Pro Rider Appreciation (Your Humbling Moment)

12/27/2023 4:59pm
ML512 wrote:

Being born and raised in Southern California, it would happen on a weekly basis...sometimes multiple times a week...

Most times it was multiple times a day if you were at GH, Perris, Milestone or Comp Edge any day during the week. Growing up in So Cal had its ups and downs! 😂

Meister
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12/27/2023 5:35pm

Js7 blowing by me on a PC kx100 while i was on a freshly released and still rare 2001 yz250f. It was at echeconne (sp) in GA. I was toward the front of my classes at the time at an area qualifier. We were in practice together (school boy and something maybe) and i was 4th on it railing a sweeper in the middle berm. He blew around the outside of me like i was a goon. (Maybe i was?!).... 

2
brocster
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12/27/2023 5:47pm

Brown and Demuth blowing by me in practice at the Texas pro challenge like I was in reverse

McGrath blowing by me on the downhill of Mt St. Helen like I was in reverse 

Moisman passing me a few months back on Pala main and threw so much roost at me it damn near took me off the bike. I was like damn that was from a 250. Had that been a 450 it would have taken my head off. Brutal!

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DJBobbyD
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12/27/2023 5:50pm
sumdood wrote:
Only time I’ve been on a track with Pro’s was the Carlsbad Christmas Gran Prix’s. One year Travis and McGrath both raced it. I got passed...

Only time I’ve been on a track with Pro’s was the Carlsbad Christmas Gran Prix’s. One year Travis and McGrath both raced it. I got passed more than once by both of them.  The first time was MC, I didn’t hear him coming and he went by so fast it actually made me jump and go “FUCK !!”  Holy shit !   My wife went that year. I saw TP and MC in the pits and knew they be coming by at some point so I told her to try and get a picture with either of them behind me for fun. The pic never happened, and even though I knew they’d  go by me at some point,  when it happened I had no idea how much faster they’d be. It literally startled me 😂.  
 On a side note they were both cool as shit in the pits. I really miss that place 

I think I raced that same Carlsbad GP, but only remember Pastrana and Brown and just like you I couldn’t believe how fast those guys were. I even started on the line with Brown, Marty Moates, Pastrana and other pros and tried to sprint, but Pastrana went by on the last lap…just so fuckin fast! I also remember how good his bike smelled…that Factory RM 250 was running some good smelling fuel. 

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The Shop

Jeffro802
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12/27/2023 6:03pm
crt32 wrote:

Pastrana found that out when he showed up to 59th and Douglas in OKC. The locals had the track bumps memorized. 

Pastrana talks about this in one of the early Great Outdoors movies. 

3
JMMcMac127
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Mount Holly, NC, USA
12/27/2023 6:45pm

I grew up pretty fortunate being around a really popular shop with track in the back so I’ve had a couple of these..1st I posted about Austin Stroupe who was a nasty young rider..but had the privilege to have Robby Horton jump over my head on a 60 while I was on an 50 (his brother was way faster RIP Ritchie), I saw an Old (maybe 30 lol) Rick Johnson back there with half a wrist do crazy stuff on the Supercross track like it was a pit bike track. Damon Bradshaw jumping the lake there a few times, he was so fast and so cool. Jersey still in the closet. But just an honor to be on the track as those guys, the Austin one was probably my favorite though. He had a good family, his pops was super nice to my brother and I.

2
ML512
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12/27/2023 6:55pm
ML512 wrote:

Being born and raised in Southern California, it would happen on a weekly basis...sometimes multiple times a week...

avidchimp wrote:
ML humbles me every time I get passed by him on his 4 lap heaters. 

ML humbles me every time I get passed by him on his 4 lap heaters. Laughing

I’m up to 5-6 lap heaters now! 😂😂😂

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FIREfish148
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Kirkland, WA, USA
12/27/2023 7:20pm

I remember you thinking I was riding good one day at Sky River Motocross park in Monroe in 2003 just before Villopoto passed me mid air on a 30 foot hip table top. Kid stayed 5 feet lower than me then proceed to pull about 3 seconds on me the straight away directly after that into the left hander… on his little kx 85.


