Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Turning Points en Ricky Carmichael clinched the 2005 AMA 250cc National Motocross Championship in Delmont, Pennsylvania, it marked a turning point for Suzuki, as the brand claimed its first 250cc National MX title since 1999. And that '99 title marked a turning point for South Africa's Greg A1bertyn, who came to the United States in 1995, after having won three World Motocross Championship crowns. Before his quest for an AMA Championship was over, he would very nearly be out of the sport of motocross. Perseverance and a profound faith in God got A1bertyn through some of the darkest days of his career, and when it was over, he reaped what he had sown. "One of the qualities I admire in guys like Ricky [Carmichael] and Deremy] McGrath is how they are able to remotivate themselves year after year after year, racing the same championships," Albertyn says. "For me, when I turned pro, I moved to Europe, and my first goal was the I25cc World Championship. I won that, and then I went up to the 250s and won two in a row. Then I felt like I needed a new challenge, a new goal, and that was to come over to the states and win [AMA] super- W cross and motocross." But A1bertyn's mettle was seriously tested in supercross, as he crashed out at the series opener in 1995 and 1996, suffering the same injury both times. Each crash would adversely affect the season after it. "I found out that I was allergic to supercross," Albertyn said. "Every time I rode it, I went to the hospital. I dislocated the same shoulder the same way. In 22 years of riding, I've never done that again." A1bertyn now admits that those early mishaps may have been a result of being too big for his boots when he stepped on American shores. While he knew the compe- tition was tough, he figured that he was tougher. But setback after setback began to corrode Albertyn's iron will. "The Lord was allowing me to be humbled, for sure," A1bertyn said. "Right after I'd won my third World Championship, I was leading the MX des Nations, and I hit a deer. Then, two weeks later, I broke my navicular; then I was riding for three weeks before I dislocated my shoulder in Orlando. Then, five weeks after that, I separated my other shoulder in Indy. Then I came back and 102 SEPTEMBER 21,2005 • CYCLE NEWS broke my navicular again, and it didn't heal, and 1 had to have surgery. Then I came back about two weeks before that Orlando race [in '96] and dislocated my shoulder again. Then in San Diego, I tore the ligaments in my ankle. It was literally a year and a half of carnage. Every time I got a bike... My whole career, I had never had injuries, and then I had all these injuries in the space of a year and a half. Pulling myself out of that downward spiral was one of the toughest things I've ever had to do." Gre Alb There were little victories to the ~ ;rtyll Was the I keep A1bertyn going, such as his the title ab~~c~ Natiollo/a;.~,:,all beSides Ricky C . overall win at the Unadilla National in r a foctory fhoIhPiollshi=~':;bhoel to will 1996, and a win at the Los Angeles Supercross in 1997, 999. ertyll WOIl but Albertyn will admit that he wasn't getting out of his win his first and only time in America what he had put into it. The idea of quit- career AMA National 250cc National Motocross ting began to set in. Championship. "It crossed my mind several times, but deep down "It was such a deep satisfaction, but it wasn't like the inside of me - and it's nothing that I choose to do - I'm first championships I'd won," A1bertyn recalls of his feela natural-born fighter," Albertyn said. "One of the things ings over winning the title. "When Iwon those, it was like, I always said was that I was not retiring until I won a 'Yes, I've finally broke through. I'm a World Champion. National Championship. That was not going to happen." Nobody knew who Iwas, but that was what I had worked Albertyn says that a turning point came at the end of for ever since I was an amateur.' When I won this time, it 1998. was like, 'Thank you, Lord. I know that You had me come "I had finished second in the Nationals to Doug Henry, over for a reason.' I had overcome the odds." and no discredit to Doug, but I really feel like I could have Even with Ricky Carmichael's much-heralded move to won that championship if he wasn't on the 400," Albertyn the 250cc class for 2000, A1bertyn says that giving up or said. "He had a big advantage there, but for me, I felt that just taking it easy was not part of his mindset once he had I was finally injury-free. I felt like ['99] was the time. I the championship in hand, but in 2000 the injuries knew that I could win the National Championship, and I returned, and A1bertyn made the difficult decision to retire knew that if I was going to win it, this was going to be the at the end of that season. Afterward, he remained a part of year. 1 literally put more work and more commitment the Suzuki organization for two years before moving on. into that year than I had put into anything in my life." Now 32 and living in south Orange County, California, But once again, things didn't start off so rosy. At Glen A1bertyn has a new passion - for real estate development. Helen, A1bertyn got caught in some pileups and netted a "I hooked up with a guy, Gene Baker, who has been disappointing eighth place overall. The following weekend doing it for about 20 years, and we struck a deal," at Hangtown, he was taken out in the first turn of moto A1bertyn said. "I put money into some of his projects, and two and suffered another setback, finishing sixth overall. the rest is history. We have about $250 million in deals that "I was already back to like fifth in the championship, we're currently working on, and I'm making more money and it was like, 'This is it,'" Albertyn said. "I was up to my now than I ever did when I raced. I've been very blessed." eyeballs in frustration. I sat down at Mount Morris, the Albertyn continues to ride the odd race. He competthird National of the year, I sat down with our chaplain, ed at the Glen Helen National in 2003 and raced the last and I said, 'I've done everything I can possibly do. I'm MXGP of the year in 2004. better prepared mentally and physically than I ever have When reminded that he was the last man besides been. What's going on?' He said to me, 'Why don't you Carmchael to win the 250cc National Championship, tell the Lord that?' So I did. I got on my knees the night A1bertyn said that he had forgotten that fact. before the Mount Morris race and said, 'Lord, Your ''That shows you how long Ricky has been dominating," word says that You will not push us beyond what we can A1bertyn says. "But I'm happy with my career. Over the I I endure. I am at that breaking point.''' years that I raced, I won four titles, so that's about a 35-perA1bertyn says that if he hadn't won that weekend, cent success rate. When you're talking the likes of Ricky, it's then he would have quit right then and there. Apparently aetually pretty poor, but I have absolutely no regrets when someone was listening. Instead of quitting, he swept I look back at my career. It's the life values that you take both motos, claimed the overall and got himself right away from it that are the most important. Ten years from back in the championship chase. now, nobody will remember who Greg A1bertyn was." "It was a major turning point," Albertyn said. That's debatable. Greg Albertyn will always go down Albertyn would go on to win two more AMA National in the record book as the last guy to win the AMA 250cc rounds that season, Millville and Steel City, and when he National Champion in the pre-Carmichael era, and didn't win, he almost won, just missing the overall at Red that's most definitely a turning point in the history of Bud. Before it was over, A1bertyn clawed his way back to American motocross. eN Suz':r.:7'i:

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