first pro you saw at your local track

Tarz483
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Tarz483 10/7/2017 4:54pm
10/7/2017 4:54pm
Donny Schmidt
Doing blazing laps
At a sand track in Minnesota
On Pure white 1993 YZ250
Awesomeness
AzTrooper
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AzTrooper 10/7/2017 5:36pm
10/7/2017 5:36pm
In 1993 Jimmy Button and David Pingree showed up and raced at Mountain View in Tucson. I'm fairly sure it was Jimmy's first year with Factory Suzuki after riding for DGY. Ping was on a Suzuki too but not a factory ride.
John
Gixxxerboy
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Gixxxerboy 10/7/2017 6:43pm
10/7/2017 6:43pm
Brian Johnson and Davi Milsaps came to the mid south shoot out in Hammond, La.
Davi was hurt and sidnt ride. Brian Johnson rode the 125 and 250 class and cleaned house. He threw some nasty scrubs and was dragging his handle bars around some of the corners.
Villo2fan
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Villo2fan 10/7/2017 8:20pm
10/7/2017 8:20pm
Jason McCormick and Lance Smail at Woodland mx.

The Shop

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TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 10/7/2017 8:48pm
10/7/2017 8:48pm
TeamGreen wrote:
Magoo
Ted722 wrote:
Nice Manny! Do you remember where/when? I remember a couple Norcal locals, Tony Flores and Terry Bostard at the Santa Clara P.A.L track. 1985. Kelly Andris...
Nice Manny! Do you remember where/when?

I remember a couple Norcal locals, Tony Flores and Terry Bostard at the Santa Clara P.A.L track. 1985. Kelly Andris and Steve Lamson had a great battle late 1987 at Sandhill in Brentwood.
It was September 1980 at Baylands...it may have been Labor Day weekend. He's the "notable pro" from that day. Ricky was there...on an RM 80, I think. T'was my 1st race. Didn't know anybody and had no idea who Danny was...he came over and talked to me about how to NOT give up the lead in my 2nd Moto (holeshot my 1st Moto and got passed by better jumpers that were slower racers, his words). He told me to quit backing off the throttle on the jumps and that I needed to take a WHOLE LOT MORE SPEED "THRU" the 1st turn. His real message was... "Don't race 'afraid'. Race to beat everyone-else. When you have the lead, you HAVE TO KEEP IT." He was super cool; yet, intense. His smile was infectious and he seemed stoked that some noob was really wanting to crush the competition and so focused on "the gate"...he reminded me that "whatever" I was doing on the gate was working and "Don't change anything about your starts!". He was laughing when he told me that. It's was awesome. Later that day, Jim Ryan, Rick's dad...told me what a bad ass Danny Chandler was. Jim also told me that Danny didn't usually talk about stuff like that with people he didn't know. I think it's because he and I were virtually the ONLY guys doing good on CR125s that day...

I'm soooo fucking lucky to have cut my teeth in that era.
coastlinecascot 10/7/2017 8:52pm
10/7/2017 8:52pm
First-time at the old competition park in Hemet. I saw jeff emig and kawasaki. Their gas they were burning smelled like ass. Now i see pros everytime i go to pala or milestone
bsharkey
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bsharkey 10/7/2017 10:53pm
10/7/2017 10:53pm
Steve oster at pacific
BobbyM
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BobbyM 10/8/2017 12:50am
10/8/2017 12:50am Edited Date/Time 10/8/2017 12:53am
jwag87 wrote:
Ezra lusk holy shizzle saw him in early 2000 at a R.I.P. practice track called the x track he was insanely fast blowing by everybody even...
Ezra lusk holy shizzle saw him in early 2000 at a R.I.P. practice track called the x track he was insanely fast blowing by everybody even the local fast guys had no chance at all. the craziest thing about it was how bad he rutted the track in two hours time footpeg scrapping the rest of the day every corner and jump so fast.
Joel Robert near Santa Cruz. Hand on the helmet flag start. Robert holeshot...hand still on his helmet, then he waved goodbye.
Motocrossjunky 10/8/2017 4:41am
10/8/2017 4:41am
Marc de Reuver on the late and great Amsterdam track. Damn I miss that place. He was crazy fast there.
motogrady
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motogrady 10/8/2017 5:43am
10/8/2017 5:43am

Gary Baily. On a Bultaco. Bausum Farm, Annapolis Md.
Was a 600, maybe 800 acre farm. The track was half cow pasture, half thru the woods.
Baily, after hounding our local pro Bobby Norris the whole 2nd Moto, finally just flat out crash into Norris
after the long straight, 2 turns from the checkers.
Both went down, Baily's bike wouldn't start, Norris got his going, and won.

