U.S. SPEEDWAY CHAMPIONSHIPS : After Retiring, Hawley’s Career Takes Off

Speedway motorcyclist Pat Hawley remembers driving 129 miles to Ventura for a race only to have his bike stall at the starting line with a dead battery.

He remembers spending more time unloading his bike at San Bernardino’s Inland Motorcycle Speedway than racing after crashing on the first turn of the first lap.

He remembers frequently packing his equipment after failing to earn a dime and wondering if he would ever experience success.

Finally, Hawley remembers selling his bikes and retiring from the sport after seven years of frustration.

Hawley had never qualified, much less won, a scratch main event at the Orange County Fairgrounds when he retired in 1987. The decision to retire seemed to be one of the smartest moves Hawley made during his career.

“I never seemed to put it all together,” he said. “I was always too worried about how good I looked in my leathers and what everybody thought about me.

“It was like I was afraid to succeed because I didn’t want to race against the big boys. There was always a shadow of doubt. I was stuck in a second-division niche wondering, ‘Do I belong?’ ”

Three years later, Hawley has answered that question by earning a berth in the 22nd U.S. Speedway Championships, which will be held at 8 tonight at the Fairgrounds. Hawley, 33, is the second-oldest rider in a field of 16, and he’d be the first to admit he’s no threat to win the title.

“The way I look at it, the accomplishment of finally getting there (qualifying for the national) and riding with the best riders in the country is an honor for me,” Hawley said. “I was never shooting to make the national. I had only won two handicap main events before this year.”

Hawley grew up in Garden Grove and moved to Newport Beach when he was 18. He routinely spent Friday nights attending the weekly races with his younger brother, Shane, and the duo started racing in 1980.

Hawley said he has attended every national championship for the past 10 years. He has watched the traditional riders’ parade and introductions by track announcer Larry Huffman. But Hawley never came close to qualifying until this year.

During the off-season, Hawley reviewed videotapes of his races with his younger brother and worked to correct flaws in his riding style. He also changed the manner in which he prepared his equipment.

“I realized I didn’t have to re-invent the wheel, I just needed to become a little smarter and more dedicated to the sport,” he said.

Hawley started slowly but became a fixture among Division 1 riders this season. He opened the first qualifying round for the championship by scoring six points at Sacramento’s Cal-Expo. It wasn’t a great start, but it was encouraging.

When Hawley scored only five points at Victorville in the second round, he wasn’t discouraged. “I kept telling myself, ‘I know I can make the field,’ ” he said.

Finally, Hawley scored seven points in the final qualifier at the Fairgrounds, giving him 18 points for the three rounds and the 11th spot among the 14 riders who qualified locally. Overseas riders Billy Hamill and Rick Miller had been seeded into the race based on their finish in the American Final last June in Long Beach.

Two weeks ago, Hawley scored 10 points at the Victorville track championship, tying for fifth place. He said the showing boosted his confidence.

“The biggest change has been my confidence,” he said. “This year, I rode every track, every night, with the exception of San Bernardino. I’ve bought a new Godden engine and my sponsor, Quiksilver, has bought me a new set of leathers.

“I’m kind of in a cloud right now, but I’m trying to keep things in perspective. There were plenty of nights where I was packed up and (was) going home before intermission. I’m going to enjoy the championship no matter what happens.”

It seems only fitting that Hawley should finally gain some notoriety. His father, Pat Sr., was a television and motion picture actor. His younger brother, Shane, acted in a dozen television commercials as a youngster.

Tonight, Pat Hawley, long-time journeyman rider, gets the spotlight.

Speedway Notes

Mike Faria of Colton and defending champion Bobby Schwartz of Costa Mesa each won eight scratch main events at the Fairgrounds during the 25-week season. Riverside’s Steve Lucero won five scratch mains and led a four-rider team to the Team Cup championship last Friday. . . . Brad Oxley of San Clemente won four handicap main events to lead all riders. Racing drew 104,800 fans for a weekly average of 4,192. . . . Rick Miller of Reseda replaced Shawn Moran of Huntington Beach has the second overseas entry when Moran declined to return from England. Moran won the title in 1982. Schwartz will attempt to become the first rider to win consecutive titles since Kelly Moran in 1983-84. . . . Robert Pfetzing of Santa Ana advanced despite riding in only one qualifying round at Costa Mesa where he scored 17 points. Faria won the state title at San Bernardino and the track championship at Ascot Park the past two weeks, but look for Billy Hamill of Monrovia to upset Faria for the title.