What year

1977, 16 at Cycle Haven near L.A. Harbor. I had a '76 CR125R and crashed in the first moto only to see my dad yelling, "get up and go". I got a 3-2 for 2nd O.A. and I was hooked.

Two First Times:
1983 .. RM80-- Conroe MX.. DNF'd first moto, dead last second moto.. best time losing I've ever had in my life.

2005 .. 03 YZ250F (yellow)-- SouthwestMX ,Houston -- Fathersday race, first race in over 15 years..8th first moto, DNS'd the second... arms were pumped up, and not being able to catch my breath made it impossible to get my kidney belt on ....
Absolute blast. Did a couple more on the YZ250F, and moved on to the 450's.

1983, 9 or 10yrs old, 9-11 80beg @ Barona Oaks
first moto, i got smoked but finished. second moto, mixed it up a bit with the other kids but i think i still got last...

[img:4d5f6]http://www.cwax.com/images/jwk_firstrace.jpg[/img:4d5f6]

a few months later at carlsbad, my dad, at the age of 38 or 39, raced his first race - he got arm pump so bad he had to stop mid-race. his hands were clinched shut, so he had to lift his arms over his head and use his helmet to spread his fingers.

over 20yrs later, my dad and i still ride together at least once a week.

1973 on a Honda Minitrail 50. Belleville IL TT/Flatrack. Dad told me not to get last and so I got second to last.

[quote="Racer92":26005]
I used to ride that place,,, back around '79 thru '80ish. Fun track.[/quote:26005]

3 Palms is pretty much in the same spot it was in ..kinda cool to be able to ride the same location I did as a kid....with my kid now.

used to race BMX at Armadillo downs right next door too... that place is still open too..although I don't see too much ever going on over there...

1977, Clewiston MX
XR75

It was cold as hell.

I think I fell in every turn and I remember Doug Longwell flying over my head on his MCS Supermini on the big hill jump.

1982 Riverside Raceway on a 1977 YZ 125, SRA Grand Prix 125 beginner. (check the real leather leathers. LOL)

Taken out in the first turn, made it back to sixth and got my first trophy. " title="Laughing">

[img:3ae21]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f350/AZvet/2006-01-29.jpg[/img:3ae21]

Santa Clara PAL, 3-motos. 4th, 15th, holeshot to big swap crash, Yamaha mx 90. Chrome shocks, metal fenders, 1971.

1st minibike race in 67 at san rafael on a bonanza B&S engine
2nd place out of 3

1st minibike race on a mini with gears was 70 in livermore on a minitrail 50
2nd place out of 10

1st real mx race in 73 on a mx 125 yamaha at sandhill ranch
29th out of 40

Pictures Bobby, pictures.

2002 was my first race, I was 16 years old...
I've never been on a race track before this. so it was pretty scary to me, def. the start!

I ended up 2nd out of the gate, and held 3rd for about 2 laps until I cased a double, that i've never done or seen before, and went off the track. I got back and finished 7th overall...

But, I was so excited that I got my first trophy at my first race!

Chrissi

You got a trophy for 7th overall?
geez... we didnt get squat unless you won...and even that trophy was crap...

Bobby, I probably rode with you then. I was a 125 Novice in 1973. I usually won those races. LOL.

[quote:cb88e]Feb 1972. Hodaka B Model... rode it to the races and took off the headlight/tailight and installed the number plate.

Finished 3rd and got $5. They didn't give trophies at that track, only $$.

MR[/quote:cb88e]

the youngest and only "pro" to win his first ever race...right on doc!

[quote="systemmx":aeef2]You got a trophy for 7th overall?
geez... we didnt get squat unless you won...and even that trophy was crap...[/quote:aeef2]

Yah, my district pays out trophies to the top 8 riders... Dist. 34


Chrissi

1966 Manteca dirt scrambles. Open novice on 500 Triumph with the lights removed & pie plates with X's on them for numbers. Biggest class of the day with 3 restarts due to crashes in the first turn. Crashed in a deep gully after getting off the line 3rd on the 5th of 6 laps DNF. Couldn't get it restarted in time.

