Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

hire a helicopter, or they can send riders to any series where they might need them. Anyone can buy a radio - there's nothing wrong with it because that's the way racing is done now. A good example of that is the way Kawasaki was pressirg the issue that Steve and Rodney didn't ride the whole Endur5' Series. Yet nothing was said when Ty rode the Ocala (Florida) and North Carolina GNCCs without any intention of riding the whole series. He took two points from Hatch, enough to hurt him in the series. And Davis rode that National Hare Scrambles he won and never intended to run that whole series either. So you feel that what he did on the front end of those series, your guys did on the back end? Right. Ty won the event and Steve got second. If Steve would have won the event, he might have won the National Hare Scrambles title. If Rodney and Steve hadn't been there (in Delaware) I might not have won my title. If you're in a war, use all of your weapons. Yeah, that's how I feel'about it. Everybody has their opinions. But I know that I put myself in position to win that title because I rode really well the last part of the year. We came to war and presented all our weapons and it came out for us. So what was the resolution of the protests? After the event, they said they would not protest the event itself but they said they would protest the rider. But what can you do to a rider who disqualifies himself? So they sent a protest to the AMA, the AMA elected a committee of three people, they had a conference call about it and it's my understanding that without even talking to me, just talking to Kawasaki, they all three voted in my favor. They voted that we did nothing wrong by the rule book. Then they awarded me the National Championship in Las Vegas. The only thing that could possibly be done is an appeal, but the appeal date passed, so it's pretty much over. We did nothing wrong. I may have accidentally started this rumor myself - a bench-racing accident - but I have to ask you anyway: Is it true that you are considering retiring? No, not whatsoever. Several years ago, I was looking at racing and the business we have here at home. I thought maybe it was time to do something else, but the more I got to thinking about it, especially the last couple years, this is a great life. I'm making money racing, there's people involved in racing that are some of the best in the world. I've had so much fun and it's something I love to do. The opportunity to have a business at home will be here. Also I still have the capability of winning, especially winning enduros. And the knowledge I've learned in the last couple years in the GNCCs, I kriow that I'll be more competitive in the series next year than I was this year. (Hawkins.competed in nine of 13 GNCC races and finished eighth overalL) I'm in good shape, I'm happy and right now I can win. As for retiring [ .don't foresee it in the next three or four years. . How many National Enduro events have you won? Fifty-three National events. I've also won a National Hare Scrambles, I've won eight (ISDE) gold medals, four National Reliability events, and probably five or six second-place finishes in the GNCCs. I actually led the last Blackwater a few years ago, but lost it in the last few miles. The GNCCs haven't been my primary series; I've never really had the opportunity to take a win there. If I could win one of those events, it would give me a win in all four series throughout my career. How important was it to you that the AMA decided to include your 1996 National Enduro title and other off-road championships in the program for their recent Awards Banquet in Las Vegas alongside the professional' supercross, motocross, dirt track and road racing awards? . For me it was really important because I lobbied for this for about five years. In every offroad series that I'm involved, along with guys like Scott Summers, my teammates, Ty Davis and Team Green, Scott Plessinger, whoever, we present just as much professionalism as a lot of other teams and champions do. To go to the banquet and be given a chance to show people that we are real athletes, not backwoods guys out trail riding. For me, winning the enduro title in 1988 and then being inel.uded in this awards banquet in 1996 rank as two of the greatest moments of my career. What is your status with American Suzuki? My status at Suzuki i~ that I am no longer an employee at American Suzuki. As of when? As of December 6, 1996. That had to have come as a complete shock to you. Yes, it was. I didn't expect it at all. In my heart I figured I would retire at the end of my racing career with Suzuki. I mean, everything that I have done in my career has been with Suzuki: Six championships, 50-plus National wins, all of that. I was hired by Charles Hal· comb at Suzuki in 1988 at a time when they didn't have an off-road program. I feel like I've played a big part in this program, growing into what I feel is one of the best in the history of off·road. Then all of a sudden they called me on the phone and said that Suzuki felt it was no longer necessary to compete in the enduro series and that they were changing their direction toward the GNCCs and the National Hare Scrambles next year. Do you feel that you deserved a chance to transform your talents in the same direction that they were transforming their goals? Yes, I really believe that I deserve that chance because r know that I am capable of competing in those series. I have won National Hare Scrambles before, I've been a t the top of the pack just about every time I did a GNCC. But the problem with winning one of those is that it has never been my primary series; my emphasis has always been enduro. It's tough to try to do two different series at the same time, and in the past Suzuki always directed me toward the enduro title. I responded with all those championships. If they directed me toward some other series, I feel that I would have been able to adapt quickly and give them success there as well, but I was never even given the chance. Are they Keeping Steve Hatch and Rodney Smith? It's my understanding that they are keeping Steve and Rodney and hiring Paul Edmondson (from England) to compete in the cross country and hare scrambles. Has your dismissal a month after winning another championship for them sunk in yet? What are you going to do now? It's only just now started to sink in. I was most shocked by the way the whole thing was handled. Mike Webb made a caU to me and stated that Suzuki was no longer interested in pursuing a series that was no longer important to them. I disagree with him because 1 think enduro is a very big part of off-road, probably the oldest series in off-road, if I'm not mistaken. He pretty much said, "Thank you and goodbye." I hope you're not taking the company's indictment of that series as an indictment to you personally. Aren't many off-road heroes in history that have the credentials that you have. I mean, in enduro it's Burleson, Baird and Hawkins. I'm not going to (et this get me down. The disappointment comes from the fact that I always thought of myself as being part of Team Suzuki from the start, and to be suddenly pushed out the door like that - I think I deserved more than th.at. On the brighter side, two other manufacturers have already made contact with me and they are very excited about the opportunity to have a number-one rider next year as well as compete in the GNCC Series, which is a little ironic: Suzuki doesn't to give me an opportunity butthese other people do. Does this give you a little extra motivation for 1997? I have a lot of motivation already, but I don't want to get into having any revenge motives or anything against Suzuki because, in the past, they always treated me very well, and I have nothing at all bad to say about the company itself. However, their decision to not keep me and the way they handled it bothers me. On the other hand, I feel I have a lot of racing left in me and I'm anxious to prove myself again. The same thing happened to me in 1987 when Husqvarna said I was too young and injury-prone to Win a championship, so they cut me off. I go over to Suzuki in 1988 and win the first of six championships. Who's to say that 1'm not going to get on another bike now and not win three or four more National Championships? Will you defend your AMA National Enduro title in 1997? Yes, r wiU defend my title. 11'1

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