1981 David Bailey Gary Baily Motocross School -2-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article

Description

1981 David Bailey Gary Baily Motocross School -2-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, vintage magazine advertisement / article.
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm)
Condition: Good
NEW SHOE
DAVID BAILEY
The prodigal son graduates
By Dennis "Ketchup" Cox
David Lee Bailey is a nine-year
graduate of the Gary Bailey School of
Motocross. Since his first job as a comer
flagman at father Gary's schools, he has
progressed into the enviable position of
being one of the most promising of the new
crop of riders to assault the National circuit
in 1980.
What makes his situation so promising is
the fact that at 18 years of age David has al-
ready piled up an impressive list of creden-
tials, with both National Amateur and Re-
gional championships to his credit. At his
first-ever GP in 1980 at Unadilla he was
first privateer and sixth overall. He won the
Support class of the Trans-USA that same
year on a factory audition team ride for
Kawasaki.
In his first year as a fully licensed AMA
pro (1979), he picked up National number
93 riding a Bultaco; coincidentally, this
was what his father's first year expert
number had been. Not only that, but it
looks like his new National number for 1980
might well turn out to be #38, the same as
his dad's second year expert rating. Like
father, like son.
David's coach, philosopher, trainer and
advisor is, of course, the "Professor,"
Gary Bailey. Gary believes David hasn't
yet tapped his full potential.
"Some of the guys I'm racing against now and beating are the same ones I used to get autographs from."
IT WASN'T ALWAYS THAT WAY
"Everyone thinks I came out of my mom
riding a bike," quipped an amused David
Bailey.
"At first when we lived in Florida I was
really a rotten rider. I started out racing a
Yamaha mini -enduro 60. I'd get on the bike
after flagging all day at the schools and ride
around till I couldn't see anymore.
"I started racing more seriously and
paying a bit better attention at my dad's
classes."
David had always refused to ride the
bigger bikes and had gotten used to racing
his 125 Bui, but father Gary made him ride
the bigger bike one day in spite of his ob-
jections. He ended up winning the class the
first time out. The same thing happened in
the Open bike class.
TIME MARCHES ON
"In 1976 we weren't doing as many
schools, so I started riding the Open class
and decided to set a goal and try and be-
come the AMA Open Amateur National
Champion," said David.
He won the first two Eastern regionals
and advanced to the National Amateur
David Bailey has blitzed on to the National motocross scene in a big way. Graduating
from the Amateur National Championships, the 1980Trans-USA Support class cham-
pion is making a name for himself in the big leagues.
Championships, where he nursed his baby
Bui across the finish line for the cham-
pionship.
"Dad always taught me to do all my own
maintenance on my bikes, so when my
motor started going sour, I was aware of
what was happening and knew what to do to
get it to the finish line. I still ended up with
the Open class National title.
"The National Amateur Championships
were at Lake Sugar Tree, our home track,
the following year (1977). The Axton, West
Virginia, track had been our home since
1975. Well, as you can guess, there was a
lot of grumbling about that, since we lived
next door and all. They had changed the
track totally and everything, but that didn't
seem to matter. I won the first moto, but
during the second moto I jumped the start-
ing gate and it ended up falling and
pinning my foot underneath. By the time I
got untangled and on my way again I was a
lap down."
Bailey managed to unlap himself and
work his way back up to sixth. He ended up
getting penalized a lap for jumping the
start and wound up with 23rd instead.
During 1978 David started to ride both
the 250 and Open classes every week. He
went on that year to capture the 250 Nation-
al Amateur Championship. David Bailey
had decided it was time to move on to the
next plateau.
TURNING PRO
"My first year as a licensed pro was quite
a learning experience," related the young
Easterner. "I hit the Florida series to see
what big-time motocross would be like.
"I went to Florida with a year-old Bul-
taco. I knew that even if I jumped the gate I
wasn't going to get the holeshot on that
bike.
"At the end of the Florida series we pretty
much knew we couldn't keep competing on
Bultacos. The Uni-Traks were just coming
out, and a friend of ours at Bultaco was now
working at Kawasaki, so we decided to try
the Kwackers out.
"My first Supercross race in Atlanta was
on the Kawasaki, and I holeshot my heat
race."
In that heat race against the likes of Mike
Bell, Broc Glover, Jim Gibson, Marty
Moates and Rick Burgett, young David
Bailey ended up fourth.
"I suddenly realized that a lot of these
guys I was racing against and beating were
my heroes growing up. I mean, I would
have been down in the pits getting these
guys' autographs a year ago."
ANOTHER STEP UP THE LADDER
For the 1980 season David ended up
missing the first two 250 Nationals. He more
or less had to wait unbl they got closer to
home so he could afford to race the remain-
ing events. His first race was Southwick,
Massachusetts. Bailey placed a creditable
13th. At Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania, he was
eighth overall and top privateer. At about
this time he started pitting with the Kawa-
saki team at the races and began getting
some small measure of support. A new
shock here, a tip on how to make his bike
faster there. Steadily things were starting to
get better. At Atlanta he was again eighth
overall. Bailey ended the series with a 15th
overall, riding only seven of the 14 motos
total.
At the USGP he surprised everyone, in-
cluding himself, by finishing his first-ever
GP in sixth place and top privateer!
"WORKS" EQUIPMENT
The Trans-USA was the first series that
young Bailey would be able to follow all the
way through to its conclusion. Kawasaki
had given him a "works" engine to contest
the series with. He wasn't supposed to win,
and Kawasaki didn't expect it.
After the third race of the series, Bailey
was a solid second in the standings. Then a
tragic twist of fate stepped in when newly
signed Kawasaki shoe Tom Benolkin was
injured in Michigan. Since his bike would
be idle and it was more factory than the
bike Bailey was riding at the time,
Kawasaki told Bailey it would be all right
for him to race the bike at Unadilla. During
the week before the race, Gay Ion Mosier
was tragically killed in a bicycle accident.
When David and his dad showed up at
the racetrack Sunday morning, Gay Ion's
bike (which was more "factory" than either
Bailey's or Benolkin's) was sitting there
with David Bailey's familiar number 93 on
it. Bailey went on to finish third that day
behind Husqvarna riders Mike Guerra and
"Ironman" Gary Pustelak.
"Pustalek was a muscle man at Unadilla ;
after the race he wanted to go some more.
That track, that day, was the roughest that
I've ever seen it," said David Bailey.
The next race was the series final at At-
lanta , where David clinched the series win.
He had won a series his first time out and
was ready for the next step up.
WHERE TO FROM HERE?
Now, at the ripe old age of 18, he stands
with a foot in the door to moto-stardom. It's
a path sought by many but trod on by few. A
lot of young, talented kids have stood
where David Bailey stands today and for
one reason or another have not been able to
find what it takes to go that last few yards up
the path to the top. David Bailey has one
big advantage on his side. That advantage
is known as the "Professor."
the Nationals," relates David. "All the
local tracksters are out to gun you down "
16643-8102-30