Whatever happened to Furman Gray

Heath B.
Profile picture for user Heath B.
Posts
101
Joined
5/6/2013
Location
Warrior, AL, USA
Heath B. 5/6/2013 1:50pm
5/6/2013 1:50pm
Lol..... :-)
Heath B.
Profile picture for user Heath B.
Posts
101
Joined
5/6/2013
Location
Warrior, AL, USA
Heath B. 5/6/2013 1:52pm
5/6/2013 1:52pm
Thanks FlarNard.....The "LOL" was in response to Larry.
Heath B.
Profile picture for user Heath B.
Posts
101
Joined
5/6/2013
Location
Warrior, AL, USA
Heath B. 7/28/2013 8:37pm
7/28/2013 8:37pm
Foo723
Profile picture for user Foo723
Posts
197
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Pensacola, FL, USA
Foo723 7/29/2013 4:00am
7/29/2013 4:00am
M Bray, i never realized that was your dad that headed up ft. rucker, i liked that track. i raced against all you guys at one time or another. I was 6X or 118 on a yz80. you got me at the finish line at blackwater mx in wing ala for the overall, probably about '77. i think you had an older brother that raced? you remmeber john holden, larry & terry mercer, john kindhart? lots of fast guys. indian mound, wasau, the pit were good tracks.

The Shop

See All »
gharmon
Profile picture for user gharmon
Posts
2771
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Valley, AL, USA
gharmon 7/29/2013 4:16am
7/29/2013 4:16am
vetarider wrote:
That name sounds familiar. Anyone remember if he raced at Flying Wheels MX track in Alabama in the late 70's? Sorry, trying to bring back some...
That name sounds familiar. Anyone remember if he raced at Flying Wheels MX track in Alabama in the late 70's? Sorry, trying to bring back some old memories. Pic (grainy) below from Flying Wheels 1978. Big jump on the back side of the track that some turned into a table top. Example by Rodney Herring.

