Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127860
INTERVIEW By Anne Van Beveren Photos by Tom Van Beveren estry Abbott was named af ter an old Western movie tit led "Destry Rid es Again." It was obvious that the nam e was going to stick but, 25 years ago, when th e namin g was b eing done, nobod y had a d ue that the rest of the movie's title would end up being so ap propriate. Alt hou gh, to d o him justice, the title would really ha ve to be "Destry Rid", Again... and Again... and Again." Destry Abbott is widely known as a desert racer from Phoeni x, Arizona . He overalls local dese rt eve nts, runs high in the Nati onal Hare and Hound Cha mpionship competition each year, and is a constant threat in Nevada's Best in the Desert raceseries. But, like the titl e of th e movie, the titl e d esert racer re all y d oesn't do Abbott justice. In add ition to his success Destry Abbott "Th e ISDE was important to me because I wanted to go over there and prove myself - prove that I could ride with most of the guys and do really well as an all-arou nd rider. When' got there, it was, 'Oh, him , "he's a desert racer: bu t I turned a lot of heads by the time I'd finished . Doing that was reall y nea t." Abbott wasn't qui te born into motorc ycli n g , but h e certai n ly g re w up around it. "My Dad raced d esert and ' started rid ing wh en I was abou t seven," said Abbott. "I had a little old 79 bike - just so me th ing to learn o n - and' reall y enjoyed riding becau se I've always been an active pe rson. My dad really didn't want me to ge t into racin g, but every· thing is competit ive with me and' did my first race when' was II." Abbo tt's racing career d idn 't exactly take off like a rocket. " I' v e a lw ays b een a bit slow," h e admitted , wit h a lau gh . '" had to work - in the desert, this racer is at home on the motocross track, has enduroed his way to seco nd in the Open class in Tecate, Mexico, and has grand-prixed his way to second overall and first Open Bike at Virginia City. He has a lso conquered Pikes Peak, overalled an ISDE qualifie r in Northern Ca lifornia, and recen tl y earned the distinction of being the only American rider to earn an overall w in in a specia l test at this year's ISDE in Italy. The icing on the cake is tha t he is probably the only American club team rider ever to overall a special test at an ISDE. And, just for good measure, he did it twice. "I've always been known as a desert racer, but I d on't really thin k of myself like that because I do so much mo re, " said Abbott. "I'd really like to be known as a n a ll-a rou nd rid er . Ty Da vis an d Larry Roeseler are known as great allaround riders and tha t's so met hing I want, too .