Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

TIME REMEMBERED MartySmith pushing me. I remember once I brakechecked him and it dropped him back like five seconds. I don't know if he stalled or tipped over, or what. I won again in the second moto, as well. "The bottom line was that I got both holeshots and won both motos that day. It felt good becau.se I beat Hannah, who was the new kid then. You know a lot of people say that Harmah was faster than me that year, and Bob was a very good rider then, but he had a far superior bike Team Honda's Marty Smith was one of the first real heroes of American motocross. happy Smith is sitting in a lawn chair However, desp;te those aggravating certainly brought from back home - a problems, Smith still put ills best foot forpretty blonde girl is sitting in h;s lap, he ward and made the best of a somewhat has a victory wreath around his neck, a lackluster year in the States. Even though the AMA season hadn't gone the way he number of Japanese and American technicians are standing around him, he is had hoped, Marty was still happy to be home - at least for the time being. drinking a bottle of champagne and he is "The Nationals meant more to me smiling big. Does Marty Smitll remember that moment? . because that's where all my fans were," "(4lughter) Yeah, right, I do rememSmith says in retrospect. "In Europe I ber, and that's my wife. You know what, didn't have that many fans. In fact, I I probably didn't sleep well the night think most of the people over there didn't like me becau.se I was beating their before. A lot of the time the food was crappy, we were staying at a.l) of these guys. At the Nationals, after winning the hotels in different champ;onship two countries and a years in a row, I had ., of times we didlot a a lot of fan support. ~ (the Russians) were , lot of driving, as "It was just being back in America, as de Jlicest guys in the worW,.... well. We drove t.o each country, we well. You know the didn't fly. lingo, you know the "I remember we food, you know the tracks - some oJ them we would see two had a rental car and the big race-truck or three times a year - and you know all van and we just drove from country to country, through all of these border of the people. Then you go to Europe and lines and a lot of times we would get you don't know anybody and don't like the food, you don't speak the language. hung up in customs and we would have to give the guards a bunch of stickers There is just no comparing the two places. and T-shirts or something just to get '1t didn't aHect how I rode. I still rode through. Still, that was a great memoreal well because I actually ended up ry.:' What about the aforementioned picthUd overall in the GPs. At that time, it ture of the 1976 Mid-Dhio United States was the best an American had ever done Grand Prix, where despite the ups and over there. I could have won the thing if it wasn't for an of the mechanical faildowns of the season, he took the meaures. The jet lag didn't really bother me sure of Bob "Hurricane" Harmah? at all." "Oh yeah, it was great, Smith recalls very fondly. "It was a good race for me. I WhEe there were numerous problems, challenges and disappointments for know that my United States bike was Smith in both Europe and America, the better than my European bike. [ know year 1976 certainly held some very bright that I could win both motos because I had won both motos, with holeshots, the moments for the San Diego native. In year before in '75. In '76, [ did the same fact, I vividly remember seeing a picture of Smith immediately after the Grand thing. '1 remember Hannah was behind me Prix. of Derunark. Within the picture,. a weary, but in moto one and was dogging me hard, National and the Worid titles that year. But Honda was into making a lot of changes on that '76 bike and it just wasn't up to par." When the European Grand Prix circuit concluded, Smith packed up and high tailed it home,· never again to return. In his rush to return to America, did he ever contemplate going back to avenge his run at World Championship glory? "I'm glad I did it, but no, I hated with that OW20 r-;;;;;;;;;;;'=======~;;;;;;~l Europe," Smith says Yamaha. That bike bluntly. "I did not was superior, it was ~.... like it and still don't really good. I could "My dad always US£d to like it. I could care have beat him with IIIe daat there would be less if I ever went my bike that season, smnebody to come up _ back there. The peabut it just wasn't my pIe were rude, the year." Jtidt III)' butt...Hannala was food was terrible. While the year the one to kick my butt." End of stor,y. The 1976 will long be whole place was remembered for the stfa!lge. potent rivalry be"There were tween Marty Smith and Bob Harmah, it some nice people in the Scandinavian appears that the struggle was more a figcountries; the people were really