Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

This just in, from former racer Henry Degouw:

I have been out of the country for the last week and I just heard the news about Randy. All of us who raced the 1986 AMA F-1 National Championship will never forget how he won it over the likes of Wayne Rainey and the rest of the factory riders on his privateer Honda RS500 GP bike tuned by Ron Barrick. I especially do because it was my last year of racing after 23 years.

At the end of that season, I called Randy and asked if he would be interested in running the Macau GP with me. He almost immediately agreed and said it sounded like fun. And he really made it a lot of fun.

For me it was a race I would just as soon forget but Randy was a star. He had never raced a true road course before much less one as demanding and dangerous as Macau. He finished 3rd and was the first American to ever get on the podium up to that time.

Mario Andretti was there as a guest and congratulated Randy. We were all so proud of him. He was as tough and determined a rider as I have ever known and also as friendly. I never knew anyone who did not like him. I will never forget him.

Henry DeGouw
Former AMA National #79