There is no denying that Team Honda was the dominant motocross racing program of the 1980s and 90s. Big Red had the best bikes and the best riders—and they were able to wrap up more championships than nearly all the other OEMs combined during that time. Names like Bailey, O’Mara, Hannah, Johnson, Stanton, Henry, McGrath, and Carmichael all raced—and dominated—on Team Honda equipment.
However, since Ricky Carmichael left for Suzuki at the end of 2004, Factory Honda has had a dry period of sorts—at least measured by their own historical standard.
But the big news emulating from Honda’s recent team launch, which was held at the scenic Castillo Ranch last week, is that the sleeping giant has awoken. Big Red is back, and they mean business.
On the surface, the race team looks relatively close to years past, but if you pull back some of the layers of management and operations, you find many changes within the program. We pulled team manager Dan Betley aside to talk about what has changed for 2015. Betley is an experienced guy, and is one of the few people in the paddock to have logged over a million miles driving a factory box van. He wrenched Jeff Stanton to six national titles, and now, two decades later, hopes to bring Honda back to similar heights.
Racer X: The big news today is that HRC is back involved in American Honda’s race program. I know they have traditionally played a strong role in the All-Japan National series as well as the factory GP motocross team, but tell me how this all works under the Honda Racing Corporation umbrella, with respect to racing in America?
Dan Betley: That is correct. HRC is coming back, and it is big news. I think that basically the idea is to pull everything together in one giant worldwide Honda team. We are sharing our information very closely with the folks who are working on the All-Japan and GP programs. While we each have our own unique infrastructure, the shared communication and development will make all three programs align much closer than they have.
How do these changes affect things on a day-to-day basis, and just how deep will HRC’s involvement be?
Well, we have primary support from HRC, as well as from HRA and HJA. With HRC, we meet and talk almost every day with the goal to evaluate testing and whatever new parts we are working with. As we go into Anaheim and the start of the season, we will have quite a bit of the HRC staff flying back and forth from Japan. But at all times, we will have a minimum of at least three HRC guys with the team: one each for the motor, chassis, and electrical systems. I was just looking at the calendar and team scheduling, and there are times during the season where we might have up to ten HRC staff members present. We have not enjoyed that level of factory support in America in long time.
That sounds impressive and like a strong vote of confidence from Japan.
It is. In fact, here is funny story: At our first HRC test for the year, and before the Monster Cup, I went out to the test track in Corona. When I showed up, I counted ten guys who had come over from Japan and who were wearing HRC shirts—and then we also had our American staff members. So it was nearly twenty people out there, and Cole’s [Seely] first real test with us. I had to laugh at just how many people showed up, and I realized that we were going to be in a really good spot support-wise. But, you know, the Japanese are always watching and always improving. They might not say much, but they are always watching and focused on the little things to improve.
Earlier today you talked at length about your focus to bring the team back to the level of performance from the glory days. In your viewpoint, why did that go away?
Well, it is really hard to pinpoint one issue. I think primarily it was a change in mindset within the company. When I started with Honda in 1989, Dave Arnold and HRC was still heavily involved. Prior to that, and in 1986, the rules changed from the works bikes to production bikes, and I think slowly HRC changed their focus towards MotoGP. Thus, each of Honda’s racing programs became more independent from the factory. We certainly still had a relationship with them, but slowly some of the resources, such as engineering staff, slowed down. And really, HRC was the driving factor for focusing on MotoGP. All of the factory race programs have a priority for what they go after, and they know what it takes to accomplish those goals. For HRC, the goal was to focus on MotoGP. But within Japan, the American motocross and supercross series is considered just as important as MotoGP. But the difference is now Japan’s tired of losing in America. They want to win.
During your team introduction, you mentioned that you have had a vertical learning curve as it pertains to running the show. Can you speak more to this comment and some of the things you have learned?
It’s actually been a straight vertical line for me. Prior to being team manager, I had some supervisory roles while leading engine development, but that’s nothing compaed to having an entire team to lead. So I started as interim team manager in 2013 and could see areas that needed improvement. Most of the things I noticed were around the inner working relationships with people. The communication with team members is what is key. I think that no matter what, you never stop learning, and this is a new challenge in my career. Also, for me, working with the overall budgets, I have become very aware of the costs that go along with racing. But staffing decisions are the most important for sure, and perhaps the hardest.
