Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Cycle News 1972 06 13

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/141031

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 1 of 47

~ MA KING Cl IT M " :> ..., c ~ w Z W ..J U >U f - , Last year , Dave Al dana was No.3 in the nation . T his year, no manufacturer w ill sponsor him . Story and Photos by Rich Hoffman David A ldana rode for B.s .A . as a factory rider for three years. In his first year as a factory rider David was the Number One Amateur rider in th e country. As a rookie Expert he continued his winning ways finishin g Number Three in the nation. Last year David finished in the top 10 again , bu t for th e ' 72 season h e may not eve n ride h alf of the National eve nts. Why? Because financial p roblems have forced Birmingham Small Arms (manufacturer of BSA and Triumph) to drop six of their fact o ry riders including Da vid Aldana, who must now ride as a privateer. The reason fo r the fo llowing interview is to inform the supporters and fans of Class C racing of th e difference between the factory and non-factory riders and what it w ill take to be come National One in 1972 . CNW : How h as losing your factory sponsorship affected you? Dav id : "Well n obody is paying the bills, no free parts, no salary. Alm ost · everything comes out of my own pocket. Dallas Baker bought m y leathers and I've got some help from Irv Se avers, bu t generally speaking I am sp onsoring m y sel f. " CNW : What ab ou t upkeep o n yo ur b ike? Who is doing the wren ching? David : "You're lo oking at him. I've always do ne a lo t of w o rk o n my b ike s , but as a factory rider I d id have th e m o ney to hav e a me chanic with m e most o f the time. Now I j u st have to make it on my o wn." CNW: Mos t of the bikes you are riding this year are different than yo u have ridden in the past ye ars. Is your equipment as good? David : .. It h as to be. You j ust can' t win without competitive equipment." CNW : At the time of this interview, th ere h ave bee n six Nationals and yo u h ave only ridden th ree. What are your ch ances of being in the top 10 this year w ith ou t full sponsorship? David : " It's going to be rou gh. It is alm ost a su re thing that m ost of the top 10 th is year will be sponsored rider s." CNW: How abou t National No . I ? Can a self sponsored rider become National No. I? D avid: " Well , the chances are probably 100 to I against it. Maybe 1000 to I." CNW : T hose are high odds. What are the reasons? David: "Mostly money. It takes a lot to be driving aro und the country all year. Parts, tires, food, you could drive b ack East for a National, blow your bi ke up in p ractice and yo u get nothing. If y ou don 't have the finan cial he lp to get it together for the next rac e and you have to tum around and drive home, now y o u have no t only lost the money you could have won , but you're also out far e.xpc ~5. :t . . . . .. • . HOW DOES IT FEEL--When You're On Your Own? Ask Dave Aldana CNW : Yo u rode Elsinore Grand Prix th is year instead of th e Col o rad o Mile , why? . David: "There were se veral reasons. First of all, I so rt of had an agreemen t with Kawasaki and second, the cost of going to Colorado against what I migh t have been able to win, was just not a good bet. Even if I could h ave d one we ll withou t any guaran teed money it was just too much of a gamble." CNW: Will you be making any trips to the Mid-west or East Coast this year other than for Nationals? David: " I am try ing to work in to at least one trip across country this year. There are several tracks that I have always done well a t before an d I wou ld . like to race them again th is yea r." CNW: You h ave done we ll at Ascot this yea r inclu ding your win at th e Yamaha Go ld Cup , b ut what about th e other riders that were factory sponsore d last yea r? David: " I know for a fact so me of them are having financial tro u ble and unl ess they get so me o utside help things ' co u ld get wo rse ins tead of better. As an exam p le most of th e gu ys th at were riding for a factory last ye ar h ave a few spare p arts but as the season go es on th e parts will be gone and then they w ill be out more money ." CNW: What ar e your pe rsonal feeli ngs abou t Birmingham Small Arms dropping their factory riders? David:"I think it · wa s a financial problem. It not on ly affected the six riders that were working for them, it also put so me good me chanics out of "Racing is my business," wo rk . As I un derstan d it th e who le com pany w ent throu gh quite a ch ange ab o u t th e same time I got my le tter fro m B.S .A . sayin g th at I would n ot be riding for them in '72." CNW: Will y ou branch in to Moto-X or Speedway ra cin g? David: "It's hard to say . Racing is my business, but I've got to be able to do well to make money, so I'll probably stick to what I do best, unless the right thing co mes along." CNW: How about jumping cars? Yo u have been kno wn to do tha t once in awhile . David : "Sure if I co uld race and then between races, I could ju mp so me cars it would probably b low everybody's m ind. It ' s n o t h ar d and if the mo ney was th ere I would d o it." CNW: Are you riding differen t now than you did as a factory rider? D avid: "When you're riding as a factory rider, you're n ot always rid in g fo r yo urs elf. You're trying to work as a team as well as -fo r National points. When you're on your own without a sp o nso r other than yourself you h ave to go all out." eNW: Why have yo u had troub le getti ng a fuU sponsorship this year? David: "At th e first of the year I h ad several ,p eople who said they would b ack me financially , b ut whe n it ca me do wn to race time no th ing eve r h ap pened . So I started racing Ascot an d will continue racing until ·a qualified spo nsor comes up. " CNW: Do you think B.S .A. w ill h ave a fac tory team in the futu re? Dav id : " I d on ' t know. It would depe n d p rim arily on their financial stability ." CNW: ....'hat's in the future for yo u an d th e other riders that were d ro pped this year? Davi d: "I'U keep on racing Ascot and what other races I can drive to . As yo u mig ht have read, Jim Rice is doing OK . Do n Castro has been rid in g some speedway. Mostly everyone is doing about the same thing they di d last year bu t on a limi ted budget." CNW : Yeah, the Year of the Privateer is definitely here. Whether th at's good or bad ...

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's - Cycle News 1972 06 13