We had the opportunity caught up with former long-time factory Yamaha rider, Doug Dubach, who was helping out with team Guam at the MXoN to talk about his career, that supercross win in San Jose and being teammates with the Beast from the East, Damon Bradshaw:
Doug Dubach on his one and only supercross win…
I think I have told that story enough! But it is a great memory, it’s all ups and down through your career but that one made it in the record books, I have that one to hang on the mantle.
Someone did a statistic that it’s .00 whatever the percentage, it’s pretty small to play the game and come out on top.
It was everything from excitement to feat (crossing the finish line). I had passed Stanton early in the race and that was whole goal, to beat Stanton and get on the podium because I saw Guy, so head down and ride 20 good laps then, in a matter of about ten seconds, because I thought only one of Chicken or Cooper had went down. I came over the next triple where I saw them in the 180, I expected to see one and I saw nobody and I went, “Shit, I’m leading!” Then it went from the sound of Stanton’s engine to the sound of Bradshaw’s engine which I recognised, so I was so happy I only had a half a lap to go because I knew it was Damon!
A lot of emotion on that last lap, you could say I got handed the win, but you still had to be in the place I was to take advantage of their mishap. Still had to keep Damon at bay that last half lap, that was probably the nerve wrecking part of the night.
Being Damon Bradshaw’s teammate…
It was easy for me, I just stood back and watched the cars burn! And fair play, I have always had a little soft spot in my heart for him because the pressure was insane. Everybody wanted to be in his face and interview him, talk to him and tell him he was the next greatest thing or remind him of the pressure he was under, that was not an easy pair of shoes to walk in, day in and day out.
I tried to help him and get him out of it. We would train together, ride together and do fun stuff just to try and help him survive all of that but at the end that pressure cooker got to him. I still know him today, we talk, we do things together. He is a good guy but man, that was a lot to put on a 16/17 year olds shoulders.
Bradshaw facing Stanton and Bradshaw…
It was almost one on one on one, I don’t think Bayle was helping Stanton in any way! It was all fair, that stuff exists anywhere, whatever team you are on, everyone is out for the next guy, I’m sure he felt like he was up against everybody. It’s a lot of weight on those young shoulders, great guy. Much like many of the guys that have helped raise it to another level. I think people came out to watch Damon Bradshaw race and it was great to be his teammate and part of that whole era, that lates 80s through the mid 90s, it would be hard to argue it wasn’t one of the best eras there was. I was happy to be right in the middle of it and live to tell about it!
In 1990 – changing of the guard – more intensity?
It was aggressive no matter who you were with but what it did, it just raised the bar. In San Jose, that year we had seven different winners, there hadn’t been seven winners in a decade or two, there was definitely a deeper field. You were fighting just to qualify some nights. It was an exciting time and happy to be a part of it.
Comparing styles from Bayle to Bradshaw…
To my advantage and my disadvantage, I watched everyone. I tried to take a little piece of everyone’s strength and ignore their weaknesses and try to apply everything to myself. It was great being Damon’s teammate, because I got to ride with him and I knew his weaknesses and I tried to avoid any of what troubled him! I had the benefit of riding with him day in and day out and being in the truck with him, just feeling his energy and absorbing his ups and downs. Understanding, there’s a lot that makes all of us tick, good, bad and indifferent, so you can learn from your teammates, the good and the bad stuff.
Those were opportunities, I always watched Bayle’s technique and his line choice , he was kind of a magician on a motorcycle, really! Stanton, you really just knew it was hard work that kept him where he was, he was rarely the fastest guy but he was just tougher than nails and that took him to the front. It was neat to be in the mix of that and take a page out of everyone’s book.
Get the full interview below with Doug talking MXoN, and MXGP below:
Interview: Jonathan McCready