FAST MINICYCLE RACERS FROM THE '70s

Utrider
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Utrider 8/23/2013 12:33pm
8/23/2013 12:33pm
I dredged this up from the past, I vaguely remember the name Paul Emerson from the late 70's and recently had some dealings with him. The name sounded familiar so I Googled him and came up with a few posts mentioning his name.

Well he is in good shape, he was selling a bike here locally and I bought it from him. Very nice guy, has been racing desert in Nevada the last few years.

According to his race results looks like he is still VERY fast!
245
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245 8/24/2013 5:36pm
8/24/2013 5:36pm
HORNETDRIVER wrote:
First, howdy to the forum. I think I recognize a few very old friends from my youth racing NMA in the early - mid '70s. What...
First, howdy to the forum.

I think I recognize a few very old friends from my youth racing NMA in the early - mid '70s. What I haven't seen is an update list on where some of the midwest hotshoes are. Can anyone fill in some blanks?

Randy Tysor - Fastest kid I ever saw on an XR-75. From Riverton, IA. Put Ward, Myerscough, Brown, Holley to the mat at the '76 NMA national in Springfield, MO...and that's no disrespect to any of those fellows. Would have won all his classes at the '75 AMA national in Pittsburgh, KS if it weren't for some incredibly bad luck.

Richard Hardesty - I last saw rich at the 1977 short track AMA national in Wichita, KS. Fast and very smooth.

Dave Weeks - Ran into him at the Unadilla National in...'80? Could have been '81, though.

Tracy Lubbering - From Kirksville, MO. Quick as snot back in the day. Brother was Mike as I recall.

Cheers to the forum of "old guys".

HORNETDRIVER
I am luck to have race with almost all in the fast mini racer of the 70's at one time or the other. From mini, amateur, to pro's and back vet age groups. In the1975 AMA mini national MX in KS , I got 4th 80cc and 9th 105 cc in Sr expert. Been friends with Liles almost all our life's. Few know how good of a dirt tacker he was.
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Lefty Right
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Lefty Right 8/27/2013 2:40pm
8/27/2013 2:40pm
Donnie never rode 80's It was a 100cc steens

I can remember him trying to race it in 80cc class and the 100cc class at dixon and he won both first moto's but they made him ride the 100 class and wasn't allowed to ride the 2nd moto in the 80 class so he really donnie never rode the mini bike class but one motoWhistling
Dr Endo
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Dr Endo 4/19/2017 9:21am
4/19/2017 9:21am
HORNETDRIVER wrote:
I reaced with Billy Liles for years and saw that he was still kicking ass in the +40 class a few years back. I remember him...

I reaced with Billy Liles for years and saw that he was still kicking ass in the +40 class a few years back. I remember him yelling at his mom at the Wichita ST AMA National back in '77. There was a race stoppage for a hurt rider so they stopped all of us on the track. His mom was yelling something through the fence from the grandstands (I couldn't hear what because I still had my helmet on) and he yelled back for her to "shut up". I was laughing my ass off!

We met Paul Emerson at the '78 Ponca City National. He was (still is?) a great guy and super fast!

One of my favorite pictures is from that same national. I got the holeshot in the 83cc stock expert 12-15 class final and "Bullet" Ben Theriot is behind me at the first jump (yes, he passed me soon after, I'm sure...I ended up 9th).

Derek Wedding was a bit older than I and we hung out with him in early 1976 at a Lake Whitney, TX MX (my first race on my YZ-80C)...although I seem to remember him from Pittsburgh, KS AMA National in '75 as I remember. Another super guy.

Isn't it funny that most of the folks we hung out with as kids at races were pretty good people?

How about some Rocky Mtn racers?

Snellen Johnson (Utah)

Bo Ruby (Colorado)

Cheers,

HORNETDRIVER
Wow! Ran across this really old thread and it brought back a lot of memories. Bo Ruby is my brother, and yes, he was really fast back in the day.

How about a few more Rocky Mountain riders?
- Art Dehoff
- Matt Lindsey
- Albert Firestine
- Jay Martin
- Andy Atkins

I am missing a bunch. There were a lot of fast kids that grew up on the Eastern slope CO tracks. (Aztec, Pueblo, Berthoud, Lakewood and Trinidad) Fun times!

The Shop

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JWACK
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JWACK 4/23/2017 9:11pm
4/23/2017 9:11pm
HORNETDRIVER wrote:
First, howdy to the forum. I think I recognize a few very old friends from my youth racing NMA in the early - mid '70s. What...
First, howdy to the forum.

I think I recognize a few very old friends from my youth racing NMA in the early - mid '70s. What I haven't seen is an update list on where some of the midwest hotshoes are. Can anyone fill in some blanks?

