Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

e!~~~~Y~~~a::~ ~ Carr said Carr. "We're great friends and we know how to work with each other. Kenny has so much to offer, he's just a positive addition to anything you do, whether it be racing the Nationals or throwing a backyard party." But for now, Carr and Tolbert's plans include at least one more season of Grand National dirt track competition. "I know that I will defend my title, that's for sure," said Carr. "Beyond that, it's hard to say how long I'll stay in dirt track. I definitely have my eyes set on road racing." Carr's s tra tegy for his 1993 title defense is simple: stay consistent, but win more races. "This year, I won four races again. I've never been able to win more than four in a season," Carr said. "I think that I need to win more races. There are supposedly going to be 22 races n.ext year, so that should give me more chances to win more races as well." With eight victories in '92, Parker won twice as many races as Carr, but the new champ is not intimidated. "Scotty has always been like that he's always dominated," said Carr. "He has always won a lot of races, but that's just it. In races that he doesn't win... .(Left) Where it all began - Lodi Cycle Bowl. Carr makes it a point to visit the venue a few times each year. (Below left) Carr enjoys the luxury of having a motocross track in his backyard. "My neighbors are pretty good about it," said Carr. (Below) Mechanic Kenny Tolbert has played a key role in Carr's on-track success. "He's my best friend, I couldn't have done it without him," said Carr. bike. Riding a motocrosser is pretty physically demanding and it keeps you sharp. I try to stay on some sort of motorcycle all year 'round." Another hobby that Carr enjoys - and finds time for - is golf. "I've been playing golf pretty regularly since I graduated from high school," said Carr. "It's a great way to kill foui or five hours at a time when you're on the road. There's also a course about 10 minutes from my house, so I c!Ul play pretty often when I'm at home." When he's not out riding or playing golf, Carr chooses to spend his free time at home with Stacey. A natural athlete, Carr finds that he doesn't need to train regularly to keep in good physical shape. Carr owns no running shoes, doesn't belong to a gym and hates to follow any set training schedule. A pair of his and her mountain bikes sit in the corner of the garage, but only one appears used. Carr's is the one with the cobwebs in the spokes. A HarleyDavidson Lowrider sits parked next to the bicycles, but that too has cobwebs clinging to it. . "I wish we would ride it more," whines Hall. "I want to chrome it out and go cruising, but Chris doesn't like to." "The good time of the year to ride it is in the spring and summer, but I'm always gone racing/' said Carr in his defense. "I think the last time I rode it was on the motocross track in the backyard." When the question of marriage pops up, both Carr and Hall begin to squirm. "It'll probably happen someday, but it's hard to say when," said Carr. "We've talked about it, but never just sat down and said, 'Hey, let's do it.' I think it might just be a spur-of-themoment thing where we just go do it, but it's too hard to say when right now." The mention of children, though, brings a sparkle to Carr's eyes. '~I'd definitely like to have my own race team someday," he joked. "Well, that's if they choose to race. They'd probably be a lot better off if I bought them a set of golf clubs at the age of three, but I plan to support them in whatever they choose to do. If they do decide to race, though, they'll have to understand the risks involved." Racing is for sure a risky business. When ask~d how long he plans to race, whether it be on the dirt or pavement, Carr repied, "I think that it depends on . a lot of things. Health, wealth... enjoyment. If I'm still healthy and having fun, I can see myself racing until I'm 35 or so." 14 well, let's just say that he doesn't have a lot of seconds. There's not much middle ground for him. "I think there was a year when Randy Goss won tpe championship, and he only won one race. I think that there will be a greater trend towards that with the new schedule. Consistency is going to really payoff, not domination. I'd say that I'm pretty steady and I get my share of wins." And who does Carr see as his biggest threats to his title? "Scotty, obviously. fie'll-be out to reclaim the title. WhefChe really wants to do something and he's focused, he's tough," said Carr. "If Ricky Graham continues to ride the way that he did last year, he'll be real hard to beat. If it hadn't been for those two breakdowns that he had, he would have been right in the thick of things this year. I can see Ricky really being a part of the big picture next year. I think that if Larry Pegram has a little more luck and can stay consistent he will be a threat." But what Atherton? "I don't think that Kevin has developed enough consistency to be a true title contender. I don't want to be saying that he should be doing this and that, but I think some of his judgment this year was-poor," said Carr. "When fie broke his arm this season on a road racer he lost a lot of points. Obviously, though, he felt that it was a good time to be practicing on a road racer. Kevin has an awful lot of natural talent and he's an awesome rider, but you have to be a good racer as well. "Just look at Scotty. Scotty is one helluva racer. There are so many times when he will just pull something out of his hat and surprise us all. You have to be a great rider as well as a great racer." After the season ended, Atherton suffered yet another setback when he broke his femur while practicing on his motocross bike, a hobby that Carr enjoys as well. "I like to ride my motocrosser, I think it's good practice. When I ride one, I'm usually out of control and I think that's good practice for when you get out of shape on a dirt tracker. It teaches you how to save it," said Car·r. "As for Kevin, well - at least the season is over. Kevin goes really good on a motocrosser - there's his natural talent again. As for me - well, let's just say that I'm not into jumping triple jumps like he is. I just like to trail ride and get time on a Upon retiring, Carr plans to stay involved in the motorcycle industry. "I want to make a contribution to the sport in one way or another, but I haven't really given it much thought. It may be as a promoter or a shop owner, who knows? Right now, my way of giving something back to the sport is in helping out a few young dirt trackers. I don't need to mention who, they know who they are," said Carr. If Carr makes a successful transition to road racing, he will more than likely make enough money to retire and live a life of leisure, but such a lifestyle doesn't . appeal to him. ''I'm sure everybody dreams about just loafing, you know -living on a golf course," said Carr. "But there's too many things in this world that need to be done to be out loafing. Besides, it's not time to think about that yet, I still have things to accomplish and goals to meet." Ah yes, those infamous goals. Carr's next battle is defending his dirt track title, and the road race wars still lie ahead. Armed with perseverance and hard work as weapons, Carr plans to enjoy success in the future as well. No matter how long it takes. eN

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