1975 Jimmy Weinert Interview 6-Page Vintage Motocross Motorcycle Racing Article

Description

1975 Jimmy Weinert Interview  6-Page Vintage Motocross Motorcycle Racing Article
Original, vintage magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
M.C. We heard somebody say, some
rotten bastard, that you backed
into the national championship.
How do you respond to that?
J.W. Well, there’s one lucky son-of-a-
bitch in the world.
M.C. Do you think you could have
beaten Tony if he hadn’t busted
himself up a little bit? Ail things
considered?
J.W. As far as all out racing?
M.C. Yeah.
J.W. Yeah, I would have had to win
the next four straight, anyway,
and he’d have, had to take
second in all of.them.
M.C. Who do you consider, let’s say,
Tony’s out of the competition
just for the moment, who is your
next big competition in your
class?
J.W. Hartwig. Stackable and Semics.
M.C. You seem to put it on those
guys all year long.
J.W. I had a lot of luck, even in the
beginning.
M.C. Why don’t you give us a little
recap of the season. Did you
actually plan to be number one?
J.W. That was my plan. I started out
like that, went to Hangtown and
everything was going good, I
was running second, then I final-
ly passed Rex. and ah—that guy
takes up the track.
M.C. What is it like, riding behind
Stackable?
J.W. It’s like watching a tornado . . .
he’s all over ... he just takes
different lines.
M.C. You mean he just goes from
point A to point B and hits
everything in between?
Select company, from left to right:
Weinert, Tony D., Pomeroy, and Brad
Lackey. They put America in the
number two slot at the Trophy
Des Nations in Sweden.
J.W. Yeah, he gets there noc matter
what.
M.C. Hits everything?
J.W. Oh, I wouldn’t say everything,
but he’s learning now; he’s
learning a lot this year now that
he’s on the national circuit.
When he first came out, on every
track he was looking for Bonzai
Hill, but it wasn’t there. In the
first national I finally passed"
him. I fiad a little trouble with
my machine, and I had to stop,
so that messed'me up for that
day. Then we went to Bay Mare,
the national. I would have at
least taken second, but my kill
button shorted out. Then, when
I started the bike, it started
backwards! Man, b killed it in
gear to shut it off, then ripped
the kill button off and started it
again. After all that, I ended
up with a fourth overall.
M.C. We’ve noticed that some na-
tional riders, when they get a
bad start, or fall down early, just
sort of give0 up. We’ve also no-
ticed that Lackey doesn’t quit.
When something like that hap-
pens, and that you don’t quit.
How can you get your head in
shape to charge and ride hard
when you’re a half lap down?
J.W. When you’re goin’ for the Num-
ber One plate, you need every
point you can get, and on that
given day, that’s what’s gonna
make it. If I were to give up
that day, and give up at Hang-,
town when I had the problems
in the second moto and if I
would have just fiddled around,
I wouldn’t be Number One right
now. It’s a combination. Even if
you get just one point for the
day. that could be the deciding
point for the year.
M.C. Sometimes we’ve seen you or
Lackey down by a whole lap due
to some hang up, then end up
6th or 7th in that moto. What
do you do under those circum-
stances? Ride crazy, or what?
J.W. I feel better when I'm under
pressure like that. Because then
you can forget about everything
and just concentrate on going
fast. All you can do is better.
M.C. At the Santa Maria Qualifier,
you got in a big pile-up at the
start and ended up with a sec-
ond in that moto. Does that
ever make you wonder how you
could have ridden if you had...