Young Lions
Young Lions
RACE WATCH
America's future heroes
COLIN EDWARDS AND KENNY Roberts Jr. aren’t the only young roadracers with bright futures. Take a walk through the paddock at a club race and you’ll see any number of eager kids hoping to become the next John Kocinski. But the nature of sports is that only the very best make it to the top. The following are our picks for the next generation of youngsters to make it there.
The Haydens
Age is not a prerequisite to experience. No one knows this better than Nicky and Tommy Hayden. These two brothers from Owensburg, Kentucky, have, at ages 12 and 15, respectively, amassed a lifetime’s supply of trophies, mostly earned through dirt-track racing. When older brother Tommy turned his attention to roadracing last year, he became the youngest WERA champion in history. Tommy's Formula 3 Novice win was notable in that he not only defeated all the other Novices, he also passed every one of the Experts. And as fast as Tommy is, be's already been beat en on the pavement by younger broth er Nicky. This year, with the help of Sam Yamashita of Moto Liberty, the brothers are campaigning a pair of Honda RS125s in club roadraces and in the newly launched WERA 125cc Series. Look for both to become fac tors in national-level roadracing. But not for a few years-you have to be 16 to turn Pro. >
Donald Jacks
Donald Jacks may be the most underrated rider in America. Despite years of experience, Jacks is still just 22 years old, yet has recorded a number of top AMA Superbike and WERA F-USA finishes. Jacks learned the ropes at Florida’s Moroso Motorsports Park, and made a name for himself on privateer Suzukis tuned by Mitch Marqui. This year, Jacks signed with Team Hammer (the sprint-racing side of Team Suzuki Endurance) to contest the WERA F-USA Series and has won two of the four races run so far. The Floridian’s appearances in the annual end-of-season Macau street races are said to have attracted the attention of Team Lucky Strike Suzuki manager Garry Taylor, so if Jacks plays his cards right, he may finally get the break he’s looking for.
Tom Kipp
Already an experienced “veteran” when he joined the Commonwealth Honda squad earlier this year, Tom Kipp is still only 23 years old. Kipp cut his racing teeth on privateer Yamahas backed by Wiseco Pistons-where he and his father, Tom Sr., work-racking up a couple of WERA titles in the process. In 1990, Kipp “won” the boycotted World Superbike round at Mosport, Canada, and in 1991 he led the Daytona 200 until lunching his motor. Kipp, from Kirtland Hills, Ohio, took a bit longer than expected to adapt to > his new team's Hondas-and has been overshadowed this year by the perfor~ mances of teammate Mike Smith-but four consecutive second-place 600 supersport finishes have vaulted him into that series' points lead. As Kipp matures, expect him to make good on the potential he's shown for the past three years.
Tommy Lynch
Perpetual teenager Tommy Lynch has finally turned 20, and to mark the occasion, he parted company with the Yoshimura Suzuki squad. Lynch spent three seasons with the Yosh team, but with the exception of a 750 supersport win at Talladega in 1989, he was never able to give the results the team sought. Now without a Super bike ride, the youngster from Bakersfield, California, is riding for Jeff Stern’s Fastline Racing AMA endurance team, and currently leads that series’ point standings. Additionally, Lynch has attracted the attention of Del Amo Motor’s John Winslett, who has promised him some appearances on a ’92 Yamaha TZ250. With his Yosh ride, Lynch lived the roadracer’s dream. Time will tell if he’s hungry enough to make it as a privateer-and to perhaps earn a second chance at a factory ride.
Stevie Patterson
A 20-year-old black from Detroit, Michigan, Stevie Patterson is an unlikely roadracer. He burst onto the scene with a C Production Expert win in the 1989 WERA GNF, and has since become a top contender in the > Superstock ranks. This year, Patterson has stepped up to the Big Leagues, campaigning Suzuki GSXRs with support from Team Hammer. If he can learn to control his enthusiasm and stay on two wheels, Patterson may become the first black to earn a factory ride in America.
Al Salaverria
Three years ago, Al Salaverria was on his way to the top. Teammate to Rich Oliver on the newly formed Randy Mamola Racing squad, Salaverria was on the right team, with the right bike and the right help. Or so it appeared. But “Al Sal” was left to founder on his own, and was dropped from the squad midway through the season. The next year, he nearly won the AMA 250cc national championship on a privateer Yamaha. Last year, he rode a factory Aprilia in the European Championship until his team ran out of money. This year, the 23-year-old from San Francisco, California, is campaigning an Aprilia on the AMA 250cc circuit, and with the help of former racer Danny Coe, he again appears to be on his way up. If Lady Luck smiles on him just once, he just might make it. -Brian Catterson