The string of dominance for American Honda seemed to end when McGrath left the program for the 1997 season. But then Ricky Carmichael came to the team in 2002 with the support of Johnny O’Mara. But since he left, it has been up and down, but nothing to the level it once was. Why is that?
Well, for sure, the team has had its ups and down along the way. Johnny was—and still is—a major Honda supporter. He really believes in our program and knows what the company is capable of doing; he experienced it during his career. And when Ricky was part of the program, it was an amazing effort. I was in house doing the motor work then. But after he left, I don’t know, it is hard to say. I would call it a fog within the team, but there is nothing specific—maybe a combination of a lack of team direction from the top, but I am not really sure. But what I can say today is there is a clear goal and clear direction, and maybe we did not have that for a little while. And that goal is to win races, as that is what we are here for. And if we win races, then we win championships. That is the absolute focus right now.
Looking back on that golden era of works bikes, Team Honda had the best equipment and the best riders. Was that a matter of outspending the competition on both riders and technology, or was it just better engineering?
Well, we certainly did have the best equipment. Because we had the best equipment, we were able to secure the best riders, as they wanted to ride our stuff. As for spending, well, I know what Honda paid Jeff [Stanton] to come to the team in 1989, and it was nothing compared to what he could have made on another team. He came to Honda because we had the best bike and we had HRC. During those years, I think our spending was mostly in line with the other OEMs, as they spent just as much money on R&D and various racing programs. I would also note that as it pertains to today, our budget has not really changed. We are [title] sponsor-less at this point, but our budget has not changed or increased significantly, as we are very well funded for what we do. So, as for today, I do not think it is a matter of outspending another team.
It is pretty amazing to look at the equipment difference back then—and even after the production bike rule came into effect. The Honda products were very, very strong. But that gap has closed up today, or so it seems.
Well, for sure the gap between bikes has narrowed now. I think that is evolution though. I can recall back in my time with Jeff, if I needed more horsepower, I would just ask and within a few days an overnight package would come from Japan with several cylinders to try out and several new options, and that was the big deal. But the races don’t stop. You can show up at Anaheim thinking you have a very competitive motorcycle, and then learn that you have to still improve and adapt with it. But I’m confident that with support from HRC, it will be a huge help, and we are even seeing more of those overnight packages show up.
So, which of the three HRC programs—Japan, GPs or America—has the most exotic bikes?
Well, we are limited by the production rule here in America, so we have to work within those parameters. But regardless, I would say probably Japan, as they get all the newest and pre-production, pre-development stuff. But we do get and share just about everything, and if they are working on something, we will know about it.
How many years did you drive around in a box van?
Way too many. I honestly only remember the good with that period, but it was rough. I have blocked out the sixteen-hour days of driving non-stop, and then rebuilding a bike on only a few hours of sleep. But I wouldn’t change it for anything. Those were certainly some great times. I started with Honda in 1989 and drove every year and every race through the end of the 1993 season, but then I was burned out on the driving and moved in house at Honda. It’s funny, I feel like my parents talking—you know, walking to school in the snow with bare feet—but the mechanics of that era did so much more than today—and I only started in 1989. If you go further back, those guys really did everything. It’s amazing to me how the sport has become so specialized now. Now we have guys who only do one thing—one chassis guy, one motor guy, etc.
You have been around the sport for nearly four decades. What is your favorite era to look back on?
Well, I’m old school. For me personally, I think the three des Nations victories that I had with Jeff were a real highlight. The only racing memorabilia I have in my home are those three cups. And of those, Gaildorf was very special. We probably had probably 60,000 fans present for that race, and it was just amazing. Also, Jeff’s win in 1992 at the LA Coliseum is one that’s very memorable. I didn’t think it was possible. We had some issues within the team, and I had some personal hardships going on concurrently—my father was passing away and it was a very hard time. So when Jeff won—and won the championship—that was very rewarding to win.
Thanks for chatting with us, and good luck with Trey [Canard] and Cole next season.
Thanks. It has been a bumpy road with Trey and his injuries, but I think his performance at the end of last season and at the MEC shows just what he is capable of, and we really believe in him and his ability to win. Time will tell, but we’re doing everything we can on the program side of things.
