Terry Vance
TERRY VANCE
An era comes to an end
THE MAN’S RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF: 13 NA-
tional championships, plus countless world and national speed records. Still, unlike many less-insightful champions in other sports, Terry Vance understands that there comes a time to step down. And for him, that time is the end of this season, at which point he will retire from drag racing as a rider after dominating it like no other racer in any other form of motorcycle sport.
Unquestionably, the past couple of years have signaled this changing of the guard, with Dave Schultz defeating Vance more often than not. Schultz was the first rider in 13 years to take a Pro Stock title away from Vance, winning the IDBA championship in 1986, followed by the IDBA and NHRA crowns in 1987. And midway through the 1988 season, they're running neck-and-neck for both championships.
Ironically enough, however, this is precisely what Vance has wanted all along. He knows that intense competition is essential to the health and welfare of any sport, and that one person cannot dominate year after year without having detrimental effects on racer turnout and fan interest. So, even though he has a strong dislike for the agony of defeat, Vance knows that getting beat is inevitable-and, in fact, neces sary-if Pro Stock racing is to grow. And he sees Schultz as the first of what he hopes will be a long line of riders who'll benefit from his 13-year-long dem onstration of how to run a first-class team. "Dave is overpowering," says Vance. "He is very professional, and right now he's kicking everybody's butt, includ ing mine."
He also says that the 40-year-old Schultz clearly is the best rider and has the quickest reflexes. "Schultz is head and shoulders above anyone else in the business when it comes to recognizing a situation that needs to be changed," admits Vance. "It used to be that we could show up and whomp the other guys, but now, it's not like that." In addition, Vance says that be cause of the talent and consistency of Schultz. he has had to concentrate more on his own riding techniques than ever before.
Now, with his imminent retirement, Vance sees the need for someone else to assume the leadership role in Pro Stock. "Racing needs a leader, someone to carry the baton," he says, "and that someone has to have connections within the industry." But while he be lieves that Schultz has more than enough potential to lead racing into the future, he is concerned about Schultz's lack of ties to the motorcycle industry. In spite of that one reservation, though, Vance says. "If you ask me who is doing it right. I'd have to say Schultz. He's a great addition to the sport. Besides, if he can put us on the trailer using our parts, he has to be doing something right." -
Thus, with competitors like Schultz and a few oth ers in the current crop of Pro Stock racers, the class is more competitive and more professional than ever before,just as Vance had hoped from the start. And as he steps aside at the end of this year, Vance will cer tainly miss the thrill of competition; but he'll have the satisfaction of knowing that every champion that comes along, including Dave Schultz, will owe much of his success to the work that he and partner Byron Hines started long ago. Camron E. Bussard