Randy Tysor - Fastest kid I ever saw on an XR-75. From Riverton, IA. Put Ward, Myerscough, Brown, Holley to the mat at the '76 NMA national in Springfield, MO...and that's no disrespect to any of those fellows. Would have won all his classes at the '75 AMA national in Pittsburgh, KS if it weren't for some incredibly bad luck.

Richard Hardesty - I last saw rich at the 1977 short track AMA national in Wichita, KS. Fast and very smooth.

Dave Weeks - Ran into him at the Unadilla National in...'80? Could have been '81, though.

Tracy Lubbering - From Kirksville, MO. Quick as snot back in the day. Brother was Mike as I recall.

Cheers to the forum of "old guys".

HORNETDRIVER
WakendaMO wrote:
I remember Lubbering very well.... Raced against him for several years at the tracks in Missouri...... Thats why I have dozens of 2nd place trophies..... Think...
I remember Lubbering very well.... Raced against him for several years at the tracks in Missouri...... Thats why I have dozens of 2nd place trophies..... Think I only beat him a couple of times......
Old but relevant. Tracy Lubbering is still riding a bunch. I wish he would line up at the world vets! He would have a great shot at winning his class. He hauls ass still let me tell ya. Last year, or the year before I can't remember now, he held off Jason Anderson for a few laps at race pace. No joke. That man can ride.
He was my riding coach and is a good friend of mine. Sorry for the blurry pic, Not sure what happned to it.. but here we are racing in 08. He is on the Honda

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mrmotomikey
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mrmotomikey 2/4/2020 9:00pm
2/4/2020 9:00pm
HORNETDRIVER wrote:
First, howdy to the forum. I think I recognize a few very old friends from my youth racing NMA in the early - mid '70s. What...
First, howdy to the forum.

I think I recognize a few very old friends from my youth racing NMA in the early - mid '70s. What I haven't seen is an update list on where some of the midwest hotshoes are. Can anyone fill in some blanks?

Randy Tysor - Fastest kid I ever saw on an XR-75. From Riverton, IA. Put Ward, Myerscough, Brown, Holley to the mat at the '76 NMA national in Springfield, MO...and that's no disrespect to any of those fellows. Would have won all his classes at the '75 AMA national in Pittsburgh, KS if it weren't for some incredibly bad luck.

Richard Hardesty - I last saw rich at the 1977 short track AMA national in Wichita, KS. Fast and very smooth.

Dave Weeks - Ran into him at the Unadilla National in...'80? Could have been '81, though.

Tracy Lubbering - From Kirksville, MO. Quick as snot back in the day. Brother was Mike as I recall.

Cheers to the forum of "old guys".

HORNETDRIVER
I am lucky enough to get to ride with Tracy almost every weekend and I can assure you that he is alive and well and still ripping!
txjcfsr
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txjcfsr 2/6/2020 4:55am
2/6/2020 4:55am
HORNETDRIVER wrote:
I reaced with Billy Liles for years and saw that he was still kicking ass in the +40 class a few years back. I remember him...

I reaced with Billy Liles for years and saw that he was still kicking ass in the +40 class a few years back. I remember him yelling at his mom at the Wichita ST AMA National back in '77. There was a race stoppage for a hurt rider so they stopped all of us on the track. His mom was yelling something through the fence from the grandstands (I couldn't hear what because I still had my helmet on) and he yelled back for her to "shut up". I was laughing my ass off!

We met Paul Emerson at the '78 Ponca City National. He was (still is?) a great guy and super fast!

One of my favorite pictures is from that same national. I got the holeshot in the 83cc stock expert 12-15 class final and "Bullet" Ben Theriot is behind me at the first jump (yes, he passed me soon after, I'm sure...I ended up 9th).

Derek Wedding was a bit older than I and we hung out with him in early 1976 at a Lake Whitney, TX MX (my first race on my YZ-80C)...although I seem to remember him from Pittsburgh, KS AMA National in '75 as I remember. Another super guy.

Isn't it funny that most of the folks we hung out with as kids at races were pretty good people?

How about some Rocky Mtn racers?

