Kevin Schwantz Journal
Journal Entry - 02/19/01 Y2K Wrapup![]()
The Parts Unlimited Ride in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was the next stop on my schedule and I went home to prepare for it. However, because of a delay in the shipment of some of my gear from the Safari, I was unable to make the trip. I was disappointed and they said they had a great time. I went to Willow Springs for the final round of the AMA Superbike Championship. Mladin ended up doing what he had to do to win the Championship. Hayden, being the only one at that point that had a shot at Mladin, did what HE had to do and won the final race of the year. If Matt had some bad luck, then Hayden is right where he needed to be. As it turned out Mladin won the Championship and the overall Suzuki effort was great for the team for the entire year. Some said that Matt should have ridden harder in the end to win the championship, but I say that he rode hard all year to put himself in championship position and, in the end, did exactly what he had to do. Hats off to him for 2 consecutive championships and also congrats to Suzuki and all the guys on the team at Yoshimura! While in California, I found out that Suzuki Japan wanted me to go to the final 2 GP's of the year - Motegi, Japan and Australia. I also had some television appearances that I had agreed to do. So, I made an extended trip of it. Went to Japan and saw Kenny Roberts, Jr. return to Motegi having already wrapped up the Championship the weekend before in Brazil. It was pretty special being there since I was the last Suzuki rider to win the Championship. Suzuki and all of the sponsors were very excited to be celebrating another Championship. While in Japan they named a new rider coming over to Suzuki from Honda for the 2001 season, Sete Gibernau. Kenny put an exclamation point on his Championship season by leading from the start and just humiliating the field. At one point, he had a lead of over 8 seconds, then he eased up just a bit. This silenced his critics who said he should have finished higher in Brazil and was not being aggressive enough in his winning of the Championship. Kenny got off the bike in Japan and told the crew "you know that was the easiest race I have ever ridden". That's the way it is when everything is working right and you are winning. He was real pleased with the feedback he was getting from the bike and the whole setup. Suzuki had a victory party that evening and Kenny received a watch from Motul. He's the kind of guy that is really gracious and really good for the sport. It's good to see. Off to Australia next, and got to sit with Randy Mamola and talk a little about racing and how 500cc racing is as competitive as it's ever been. We had an enjoyable trip and some pretty good laughs on the plane. Mick Doohan and Darryl Beattie met us at the airport. Randy was set to spend some time with Mick and I had arranged to go to Darryl's. We headed off to the Gold Coast and Darryl and Simon Krafer and I did some dirt bike riding and some running. One day we went to the western side of Brisben and went trail riding with Simon Krafa, Eden Thomas and 3 or 4 other guys for several hours. Then, left for Melborne for the Australian GP. I was able to do some Fox Commentary over Qualifying and some 3AW Commentary with Dean Jones and company. All in all the Australian GP weekend was just as I remembered it. The atmosphere is great. Everybody is on the island for one reason - to go to the GP. We did a public appearance - myself, Mick Doohan, Randy Mamola, Darryl Beattie, Wayne Gardner, Barry Sheen and Bill Woods - we all talked about memories from Philip Island and such. I had to cop a fair bit of flack over the fact that I never managed to win that race. All I did was crash at Philip Island.. We had some good laughs and heard some pretty good wise cracks from the crowd. Sunday was nice and the 250cc was exciting to watch as it came down to the last race and the last corner for that bunch. I flew to Carnnes and then to Lizard Island to spend some time on Mick Doohan and partner's 100 ft. Catamaran. It was awesome! While down there, I was able to do a little sport fishing on a boat named "Lucky Strike" based out of Southport. We had a blast. This is a good boat. Those who are so inclined should go check it out. We caught a couple of Blue Marlins that the Captain's eye said must have been 300 to 350 lbs. I also witnessed one of the crew, Bruce, catch a White Tipped Shark that was 8' long. Before heading home to the States, I spent some time with my friend, Mick Hone, in Melbourne. While there, I was able to spend some time with his sons, Justin and Dominick, and went to kick the Australian Rules Football around the field. This was my first experience with a propert kick of the ball with people who knew what they were doing with this sport - had fun! The whirlwind ended on a good note as I arrived back in Charlotte just in time to witness my good friend, Lance McGrew, win his first race as a Crew Chief in the Nascar Busch Series. Kevin ????? ""?????????, ????? ????????? ?? ? ???? ?????. ? ???????, ??? ??????? ??? ?? "??????? ?????????? ???????"