TEAM-HATES!
Earlier in this issue, we look at one of racing’s great rivalries – Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz – but just imagine if they were on the same team?
It could have happened, maybe, possibly, but then Kevin has gone on record saying maybe he couldn’t have worked under ‘King’ Kenny Roberts, and Wayne had his own battles to fight with his team-mates as well as with the Texan on and off-track. So, if legend says that motorcycle racing began when the second motorcycle was built, then the animosity between two riders of identical machines, on the same team, probably started around the same time…
Classic motorcycle racing history is littered with rivalries and reputations which stood and fell on whether you could beat your teammate or not. We don’t mean to offend, but top-level motorcycle racers are often driven by ego. They are often selfish, vain and greedy. They will stop at nothing to top the podium… it is part of why we love them and the reason why they mellow out when they retire.
It’s natural to want to have two strong riders in a team: it’s good for results and it’s good in case one of the riders gets injured. “It’s generally the sponsor who demands two good riders in the same set-up,” reveals Rob McElnea, a man who’s not just ridden for the