Snellen Johnson (Utah)

Bo Ruby (Colorado)

Cheers,

HORNETDRIVER
Derek Wedding is still racing. He lives near Tyler, TX and is still very fast. If you look him up on Facebook (james derek wedding), he gives "moto updates" from each of his races, and they are very, very entertaining. He rides several bikes in several classes, from 125 to 500. He still hauls ass!
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Jay Conyers
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Jay Conyers 1/15/2021 9:13am
1/15/2021 9:13am
klein8 wrote:
tysor, hardesty and weeks used to ride the des moines , ia indoor short track inthe 70's anyone no what hardesty is at these days?
Hey guys, just joined the forum. Glad to see people are still talking about the good old days. Tommy Hockenberry is in Hastings Nebraska last I heard. I’m going to try and make a trip out to see him this summer. Rich Hardesty was outside of Crescent Iowa last I heard. Saw him in Council Bluffs 20 or so years ago coming out of Duncan’s cafe. Randy Tysor fell off the map. After his dad passed I had no way to contact him. We hung out after his riding days for awhile but life changes happened and I lost contact. I used to ride with the boys back in the day. Some of my fondest memories were at race tracks with those guys. Lincoln, Wilbur, snoopys valley, Des Moines, castana, tabor, malvern, even went to Sioux Falls for three weekends straight for a flat track championship...ahhh those were the days. I had the pleasure to meet and ride with Danny Houtchens, I just remember what a humble nice guy he was to a snot nose kid from Carter Lake, Iowa. I was shocked and deeply saddened when I heard of his passing from the car accident. That is all for now. Cheers
strachos
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strachos 7/25/2023 11:36am
7/25/2023 11:36am
HORNETDRIVER wrote:
First, howdy to the forum. I think I recognize a few very old friends from my youth racing NMA in the early - mid '70s. What...
First, howdy to the forum.

I think I recognize a few very old friends from my youth racing NMA in the early - mid '70s. What I haven't seen is an update list on where some of the midwest hotshoes are. Can anyone fill in some blanks?

Randy Tysor - Fastest kid I ever saw on an XR-75. From Riverton, IA. Put Ward, Myerscough, Brown, Holley to the mat at the '76 NMA national in Springfield, MO...and that's no disrespect to any of those fellows. Would have won all his classes at the '75 AMA national in Pittsburgh, KS if it weren't for some incredibly bad luck.

Richard Hardesty - I last saw rich at the 1977 short track AMA national in Wichita, KS. Fast and very smooth.

Dave Weeks - Ran into him at the Unadilla National in...'80? Could have been '81, though.

Tracy Lubbering - From Kirksville, MO. Quick as snot back in the day. Brother was Mike as I recall.

Cheers to the forum of "old guys".

HORNETDRIVER

Tysor is still around, Weaks in outside of Nashville

strachos
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strachos 7/25/2023 11:40am
7/25/2023 11:40am
slowvet wrote:
Weeks was from Omaha, I have no idea whatever happened to him. Mike Boston, Tysor was a fast kid. Anybody ever heard of Jason Draycott?

I'm still in touch with many fast old guys from Nebraska. Draycotts moved to Texas, Boston and Kohlscheen , text every week or so. Theiss is always hanging with Kohlscheen. Weaks lives outside of Nashville.

TonyTiger
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TonyTiger 8/15/2023 3:43pm
8/15/2023 3:43pm
klein8 wrote:
wasn't there a kid by the name scott noble that raced with randy tysor, might have been from the omaha area.

Randy Tysor was #64 

Scott Noble was #10

They battles all from Minis to 125s. 

TonyTiger
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TonyTiger 8/15/2023 3:46pm
8/15/2023 3:46pm
HORNETDRIVER wrote:
First, howdy to the forum. I think I recognize a few very old friends from my youth racing NMA in the early - mid '70s. What...
First, howdy to the forum.

I think I recognize a few very old friends from my youth racing NMA in the early - mid '70s. What I haven't seen is an update list on where some of the midwest hotshoes are. Can anyone fill in some blanks?

Randy Tysor - Fastest kid I ever saw on an XR-75. From Riverton, IA. Put Ward, Myerscough, Brown, Holley to the mat at the '76 NMA national in Springfield, MO...and that's no disrespect to any of those fellows. Would have won all his classes at the '75 AMA national in Pittsburgh, KS if it weren't for some incredibly bad luck.

Richard Hardesty - I last saw rich at the 1977 short track AMA national in Wichita, KS. Fast and very smooth.

Dave Weeks - Ran into him at the Unadilla National in...'80? Could have been '81, though.

Tracy Lubbering - From Kirksville, MO. Quick as snot back in the day. Brother was Mike as I recall.

Cheers to the forum of "old guys".

HORNETDRIVER
245 wrote:
I am luck to have race with almost all in the fast mini racer of the 70's at one time or the other. From mini, amateur...
I am luck to have race with almost all in the fast mini racer of the 70's at one time or the other. From mini, amateur, to pro's and back vet age groups. In the1975 AMA mini national MX in KS , I got 4th 80cc and 9th 105 cc in Sr expert. Been friends with Liles almost all our life's. Few know how good of a dirt tacker he was.

