The 12 best mini-cycle racers in America. Anybody old enough to remember this?

BobbyM
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PastranaWho
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PastranaWho 9/14/2016 3:52pm
9/14/2016 3:52pm
Only jeff ward made it big.
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philG
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philG 9/14/2016 3:52pm
9/14/2016 3:52pm
Yes, a few that made it, a few that made it big, and a few that didnt
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olds cool
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olds cool 9/14/2016 4:04pm
9/14/2016 4:04pm
If I would have had to put my money on one of them back then I would have bet the house on Myerscough. This is why I don't gamble today.
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BobbyM
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BobbyM 9/14/2016 4:05pm
9/14/2016 4:05pm
Burner did pretty well all things considered.

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RandyS
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RandyS 9/14/2016 4:23pm
9/14/2016 4:23pm
Holley did OK for himself.
PastranaWho
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PastranaWho 9/14/2016 4:24pm
9/14/2016 4:24pm
RandyS wrote:
Holley did OK for himself.
True.
dboivin
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dboivin 9/14/2016 4:29pm
9/14/2016 4:29pm
can't even consider it a real list..it left out michigan obviously....
jeffro503
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jeffro503 9/14/2016 4:30pm
9/14/2016 4:30pm
I watched Phil Larson and his brother Mike tear it up out here in the early 80's. Phil was my local NW hero at the time. I still have his 1985 #62 jersey he gave me at Washougal. Phil made it further in the sport than Mike did , but I'll tell ya what....watching little mike shred a 500 was something you really had to witness. Seen him yard his bother and a few other very fast dudes a few times , all while being on the verge of wiping his brains out.
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Falcon 9/14/2016 4:36pm
9/14/2016 4:36pm
That must have been from a "Race of Champions" at Ponca City or the World Mini. They are all wearing Yamaha jerseys (not Kawasaki,) so it would have to have been before 1983 or so if it's the WMGP. (Plus, clearly those riders are a little too old to have been kids in '83. I'm guessing it's in about '79, '80?
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brocster 9/14/2016 5:08pm
9/14/2016 5:08pm
Don't remember the article or photo but boy do I remember Ben Theriot. I am going to say this was from 78-79 and I was 10 -11. Watching from the fences. Would go home to my bicycle and ride it as if I were "Bullet" Ben Theriot. There was another local mini cycle hot shoe from here as well named Fritz Haddock that used to give each other fits. Always the rivalry between Bullet Ben and Hurricane Haddock.

Pastranawho - it depends on what you call making it big as there were several that landed factory rides I'm pretty sure...
Sir Roostsalot 9/14/2016 5:22pm
9/14/2016 5:22pm
I'm gonna say 1979 also, I knew someone who went in 1980 to WMGP and this photo is prior to that.
SCR
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SCR 9/14/2016 5:28pm
9/14/2016 5:28pm
1976. Maybe 77. I was on the gate with a few of these guys in NMA and AME races in So Cal. Would like to say I had some good battles with them but after the first corner I never saw them. Whiting and Myers cough both won a national. Burnsworth did well with factory Suzuki and Yamaha rides if I remember ? Holley had a pretty good career also.
Good time to be a minicycle racer.
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Sully
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Sully 9/14/2016 5:41pm
9/14/2016 5:41pm
SCR wrote:
1976. Maybe 77. I was on the gate with a few of these guys in NMA and AME races in So Cal. Would like to say...
1976. Maybe 77. I was on the gate with a few of these guys in NMA and AME races in So Cal. Would like to say I had some good battles with them but after the first corner I never saw them. Whiting and Myers cough both won a national. Burnsworth did well with factory Suzuki and Yamaha rides if I remember ? Holley had a pretty good career also.
Good time to be a minicycle racer.
I think '76 is right, because I'm pretty sure Wardy was already riding Suzuki 125s by '77.
DMG
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DMG 9/14/2016 5:48pm
9/14/2016 5:48pm Edited Date/Time 9/14/2016 5:49pm
BobbyM wrote:
Burner did pretty well all things considered.
I'd smoke him.

The picture is from 77
BobbyM
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BobbyM 9/14/2016 8:03pm
9/14/2016 8:03pm
jeffro503 wrote:
I watched Phil Larson and his brother Mike tear it up out here in the early 80's. Phil was my local NW hero at the time...
I watched Phil Larson and his brother Mike tear it up out here in the early 80's. Phil was my local NW hero at the time. I still have his 1985 #62 jersey he gave me at Washougal. Phil made it further in the sport than Mike did , but I'll tell ya what....watching little mike shred a 500 was something you really had to witness. Seen him yard his bother and a few other very fast dudes a few times , all while being on the verge of wiping his brains out.
Phil Larson was one fast mufucker. Had national speed to win I thought.
klein8
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klein8 9/14/2016 9:19pm
9/14/2016 9:19pm
Gene McKay has to be on this list .
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TG130
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TG130 9/14/2016 10:14pm
9/14/2016 10:14pm
Bobby - Is this the same Brian Wargo that was from Antioch ?



JeepnMike
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JeepnMike 9/14/2016 10:21pm
9/14/2016 10:21pm
Isn't this Uptite's brat pack?

