Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

stress. Going so fast. Racing in Baja is not your usual playing field. Kevin Hines said he wanted to ride the whole way ~is year. But your brain can't read those speeds. All the rocks, all those bumps, so much information is processed - you get brain drain. Last night I went as hard as I could. I tried to beat the sun back to the finish. You pick up all the little rocks. The rim cracked in half. I don't know why I come back here. The charm is of the unknown. Not knowing what will happen. And of memories of people when you're racing, through the little towns. At Erendira this year, the people lined up through the town shouting 'Aiiyeel' . People who don't do it right don't come back. They crash or get lost or run out of gas or they're dead. I've known three or four bike riders die. In 1982 in the San Felipe race, Ward Ring died. He was from San Diego. Some guys at the bottom of the Summit in Cohabuzo wash in the Baja 500 died about 10 years ago. I'd say no greenhorns should race the Baja 500 because of the heat. A Mexican guy, a customer of ours, died near San Felipe. Bob Ballentine (Baker's close friend and partner) lost his leg just below the knee near Uruapan (before the 1982 Baja 500). One last run to check it out. The reason I come back here? Why Dot? It's the unknown. No one knows what's going to happen. It's the people in little towns. I've been in quest of the most beautiful Mexican girl in the little villages. In a little town two-thirds down in Baja called Punta Pequena, there are blue-eyed blonde girls you would swear are Americans. But you talk to them and they don't understand you. Then I figured it out: A lot of surfers come down here. It's 400 people in a little village. We stopped and had lobster tacos. Lobster burritos. A little shack with a card table and a cloth. All we could eat for $2 in 1982. The Baja 1000 is the American Paris. to-Dakar. The average guy can do it. My average customer is 40! They range from 30·60 years old. One guy in Michigan is 79 years old. He has five acres in Michigan. He rides motocross and woods bikes. He has a 1929 AMA card. V sed to race half mile. XRs Only - we helped set up 18 people in the race. We set it up. We charged $640. To wash out expenses. I put in $3 grand or pretty close. We came out pretty close to even. A guy can't go out and set up a pit system here for $640. A guy goes.off Monday morning and tells his secretary: I played racquet ball. Big deal. It's like sports got very Popular and it's no big deal. But 'Hey, I raced the Baja 1000: That has some status. A guy can afford and ride one. And he gets some status and respect because he races bikes. I come here to keep getting beat up! It keeps me young! 1 love itl Bryan Farnsworth says he 'races because he still jumps in bed head first. At least I ride bikes.· Other people, they never thought of going to Mexico. They are in a different type of society. This year the bike was not fast enough. It was just flat not fast enough. Checkpciint to checkpoint. Kawasaki had works MX bikes. But Scott Summers may be like L.R. (Larry Roeseler). He's very smart and he learns. We will make a big effort next year. CN (For Al Baker, there was no next year in Baja. But as long as there's a Baja, his memory will live on. Godspeed, A I ... Editor.) • The eft Support Dealer • Largest Parts and Accessories . Showroom • Special SaVings Now on All eft 't. ~~. 2nd Annual.~~·;'" Models D PRE-CHRISTMAS SALE Friday and Saturday NOVEMBER 20th and 21 st 9 a.m. to 7 a.m. Special Guest Both Days: Supercross Announcer LARRY NASTON TEA HONDA X STARS Stanton • McGrath • Lamson on Saturday, November 21 st from 1 to 3 p.m. HONDA Conw ride with us. Dunlop Representatives on Site! Nature's Recipe Ultra-Lite Cars! 15725 Lakewood Blvd., Paramount, CA 90723 . . (31 0) 531-1225 • (714) 828-4080 .k.a.!l.A!!!.!!!x The Comic Book••• •• • Is bere! ;. . . ~" • t Gear -4"--..... ~ We've put together the m st amazing, hair raising deathdefying adventures of semiprofessional motorcycle enthusiast Team Smitty into a 48 page comic book. Order your. todsy! $2.95 each Just (includes shipping and handling) They're available by using the eN Products Order form, located. near the advertisers index. 'fill ~.. .~ • .

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