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My first 500cc GP was Dodington Park in 1976 when a young Graham Noyce won the first moto, cheered him around every inch of the track. Noycey was the guy all young brits wanted to be and I was at Namur GP in 1979 when he won his World Title.
It was so cool, I always thought "I am going to get one of these things..."
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Thanks to him I have led this awesome MX life.
"a throttle cable, a 2 dollar part"
(got to miss the 70s, when throttle cables were only 2 bucks.)
So, it was easy to be caught up into it. Robert was in his prime (DeCoster was just moving over to Suzuki and hadn't hit his stride), so you'd have to say he was the guy who a bunch of kids wanted to be, but I guess you can say what inspired me was being around a lot of good, normal people who obviously enjoyed dirt bikes.
CR500 at 12?
WOW - that's crazy man
My brother got me interested in motorcycles in the early 1980s, but then he lost interest and started skateboarding. I took over the reins from there, but when I was off the bike I was a total shit and only in elementary school still. I was stealing, lying, getting robo'd (robotussin), etc...........basically just being a piece of shit.
One day back in the Spring of 1985, my dad took me to a local mx race and I was hooked. I knew if I didn't straighten up I never had a chance at racing. The next year I was racing and way more disciplined as a kid and I've had a bike since then. When I was in high school alot of the kids I used to run around with were all getting busted for drugs and alcohol. A few even were killed in drinking related car accidents.
I always remember that day back in April 1985 when my life turned around.
I lived in a small town in Virginia, and a fast local racer had a practice track right next to my house. I still remember going into a dead sprint the day I heard a YZ125 WFO ripping around the orchard. I had never seen a real motocross racer.
The local kid was named Eddie Clark was a super fast A rider in the late 70s, early 80s. He was the coolest dude I had ever seen and I wanted to be him. His brother Timmy Clark also raced- any older local guys might remember Eddie and Timmy Clark.
After the war he use too "scramble" for the british army on old battlefields.
He never got to see me ride, but my grandma said that he would have loved to come the track with us.
Pit Row
And I'm not one of those bitter old guys that dosen't want to face the fact that he is getting old!!
I shake my head when I see 10 year olds who can't buckle their own boots at the track now. My dad had to work every Saturday for us to race Sunday. At 10 I had to have the oil changed and filter cleaned in his 250 and my bike prepped, all our gear packed, sandwiches made and donuts ready to be loaded up for Sunday morning. I remember the first time I passed him in '93 on my RM 80. He kept racing when I got on big bikes. I'd get a 125 every year and we'd share a 250. I turned pro locally in '98 and he got out of racing much and more into riding his Harley...but I still get him out in the dirt once a year or so.
Thank you Gene!
To become Photohound it was Steve French.
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