1975 Big Berm Raceway in Maryland. 250C. Looped it on the line 1st moto got up and passed one guy. Second moto did better and wound up like 35th out of 40 for the day. Won my first trophy at that track. 5th place Again out of 40. Remember when there weren't so many classes and they all had 40 riders? Shoot 125C always had to be split into two divisions and sometimes three.

1974 / JT1 (mini enduro) with Fun and Fast GTT kit, Claude Osteens in Pomona.

5th in 75cc Novice............

[quote="Track Rat":3e832]1974 / JT1 (mini enduro) with Fun and Fast GTT kit, Claude Osteens in Pomona.

5th in 75cc Novice............[/quote:3e832]

Track Rat, I was probably there that day; my dad used to race there almost every weekend.

2003 Hurricane hills 125C 25th o/a with a full gate. Started both motos in last and crashed in both also

I got a 1980 RM 100 on Thursday and my friends talked me into racing it on Sunday. I never even watched a race in my life. My buddies said it was easy. "When the gate drops just give it gas" Shit, I wished they told me about braking for the first turn. I carried a shit load of speed into the first turn and wiped out about 5 of the top riders in the class. I got going before most of them got off the ground but it didn't take long for them to catch up to my
rookie speed and say hello to me..."ASSHOLE"....."ASSHOLE"..."ASSHOLE"...I loved the sport ever since.

1979 on a '77 RM80 at Bermbenders Raceway in Mora. Donnie Schmidt lapped me...twice.

1989 on a quad racing tt at mathias raceway, got my ass-kicked, first moto in 1991 on a 1990 cr125 malvern ohio, got 27th out of 76 total in c-class. hooked on racing ever since.

1974 or 1975 at Dehesa (sp?) raceway here in san Diego. I was 10 and raced my Yahama 60 mini enduro. Finished midpack about 12th place out of 30 riders that day.

[quote="Digger437":20247]1975 in Medford WI home now to the parking lot of Tombstone Pizza. It was a great track back then.

XR75 and finished second to last. Classic picture laying around somewhere with me wearing my moms driving gloves, denim jacket and cordaroy pants because it was a mud race.

I was so embarrassed but at the same time happy to be racing, so for the next race, my dad put real numbers on my bike and got me the classic Honda gear complete with leathers.

http://new.onthepiperacing.com/uploads/ ... .thumb.jpg[/url]

http://new.onthepiperacing.com/uploads/ ... ord_MX.jpg[/url][/quote:20247]

dang, that's almost my story in it's entirety! nice photos!

For me, it was 1976. The track was in Dunkirk, Maryland, and I was on my '75 XR75. I was 15.

Like EID, I must have fell in every single turn, and just like wired4speed, I just about got the holeshot because I forgot to shut off for the first turn and almost took out a few spectators. I eventually finised second-to-last, because there was a kid there on a POS Suzuki that must have fell TWICE in each turn, LOL!

November 5th 1978 .. Orlando Sports Stadium … 16th overall out of I believe 32 riders

[img:85cbd]http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a62/fishbon/Nov-5-1978.jpg[/img:85cbd]


[img:85cbd]http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a62/fishbon/Nov-5-1978-1.jpg[/img:85cbd]

1973 Marysville,Pa. 1971 CZ 125 So scared I couldn't make a shift (LOL), fried the crank after 5 or 6 laps.Hooked ever since.

[quote="BMSOB":7e994]1966 Manteca dirt scrambles. Open novice on 500 Triumph with the lights removed & pie plates with X's on them for numbers. Biggest class of the day with 3 restarts due to crashes in the first turn. Crashed in a deep gully after getting off the line 3rd on the 5th of 6 laps DNF. Couldn't get it restarted in time.[/quote:7e994]

Knew I like you.

1978, Austin Night Track, Austin Tx. I still remember the way the air smelled that night, always will. I went 3-2 for second place in Mini Sr. I was a little embarrassed that I was the only rider in the class racing with blue jeans, but was gleaming with pride when I picked up my first trophy.

After that night I was hooked.