Riot On the Grid

RIOT ON THE GRID

When Nick Richichi went road racing on a Moriwaki Kawasaki in Argentina, he hadn’t counted on militia men with sub-machine guns breaking up a riot on the grid. It started w'hen the mechanic of one team insulted the mechanic of another team just before the start of a race,’ starting a fight. Mechanics and riders from other teams took up sides and waded into the fray.

“I w;as sittin’ there on my bike ready to take off,” said Richichi, “I didn’t know what would happen.”

The race was cancelled.

Richichi won every other race he entered except one, in which his bike broke, and reports that the level of riding skill in Argentina is quite high. “1 just sort of slowly pulled away,” said Richichi, “kind of like how Freddie Spencer pulls away here.”