Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

_ t doesn't seem so long ago, but it has actually been about seven years since the time that I was an intern at Cycle World magazine and was given my first assignment. The job was to go out and interview a former top motocross racer who had been paralyzed in a racing accident and see what he had been up to in the five years since his crash. One of the staff photographers and I met up with this f01wer champion at his home in Southern California, and while we were in his back yard I spied his son racing around on his BMX bicycle. The man attempted w1Successfully to get his son to park the bike and play catch, but it was clear that all the kid wanted to do was ride. r made a light-hearted comment, something like, 'Well, it looks like so-andso is going to be the next motocross champion to come from.this family." The.former racer looked at me and replied in a way that r never expected and, to this day, have [leVer forgotten. "I'm trying to discourage that," he said in a ma~er that really didn't invite my asking why. Now, r understand that the decision parents face regarding whether or not to let their child race motorcycles is certainly not one to be made lightly. After all, despite its controlled ~nvironment, motor racing is dangerous. Any time you participate in something where the object is to gather more speed than the other guy, it is going to be dangerous. Constantly improving technology has taken man to such dizzying heights these days that a 200-mph pass in tlle quarter mile means that something on the car broke, and a double jilinp is usually something that you sail over on your way to landing the triple. And there are other considerations, such as expense and the tremendous amount of time that must be burned if a racing effort has any hope of beiJ.1g successful. And how many really are? For every Jeremy McGrath or Ricky CarmiellaeI, there are thousands of racers whose bid for the big time faIls short. Is that it? Is failure too big a price to pay? One of my favorite columns ever was written in a 1979 copy of Motocross Action magazine, in which then-editor Dick Miller talked about the decisions that he faced when his son, Rick, wanted to race. Here was a man who was the editor of a popular motocross publication, who deaIt with racing and racers every day, and yet when it came time for him to decide whether or not his own son could go racing, he had to seriously mull it over before giving the okay. Miller went on to explain the pros '!-TId I cons of letting kids race. In the end, it worked out for the Millers, as Rkk began racing speedway and went on to have a very successful career racing in Europe. He even contested for World Championships as an individual and as a member of Team USA. r realize that It doesn't work out for everybody, but r thought that the decision to "let the kid race" was more of a no-brainer, which just goes to show you how naive I am. Anyway, I thought that it might be interesting to contact a few other dads that 1 know just to learn whether or not they would want their son or sons to race. The list isn't long, but as you'll see, it is rather distinguished. Lets start with Aaron Yates. Elsewhere in this issue you can read that the Muzzy Kawasaki road racing star and his wife, Heathet, were recently blessed with the birth of a son, Ashton Aaron Yates, on April 2. As of this. writing, Ashton is less than a week old, but dad already admits to having given the. motorcycle thing some thought. "Yeah, somewhat," Yates says. "I haven't thought about it much, but I'm thinking that when my kid grow up, I plan on putting him on a mini bike and teaching him how to race if he wants to race, and how to go fast. r think that with my knowledge and experience, that can onIy help him. I intend to let him do whatever he wants to do. He will have a lot of opportunities to do wha tever he wants, but I'm not going to push him to do anything." Although Yates wasn't born into anything resembling the Roberts or Roeder clans, he got the motorcycle bug the same way. It was passed on from his father. "My dad did some regional short-track racing in Alabama and Georgia," Yates says. "He raced around the time I was born. When 1 was 5 years old, he got me a minibike, but he didn't really push me to go racing, but we went. It was a father-son deal, and it kept us pretty close." The "family that plays together" aspect of motor racing cannot be denied, and that's probably one of the biggest reasons that former AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr would be willing to let his sons, CaIe, 2, and Cameron, who is just 5 montl15 old, follow in his footsteps. "I'm of the firm belief that if my kids choose to race, then they will have a good teacher, and I will support them," Carr said. "If they choose to play golf... well, then they won't have as good a teacher, and I will support them. . "But racing was an opportunity for myself and my parents to do something that we enjoyed together," Carr recalled. "Racing families are just different than other families. I know some families in Northern California who like nothing better than to leave their 14- or 15-yearold kids behind and go to Lake Tahoe for the weekend." But what about the danger? Carr is well aware of it, having seen several of his fellow dirt trackers lost to horrifying accidents. "Racing is a dangerous endeavor," Carr says. '1 know it, and my kids would have to know it. You have to be willing to accept those consequences. If you are afraid of getting hurt, then you shouldn't even go ou t there. It's worse for me to overcome the stigma that we are all just a dumb lot of guys. Getting respect from the people who put on our races is one thing (that's negative) ·that r wouldn't want my kids to have to deal with." But not everybody thinks that tile race track is the best place for a child to grow up, and all the worse if he wants to make it his profession. One such viewpoint that opposes Carr's comes from ninetime AMA Grand NationaI Champion Scott Parker. Would Parker be willing to support his 2-year-oJd son, Austin Scott, if "Spike" wanted a bike? "Probably not," Parker said. "We probably won't even have motorcycles (when he's older). The sport has been good to me, but it aju't been worth much to the 50 guys running behind me. There's been a lot of opportunity for