The scenery, the excitement, the smell of Blendzall in the air, truly a great day.

I think it was right after they put the final touches on the big Pyramid in Egypt.
ruy
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ruy 10/8/2017 6:21am
10/8/2017 6:21am


The first one with which I met with Dietmar Lacher in 1988, was pro German that made the top ten in the 500cc worldchampionship in the late 80's in Catalonia, Spain, when the pilots of Northern Europe before the season, spend part of the winter training in Spain, and the last was Jorge Prado last year while he spent a few days in Galicia, Spain his homeland. This photo is with him this day



RM Mike
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RM Mike 10/8/2017 8:55am
10/8/2017 8:55am
Danny LaPorte at Mountain High in 1978. He came in a yellow Suzuki box van. CMC golden state series.

He was flying farther than anyone on the downhill. Brass balls of steel. And there were some very fast locals there.

Any of you guys old enough to remember Mountain High?
JMFNB
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JMFNB 10/8/2017 10:41am
10/8/2017 10:41am
Matt Wozney wrote:
Ryan Mills racing Schoolboy and whippin' everyone (myself included) in District 34/NY State.
I second that motion! He was so damn fast on that #167 RPM Honda and then moved to the amsoil backed Honda team after killin' it down at LL's.
Zycki11
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Zycki11 10/8/2017 11:10am
10/8/2017 11:10am
Forkner, watched the kid from 50s-250f
sumdood
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sumdood 10/8/2017 1:49pm
10/8/2017 1:49pm
coastlinecascot wrote:
First-time at the old competition park in Hemet. I saw jeff emig and kawasaki. Their gas they were burning smelled like ass. Now i see pros...
First-time at the old competition park in Hemet. I saw jeff emig and kawasaki. Their gas they were burning smelled like ass. Now i see pros everytime i go to pala or milestone
That whole place smelled like ass. It wasn't called pigshit park for nothing Laughing
CalRMX
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CalRMX 10/8/2017 2:06pm
10/8/2017 2:06pm
David Thorpe at the Owslebury (near Southampton England) track maybe late 70's early 80's
a22
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a22 10/8/2017 2:42pm
10/8/2017 2:42pm Edited Date/Time 10/8/2017 2:46pm
#76 wrote:
Rob Herring, 1990. Norfolk. U.K.

Was just in awe of him, and even got a ride around the track on the back of his seat!.

Yes- Robby was a right animal- before that even, when he came back from South Africa to race in UK, maybe was 1984 or 85.... I think it was the British Qualifying class he won it by about a lap and was doing these crazy one hand jumps down this massive downhill. Think the ACU stewards had a word with him and told him to stop it as it was dangerous! The other riders he beat were no slouches and some of the best. Soon after he got in the main Championship and started beating the best... often by quite a margin.

Shame he did not get a World Championship, he was defo fast enough.... Suppose that Des Nations win was pretty good though in '94, along with Malin and Nicholl.
mississippihippie 10/8/2017 3:14pm
10/8/2017 3:14pm
Nathan Davenport on minis and Matt lemoine on kx60s late 90s...

