European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 the stars and stripes Friday March 25,1983 Spencer says he s quitting by Randy Barnett Mato reports Tittor three time world motorcycle Champi on Freddie Spencer who was contracted to ride with the leading rothmans Honda team this season has announced is retirement from the Span Spencer due id compile sunday in the japanese grand prix opening race in the 19ss world championship said from his Home in Shreveport la., that recur ring tendonitis in his right wrist has ended his career. Lie will attend the japanese grand prix this weekend in Suzuka where he will make his official retirement announcement his sponsoring rothmans Honda team said thursday from Lon fast Freddie by the motor ports press. Spencer had aimed for a successful comeback this year with role mans Lalonda after ten Dorilis and Accident injuries during the 1986 and 87 campaigns had put his career into deep Shadow. Explaining his decision to retire Kothmann Tolonda quoted Spencer As saying. After training in California Dur ing the Winter 1 Felt til and i was eager for the season to begin. Bui after testing in Australia i realize that with my wrist injury i cannot consistently produce the level of performance necessary to win the world Only 26 years old Spencer had signed with Koil mans Honda for the 1988 sea son in Hopes of recapturing inc form he showed in 1985. During that year he be came the first rider in motorcycle racing history to win the 250 and Soock world championships in the same season during his Brief but sparkling career always ruling hondas Spencer won 27 grand prix races he captured his first f fit Lar a Vii Freddie spin car of Shn Veport la was Ibe final to Loucyle rider to capture Iso and Sovec tides in the same year. He did it in 1985. Soock world championship in classic form in 1983, beating out the great King Kenny Roberts of Modesto calif., by two Points Roberts Rode for Yamaha. Between them the two americans won every grand Prii race that season sharing six victories each As european Cycle fans applauded their performances. There had never before been harder or closer racing Between two world class stars. Spencer was Only 22 that year the youngest Man to win a Soock world title. From he moment he arrived in Europe after a glittering career on . Cir Cuits Spencer was an instant Success and Pote Vional world Champion. He made his grand prix debut at zolder in the1980 grand prix of Belgium two years later he won his first grand prix at spa Franco champs Belgium and his first world title followed in 1983 after the Bat the against Roberts. At that time Spencer appeared set to vanquish All opposition for Many years to come. But a practice crash in the opening round of the 1934 championship in South Africa set the pattern for the remainder of that season although he did manage to finish fourth. During 1985, Spencer was injury free and it was that year when he scored his double 250cc and Soock world title for Kothmann Honda. He suffered injuries Early in the i960 season along with ten Dor his but was still aiming for a comeback in i9h7 when he gashed his right knee during an unofficial practice session at the Hock Nchim circuit. This injury plus shoulder injuries suffered earlier in the Daylong 200, along with continuing problems with ten Dorilis ended his hones for 87, and for that matter 1988. Like Many top american riders Spencer was brought up on he dirt tracks at Home. He started racing mini bikes when he was just 6 years old and he once told the stars and stripes thai i honestly can t remember not Riding u Motorbike i had a mini Trail 50cc Honda it yellow and Silver one when i was 6 years old and 1 raced against other Little kids my age although most of them were older 7 or 8." Spencer switched to Road racing in his Early teens and was highly successful there when he came to Europe he attracted enormous publicity not Only for his Riding skills hut for his strict religious beliefs As Well beliefs that he still follows. Many experts say that Spencer was the greatest natural Talent Ever seen on a racing motorcycle. He was also a True gentleman in a hard school of sport and re will be missed on the the world s circuits. Following Spencer s retirement announcement Rol Mani Honda said it will enter Only two riders in the Soock championship division defending world Champion Wayne Gardner of Australia and japanese rider Shunil Yatsushiro. Wilander Connors Noah Advance in Lipton apr feta Sweden s my Vallinder belting Aaron Kric Kallen. Key b1scayne, a. A top seeds Mats i Lander and Jimmy Connors easily advanced to the semifinals of the Lipton International players championships. No. & Yannick Noah joined them by beating soviet Andrei Chesnokov in straight sets the lop seeded Wilander needed Only 82 minutes to beat unseeded Aaron Krickstein of Gross Point mich., 6-1,6-2.6-0. No 2 Connors who has won every set in his five matches beat no. 7 Anders Jarryd of Sweden 7-5, 6-3, 6-1. The other quarterfinal Winner was no. 3 Miloslav Mecir who rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the fourth set to beat former Clemson All american Jay Burger 5-2, 2-6,6-3,7-6 7-1. Noah eliminated Pic Stokov seeded 19th, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. Connors will play Mecir and Wilander will meet Noah in Friday s semifinals of the 12.1 million two week hard court tournament. Mecir the defending Champion needed nearly three hours to eliminate Burger from nearby Plantation Fla. Burger unseeded and ranked 55lh in inc world received enthusiastic support from the crowd and Mecir said thai affected him. It s never a Good feeling when you miss an easy Ball and you hear clapping Mecir said. The czech won Sev eral Baseline rallies from Beer in Hie fourth set to Bencak Erand finished the match with an overhead smash. I still feel like i could go out and play a fifth Sel but i did t want to Mecir said. Berger was successful on Only half of his first serves and lost nine of 19 service games. At this Point in our careers Miloslav is just a More experienced player and a better the 21-year old berber said. He was in control of a lot More of the Points than i was Noah s variety of shots overwhelmed Chesnokov who relied on ground strokes. The soviet bad 13 win ners from the Baseline to five for Noah but the Frenchman served Well and had a 51-17 advantage in Points at the net. He has just a one dimensional game Noah said. I tried to vary my game As much a i could sliced balls top spin hit deep hit Short stay in stay Back come to the Chesnokov who v on a tournament at Orlando Fla. 10 Days ago never had a. Break Point in Noah s 14 service games. Connors broke Jerryd in the final game of the first set beginning a run of ii straight Points. The 35-year-old Connors looking for his first grand Pris title in 3ft Yean won six straight games near the end of the match. If the match could be kept up the Pace of is first set that would pc been quite extraordinary Cannon said. "1 think More or less after that his spirit might have been broken a Little bit. And i started playing better and belter and better Connors has beaten Jarryd five straight times. It s very difficult for me to play against Jimmy Jar Ryd said. His game does t suit me at All. He Nils the Ball so hard it seems my balls get so Short after a winds gusting to 30 Mph blew throughout the Day and no player made belter use of the condition ban Wilander. The swede heat Krickstein by charging the net when the wind Vns behind him and Hilling slice backhands into it. Playing in the wind if you get a rhythm it does t really matter Wilander said. You find a strategy for each Side of the Krickstein playing in the quarterfinals of a 128 player draw for the first Lime had won two five set matches and another match thai ended in the fifth set when his opponent retired. It s a Long tournament Krickstein said. It takes a lot out of you and i m just not used to Wilander said he benefited from a Quick Start against the american. He can beat you but he has to work very hard and i think when he gets a bad Start he feels much More tired than he actually is Wilander said. You can t really measure the score in a match like