David Weeks still in Omaha and got even faster once on 125s. Randy was the best Pro 125 from Riverside Iowa and I am told after his father passed went down a bad path w perhaps drugs and some jail too. All info from racing friends still in Omaha. 

cloverdale
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cloverdale 8/17/2023 8:59am
8/17/2023 8:59am
HORNETDRIVER wrote:
Johnny Spaw...yep. As a matter of fact I remember camping at the Cedar Rapids Regional Qualifyer with Johnny, Mark Courtney and Mark's little brother Billy. Didn't...
Johnny Spaw...yep. As a matter of fact I remember camping at the Cedar Rapids Regional Qualifyer with Johnny, Mark Courtney and Mark's little brother Billy. Didn't Johnny have a little brother, Ray, as well?

Halstead rings a bell and Moyer does as well, but I can't say I remember them as well as the others.

My dad owned a track in Savannah, MO back in '72-76. Tysor would come down there and kick our asses and I remember him bringing more of his Iowa buds as well although they were nowhere as fast.

How about Danny Hutchins? He was riding 125s back then, so he would have been 16ish around '75. I think he was from Red Oak, IA.

HORNETDRIVER

Bob Halstead is still active. I sponsor him in the senior class, we will be attending the Ironman on the 26th.

Spaw is a successful stock car builder and racer.

coopernicus
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coopernicus 8/24/2023 7:09am
8/24/2023 7:09am Edited Date/Time 8/24/2023 7:10am
HORNETDRIVER wrote:
I reaced with Billy Liles for years and saw that he was still kicking ass in the +40 class a few years back. I remember him...

I reaced with Billy Liles for years and saw that he was still kicking ass in the +40 class a few years back. I remember him yelling at his mom at the Wichita ST AMA National back in '77. There was a race stoppage for a hurt rider so they stopped all of us on the track. His mom was yelling something through the fence from the grandstands (I couldn't hear what because I still had my helmet on) and he yelled back for her to "shut up". I was laughing my ass off!

We met Paul Emerson at the '78 Ponca City National. He was (still is?) a great guy and super fast!

One of my favorite pictures is from that same national. I got the holeshot in the 83cc stock expert 12-15 class final and "Bullet" Ben Theriot is behind me at the first jump (yes, he passed me soon after, I'm sure...I ended up 9th).

Derek Wedding was a bit older than I and we hung out with him in early 1976 at a Lake Whitney, TX MX (my first race on my YZ-80C)...although I seem to remember him from Pittsburgh, KS AMA National in '75 as I remember. Another super guy.

Isn't it funny that most of the folks we hung out with as kids at races were pretty good people?

How about some Rocky Mtn racers?

Snellen Johnson (Utah)

Bo Ruby (Colorado)

Cheers,

HORNETDRIVER
Dr Endo wrote:
Wow! Ran across this really old thread and it brought back a lot of memories. Bo Ruby is my brother, and yes, he was really fast...
Wow! Ran across this really old thread and it brought back a lot of memories. Bo Ruby is my brother, and yes, he was really fast back in the day.

How about a few more Rocky Mountain riders?
- Art Dehoff
- Matt Lindsey
- Albert Firestine
- Jay Martin
- Andy Atkins

I am missing a bunch. There were a lot of fast kids that grew up on the Eastern slope CO tracks. (Aztec, Pueblo, Berthoud, Lakewood and Trinidad) Fun times!

I worked with Matt Lindsey until late last year just outside of Denver, CO...Really good guy!  We used to talk moto all the time during SX/MX seasons.  His brother was/is heavily involved in the MX industry: Team management, announcing for Arenacross. He hadn't ridden for a long time and was doing the "family thing" and living the "corporate dream"!

stanguidroz 9/18/2023 4:30am
9/18/2023 4:30am
HORNETDRIVER wrote:
First, howdy to the forum. I think I recognize a few very old friends from my youth racing NMA in the early - mid '70s. What...
First, howdy to the forum.

I think I recognize a few very old friends from my youth racing NMA in the early - mid '70s. What I haven't seen is an update list on where some of the midwest hotshoes are. Can anyone fill in some blanks?

Randy Tysor - Fastest kid I ever saw on an XR-75. From Riverton, IA. Put Ward, Myerscough, Brown, Holley to the mat at the '76 NMA national in Springfield, MO...and that's no disrespect to any of those fellows. Would have won all his classes at the '75 AMA national in Pittsburgh, KS if it weren't for some incredibly bad luck.

Richard Hardesty - I last saw rich at the 1977 short track AMA national in Wichita, KS. Fast and very smooth.

Dave Weeks - Ran into him at the Unadilla National in...'80? Could have been '81, though.

Tracy Lubbering - From Kirksville, MO. Quick as snot back in the day. Brother was Mike as I recall.

Cheers to the forum of "old guys".

HORNETDRIVER

Rider for Louisiana.. “Stump” Guidroz. Rode with Precision Cycles back in the 70s

Pit Row

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