Tell us about your very 1st Motocross race

Malvern in 1996 on a new 1996cr80. Looped that thing out bigger'n shit.. 

There was a guy in 1974 racing an Elsinore 125 at Sunnyvale and Santa Clara PAL wearing a Horizons Unlimited jersey - white with some multicolor stuff on it.  Really cool - that guy always looked perfect but was mid-pack.  Was that you? 

August 1972 Santa Clara PAL on a yellow Suzuki TS125.  I thought I was going to win but took around 25th in each of 3 motos.

We also had  High School motocross at Sunnyvale PAL in May of 1974.  The high schools were Fremont, Sunnyvale, Homestead, Los Altos, and Awalt. 

First one: Stitches

Second one: got on the podium and won a bootleg copy of the first Crusty Demons of Dirt on VHS

The rest is history

Cow Palace, South San Francisco. 1993. 125 Beginner. I was 18.

A few months later I already had my name in the magazines .
 

I didn't even realize I raced against Nick Pappas until I stumbled upon this the other day. Check out some of the other NorCal notables....Kathy Pruitt, Jason Murrell, Casey Musick, Curt Wilcox.....

This track was temporarily built in the infield of the San Jose Mile. 

 
 

First race was at Glen Helen, accidentally ended up in a class way faster than me, got the holeshot, couldn't believe I lead around that amazing first corner, lead for like 1/4 of a lap then arm pumped up like a mother fucker and faded way wayyyy back.

That was a good lesson in not holding onto the bike like you're ridding a bull.

80cc Beginner class.  1981 YZ-80.  Indian Dunes raceway, International track.       I got smoked...

...but I was hooked.   The starts were such a thrill.   Got better and better and finally started winning.  Moved up to the novice class and back to getting smoked.  ...but eventually moved up to winning and on to the Intermediate class.      Raced 80cc, 125cc and 250cc until I joined the professional working class.   

April 2001, Antietam Mc Hagerstown MD, 12th out of 19, 80 7-11 on my 2000 kx80 

1978 Undeera Vic Aust.

I was a fast c grade 80cc rider, this was my first adult race in 125 c grade. I got lapped in a 10 minute race, shocked and disappointed to say the least.

1982 Deer Valley Cycle Park, in practice Bryan Bruner passed me going so fast on the straight after the finish line that it literally scared me.  Only made it to first turn of the first moto, someone crashed and caused a pileup. I didn't crash but got stopped, put my foot down and then another rider hit my ankle right as I put my foot down. Finished the moto somehow but had a broken ankle.

Two months later tried again at Canyon Raceway, 1st moto I think I got like 4-5th place out of about 12 beginner's. Second moto got a good start, but going into the first turn Jimmy Button came across my front wheel and I ate shit in the first turn. He was only like 9 years old, and he was already pretty fast on 60's, but I think it was his first race on 80's so they let him race the beginner class. Or maybe not enough entries so they combined classes. No idea, but he smoked everyone.

Capeway rovers in middleboro mass. 1974 Yamaha 100 Mx. I was in the lead in my heat race going into the first turn and crashed. Came back to miss the main by one position. My dad was pissed but got redemption at southwick the following race with a second and then a win in Lisbon Maine. I’ll be at southwick for my fiftieth anniversary in march. 

I was like 13 (or 14) years old in 1985 (or maybe 1986) on a 1984 RM 125 in the 125 Beginner class at Carlsbad Raceway. Only thing I remember was I did ok and had a lot of fun!

The Hallman gloves with the black rubber strips on the fingers? 

The rubber would get really stiff riding in the cold. 

Well you can watch my very first race lol.. here you go... Never raced from ages 14 until i was 30...

Here is the 1st gate drop in all its glory and rookieness (Ended up with 3rd overall on the day)

Dade City 1984, can’t remember that long ago

That was the first place I raced bikes too after making the switch. Had already been couch racing all over the country since 04’, yeah I know, not cool..lol. Anyhow summer 09’ open C was double row and an absolute bloodbath for every nuclear round there lol. Got 2nd both Moto’s to a kid about 7 years younger than me on starting blocks lmao.  Loved racing there back before all the trees got cut down. Never cared for the track much but the turnouts made it feel like a mini national pretty regularly back then. Took balls to yank a start on that old S turn with 50+ riders! 

Dig it.

We did this back in 2010

https://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/First-race-how-did-yours…

Deming NM, 1988 on a 86 YZ 80, in 8th grade. I see a pattern here. This was considered a full gate. I was friends with most of em and those times were glorious.

Funny, I won my second race and it was at Capeway. And my first race was at Southwick and it went not so great even though I rode rough sand tracks all the time. 

80 beginner class on a 1974 Yamaha MX80 in 1976 at OCIR in OC Ca. Got smoked at 13th out of 21 on the gate.  I was actually surprised that I did that well 😊. 
3 weeks later, pops got me a 1977 XR75. 3 holeshots and 1st overall in the 4stroke mini beginner class. Hooked for life after that.  

All the MX this and CT that or AT or TS...DT1...and even some of those on XRs...or even SLs or Scramblers...

No F's givin'. You were out there against full on race bikes...and ya DIDN'T CARE.

Why...well..because..

"I'm a racer."

Love this place.

Mine was Ascot also!  Think it was 89 or 90. Gotta plaque from the last race there. Think it was Nov. 2nd 1990

August 1978 Tipton Hills Iowa, age 14:  I had been to 2-3 races watching with my buddy, who was also into reading MXA!  I had gotten a new 1978 YZ125 with help from my grandparents (I had to pay 1/2 of the $1111 purchase price with money from mowing lawns for like 1 1/2 years..)  My mom came along and practice went OK.  The track was a hell of a lot rougher than the farm field edges that I was used to riding ! There was a full gate (rubber band) of 40 riders,and coming around the first turn there was a pile up that I ran into. Hit my right arm or shoulder hard, but I got up and finished (not last!) By the second moto I had to use my other hand to lift my right hand onto the throttle b/c my arm hurt like hell, but I was afraid to tell my mom b/c I was worried that she wouldn't let me go again!  Somehow I finished, don't even remember where. By the next week I was OK , but it took 2-3 weeks to talk someone (my older sister) into taking me again. I think to Zwingle, IA. Had a blast and been hooked ever since!!

I loved 59th and D!  It was odd though at times hauling ass down the long back straight, then suddenly you couldn't hear your own bike.....  Fighter Jets were flying overhead from Tinker AFB next door.  Miss that place......

I miss that whole Oklahoma City racing scene back in those days.  We might have been red dirt Oklahoma oil patch but we had a lot of racing going on back then.  I forgot about the noise from Tinker.

My name is Brandon and here is my first race...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV17LtGLvPs

I was wondering if that would get posted. Lol

It never disappoints or gets old.  

Love these "memories" type threads. 

Remember the bottomless sandpit known as Interstate??  A full weekend there, and every bearing in your bike was shot.  My Dad hated that damn place.....  He only took me there if he HAD to.  Yeah, OKC had a solid scene back in the day.....