The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Whitby Free Press, Wodnesday, June 23, 1993. Page 19 By Mark Reesor John Sharar is ging al eut to make it tothe eoraGrand Prix, motorcycle racine's hoiy grail. Only one Canadian, Quebe's Miguel Duhamel,' bas managed te break into bike racinges richest circuit in the last 30 years, and ho only Iasted one season. Ridera can earn more than $1 million a year on one of the factory teams, riding handmnade, ail-out racing bikes supported by the best and the brightest engineers. That doesn't bother the 24- year-old Whitby resident, tbough. He's devoting every spare momient, and dollar, te hie goal, racing regularIy in Ameni- can Motorcycie Association (AMA) and Western Eastern Roadrace Association (WERA) events. Take a recent weekend for example, when Sharrard iett for a race in the U.S. on a Wednes- day nighit in the days before, he's out in, the garage until 11i the morn- ing every weeknight," working on his $20,000 Yamaha TZ250 Grand Prix racing bike. He doos his own mechanical and pro- paration work, which takes "35 hours minimum" for each race. After a Ion g drive te the track, ho spent EI a a Saturday prac- tising folloed by the race on Sunday whicbho says is «al-out cph sicai exertion. rm s0 exhaus- tedsometimes I need help got- ting off the bike. "Thon that night you've got to driveeight te, 10 hours to try te get back and be into work Mon- a morning.» A few days at work -- he's an engineer at Ingersol Rand -- and it's back on the road Thursday evening, bound for another race. "And we do the same tbing again the week after that..., .«That gives me tbree nights te rebuild the engino, chec k the crank, jostle my tires around, pray te, God that I didn't crash; thon I'd require 12 heurs of body work or new body panels or (spending time) trying te, get spare pipeos. and canisters tegether.'s tough; it's a lot of work.» Despite much-appreciated help from s posors -- Yaniaha Canada, NGK Sparkplugs, Assel- stine Country (a family-owned motorcyclo dealership in Black- stock that Sharrard says is one of bis best sponsors) Signet Signs, Macie Moving, AI Hoskin and Sons Welding, Loctite, Cas- trol, Phil Flack Racing Services, Progressive Controls, Automatic Coatings and Durham Machine Sbop (aise a very loyal sponsor) -- Sharrarid says ho had to fork out $14,000 of bis own money last season ueasy; and that's just what I have receipts for." Most sponsors give him free products, Ieaving Sharrard to cover much of the $1,000 or so it costs to race every weekend, "and that doesn't include the cost of repairs if something breaks or I fall." Two tires, for example, cost $400, andi a new set is needed for every race. Se why is Sharrard putting se much time and money -- ho cheerfuîly admits most road racers "are in serious debt» --on the line for an admaittedly dangerous sport? Motorcycle racer's goal is world circuit r've finally found that r'm good at.» Sharrard won the 400 produc- tion clasa Canadian champion- ship in just his second year of racing, and bas had a couple of third-place flinishes on the highly competitivo professional circuit in which ho started last rear. ai want to race at the world level. "Part of the driving factor is rd hate to be 50 or 60 years old and stili wondeng whether I could have done it. [don't think I'd be able to live with that. If I give it myy aIl for two or three years.»- give it.an honest try, then ll know... Sharrard likes bis chances. He's hoping to get pickod up by a U.S. factory team in the next yoar or two and join the four Canadians that are currently roadracing for a living. NVHITBY motorcycle racer John -Sharrard is going ail out to make i on the tough U.S. racing circuit. He hopes to get picked up by a factory team, and eventualty make R to the Grand Prix circuit.Photo by Mark Reesor, Whitby Free Press SPECIAL! SPECIAL! -SPECIAL! 1 Ami Aý t7àgL 21