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Graham_Barber 9/15/2016 4:59am
9/15/2016 4:59am
Match 1977, myerscough, ward and burnsworth left all of us. Trabuco canyon....
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mx317
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mx317 9/15/2016 6:37am
9/15/2016 6:37am
klein8 wrote:
Gene McKay has to be on this list .
We have a suitcase that Gene gave to us full of clippings and pictures. We also have his minicycle championship trophy when he beat Jeff Ward. I think Gene was already on 125s when this was published.
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Wandell
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Wandell 9/15/2016 6:42am
9/15/2016 6:42am
Larson, Holley, Burnworth, Myerscough and Whiting all had good pro careers. Wardy of course had a hall of fame career!
DC
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DC 9/15/2016 7:02am
9/15/2016 7:02am
Really cool memory of the way things were.. This started out as the Yamaha Race of Champions at Saddleback Park, as part of the World Mini GP, and then transformed into the Kawasaki Race of Champions in Las Vegas. Everyone would ride identical stock bikes from the brand, even identical gear, and it was more or less the most important minicycle race of all. But then amateur racing contracts got complicated and guys like Damon Bradshaw would not ride -- he was a Yamaha factiory and Fox Racing rider -- because they had exclusivity.

I believe the last year they did it was maybe 1990, and I will try to dig up a photo from that.

And mx317, I would love to see some of that stuff in Gene McKay's suitcase! He was way ahead of his time on a Noguchi Yamaha,,,

DC
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DC
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DC 9/15/2016 7:11am
9/15/2016 7:11am
Here's a shot of maybe the last one... How many guys do you recognize?

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bayodome
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bayodome 9/15/2016 7:21am
9/15/2016 7:21am Edited Date/Time 9/15/2016 7:22am
DC wrote:
Here's a shot of maybe the last one... How many guys do you recognize?[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/15/151840/s1200_IMG_6172.jpg[/img]
Here's a shot of maybe the last one... How many guys do you recognize?

Cool idea for sure. I believe that's Craig Decker in the center with Ezra Lusk behind him with his eyes closed and Damon Huffman in the sweet pink pants. Don't really recognize anyone else though. Got any names DC?
slipdog
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slipdog 9/15/2016 7:26am
9/15/2016 7:26am
DC wrote:
Here's a shot of maybe the last one... How many guys do you recognize?[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/15/151840/s1200_IMG_6172.jpg[/img]
Here's a shot of maybe the last one... How many guys do you recognize?

bayodome wrote:
Cool idea for sure. I believe that's Craig Decker in the center with Ezra Lusk behind him with his eyes closed and Damon Huffman in the...
Cool idea for sure. I believe that's Craig Decker in the center with Ezra Lusk behind him with his eyes closed and Damon Huffman in the sweet pink pants. Don't really recognize anyone else though. Got any names DC?
Yep and Spud Walters is second from the right. A couple other faces look familiar, but names aren't coming to me right now.
DC
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DC 9/15/2016 7:52am
9/15/2016 7:52am
I think Factory Phil Lawrence is third from left, and Greg Rand in the back next to Ezra... Might have to dig out an old Cycle News!

DC
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Steve125
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Steve125 9/15/2016 8:11am
9/15/2016 8:11am
I'm old enough.. and enough of a packrat to still have the magazine this picture came out of
RedRum666
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RedRum666 9/15/2016 8:32am
9/15/2016 8:32am
DC wrote:
I think Factory Phil Lawrence is third from left, and Greg Rand in the back next to Ezra... Might have to dig out an old Cycle...
I think Factory Phil Lawrence is third from left, and Greg Rand in the back next to Ezra... Might have to dig out an old Cycle News!

DC
Racer X
Indeed.... Pretty sure Huffman won that last ROC.... His pops had just finished building a motor for my KX 80 and we picked it up from their house a day or two after they got home from World Mini ...I remember talking to Damon out his trophy and such....a few days later I went riding with him and holy smokes that kid was so fast on an 80.... I think that ROC win was a huge boost for him...when he jumped up to the 125/250 intermidiate class...he was jsut about unbeatable...Mammoth MX 1991 as 125 intermediate....he came from dead last after a crash on top of the start in the main and still won .....he even lead the entire last lap too!!... he should of dethroned MC it almost happened.....but injury struck and things were never the same....but Damon was sure fin to watch.
slipdog
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slipdog 9/15/2016 8:39am
9/15/2016 8:39am Edited Date/Time 9/15/2016 8:39am
DC wrote:
I think Factory Phil Lawrence is third from left, and Greg Rand in the back next to Ezra... Might have to dig out an old Cycle...
I think Factory Phil Lawrence is third from left, and Greg Rand in the back next to Ezra... Might have to dig out an old Cycle News!

DC
Racer X
Phil turned pro in '89
mx317
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mx317 9/15/2016 9:08am
9/15/2016 9:08am
DC wrote:
Really cool memory of the way things were.. This started out as the Yamaha Race of Champions at Saddleback Park, as part of the World Mini...
Really cool memory of the way things were.. This started out as the Yamaha Race of Champions at Saddleback Park, as part of the World Mini GP, and then transformed into the Kawasaki Race of Champions in Las Vegas. Everyone would ride identical stock bikes from the brand, even identical gear, and it was more or less the most important minicycle race of all. But then amateur racing contracts got complicated and guys like Damon Bradshaw would not ride -- he was a Yamaha factiory and Fox Racing rider -- because they had exclusivity.

I believe the last year they did it was maybe 1990, and I will try to dig up a photo from that.

And mx317, I would love to see some of that stuff in Gene McKay's suitcase! He was way ahead of his time on a Noguchi Yamaha,,,

DC
Racer X
No problem! I can bring it to Loretta's next year if we can't get together before then. I bought one of Gene's Noguchis and it was very fast! I wish I could locate it now to restore.

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