 

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Sully
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12/27/2023 7:20pm

I never had any illusions that I was fast, but I was riding at Palm Ave. back in the late 80s and saw Dean Sundhal come barreling down a steep, sketchy off camber downhill into a canyon on his quad. When he came up the other side where I was, I came to the quick conclusion that I was going to be a spectator that day. 

levimx22
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Coalgate, OK, USA
12/27/2023 7:26pm
vetmxr wrote:
Lined  up in the expert class at 59th and Douglas in OKC many moons ago......Reynard did things on the track that I didn't even think of.....and...

Lined  up in the expert class at 59th and Douglas in OKC many moons ago......Reynard did things on the track that I didn't even think of.....and I was no slouch back then ...so effortless and so fast.....humbling....No one else was using most of his lines, they only worked if you were going mach 2...He could catch you, pass you cleanly, and leave your sight before you could even realize who it was Laughing

happy to see some 59th talk here. johnny marley there was insane. i remember he used to scrub the tunnel jump iirc to flat and you could feel him land from the side of the track. i was on 50s but i remember that plain as day. 

Meister
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12/27/2023 7:30pm

Steel city days a bunch of guys would stay at or near brocks house in sherrodsville ohio. Right over the hill was beans, a perfect out door track to train on (before beans was the top track at spokes). Riding with Casey Johnson, reynard, Langston, and a handful of privateers pretty often back then. Had Shae Bentley and a few others at my house to ride a few times. That was always wild because i had 1000s of laps there lol. 

Chris_Buehler
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12/27/2023 7:48pm
UpTiTe wrote:

Never had one, I rode pretty fast. 

My man!

inflammable
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12/27/2023 8:03pm
bonseff wrote:
I grew up riding in Las Cruces, New Mexico in the late 80s-early 90s. A small town with like maybe a dozen riders who raced. One...

I grew up riding in Las Cruces, New Mexico in the late 80s-early 90s. A small town with like maybe a dozen riders who raced. One guy in our group went pro and made a few SX mains. I think he had a couple top 10s in the 125 class. He was a few years older than me and on another level I knew I could never, ever match. But he was always there to coach without being harsh. It was humbling but also inspiring.

Then later in life I moved to Austin, Texas after college and picked up moto once again. Even more crazy fast pros at the track. A few would try to qualify at the Houston and Dallas SX and get murdered. And that really humbled me to see just how ridiculous SX is in terms of a true bike set up and the whole approach the factory and top privateers had. Ain't no way someone like me had any business on a SX track. It seriously crushed my childhood fantasy when I would watch SX on TV thinking I would love to do that one day. NO FREAKIN WAY. There were several supercross races I attended just to get there buck early to watch practices and qualifying for the humility of seeing those local pros get eaten up. I respected the hell out them for it, though.

Travis Hodges?

1
deerlick
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12/27/2023 9:54pm

Rv on a kx60 was pretty unbelievable but we  could stay in front of him at opmc, a year later at washougal he was on an 80 and smoked us all. 

12/27/2023 9:58pm

I've been humbled every single time I ride but the thing that always made me the most disappointed was being smoked by kids on 80s or 85s or whatever they're calling them these days.  

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PNWOffroad
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Bend, OR, USA
12/27/2023 10:21pm

Have had Justin Hill absolutely blow my doors off at Albany Mx a few times, it’s incredible just how fast they’re going. Hard to appreciate until they’re scrubbing under you over a jump and are gone by the time you land.

1
sumdood
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12/28/2023 12:42am
sumdood wrote:
Only time I’ve been on a track with Pro’s was the Carlsbad Christmas Gran Prix’s. One year Travis and McGrath both raced it. I got passed...

