Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

INTERVIEW Alter much soul searching, Tennesee's Mike Brown will be headed to Europe to campaign the 250cc Wor1d Championship MX 58r1es as a member of the Chesterfield Yamaha team. He'" be following in the footsteps of such legendary riders as Donny Schmit and Bobby Moore. By Eric Johnson egendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said that the ore times you put steel through fire, the tronger it gets, and if there's anyone rider in motocross who embodies this statement most, it's Mike BroWn. From the time he first stormed out of Johnson City, Tennessee, as a rank-andfile Pro-Am racer, Brown has been a rider of exceptional talent and desire. From the sketdly, early days as a do-it- 26 yourself privateer, to an ill-fated stint on Mitch Payton's Team Peak semi-factory team, to making a serious run at the 1995 AMA 125cc National Championship - where he won the Washougal National - Brown has been a force to be reckoned with. But somehow, some way, Brown never caught the eye of the factory team managers. For some odd and suspect reason, his best just wasn't good enough for them. However, the hand of fate has recently given Brown a good, strong pat on the back. Michele Rinaldi, legendary GP campaigner and now renowned team manager of the high-profile Chesterfield Yamaha factory effort, put a call into the home of the Tennessee rider. Rinaldi was calling to inquire if Brown might be interested in racing the F1M 250cc Grand Prix circuit for his Italian-based syndicate. For the battle-hardened Brown, it was a very intriguing pr9position. One that took some serious soul searching. While Brown mulled it over, rumors swirled about him and his possible exo- I dus to Europe. Would he tay or would he go? In an effort to set the record straight - and find out his fate for 1997 we got Mike on the phone, and here is what he had to say. Inquiring minds want to know, where will Mike Brown be riding this year? I'll be racing for Chesterfield Yamaha out of Italy. I went over there in September and checked things out, and then I just went back a couple of weeks ago. The bikes are just great and the team is very professional. I'm really looking forward to this. Where is the team based? Parma, Italy. What's the town like? It's little, but it's not bad. It's going to be good for me because all I'll be able to do is training and ride. That is what I'm going to have to be doing while I'm there. The place just seems grea t for riding and training. How did the deal come together? Is it true that Bob Moore had a hand in it? Yeah, Bob Moore helped me out a lot. Rinaldi actually called me, but Bobby Moore was helping him look around for a rider. But Rinaldi actually called me one day and asked me if I would like to ride for him and I never really knew who he was. So when he called I was pretty surprised. Coming out of the blue like that, and racing in America your entire life, was it hard to make a decision? Yeah, especially the first week. I guess at first I didn't really pay much attention to it, although I didn't really have much going here. I had a few things going on, I had a contract set up with Mam:hester Honda, but they weren't really paying that much money. I asked Rinalgi how much they would be able to pay me and it kept going up and up. So then I finally went over there and rode the bikes, and they got to see me ride and I guess I was what they needed. How has Rinaldi been to you? He is super nice. He helps me out with anything and everything. They are the best people I have ever worked with. He is real pumped with me right now because I just recently won both Belgian supercross races in Ghent and Brussels.. Mike Craig, Stefan Everts and all those guys were there. He's never had anybody do well in supercross before, so he was real happy with that. How is the team set up? Tallon Vohland wilJ be my teammate and w~ get along real well, I like him a lot. The team is great. It is the most professional team I have ever seen, really. They have everything and they are so organized. It really seems great. Have they taken you around to any of the GP tracks over there yet? Yeah, they have taken me to a few of the tracks and they're pretty good; they're real fast and I like the outdoor tracks better than supercross anyway. I think I'm really going to like the tracks over there. You've had a real up-and-down career here in the United States, racing for and being let go from Team Peak and Honda of Troy, yet you have always came back swinging. Do you see this Chesterfield Yamaha ride as redemption for aJl of your tenacity? Yes. I guess things have been tough here at times, but this is probably the best ride I've ever had. Riding for the factory is going to be real good for me. I'm aware that you probably haven't really raced much against those guys, but who do you see as your competition on the FIM 250cc GP circuit? I know those guys a little bit. (Sebastien) Tortelli wi1J be the fastest one I think, and Everts will be right there. Endurance will be the biggest thing, I think. Forty-five minutes is a long time to race. Will you miss the United States racing scene at all? Probably (laughter). I'm going to do the first four supercrosses here. I'm only going to be over there for three or four months at the most, so I'll be flying back and forth quite a bit. Are you trying to learn the Italian language? Ahh, I'm trying to. My wife, she's been studying it a little bit. Have you been to Europe at aJl before all this went down? I've raced a bunch of supercross events over there, but that's really about it. What have your friends and fellow racers had to say about-your new move? I've been talking to a lot of people about it. I was over there in Europe a couple of weeks ago, and everybody was there, and they alJ knew I was going to be rid-

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