Where was Flying Wheels located?
Foo723
Profile picture for user Foo723
Posts
197
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Pensacola, FL, USA
Foo723 7/29/2013 4:40am
7/29/2013 4:40am
g harmon, it was at ft rucker on the army base. i had to have a notorized release because my dad was not able to go with me. nice track, nice sandy base, good layout and that big jump rodney herring is on was fun
Heath B.
Profile picture for user Heath B.
Posts
101
Joined
5/6/2013
Location
Warrior, AL, USA
Heath B. 9/16/2014 12:00am
9/16/2014 12:00am
Heath B. wrote:
Where did you race from Bobby? I can remember them dragging me all over in that old motorhome. He walked away in 1979 after leading in...
Where did you race from Bobby? I can remember them dragging me all over in that old motorhome. He walked away in 1979 after leading in the Winter AMA in FL. This is the first time I've seen him race since I was 5. That was 33 yrs ago, lol. Wish I had Anehiem when he wrecked. Thanks
Larry wrote:
Furman was only 16 when he won that trip to Anehiem I think. Bobby M rode the novice class at chicken licks raceway out west and...
Furman was only 16 when he won that trip to Anehiem I think.
Bobby M rode the novice class at chicken licks raceway out west and thought he was fast untill he met your uncle.
Hello again Larry,
Just wanted to say hey and update some things. We were recently contacted by a guy from Shelby Co. Alabama about setting up a booth at the Barbers Motor Speedway in Leeds, Alabama. So a lot of sit down talk went on with my parents about Furman. I'm sorry for given wrong info a couple of years back about Furman. He won a big race in 1974 or 75' at the age of 15 that sent him to Anaheim. He turned 16 the day of the race on Dec. 13, 1975. Furman raced factory for Maico from 1977 until 1979. At the Florida AMA winter nationals in 1979 Furman crashed and broke his collarbone for a 3rd time. He'd just healed from a broken foot. That meant another year of qualifying and then turning around and racing the main. I suppose it reall got to him. After a friend found this thread on here I showed Furman and he said he'd get on and chat with some of you guys. Warrior got hit by a small Tornado which kept him very busy and delayed him from getting on. He did smile from ear to ear the day he read a lot of the post you all had here. Furman got sick on July 2nd and said he thought he had food poisoning. He passed in the early morning hours of July 5, 2011. His autopsy report showed he passed from "Salmonella poisoning." I now have all his pics, news clippings, lisenses and such. A large amount of things were stolen shortly after moving to Miami after leaving MX. I was only 5 and never really reached an age of understanding what Furman had and what he may have been if he'd never walked away. He was my true childhood hero. As well as Bad "Brad Lacky", Marty Smith, and Bob Hannah...But this hero use to put me on his bike and ride me around certain local tracks, he also knew how to make my blood boil the older I got. Guess that's what family's for, lol. I use to try and try to get Furman to talk about MX. He'd sit and we'd watch races in the 90's when Jeremy M. was killing the SX tracks, but still he wouldn't really go into detail about him racing. I always took it as he knew he made the wrong decision by walking away, and it hurt too much to look back on. Since you started, Ive been contacted by a lot of people about Furman, and to hear them has made it worth it. At the 2013 Loretta Lynn's race a friend of Kevin Foley was beside me. I mentioned how I wish my uncle who had passed was still around to see some of the guys his age still ripping the tracks. He asked who he was...When I told him he went into great detail over coming from Tenn. down to Cullman, Al to watch him. Then wanted to let his friend Kevin to know all about it. I didn't mean to be rude after the race and not stay beside him and meet Kevin, but I figured maybe it was more the friend rather than him who'd be interested. I mean the man had just won the 50+ Loretta's Championship. So after a while I slid away. But I guess after that I started realizing what type of impact he made on people in the South. I know what type of impact he made on me as a child. But I wanted to say thank you Larry for starting this forum. Furman did get to see it, and I got to learn a lot more about his racing because of it. Now my 10 y/o is about to start racing next year. He'll start at the same Warrior MX track that his great uncle started at on the very first race ever held there. Here's a short video of Josh on his very first day of riding. We got this bike in Georgia last year the day after the Ga. SX. Thanks Larry
flamenco
Profile picture for user flamenco
Posts
111
Joined
3/16/2011
Location
Sevilla, ES
flamenco 9/16/2014 12:41am
9/16/2014 12:41am
Dear Sirs, and Heath B. (nephew of Furman Gray ....
Wow, I have missed this thread somehow. I initially signed up after lurking because TFS (Steve Bruhn) had raced in Alabama and Florida where I had raced as a kid. I grew up in SW Georgia which was a great place to ride, but a long way away from actual race tracks. For some reason I persevered and in my Cycle World followings I came across several south Georgia, Panhandle Florida, South Alabama Tracks to race at. I raced at:
Warrior, AL
Mobile, AL
Wasau, FL
Holiday Beach, GA
etc....
I was young and got hurt too often to be good, but I do remember riders and tracks. I have a memory of TFS after he described to me who he was.
I guess there is no grand point, other than to say I am so very sorry for the loss of your Uncle. I probably was one of the kids lining the track, slack-jawed at his skill. I, like most of my statue in the days, don't have any pics (aside from a few Holiday Beach pics I would have to dig out), but I have the layouts and jumps of Warrior, Wasau and others etched in my brain. Partly because I crashed all over the place, ha!
Rest in Peace... and if I can supply any stories (or corroborate) please do not hesitate to ask. I doubt I will be of any help, other than that to say I always sought out the fast guys to pay attention to, and undoubtedly I saw your Uncle ride many times. Gosh, in Heaven we will have a lot to rejoice about.
flamenco
Profile picture for user flamenco
Posts
111
Joined
3/16/2011
Location
Sevilla, ES
flamenco 9/16/2014 12:47am
9/16/2014 12:47am
Woops, meant to say Fr. Rucker, which was one of my favorite tracks although I always did terribly there. Crashed brains, but LOVED the hill berms/climbs/jumps. TFS and I talked of this. I always crashed my brains out there, but it was my favorite track.
Heath B.
Profile picture for user Heath B.
Posts
101
Joined
5/6/2013
Location
Warrior, AL, USA
Heath B. 9/17/2014 2:38am
9/17/2014 2:38am
Heath B. wrote:
Where did you race from Bobby? I can remember them dragging me all over in that old motorhome. He walked away in 1979 after leading in...
Where did you race from Bobby? I can remember them dragging me all over in that old motorhome. He walked away in 1979 after leading in the Winter AMA in FL. This is the first time I've seen him race since I was 5. That was 33 yrs ago, lol. Wish I had Anehiem when he wrecked. Thanks
Larry wrote:
Furman was only 16 when he won that trip to Anehiem I think. Bobby M rode the novice class at chicken licks raceway out west and...
Furman was only 16 when he won that trip to Anehiem I think.
Bobby M rode the novice class at chicken licks raceway out west and thought he was fast untill he met your uncle.
Here's a photo list of Furman and several other racers you may know.