Only time I’ve been on a track with Pro’s was the Carlsbad Christmas Gran Prix’s. One year Travis and McGrath both raced it. I got passed more than once by both of them.  The first time was MC, I didn’t hear him coming and he went by so fast it actually made me jump and go “FUCK !!”  Holy shit !   My wife went that year. I saw TP and MC in the pits and knew they be coming by at some point so I told her to try and get a picture with either of them behind me for fun. The pic never happened, and even though I knew they’d  go by me at some point,  when it happened I had no idea how much faster they’d be. It literally startled me 😂.  
 On a side note they were both cool as shit in the pits. I really miss that place 

DJBobbyD wrote:
I think I raced that same Carlsbad GP, but only remember Pastrana and Brown and just like you I couldn’t believe how fast those guys were...

I think I raced that same Carlsbad GP, but only remember Pastrana and Brown and just like you I couldn’t believe how fast those guys were. I even started on the line with Brown, Marty Moates, Pastrana and other pros and tried to sprint, but Pastrana went by on the last lap…just so fuckin fast! I also remember how good his bike smelled…that Factory RM 250 was running some good smelling fuel. 

I rode two or 3 of them, not sure which year that was. The starts made us laugh, first row pro's, something like 8 guys, 2nd row experts, 15 guys, 3rd row intermediates, 22 guys, then novice and beginner, 3 rows of 40 plus guys each  Laughing Good times Cool

CARLSBAD CHRISTMAS GP 0CARLSBAD XMAS GP

1
12/28/2023 2:30am

Not Motocross but trials. I watched Toni Bou scale a near vertical natural terrain hill in 20 secs.

It took me about 20 mins to climb up... then I fell on my ass on the way back down!

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1
12/28/2023 6:03am

I had a young Chase Sexton destroy me on his 85 while I thought I was being a badass on my 450. Laughing Sunset Ridge attracts a lot of pros, especially when it comes to Midwest nationals time. I just sit back and watch. 

3
bonseff
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12/28/2023 7:41am

Travis Hodges?

Yea. Actually rode with him a few weeks ago. Still hauls.

2
vdrsnk04
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12/28/2023 8:06am Edited Date/Time 12/28/2023 9:13am

When I got passed by Stew Baylor at a local harrscramble and then lapped again by him before fully knowing who he was. Simply can’t fathom how they go that fast!

 

next one was Krystian Janik scrubbing past me at Sunset Ridge MX on his KX85 and me on my YZ250f and leaving me like I was standing still LOL!

2
12/28/2023 8:09am

2003 was my 2nd season on a big bore four stroke. I had the all new YZ450F. 
I was riding pretty strong at that time… 

but not as strong as Christophe Pourcel was on his KX85 when we found ourselves together on a French practice track that spring! :-0

I just stopped to watch him. 
 

I met and had my photo taken with Le Cobra on that holiday too! Remember me David??

(I can’t find that photo now..)

captmoto
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12/28/2023 2:52pm
I got lapped by Damon Bradshaw at a regional qualifier for Loretta Lynn's. His closing rate was so fast, I didn't even know he was back...

I got lapped by Damon Bradshaw at a regional qualifier for Loretta Lynn's. His closing rate was so fast, I didn't even know he was back there. I was in the racing line and he went around me like I wasn't even in his way. 

It was that day that I knew I would never make a living racing a dirt bike. 

Closing rate. Great descriptor. I had the happen with Greg Albertine at Glen Helen on an open practice day. I knew he was coming so I went in what I thought was tight to give him the whole outside that had the berm. He seemed to just pop up in the blink of an eye even more inside, fanned the clutch and was gone in an instant. It really startled me. Since then I am pretty reluctant to get on the track when the names are out there. I really don't want to be that guy in the way making something bad happen.