friendly ment of people's - and journalists' - imagand the scenery was pretty. But the counination than any real bad blood between tries like France and Italy and Germany, I the two. don't know, it just" wasn't to my liking. Smith explains: "You know, there was The people were really into it over there. always razing about Hannah. Everybody But still, being an American, they didn't thought that we hated each other, and it look at us like they looked at their own. probably looked like it out on the track, Even then, we were the rebels. We were but who has friends on the track? tlle bad guys." Nobody does. We actually got along real Now, 20 years later, Smith believes well. O!' the starting line, or in the pits, at that Europe is a warmer place for the tlle hotel, or in restaurants, we got along American riders, but that doesn't mean just fine. .that they would be able to fight for them"That whole myth that we hated each selves in a war of two worlds.· . other was done by the riders, It didn't "The caliber of riders today - these bother me. My dad always used to tell guys don't train:' Smith claims. '1 used me that there would be somebody to to ride every single day for 45 minutes to come up and kick my butt one of these an hour, without stopping. I was in really days, and Harmah was the one to kick good shape and none of the guys do that my butt. And a few years later, Harmah these days. Taking that into considerahad soII)-ebody kick ills butt." tion, they probably would have a harder Surprisingly, all of the travel and jettime traveling back and forth week after setting - and jet lag - wasn't that big of a week. deal to Smith. It was just something he "But now, things over in Europe are put up with in order to pursue his different. The food is probably more· dreaJJ.\s in the sport he loved so dearly. Americanized, there are more Americans "A young kid could handle all that going over there now, so they probably travel," Smith says. "It wasn't a b;g deal receive a warmer greeting. Back then to me. I was young and could handle there were only one or two Americans going back and forth to Europe and racing there - Jim Pomeroy and Brad America every week. I'm sure a guy that Lackey - the Europeans treated me like is 24, 25, 26, or even 30 years old would crap back then. But these days, I think it's hav.e a harder time with it. I was racing a lot better for the Americans. Maybe it because I loved the sport. I wasn't doing would be easier these days." it to make a living at it. I never went into Is there a rider today, in the modem the sport to make a living. I was doing it era of I8-wheel trucks, TV crews and for fun, and all of the money and that personal trainers, who Smith believes just got handed to me. So I was enjoying could pull of the incredible fea t he going back and forth for the most part." attempted in 76? When all was said and done and the "Jeremy McGrath - and I've always curtain closed on the 1976 campaign, the said that. He has the same attitude I did reviews were mixed on Smith's overall because he is racing because he loves it. I performance. While a number of detracstarted racing because I loved it. I didn't tors felt that what he had attempted to sit by my phone and wait for a call from accomplish was far too comprehensive Honda or Yamaha. It just happened - and and exhausting, Smith doesn't really see I was pretty surprised when it did. That's it that way. why he is doing so good now, because he '1 lived it and was there:' he says. "I loves the sport and it pretty much know what it was like to fly all over the shows." world and race the bike. Anybody that Amazingly, in a young sport that was back at Honda with their feet up on seems to forget its pa t all too easily, the desk or whatever, listening to what Smith's name is still a big deal in the wa happening and seeing all of the world of American motocross. Based in results, may have felt that it was too EI Cajon, California, Marty Smith stays much for one person to do, but in reality, busy teaching motocross schools and it could be done. staying involved in the sport he still "I"felt proud about what I accomloves. plished, but I didn't feel good about not "The schools are doing great:' Smith winning a championship in either series. says proudly. "This has been an epic We tried to \Yin both and didn't win month for me - a record month as far as either, so that was kind of a downer. I business goes. Every year, and this has just had to remind myself that we been going on for the past three years, weren't on as good of equipment as we my schools have been getting bigger and could have been on. I feel confident that bigger, and I'm proud of that. I'm also if I had a bike as good as the one I had in very proud that my name is still out '7~ and '75, I could have won both the there." C·

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