http://m.vitalmx.com/forums/Photo-and-Video,23/Furman-Gray-and-more-from-the-1970s-motocross,1275744
Corey_Tallent
Profile picture for user Corey_Tallent
Posts
200
Joined
7/21/2011
Location
Douglasville, GA, USA
Corey_Tallent 9/17/2014 11:38am
9/17/2014 11:38am
Its crazy all the things that happen in life and show how small the world really is. I had a customer come in the other day and we were talking about a recent injury he suffered (fell off of a wet tailgate of a truck and got a concussion) and he had mentioned that he had crashed while racing motorcycles in the past and never had the crazy effects that he had from this particular injury when comparing to his concussions from racing.

I told him in all the years he had come in that I never knew he raced and we started talking and he started talking about this Furman Gray person. I had never heard of him but apparently James (my customer) used to be really close friends with Furman and it was really interesting hearing James talking about him. I dont know what truth is to this, but was by James that a 16 year old Furman Gray beat a professionally signed factory rider named Barry Higgins while racing a 125 and beat BH on each size of CC bike available at the time, several times. That a large cash award was put up as a challenge and Furman won?

I told James (my customer) that all of that was a bit before my time, (I didnt get into supercross until 1989), but it was really cool hearing him talk about the glory days of racing, with Hannah, DeCoster and the others at the time he was racing. Its just wild that this customer was just talking about Furman Gray the other day and this same customer has seen my screen savers which have Supercross/Motorcross photos all over this place but he never mentioned anything so that was pretty cool.

Just never heard of this racer myself until the other day and then sign back on to Vital after more than a month away and theres apparently a discussion of this late racer. RIP Furman Gray.
1
michael.hillion 9/17/2014 4:00pm
9/17/2014 4:00pm
Heath wrote:
I like the one about the stunt job and the bartender, ha,ha. Furman is doing well. He is my uncle, my mom's brother. He lived in...
I like the one about the stunt job and the bartender, ha,ha. Furman is doing well. He is my uncle, my mom's brother. He lived in Miami, FL. for a while, then came back to Warrior. He moved to Louisville Ky. for several years. He is going to be moving back to Warrior this Saturday if the weather let's him leave. He raced at Anaheim and broke his collar bone real bad. He quit racing after that. I was only about three at the time of his racing and can actually remember some of the races. I know his friend Jack Gill from Georgia wanted him to go to Ca. to try for a stunt job. Furman didn't go but Jack did. Last I heard Jack was head stunt producer in Ca. Furman was at the edge of fame, but that wreck on ABC wide world of sports at 15 yrs. old messed him up. He is a born again Christian now, he's married, and he's a knife salesman for case. His website is (pocketknifeworld.com). Hope this info helps. I have told him about this page recently, he said he will check it out. HEATH
great to hear! Thanks for the update Smile
BobbyM
Profile picture for user BobbyM
Posts
21435
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
USA
BobbyM 9/17/2014 4:06pm
9/17/2014 4:06pm Edited Date/Time 9/17/2014 4:08pm
Larry wrote:
From Warrior Alabama. He could ride a Maico Magnum faster than Bobby M.
Not quite... but maybe

I think he might have passed on... Could be wrong though. Yup... RIP
Heath B.
Profile picture for user Heath B.
Posts
101
Joined
5/6/2013
Location
Warrior, AL, USA
Heath B. 9/17/2014 9:23pm
9/17/2014 9:23pm
@BobbyM - Here's a different forum I made and added some old pics Furman had kept in his scrapbook. Also some old news clippings. Several races showing other riders as well as some Team Ga. and Team South riders. Here's the link to the pics.

