Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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CN III ARCHIVES BY LARRY LAWRENCE I t was a big showdown between David Bailey and Broc Glover. The backdrop was the world stage as the two battled for victory in the 1985 Nissan United States Grand Prix of Motocross at the iconic motocross track in Carlsbad, California. Glover was at the top of his game and su- premely confident. He would go on to win that year's AMA 500cc Motocross title in spite of riding an air-cooled Yamaha YZ490 that was behind the times as compared to Bailey's state-of-the-art liquid-cooled Honda RC500. Glover was the fastest rider on the track that day at Carlsbad, but in the unpredictable world of motocross racing, it's not always the fastest who wins. The mid-1980s was a transitional time for motocross racing in America. The country had come out of the early '80s recession and bike sales were on the early upswing in what ultimately would prove a massive explosion of growth that would last for 20 years. America was in motocross dominance and the starting gates were filled with some of the most talented groups of riders in the history of the sport. Yamaha was also making a big push at this time to unseat Honda as the number one motorcycle company. Japan was at its peak economically and both companies poured major resources into their racing programs. So, the stakes were high in the Bailey-Glover battles that year. Nowhere was the visibility at a higher level than the USGP at Carlsbad. The race was captured every season by the cameras of ABC's Wide World of Sports and everyone wanted to be at their best for that race. So important was nationally televised racing at the time, that nearly all of the top riders in AMA Motocross raced in these events, in spite of being in June, the middle of national champion- ships. Coming into Carlsbad, Honda riders Dave Thorpe and Andre Malherbe were locked in a tight battle for the 500cc MX World Champion- ship (Thorpe would go on to earn the title). And while they both wanted to win in America, neither were anxious to get into a knockdown drag-out with the talented Americans. Glover was coming off victory in the '84 GP at Carlsbad. He was ready to make another state- ment. His gear shocked the MX establishment with its pink highlights. It seemed outlandish at the time, but actually began a trend of pink and other neon colors in MX gear in ensuing seasons. Glover came out of the box showing his speed, posting the fastest qualifying time of the morning. As the riders took the gate, the cameras caught Glover readying himself on the line. He looked completely calm, confident that the race was his for the taking. Bailey was not so self-assured. He'd been battling nagging little injuries all season. Yet his world-class fitness level, arguably the best in mo- P120 Bailey's Carlsbad USGP Win