Pit Row

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Rockinar
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Rockinar 10/8/2017 4:08pm
10/8/2017 4:08pm
Jeff Dement at a local supercross track. I don't remember what year it was. 95-96. He waxed everyone. Nobody in Houston could touch him. Then he makes mains in SX.....he's a lapper.
Park Boys
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Park Boys 10/8/2017 5:16pm
10/8/2017 5:16pm Edited Date/Time 10/8/2017 5:27pm
Forty wrote:
2004. Elko Mn. Mike and Jeff Alessi showed up and brought the local hot shoes back to earth. I think Mike was 15 but he lit...
2004. Elko Mn. Mike and Jeff Alessi showed up and brought the local hot shoes back to earth. I think Mike was 15 but he lit that place up! Been a fan since.
They showed up at a few of those races that year, I got second to Jeff a couple times a distant second at that wasn't to pumped at the time lol. Jeff was obviously fast but Mike was something else. Jeff took the same main lines as everyone else but Mike took lines no one else even tried on his 450, outsides that were never used and he floated on the top of everything. Elko had alot of fast guys there Weimer showed up there in 2006 and even Larry Ward did a Vet A race there in 05 or 06 I have no idea why he was there. Heath Voss used to come out there quite a bit too in the late 90s and early 2000s and would jump stuff you didn't even think was possible. Dungey was there right before he went pro on his factory Suzuki in 06 on Thursday practices before Millville.
Zesiger 112
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Zesiger 112 10/8/2017 5:26pm
10/8/2017 5:26pm Edited Date/Time 10/8/2017 5:27pm
I've never seen a current pro. Here in eastern nc cooper Webb would race with the local organization, he would race that 150 in 450A. I got to to ride a 85 practice with him once when he showed up late. I saw him on the gate and 2 more times when he lapped me lol.
I also saw Dakota Alex at hog heaven on a 125 about a year before he became pro.
Cooper still rides local tracks in western nc and in eastern nc when he comes this way.
I did get lucky one time and caught him at his dads surf shop before sx this year.
MikeyB35
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MikeyB35 10/8/2017 5:46pm
10/8/2017 5:46pm
Jo Jo Keller at capeway rovers in middleboro mass. I drew a picture of him and headed to his pit area for a autograph. Never got it signed as i was too much in awe to ask.
potatoflake
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potatoflake 10/8/2017 5:51pm
10/8/2017 5:51pm
Ryan villopoto in about 2003 or 2004 getting ready for top gun, he was riding a supermini faster than anyone I've ever seen ride a supermini to this day. We all knew he was going somewhere!
redrider400
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redrider400 10/9/2017 12:47am
10/9/2017 12:47am Edited Date/Time 10/9/2017 12:48am
jwag87 wrote:
Ezra lusk holy shizzle saw him in early 2000 at a R.I.P. practice track called the x track he was insanely fast blowing by everybody even...
Ezra lusk holy shizzle saw him in early 2000 at a R.I.P. practice track called the x track he was insanely fast blowing by everybody even the local fast guys had no chance at all. the craziest thing about it was how bad he rutted the track in two hours time footpeg scrapping the rest of the day every corner and jump so fast.
Dude. I was there. Was it the day he was doing that huge quad thing that I didn't even think was possible in the middle of the track?
NJKawi913
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NJKawi913 10/9/2017 5:18am
10/9/2017 5:18am
J-law at englishtown raceway park. Not sure what year it was maybe 07.
dl117
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dl117 10/9/2017 6:09am
10/9/2017 6:09am
Donnie Schmit, as him and my brother grew up racing each other from minis up, then the Allessi's at the local fair races. Donnie was fun to watch in the 80's, there was always something special about him when you watched him ride.
jpfiester82 10/9/2017 7:45am
10/9/2017 7:45am
All time favorite would be in the late 90's Stanton had a practice track open to the public. Riding with him was great but I'll never forget the day he pulled in with his old rusty farm truck a 3 rail bike trailer and a pre-production 450 with Ryno in the passenger seat. Got to ride with a lot of greats down there, Wey, Lorocco, Hughes and 6 time himself.

Second would be Kelly Smith showing up and racing 25+ and handing out ass whoopins.
Rab
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Rab 10/9/2017 8:16am
10/9/2017 8:16am
Tommy "the tom cat" clowers at an old track called Amago. Probably around 2006
bennytree
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bennytree 10/9/2017 8:42am
10/9/2017 8:42am
Nick Wey at Mesquite in Nevada. He roosted me and I don't think I washed my jersey for months Smile

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