Posts
11079
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Newark, OH, USA
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 11:42am
Last night, in Pickerington, Ohio, I was at a benefit dinner for Chris Whitcraft, a local pro
racer injured in a racing accident - anyway, after some grub and a couple brews, I
encountered an old friend - Mr. Dick Klamfoth, a 3 time Daytona 200 winner (when the
race went down the beach..) and previous owner of Honda Hills....Again, anyway, I
began asking Dick how his famed Honda Hills circuit came about and when it got
started - he mentioned that he owned a Honda dealership in Columbus and all kinds of
folks were buying dirt-bikes - yet complained they had nowhere to ride (sound
familiar?) - so , eventually, he considered buying some property east of Columbus
and opening a facility for all types of off-road fun.......during this time of planning for his
off-road park, Dick somehow got caught up with another gentleman who had similar
plans for a place in Croton, Ohio - roughly 30 miles north....Anyhow, according to Dick,
who's now in his '80's and still sharp as a tack - he assisted this " partner" and they
ended up, in 1966 (or '67 depending on who's talking), building a place called
"MOTO-PARK" in Croton, Ohio and, stay with me here, why this is significant - is that
Dick and his lovely wife Bev claim that shortly after opening (in '66 or '67) they hosted
AMERICA'S FIRST PROFESSIONAL MOTOCROSS Race, featuring Dick Mann and a
bunch of European riders....When I mentioned that I'd never heard that before and
that I 'd always heard that America's first pro motocross race was either in California
with Edison Dye - or in Pepperell , Massachusetts - he claimed that was wrong - that it
was Croton,Ohio and "MOTO-PARK "that launched America's pro motocross scene.
I tried to go and practice today, thinking of this often - are the mx history books wrong?
Or just vague ? I did some minor research online and really couldn't find a
definitive factoid of America's FIRST PRO MOTOCROSS RACE - but it might have
been in Croton, Ohio....
There is some good reading here, too - for those young 'uns that need to upgrade
their moto memory banks.
http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/exhibits/mx/history5.asp
Nossir, I got out of the Navy (the first time) in 1981 and attended the USGP at Mid-Ohio
that same year and that was also my first visit to Honda Hills.
I'm not sure why, people have told me that in the early days of Honda Hills, motocross
was such an "IN" sport, that celebrities would drop by - people mentioned that both
Arnold Schwartzeneger and Lou Ferrigno ( ??) both were seen spectating at Honda Hills,
supposedly fans of the GREAT MAN - Roger DeCoster.
Sorry to say I was to young to see Roger D and the big races of the 70s but it was an ejoyable place to grow up around in the 80s. My Dad raced at Croton several times will have to see if he knows of the race in question.
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
It would be interesting to know, for sure.
He always mentionned the Edison Dye stuff when we talked about the very early days of US MX history though...
http://www.mxworksbike.com/
I've always heard Torston Hallman was the first real Euro to come over.
He has a book about all that early stuff called "Mr. MotoCross". Some great
pics of early GP and US stuff. There's a pic of deCoster in there scrubbing a twinpipe
CZ before Bubbas Dad was born.
First place I ever heard of, Pepperell. Mike Cleveland out of Heyser Honda went,
blew a motor I think.
I was in the seventh-grade in Amherst, Massachusetts when some friends drove
us out to Pepperell to see a race in about '73.
Rocks the size of bread loaves. Bultacos and Maicos and burly men with
leather pants and moustaches.
The ambulance took off that day from the track, as a skydiver had an accident at a
nearby airfield.
We traveled by station-wagon, not stage-coach......
I remember Torsten tearing it up at the so cal desert races and grand prixs (Elsinore viewfinders etc)
I never remembered racing in Croton. I do believe that motocross history short changes the state of Ohio . A lot more of it's beginnings are rooted there than are noted.
The Klamfoths had a great track- a little scary when I was kid- I will never forget that hair pin on that steep hill! All said, I would never question a man of Mr. Klamfoth's value to Motocross. I would believe that to be correct.
http://mcir.com/trackinfo.php
Another venue in western Ohio that the Euro's visited was Trebein (sp?) not too far from Xenia, Ohio.
My first glimpse of the Euro's was in 72 at Honda Hills for the Trans Am and then later Inter Ams at Delta Ohio and much later Mid Ohio. Too long ago to remember but I believe they may have had amateur races at Honda Hills the day before the Trans Am.
I do know DeCoster disliked the start at Honda Hills as much as he did Carlsbad. Fast down hill start into a left right switchback.
http://www.ncscmotocross.com/history.shtml
Seems like I remember stories about Gary Bailey racing there as well as a Roger Decoster. Supposedly the Guthries were the first ones to put up big bucks to bring guys like Roger D over to the states. (guys that were currently world champ contenders)
There is another club in Galion not far from here that still has AMA banners in their club house from the 1920's. Mansfield motorcycle club also has ama award banners from over 50 years ago. Lots of motorcycle history in Ohio. When me and dad were at the High Point national this year I was looking at the program and they listed all the sites of national races. Ohio was second only to California in number of different locations a national has been held. I didn't realize that.
Pit Row
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