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My Dad bought me a 125cc 2 stroke. This was 25 years ago. I remember I was racing the 125c class and I know C class doesn't seem like a big deal but it's the most compettive class at a local race and there are very fast guys up front.
I was battling with this one kid who I been racing against for years and he got really good the last few years. We were battling back and forth and I came out on top and won the race in front of my family and my friends and my girlfriend. When I got off the track I hugged my mom. It was just surreal. To win a race like that is pretty amazing no matter the level of experience.
At Perris Raceway I was racing the 40+ beginner class on a YZ125. There were several other classes starting simultaneously and everyone was a 450 except me.
Perris has a cement starting gate, and there was an 80 class after us.
A guy is sweeping the gate for his kid, and everyone else, and asks if I'd like my gate swept. I told him no, but can you put some of that dirt under my back wheel?
I told him I wanted to spin a bit off the line to keep the front wheel down.
He and a handful of guys gave me this look of disbelief like I was absolutely out of my mind!
Not only am I racing a 125 against the 450's but now I want to put dirt on the cement!
He obliged and put pretty much all the dirt he was sweeping in my section of the cement.
When the gate dropped I got a good jump and just pinned it. I came into the first corner close the front, and with a little bit of banging bars I got the holeshot!!!!
Adrenaline was flowing and I was so stoked that I started yelling out loud inside my helmet. Woohoo!!! Yeah!!!!!
I got passed after a few turns, but it didn't really matter. I got the HOLESHOT!!!!
That seriously made my day!
When I crossed the finish line, the guy sweeping the gate was there to give me a high five!
They're probably still shaking there heads to this day
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Anyway, I had been finishing just inside the top 20 for the whole year, and then out of nowhere I ended up getting top 10s. It was just one of those deals where you really click with a track. I remember in the third race of the first day of racing I got a midpack start and just started picking guys off - guys that would usually be 2 or 3 seconds a lap faster than me. I was practically giggling under my helmet. The dirt was hard but grippy in places, and the track was wide, so there was scope for some creative lines, which i liked. I could do no wrong! Anyway, I caught up to Nathan Watson somewhere in the middle of the race, who was a championship contender, and I was thinking to myself "no way - this is not going to happen" and then I passed him and gapped him!
The best part though was afterwards, when Jake Millward's dad (Jake was one of the riders i beat that would usually be much faster) came over and offered to have a celebratory beer with my dad (I was underage). He said that when Nathan Watson came in he said something to the tune of "Who the fuck is Robert Lyons?". He has since scored world championship points for Husqvarna, which only sweetens my accomplishment.
At the next round of the championship, I was back outside the top 10, but I still look back to that weekend as one of the fondest memories of my whole life really.
My biggest accomplishment is probably winning a CA State championship in 2000.
My favorite race was when I got my first trophy for third in 80 d (yes i know i should have raced 50s if i wanted a trophy so bad) . Pops was pretty happy for me to get that one though.Felt good to see him all amped for me. Better than any basketball or football performance I had.
2nd would be holding off Paul Whibley for a few km's at a local GNCC.
7th Minneapolis SX
Hole shot and lead Mammoth 250cc main in only 250 pro race (1999). Went WFO into the top of the hill, came down the first little hill and everything was silent. Actually heard the announcer say "IT'S HARRINGTON!!!!" as I dropped onto the downhill. Dubach blew by me 1/2 lap into it. Thought he took my numbers off with him he went by so fast. Track was so rough, I was so little... it was a gnarly race. Finished 10th I think.
I think, at the time... Or maybe I still am, the only person to actually catch on fire in a SX race. Actual flames. Crashed off track, bike was sliding on concrete. Either a spark on electrical wire (from track) sparked the overflow and bike went up into flames. the bike was extinguished, I picked it up and went racing. Crashed a few turns later because fuel lines were melted together and vacuumed the tank. Bike died
3rd at summer-cross after crashing on first lap
However the best day I ever had was a Lorettas Regional. I was in a stacked class. was young and so nervous. They only took 4 from our region. (1996 I think) I know Casey Lytle was the man. I holeshot and won every moto. Never felt so good leaving a track. Crazy how much pressure is in amateur racing.
Won the first heat of 125cc INT at Mammoth mountain. I was like the 2nd heat race, track was the best track ever. So fast, I really don;t think I ever let off around the whole track. Just had lines formed but wasn't rough. Was way out front and could hear only the echo of my bike back in the trees. Lap times were faster than the pro's, who raced later on a rough track and was protested for sandbagging. It was my first year on big bikes and I weighed 93 lbs.
I guess these are memories, not accomplishments.
Pit Row
I use to beat myself up over accomplishments, or lack there of, but in the end I raced fulltime for a little over 20 years and have memories that will last a lifetime...
I took a nap between motos, which is very unusual for me, as I don't take naps. Went to the line for the second moto a little groggy. Hole-shot and was gone. In the zone as they say. It was like things were in slow motion. Put the bike wherever I wanted. Hitting those nice chop bumps on the uphills and prejumping to stay low. That one moto sticks out as one of my finest rides.
I've has some similar rides off-road. I think off-road just suits my riding style a little better.
I made it to LLs in 82. Open B, 29th overall. CR500 that was impossible to start and jet correctly. I still got my bib. It gives me very, very, small bragging rights. It's cool to say i have been, but it doesn't really register on my highlight reel.
Funny thing, one of favorite places to ride off-road is LLs. Those trails are nice and fast, a little choppy, very old school MX like. Lots of fun.
qualified for the program at pontiac, got taken out by Healy and spent the weekend in hospital. went to college.
Mine is lame, but I rode open practice at Red Bud. I'm not a racer, and was terrified the whole time, but I can at least check off riding a national track off my bucket list.
I'm also partnering with my friends, Dirt Diggers North, to do an additional Big Air Kid's Fair at the Shriners Children's Hospital up in Sacramento, the week before the Hangtown National. We are still working out the details on that one.
Had a lifetime of racing memories: Won close to 200 pro races in SoCal during it's heyday; almost won the 125 pro class at Mammoth; stood on the podium with my DG teammates Glover and Eropkin at the first Supercross race ever held at Anaheim Stadium (HS State Championship during intermission); won the 1978 AMA Western Regional Motocross Championship; 6th overall (support) at the 1979 Carlsbad USGP, after going over the bars; kicked Rex Staten's ass in a fistfight in the infield of Corona Raceway (broken up by current AMA SX referee, John Gallagher, when he was just a lad); had nine Cycle World magazine covers, a couple of Crash n' Burn issues and some other cool shit...
But my biggest moto accomplishment had to be letting Bob Hannah know how much we all appreciated him spanking us every week...
After the race he stopped and said "good ride man, you wore me out." I was 24 at the time and he appeared to be in his 50s so I was thinking "of course I wore you out."
About ten minutes later a guy from AMA that was covering the race came over to interview me about the battle. It turns out that guy that beat me was Terri Cunningham. I went from being mad I lost the race to happy I even battled with Terri in a matter of seconds.
It's so cool to hear of unexpected accomplishments when we find that purpose.
Good times, the best.
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