http://m.vitalmx.com/forums/Photo-and-Video,23/Furman-Gray-and-more-from-the-1970s-motocross,1275744
Heath B.
Profile picture for user Heath B.
Posts
101
Joined
5/6/2013
Location
Warrior, AL, USA
Heath B. 9/18/2014 6:07pm
9/18/2014 6:07pm
Corey_Tallent wrote:
Its crazy all the things that happen in life and show how small the world really is. I had a customer come in the other day...
Its crazy all the things that happen in life and show how small the world really is. I had a customer come in the other day and we were talking about a recent injury he suffered (fell off of a wet tailgate of a truck and got a concussion) and he had mentioned that he had crashed while racing motorcycles in the past and never had the crazy effects that he had from this particular injury when comparing to his concussions from racing.

I told him in all the years he had come in that I never knew he raced and we started talking and he started talking about this Furman Gray person. I had never heard of him but apparently James (my customer) used to be really close friends with Furman and it was really interesting hearing James talking about him. I dont know what truth is to this, but was by James that a 16 year old Furman Gray beat a professionally signed factory rider named Barry Higgins while racing a 125 and beat BH on each size of CC bike available at the time, several times. That a large cash award was put up as a challenge and Furman won?

I told James (my customer) that all of that was a bit before my time, (I didnt get into supercross until 1989), but it was really cool hearing him talk about the glory days of racing, with Hannah, DeCoster and the others at the time he was racing. Its just wild that this customer was just talking about Furman Gray the other day and this same customer has seen my screen savers which have Supercross/Motorcross photos all over this place but he never mentioned anything so that was pretty cool.

Just never heard of this racer myself until the other day and then sign back on to Vital after more than a month away and theres apparently a discussion of this late racer. RIP Furman Gray.
Thanks Corey,
I know exactly who James is. He and Furman were good friends. Haven't seen him since Furman's funeral viewing. I placed a link of pics that Furman had in his scrap book. It has a lot of different riders and News clippings of other riders that people may know or remember. They were true Iron Men who paved the way to what it is today. So many great riders back in the day. I know Furman stated that Marty Smith was his biggest rival. But often heard Bad Brad, Hannah, DeStifino, Pomeroy, Decoster etc...Small purses, but great love for riding.
(Dec. 13, 1975 Anaheim 500cc 16 y/o)

Heath B.
Profile picture for user Heath B.
Posts
101
Joined
5/6/2013
Location
Warrior, AL, USA
Heath B. 9/20/2014 2:25am
9/20/2014 2:25am
Corey_Tallent wrote:
Its crazy all the things that happen in life and show how small the world really is. I had a customer come in the other day...
Its crazy all the things that happen in life and show how small the world really is. I had a customer come in the other day and we were talking about a recent injury he suffered (fell off of a wet tailgate of a truck and got a concussion) and he had mentioned that he had crashed while racing motorcycles in the past and never had the crazy effects that he had from this particular injury when comparing to his concussions from racing.

I told him in all the years he had come in that I never knew he raced and we started talking and he started talking about this Furman Gray person. I had never heard of him but apparently James (my customer) used to be really close friends with Furman and it was really interesting hearing James talking about him. I dont know what truth is to this, but was by James that a 16 year old Furman Gray beat a professionally signed factory rider named Barry Higgins while racing a 125 and beat BH on each size of CC bike available at the time, several times. That a large cash award was put up as a challenge and Furman won?

I told James (my customer) that all of that was a bit before my time, (I didnt get into supercross until 1989), but it was really cool hearing him talk about the glory days of racing, with Hannah, DeCoster and the others at the time he was racing. Its just wild that this customer was just talking about Furman Gray the other day and this same customer has seen my screen savers which have Supercross/Motorcross photos all over this place but he never mentioned anything so that was pretty cool.

