Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

ANlA/EA SPOrts Supercross Champion Jeremv McGrath and I don't worry about the money. If you worry about winning, the money comes with it. If I worried about money, then the results would suffer. So I don't care about money. I mean, yeah, I got some, and it's been nice, and I'm not worrying about where my next check's coming from. But if that's alii was worried about, I wouldn't have eight championships. Are you happy with where the sport is going? Well, it seems to be more recognized a little bit now, but I think it's due to freestyle. I'm really happy that freestyle has kind of developed into its own sport, and each of us - Supercross, motocross and freestyle - can benefit on each other. They both have their good points and they both have their bad points, depending on who you're talking to. I still think we need more national TV, but I don't know how it's going to happen. But yeah, it's going good. There's more reco.gnition, and it's getting bigger as a whole. I can't complain. It's a lot different than 10 years ago. Where do you see the sport going in the future? Well, I think it's going to grow, grow, grow, and then it's going to be flat for a while, but even the flat spot's going to be big. It's good. You don't want it to grow too fast, because then it's a fad. If it can grow slowly, that's good. I think the future's bright for motorcycles. I'm glad we're not going to get Gore in there to shut everything down, environmentalist-wise. I think the government's a little hard on motorcycles, but it seems to be bright, the future - closed-course stuff anyway. How have you changed as a person since your first championship? I think I've had always the same goals, and I think' I've always been pretty much the same person. I've had to grow up in this sport - I was a kid when I first started. I've kind of just had to roll with the punches. I've noticed I'm not so amped up on going out and stuff like that [laughs) because I'm a little older now. I definitely have matured, but I don't ever think that I was some hyper kid. J think I was pretty mature and grown up for my age and for the level of riding I was at when I was younger. How much longer do you expect to keep racing? My new team deal, I just signed the part with Yamaha, at least, for another two seasons. I think probably Supercross for another couple of years. I'll be 30 by then, and that's probably enough. I mean, I've had a great career, and I can't complain. I keep trying to get these new ventures and do these new things, and try to make myself some more money. It's all working out, but sometimes it becomes a little stressful. I'd like to just have the team and have the No Fear thing, with only those two responsibilities - downsize, and not have the responsibility of racing in a couple of years. Even if I'm not there every weekend, I definitely would want the team. I think it's good. I think it's definitely a good financial move, if I can keep my main sponsors - Mazda, Yamaha and Hot Wheels. I've had three years with Mazda, and if I can develop more relationships over the next two seasons that I'm going to race, and I can gain the trust of those people, where they can trust me to hire a good guy, and put the weight on someone else's shoulders, and trust me with that, then it's definitely worthwhile. I can see where [a team) is beneficial to someone like Yamaha of Troy, for instance, because they have something to sell. I have nothing to sell. I have results to sell, and if I can't get good results, then it's not worth it to them, but I always want to make - 8 JANUARY 10, 2001 • eye I e IIFor someone to shoot their lips off like thatl • thought it .as a little unfairl and' .as pissed ofI.ll it worth it to my sponsors. I know that with me, I expect it, so I'm going to have results for me. But when the day comes that I have to rure another rider and expect them to do what I do, it's real tough. That's so hard for someone that's done it at my level. I know you recently rode a sport bike at Willow Springs Raceway. What was that about? I just went for fun. I've always wanted to do it. Gabriele [Mazzarolo], from Alpinestars, made me a really nice riding suit, and it's been sitting the 0 a while. So I was, "Man, I want to Q try-'tliat." And I've always wanted to ride a road bike. I don't want to ride them on the ~treet, so it was just kind of the pert opportunity, really. It was really fun. I'm not - n e _ s used to going those speeds, and everything I ever learned on a motocross bike is opposite. Other than those two things, it was fun. I loved doing wheelies at like 120; that was fun. But I went there, and all I wanted to do was drag my knee, and I couldn't even touch my knee on the ground, so I was a little pissed [laughs). I wasn't pissed - I was disappointed. I had this sweet riding suit, and I wanted to mess up the pucks a little bit, and I couldn't even touch those damn things on the ground [laughs]. The one lefthander up the hill, I should have been able to do it, and I was leaning, I was trying so hard. Gobey [Yamaha road racer Alex Gobert] was rjght in front of me, because I told him, "Man, I want to drag my knee." So he gets right in front of me, and just [imitates Gobert dragging a knee) kkkkccccchhhhhhhkkkk. I was like "Man, how's he doing that?" I think my trust in the tires just wasn't there, because I'm not used to that. You can lean it over it's just your head won't let you. I did good, for the big track at Willow. I had a 1:36 on my first time on a track. I've never ridden a street bike - only on the freeway once. Tommy [Hayden) was helping me, too. He's rad ... lt's not that often you get to ride with someone who's that fast. Those guys go flying by me. Now I know how the kids on the motocross track feel. eN

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