??? ???, "??????? ?????? 7 ????? ???????? ???????"?????? ?????. ?? ????? ????? ??????? ?? ????? ?????? ???? ??? ??????????. ?? ??????? ""????????? ??? ????? ??????? ????? ""????? ???????????, ????????? ???????, ? ""????? ??????? ??????????? ?????, ? ??? ?????? ????????? "??????? ??????????? ?????????"??????. ????? ?????? ???? ??????, ??????? ??? ??????? ????????? ????????? ""??????? ? ???????????? ? ????????, ? ?????, "??????????????? ????????? ???????"??? ??????? ????? ???????????. ?? ??? ??? ?? ?????????? "?.?.?????? ??????? ??????? ??????????"????? ? ?????. ?????? ?????????? ???? ??????? ?????????????????? ??????????? ???? ???????? ?????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?? ??????????? "???? ???????? ??????????"????. ?????? ???? ?????? ??-?????? ???????????? ??????-?? ? ????????? ?? ???, "??????? ????? ?? ?????? ???????"??? ????, ????????? ????, ???????? ? ???. ?? ????? ???????? ?? ???????, ????? ???? ???????????? ????? "?????? ?????? ?????? ????????? ???????"????? ? ????????. ? ???? ??????? ???????? ?? ???????, ????? ????????? ??????????? ???? ??????. ??? ????? ????? ????????, ????? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ????????? ????????, ?????? ?????. ????? ?????? ????? 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"???? ???????"????? ?????????, ??? ?????? ?? ??????? ?????? ???? ? ?????, "????? ?????????? ??????? ???????? ?????"?? ? ????? ?????? ????????? ???. ????? ? ?? "??????? ????? ???????"?? ?????? ?????? ???????! ??? ?? ???? "????? "?? ??????????? ? ?????????? ?????????" ?? 29 ??????? 2012 ???? ?273-??"???? ?????????, ??? "50 ????? ???????? ?????? ? ????? ????"????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ????? ??????? "???: ???????????? (+CD)"??? ??????? ???, ??????? ?? ??????????? ????????. ????? ?????? "???????????? ??????"????????, ?????? ????????? ? ?????? ???????????. ??????? "?????, ?????! ?????, ??????. ?????? ? ??????????"?????? ????????, ??? ?? ?? ?????, ??? ?????? ?? ???????! ???????, "??????? ???????? ?????????"?????? ??? ???????? ????????? ?????? ?? ???????, "??????? ?????????? ????????? ?????? ???????"???-????? ?? ??? ???????? ??? ?? ?????, ?? "??????? ??????? ??????? ??????"???????, ? ???? ??????????? ?????? ? ????? "??????? ?? ????? ?? ?????????"??????, ??? ??? ????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ?????. ??? ? ???? ??? "??????? ???????????? ???????????"??? ???????? ?????, ????????, ?????? "??????? ???? ???? 2011 ????? ???????"? ?????. ?????????? ?? ? ?????????? ??????????. ? "??????? ????????? ??? ??????????"?????????? ?? ???? ?????? ????????? ?????????? ??????? ??????. ????????? "??????? ???????? ??????? ?? ?????????"????? ??? ????? ?????????? ?????????, ????? ??????. ? "????? ??? ???????"?? ??????, ???? ?? ??-?? "????? ? ??? ???????"???? ???????? ????????? ?????? ??????????? ?????! ?????? "??????? ????? ???????"? ?? ??????, ? ??????????? ????? ? ??? ??????. ?????????, ??? ???? ??????????? "?????????? ?????? ?????? ???????"???? ?? ??????. ????, ????????? ???????, ?? ???? ????? ???????? "????? ? ??????? ?????? ???????"??? ???? ?????. ? ???????? ????? ?? ?, "??????? ??? ????"???????? ?????, ???????? ???????? "???? ???? ?????????? ???????"??? ??????. ???? ???? ??????????, ??????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? "????? ????? ????? ? ?????? ??????? ?????????"? ???????????; ? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ? ????????? ??????, ? ?? ????? ??????? "??????? ???? ????? ?????? ???????"? ?????????? ? ???? ????????? "??????? ?????? ???????"???? ???. ?????? ????? ??? ?? ????, ?? "??????? ???? ????? ?? ?????????"??? ????????? ????? ???????????? ????????, ?????????????? "??????? ????? ????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?? ???????"??????? ?? ?????????, ????? ????? ???? ?????????????????? ???????? ??????????? ???????? ???????????? ????????. Last Updated (Friday, 21 June 2013 23:46) |
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