided a benchmark of greatness. They had all read the stories, seer) the pictures and watched the videos of Bayle and the deep talent pool of American-based racers. America, to them, was the true land of world championship motocross. No longer did they want to compete on the hallowed, dusty and sweeping circuits of GP motocross. To them, the bright lights, big names, big trucks and massive stadium crowds of America was where it was at. As a vivid illustration of this "movement," in 1996 a plethora of world-class international riders plying their trade in the land of McDonald's, Denny's, Monday Night Football, country music and NASCAR - James Dobb of England, Masanuri Enomoto of Japan, Greg AJbertyn of South Africa, Pedro Gonzalez of Mexico, Kim Ashkenazi of Australia, MickaeJ Pichon of France, and. Jaimy Scevenels of Belgium - all put tire tracks into American soil. You can bet that dozens more hope, dream and scheme of making the trek over to the United States in 1997. Is the motocross cultural exchange program now a one-sided affair directed toward America? Perhaps it is. Everts appears to be staying put in Europe while the sensational young Tortell already is looking west in eager antici pation of fame and glory. The young Frenchman has gone 0 record countless times as saying, "Th Americans truly are the world's best.' Additionally, at this point in time, ther appear to be few - if any - young Ameri can riders eager to head toward the F GP circuit. However, that could be du more to economic realities than to a gen erallack of interest or desire. "The European GP teams like RinaJ di/Chesterfield Yamaha or Gebber /Johnson Suzuki would love to go t' America and get a McGrath or an Emi but they can't afford it," says Bo Moore. "They would be the only guys t do anything over here anyway. Th young American guys are now realizin how tough it is to live over there an how far away from home you are. "Living over there, all you can do i ride and race motocross. Now you hav all the French kids who come out 0 their supercross championship tha totally look up to the Americans. The see the .sport and they start practicing a it. They see American supercross as biggest thing in the world. "The French have been pretty suc cessful thus far, with Bayle and Pichon These guys came over to America a have all "the French journalists followin them around and sending the storie and pictures back home, and the ki are in love with it. It is such a big thin for the kids in Europe to come to Ameri ca to race supercross. They look in th magazines and newspapers and see the pictures of McGrath and the bi crowds and the big, 18-wheel trucks, and the team managers walking around with the walkie-talkies and the brightl painted pit karts to drive around i (laughter). They see this stuff and the are amazed. It is just like Formula One to them. "The way things are in Europe righ now, the young kids are struggling just t get parts and support, and they see all 0 this glamorous American stuff and the' minds are made up - they want to race' the United States. Think about when you were 16 or 17 years old, you know?" Moore has a very good point. Has the glamour, prestige, money, sponsorship, TV cameras and overall affluence of American motocross and supercross racing co;mpletely undermined the tradition and heritage of 50 years of FIM GP motocross? Good question. When one looks at the amazing one-way flow of young international motocross talent streaming toward the United States, and the overall reality of the sport's surroundings, the truth of the matter cannot be denied. t:N won the Nazareth Mile AMA National in Pennsylvania when the final was called early due to rain. BSA's Dick Mann finished second and Triumph's Don Castro took third. AMA Superbike Series held at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida. Teammate Mike Spencer finished second and Team Kawasaki's Eddie Lawson finished third, securing the AMA Superbike Championship wit:J:t his conservative race. "It was a Sunday ride," Lawson commented after the race. "I stayed out of everyone's way and rode my own pace. I didn't even rev the engine over 8,500 rpm." land, followed by Kawasaki's Jeff Ward and Yamaha's Damon Bradshaw in third. Suzuki's Guy Cooper won the 125cc National, followed by Yamaha's Jeff Emig and Kawasaki's Mike Kiedrowski, ...Muzzy Kawasaki's Scott Russell won the AMA SuperbikeNational in College Station, Texas. Honda's Miguel DuHa~el and Yamaha's Thomas Stevens got second and third, respectively:':.Team Harley Davidson's Kevin Atherton got his first National victory with a win at the Pomona Half Mile in Southern California. Teammate Scott Parker got second and moved into the series points lead, and Steve Morehead finished third. f:N S j·lOOKlNG BAcK;,. ~ 25 YEARS AGO... OCTOBER 19, 1971 ~ M 0\' ~ "8 ... u o 84 aico's AdoU Wei! won the 500cc International class at the Trans AMA MX held in Unadilla, New York. Husky's Torleif Hansen got second and Suzuki's Sylvain Geboers finished third. Tiin Hart won the 250cc National class on a Maico, while Husqvarna's enduro- ace Dick Burleson took second place and Yamaha's DeWayne Jones got third ...Mike Bast won the United States Speedway Championship with a win at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Southern California. Mike Konle finished second and Larry Shaw took third...Triumph's Gene Romero 15 YEARS AGO... OCTOBER 14, 1981 Y amaha's Broc Glover won the 250cc class at round three of the TransUSA MX series at the Unadilla Valley Sport Center in New York. Teammate Bob Hannah took second and Suzuki's Darrell Schultz got third . Maico's Danny Chandler won the SOOcc class, followed by Jimmy Ellis and Rich Coon, both on Hondas..,Honda's Freddie Spencer won the final round of the 5YEARS AGO... OCTOBER 16, 1991 onda's Jean Michel Bayle won the SOOcc class at the AMA 125/5OOcc National in Budd's Creek, Mary- H

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