Are you the Real Kevin Schwantz?

Are you the real Kevin Schwantz?

Years ago, as I was riding with a sales rep in Houston, a Ducati 916 passed us on the freeway and was picking off the slower cars. The rider had on a replica Arai Schwantz helmet and the Dainese replica jacket with ‘Schwantz’ across the back. I said to Lewis (the rep) “There goes Kevin!”  He said “You do realize you are in Texas, and it just might be!”

I guess that’s the trouble when you travel a lot; you forget where you are. We then stopped at a Honda shop and the lo and behold, the bike is sitting outside!  Since it was towards the end of the day, everyone was standing around as they closed up.  “Kevin” was hanging around because happened to be buddies with the parts manager. We start talking and he told me he was an attorney.  I kidded him about his “Kevin” gear and he says:

Let me tell you about the time I was in Austin. I was on a case and had a few extra days so I took my bike to ride in the hill country. As I am riding along, not too fast, when a sheriff passes me, makes a big U-turn with his lights flashing and then pulls me over. He jumps out of his car then tackles me to the ground. I am screaming the entire time ‘I am an officer of the court let me go’. After he takes the hand cuffs off he explains he was out here two days earlier and chased me all over but I got away. He was 

convinced it was me because I had Schwantz all over my helmet and jacket.

We all had a laugh because we knew it was probably the real Kevin.

Several months later I ran into the real Kevin Schwantz at a show and told him the story. He got a big smile on his face and said “Could have been”.

Dave Leach, Four Time Isle of Mann TT Winner

Dave Leach with the famous Yellow with Red Polka Dot Helmet!

  

On my first trip to the Isle of Man in 1990, I met Dave Leach, a racer riding for FM Yamaha and shod with Avon tires.  He was a three time TT winner, with his first race win in 1988 on a Padgetts FZ1000 0W01. In 1990 he was riding a FZR400 RRSP, which is kind of a baby 0W01.

Standing at the starting line I was talking to Dave and told him we did not have that Yamaha in the States. He said to me “You can buy this one in about an hour and a half”. So during the entire race I was thinking “do I really want to buy this thing?” I didn’t think I could get a license for it in the States; I don’t race and I cannot afford to buy it and just put it in my garage. After the race, which Dave had won (his Fourth win); he asked if I wanted it.  I said no.  I guess some guy from Japan bought it and had them crate it up, with the bugs still all over the front of it and send it to Japan.  Dave also took a 3^rd in the Senior Class, a 5^th in Formula 1, and 10^th in the Junior Race.  Unfortunately his bike broke down while leading the Supersport 600 race.  But that’s just racing!

Later he asked if I wanted to go to the awards banquet, and since I had a ticket and he had won I thought it might be cool. We show up and Dave says we should sit in the back.  In my mind I’m thinking ‘you’re one of the heroes, we should be up front’.  After we sat down they start by saying “Finishing 20^th in the 125cc class is…” With that we left and snuck down to the bar for about an hour, and then came back to get his trophy. 

IOM TT Trophy

I might add they are one of the classiest trophies around.

The next year Dave came to us to race a 750 at the Daytona 200.  It’s my turn to show him around.  I took him to the short track races, to which he thoroughly enjoyed. While we were at the stadium we ran into some of the staff from the Speedway.  They invited us up to the top level, where the announcer sits.  They interview Dave during one of the breaks and asked him if he liked dirt track to which he responded that he would give it a go if they had it in the UK, as it looked like fun!  Then they asked him about racing at the Speedway. He said “It is a little scary going 170mph right next to the wall.”  Now I am thinking to myself, here is a guy that rides 100 mph on very narrow country roads with light poles, houses, and stone walls everywhere, and he thinks Daytona is “a little scary”. 

The terrible part of this story is in 1992 Dave was racing at an Irish road race and crashed in the rain.  He came off the bike and ended up straddling a tree at probably 60mph (ouch!). It almost killed him.  But it did shorten him by I think he said a little over a ½ inch. Two years later he was at Daytona getting around with two canes and informed me all the ‘important parts’ worked fine.  

In 1995 he made a return to racing the Isle of Mann TT, which at the end of the 1997 season (after sitting out 1996) he hung up his leathers for good.  Here’s a video link of Dave in Practice in Ireland in 1995 (watch for that helmet!!)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuDMYUUqB0s

I guess scary is a relative term.  

Dave Leach at IOM Parade of Champions

The Surprised Brit

One of the great things about the motorcycle industry is meeting a lot of really great people.  And you get to do things with motorcycles all the time and call it ‘work’.

I have been going to Monterey, California to attend the races at Laguna Seca Raceway since the mid ‘60s, when I was in high school. Back then it was with SCCA and the Can-Am car series, and I was part of the crash crew (but that will be another story). I started attending the AMA National roadraces in the mid ‘80s then it was World Superbike, followed by the 500cc GP races, and now the MotoGP. The second year of the 500 GP they ran side cars with the bikes and it was quite wild as several flipped in the cork screw!  

Trackmaster Triumph

Since Avon Tyres dominated the side car races, three of the guys from Avon Racing UK came to the States. For one of the lads, Andy, it was his first trip to the States.  So we decided to show the boys a good time.  I let Andy ride the bike I brought down, an ex-dirt tracker, the Trackmaster Triumph, and he acted like he was Scott Parker or somebody.  

The racing went very well for Avon and the team of Steve Webster and Tony Hewett won.  Steve is the only man to win 10 FIM World Sidecar Championships. The team is most probably known for their spectacular crash at the Dutch GP in 1985; here’s the video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF_DZ1SXEoQ .

Steve Webster and Tony Stewart, Laguna Seca

Left to Right:  Nick Ienatsch, myself, Steve, and Tony, and the passerby

That night all the lads from the UK and I were out for a victory drink at what is now know as Sly McFly’s.  I had noticed this “young lady” (I am going to be nice and say in her 30’s) who was probably a regular at the place, flirting with all the guys at one side of the bar. On my way back from the restroom she and I came face to face and I asked her “Would you be up for some fun?” I explained I had this Brit friend with me (I pointed him out) and it was his first trip to the States and he would be over the moon if he got a little attention from a California girl, maybe even a little kiss on the cheek. I never would have asked her, but I had a feeling she was the kind of gal that would be up for that sort of thing. Now Andy and I are sitting in the front corner of the place with a window behind us.  On our left I saw her coming back from the restroom.  Then she turns at the door, goes outside past our window and disappears.

Then the Avon lads sitting across the table from Andy and I get a very startled look on their face. Moments later she reappears and proceeds to sit on Andy’s lap. To say he was surprised would be an understatement!  Andy has a tendency to talk the talk, but not necessarily walk the walk. She gets him to turn his chair so she can straddle him. She has her arms around his neck and is giving him all her attention and he has not spoken a word and is beet red.  The more dumfounded he gets, the more she pours it on!.  She is really eating it up and the next thing I know she grabs her shirt and flashes him. I thought Andy was going to pass out! She soon departed and I don’t know how long it was before Andy took a breath. The reason the boys across the table were in shock was when she went out earlier, she flashed them through the window behind our backs.  Welcome to California Andy!!