Just never heard of this racer myself until the other day and then sign back on to Vital after more than a month away and theres apparently a discussion of this late racer. RIP Furman Gray.
@Corey_Tallent : Do you know or remember James last name? Furman had a real close friend who's first name was James. I can't remember his last name though. He had dark hair and a mustach if its the guy I'm thinking of. Here's a group of pics I put up while getting some things ready for an event we were asked to attend for past riders at Barbers Motor Speedway in Leed's, Al. I've seen Barry Higgins name on a couple of news paper clippings Furman kept. Thanks

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=380192432132422&id=100004250040213
Heath B.
Profile picture for user Heath B.
Posts
101
Joined
5/6/2013
Location
Warrior, AL, USA
Heath B. 10/14/2014 1:19am
10/14/2014 1:19am
flamenco wrote:
Woops, meant to say Fr. Rucker, which was one of my favorite tracks although I always did terribly there. Crashed brains, but LOVED the hill berms/climbs/jumps...
Woops, meant to say Fr. Rucker, which was one of my favorite tracks although I always did terribly there. Crashed brains, but LOVED the hill berms/climbs/jumps. TFS and I talked of this. I always crashed my brains out there, but it was my favorite track.
So sorry it took so long to see this Flamenco!!! Thanks for the kind words. Furman is rejoicing in Heaven. He surrendered his life to Jesus about two years before passing.
But I didn't realize several riders I use to hear a lot about had passed. I knew Palmorey had passed. But Gaylon, Magoo, and some of the others I didn't know about. Thanks

Pit Row

See All »
GoggleFiend904 5/24/2018 6:00pm
5/24/2018 6:00pm
Damn this was a good read. RIP. Loved the tribute pics
Corey_Tallent
Profile picture for user Corey_Tallent
Posts
200
Joined
7/21/2011
Location
Douglasville, GA, USA
Corey_Tallent 5/24/2018 7:04pm
5/24/2018 7:04pm
Corey_Tallent wrote:
Its crazy all the things that happen in life and show how small the world really is. I had a customer come in the other day...
Its crazy all the things that happen in life and show how small the world really is. I had a customer come in the other day and we were talking about a recent injury he suffered (fell off of a wet tailgate of a truck and got a concussion) and he had mentioned that he had crashed while racing motorcycles in the past and never had the crazy effects that he had from this particular injury when comparing to his concussions from racing.

I told him in all the years he had come in that I never knew he raced and we started talking and he started talking about this Furman Gray person. I had never heard of him but apparently James (my customer) used to be really close friends with Furman and it was really interesting hearing James talking about him. I dont know what truth is to this, but was by James that a 16 year old Furman Gray beat a professionally signed factory rider named Barry Higgins while racing a 125 and beat BH on each size of CC bike available at the time, several times. That a large cash award was put up as a challenge and Furman won?

I told James (my customer) that all of that was a bit before my time, (I didnt get into supercross until 1989), but it was really cool hearing him talk about the glory days of racing, with Hannah, DeCoster and the others at the time he was racing. Its just wild that this customer was just talking about Furman Gray the other day and this same customer has seen my screen savers which have Supercross/Motorcross photos all over this place but he never mentioned anything so that was pretty cool.

Just never heard of this racer myself until the other day and then sign back on to Vital after more than a month away and theres apparently a discussion of this late racer. RIP Furman Gray.
Heath B. wrote:
@Corey_Tallent : Do you know or remember James last name? Furman had a real close friend who's first name was James. I can't remember his last...
@Corey_Tallent : Do you know or remember James last name? Furman had a real close friend who's first name was James. I can't remember his last name though. He had dark hair and a mustach if its the guy I'm thinking of. Here's a group of pics I put up while getting some things ready for an event we were asked to attend for past riders at Barbers Motor Speedway in Leed's, Al. I've seen Barry Higgins name on a couple of news paper clippings Furman kept. Thanks

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=380192432132422&id=100004250040213
James Tittle is the customer I talked to about Furman and does have dark hair and did have a mustache in the past.
Heath B.
Profile picture for user Heath B.
Posts
101
Joined
5/6/2013
Location
Warrior, AL, USA
Heath B. 6/7/2018 10:22pm
6/7/2018 10:22pm
Here’s a few shots of old news clippings from yours and James conversation. He and Mark Barnett had some battles, as well as Marty Smith who Furman considered his rival.





Heath B.
Profile picture for user Heath B.
Posts
101
Joined
5/6/2013
Location
Warrior, AL, USA
Heath B. 6/7/2018 10:26pm
6/7/2018 10:26pm
Here’s a little tribute video I did for the guys from the 70’s. Has some pics from Burnt Hickory and the Florida winter AMA’s. Hope you guys like it.

https://youtu.be/m-1JaHPfNLs

Post a reply to: Whatever happened to Furman Gray