me, and I've learned a lot of lessons in life from racing, but if you don't take care of yourself right now, then you end up having to go get another job in 10 years to get some cash. I think you find out that it's a lot tougher tilan you thought it was going to be when it is your business. It's such a risk. You see your buddies get hurt or killed. I've seen a boatload of that. r wouldn't want that for him. I don't know. I guess we'll look at it when the time comes. My wife would shoot me." At least Parker is willing to admit that his racing has always been a family affair. His father, David, spent every spare nickel on his son's racing efforts. "My dad liked it, and he did it," Parker said. "He wanted to do it with us. I don't know. I used to be more stern about it, but if he (Austin) wanted to do it, I would want to push him in a direction where he could make the most money, and that ain't dirt track racing. That's either motocross or road racing." But is the lure of the potentially lucrative world of motocross or road racing, with its high-buck factory teams, any BY SCOTT ROUSSEAU more of a reason for a father to encourage a son who is considering a racing career to give those forms .of racing a go? "I don't know," says two-time AMA 125cc National MX Champion, former AMA 125cc Eastern Region Supercro s Champion, defending AMA 250cc National MX Champion and 6 1/2month-old Ian Henry's dad, Doug Henry. "I think it is a dangerous sport." Henry should know, as the glory of his championships has often been diluted by the agony of broken arms, legs or back. At the Budds Creek National in 1997, Henry broke both arms at once when he came up short over a jump. '1 wouldn't encourage it (racing), and I wouldn't discourage it," Henry says. '1t does have a lot of positives - like learning about pressure and deaIing with it. I think that motorcycle racers grow up a little quicker. You learn a lot about life... And traveling - you get to see the world, and that's a real benefit. It keeps you in shape and away from drugs because if you want to be doing well in racing, you can't be doing tilat (drugs)." Just the same, Henry views racing as , a luxury, and as such, he says he won't be willing to just give tile green light to his son.if the day ever arrives and the question is asked: Dad, can I go racing? '1£ he's doing good in school and listening at home, then I'll take him," Henry says. '1f he's not doing good in school or at home, then no." The day does eventually come, though, as two-time World Speedway Champion Bruce Penhall has learned. "I would rather tiley didn't (race)," Penhall says of his sons Ryan, 12, and Connor, 9, "but I find myself back into it as mum as when I was doing it myself. We go to Starwest (Supercross Park) and we have a secret track near our home. It's a fantastic alternative. I'm scared to death that they would ever see hospital time, but when I'm out there willi iliem, I'm into it. And it is better than seeing them head in the wrong direction." Penhall believes that for any child brought up around racing, wanting to race is inevitable. His fa tiler raced motorcycles, boats and unlimited airplanes. His children now watch him contest the APBA offshore power boat circuit. '1t's just that as a parent, you want nothing but the best for your children, and you wouldn't want them to go through the same pain that you went through, but it (,acing) is very educationaI," Penhall says. 'The main thing is that tiley need to be prepared and have respect for motorcycles." _ 30 YEARS AGO... APRIL 22, 1969 20 YEARS AGO... APRIL 18, 1979 10 YEARS AGO... APRIL 12, 1989 ert Lawwill (H-D) tucked in and roared onto our cover after winning the Northwest IT Championship in Boise, Idallo. LawwiIl was joined on the podium by runner-up Dick Mann (BSA) and thirdplace finisher Jim Odom (H-D)... Steve Bast repeated his sweep of one month before, when he won every race that he entered at the Whiteman Stadium speedway races in Pacoima, California ... Dave Aldana (Oss) scored a big Win in the 250cc Expert class at the Arizona IT Championship in Tucson, Arizona... After failing to pick up a win at the previous round of the CMC motocross series, Gary Bailey spent the week tuning his arsenal of Penton and Greeves motorcycles for the Carlsbad MX. It paid off, as Bailey captured victories in the 125, 250 and 500cc Senior classes... "Trick" Yamaha OTIs were going for around $600-700 in the Want Ads section. e Broc Glover/Bob Hannall on-slaught conm\ued during the third round of the AMA 125/250cc National Champion-ship MX Series at Canyon Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona. Glover again topped ilie 12Scc class and Hannall the 2505, with both beginning to build substantial series points leads... The NMA and SaddIeback Park presented the Yamaha Cyc1erama, which was a veritable mota-olympics, featuring several different events over a four-day period. Mike Bell (Yam) and Goat Breker (Hus) split up the majority of the $5000 pro purse for their respective wins in the Open Pro and 250cc Pro classes at the CRC/DG motocross. Erik Kehoe (Yam) won the Race of Champions at the NMA World Mini GP. Jim Burt and Phil Thorstensen were the Open and 250cc Expert winners, respectively, in the CRC off-road GP. Neal Mackel charged up SaddIeback's iJlfi;lffious Matterhorn in 10.99 seconds to win the hillclimb event. And Marland Whaley (Mon) won the SCTA/ACA trial. mericans swept the top three spots in the 500cc class at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka City, Japan. Kevin Schwantz (Suz) scored our cover as a result of his taking the win. Wayne Rainey (Yam) finished second, and Eddie Lawson (Yam) was third. John Kocinski (Yam), meanwhile, won the 250cc class... Je£ffWard (Kaw/) won his second consecutive round 0 the AMA Camel Supercoss after a wild main event in Texas Stadium. Ward and Jeff Stanton battled back and forth for the entire race until Stanton crashed two turns from the finish, securing his fate. Jeff Matiasevich (Kaw) earned his fifth win of the series in the 125cc class... This was our U.S. GP road race preview issue' as well, and it carried features on the sidecar class as well as the two-wheelers. There were also interviews with American riders Eddie Lawson and Jimmy Filice. C. M TI A III !!lii ~ II :i • :iii 0 ~ c( 71

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