Phil109
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Montgomery, TX, USA
12/28/2023 3:29pm

The most eye opening I can think of was around 07-08 when the Alessi bros came to Texas to Crosscreek Mx to a race. It rained its ass off the whole day before. The track was a complete swamp. They ran the races anyway and of course the Alessi boys made it look so easy. I couldn’t believe how fast they could still go on the track that was basically half flooded with water and mud. It was so insane. Also got to meet the boys that day and they are/were some of the nicest people you’ve ever met.

Anyhoo at that time I was 27-28 with local A class speed and I knew that very day I’d never make it to that level of riding LOL. 

12/28/2023 4:06pm
On the other hand . . . in early January 1977, right after Brad Lackey went to factory Honda, there was a local race at Hollister...

On the other hand . . . in early January 1977, right after Brad Lackey went to factory Honda, there was a local race at Hollister where Brad showed up on a factory open class Honda.  500 pro ran right after 250 novice class, and Brad was lined up behind me at my spot on the gate (rubber band, actually).

I can honestly say I roosted a world champ!  SidewaysTongue

I was at that race, I loved those Hollister races, great old style natural terrain motocross.

 

Austin_Rankin
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Georgetown, KY, USA
12/28/2023 4:22pm

Well there is one thing here that I can say.

 

I have ridden an extremely fast motor, and a stock motor back to back.

 

The stock motor would never stand a chance charging from point a to b….

 

so.

7
Lillefty27
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SW, MI, USA
12/28/2023 4:45pm
I had a young Chase Sexton destroy me on his 85 while I thought I was being a badass on my 450.  Sunset Ridge attracts a lot...

I had a young Chase Sexton destroy me on his 85 while I thought I was being a badass on my 450. Laughing Sunset Ridge attracts a lot of pros, especially when it comes to Midwest nationals time. I just sit back and watch. 

Lol were you in this video???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBJwMtCTJCk

 

12/29/2023 8:22am

I got to race James Stewart when I was like 11 in the supermini class at a Texas National. He was a bit older than me and was absolutely flying. I got in a pile-up on like the 3rd turn and by the time I got up and my bike started he was lapping me. In one lap he already had about 15 seconds over second. 

2
AMetts
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12/29/2023 8:36am
JMMcMac127 wrote:
I grew up pretty fortunate being around a really popular shop with track in the back so I’ve had a couple of these..1st I posted about...

I grew up pretty fortunate being around a really popular shop with track in the back so I’ve had a couple of these..1st I posted about Austin Stroupe who was a nasty young rider..but had the privilege to have Robby Horton jump over my head on a 60 while I was on an 50 (his brother was way faster RIP Ritchie), I saw an Old (maybe 30 lol) Rick Johnson back there with half a wrist do crazy stuff on the Supercross track like it was a pit bike track. Damon Bradshaw jumping the lake there a few times, he was so fast and so cool. Jersey still in the closet. But just an honor to be on the track as those guys, the Austin one was probably my favorite though. He had a good family, his pops was super nice to my brother and I.

I raced Top Gun when I was a kid here and there. I live in Lincolnton now, Austin was a cool guy he gave me some get well soon signed pants when I was in the hospital with a broken back. 

1
AMetts
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Lincolnton, NC, USA
12/29/2023 8:40am
vdrsnk04 wrote:
When I got passed by Stew Baylor at a local harrscramble and then lapped again by him before fully knowing who he was. Simply can’t fathom...

When I got passed by Stew Baylor at a local harrscramble and then lapped again by him before fully knowing who he was. Simply can’t fathom how they go that fast!

 

next one was Krystian Janik scrubbing past me at Sunset Ridge MX on his KX85 and me on my YZ250f and leaving me like I was standing still LOL!

First afternoon GNCC race I did was the same way the pros are so fast its baffling you don't even have time to move out of the way the speed they come up to you, find somewhere to pass and pass you is crazy. Not to mention the sections some of these guys are on the rev limiter in the woods is scary. 

1

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