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This guy. The first American with a factory ride. A transplanted New Yorker in the South.
Barry Higgins won the first race I ever attended when I was 11 years old. I was hooked. Within 6 months I had convinced my parents to let me race...so off came the lights from my SL70 and on went a piece of Formica countertop that my Mom handpainted my new number...73u...which was Barry's AMA number in 1971. Almost ended up using Gary Bailey's 24x instead.
Got a picture with Barry in January of 1972 at the coldest race I have ever been to. It was 16 degrees that day in Concord, AL. Oh, yeah. I went 1-1-1 that day and broke the frame on my SL70.
Didn’t race those, ( Marky is my bro.)we had moved to Edmonton.raced in the Edmonton coliseum (the big time!..lol)and some exhibition ground races in Saskatoon. They only had A class and B and I remember everyone sandbagged because “Ross the boss “was there . I didn’t, think he lapped me twice..
That's cool. There was so many good dedicated dudes that would race the whole BC series in my days from Fort St. John. Brad Hall, Greg Morton, Doug Lumbey, Rob fuhrman... Those guys were logging the miles down to the coast every weekend.
I don’t remember that bike. Last time I saw him ride, it was at Antietam, and he was on a 79 KX. It was just before I wadded up my 79 250R in the “whoops” (they were tiny by today’s standards). My last race until my early 40s mx return.
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Mark Miller was the guy in North Iowa District 22 races back in the mid 70s. He had an epic battle with Johnny Spaw at the Forest City Amateur National qualifier back in 1976 (I think) and rode the National in SoCal and got a top 20 finish. He was from Algona, which is just north of Fort Dodge and was part of that crew of fast guys.
Gary Mack. He was a senior while I was a 5th grader, back around '73. I had just gotten my first bike...a 1968 Suzuki 50 Gaucho. We lived in a little burg of 75 souls. He was racing a TM400 (you already know he was crazy tough).
He let me hang out and watch him turn wrenches...(this is how I learned to keep that little Suzuki alive).
He hauled my dumbass to the races. I mostly remember the old Blood, Sweat, and Gears track near Stillwater Ok. He was king there. I witnessed him get T-boned in the first moto. Broke the shifter off. He finished and won the first moto (40+2 back then) stuck in 3rd gear...repeat the second moto.
I knew right then that winners are tough and never give up. I liked that. He was the "Mr. Jones" that got me hooked on moto.
Badass. Plus the ‘Cuda (Challenger?) in the pic ? Dude . Love. It.
Danny Carlson on his CR80 mid 90s at StarWest. I had to have been 5 years old and still remember him going off the finish line and pointing to me. He had the Honda/fox/mcgrath gear and was FAST on his CR80s. Thinking bout that just brought a smile out in my face 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Racing in D7 in 1975 thru 1978 I remember being in awe of Ferrell McCollough. There were some fast guys, Glen Taylor, Wolfe, Callahan, but McCollough won a lot. Someone told me that David Bailey said McCollough was the only armature he never beat.
Rocket Rex Staten. Corona Raceway Friday night MX race mid-1972. It was the first race ever for me to watch. I started racing soon after. The expert class lined up behind the rubber band. The band was let loose, and everyone except this Rex Staten guy took off. He sat there and watched everyone take off down the start straight and into the first turn. He finally takes off and does a wheelie as he shifts into second gear. He keeps shifting gears while on a wheelie. It took him almost no time to pass the dozen or so riders in front of him. As an 11 year old this might have been the coolest thing I had ever seen.
The cool thing is that 8 years later I beat him not once but twice for the 250 pro overall at Corona Raceway.
Lots of respect for Carlo, can add Kurt McMillen and Eric Reilly to those days as well.
You can add top 100 number Pro’s Tom Welch, Billy Schlag and Kevin Krine to that 80cc MAMA list too. MAMA produced lots of fast races back then.
Aarons brother is the Fox rep at Nationals and SX’s races.
Farrell was a little before my time but pre Loretta Lynns time he won the 125 Am championship in California where they gave him a Can-am 250 that he then raced the next year and won the 250 class. From my understanding Farrell became a Doctor.
Glen Taylor was from NY and raced D7 when he was attacking the University of Maryland. Glen’s Maico not restating at the Red Bud Amateur national lost his 500 Championship!
Todd Wolf was a wild racer and a hell of a snow boarder too from what I have heard
These 2 gentlemen.
After Lauer, Glen Taylor was definitely my favorite. Todd Wolfe was also a monster on a 125!
Do you guys remember Randy Jones? I first saw him on an MR50 and he was just crushing everyone. I don’t know what happened when he finally got to the big bikes.
Mike Leavitt.
Mills, Nicoletti and every other fast New Yorker from that era were all chasing Mike. Family stuff and injuries put a serious halt to his progress and I believe he tried to mount a comeback on a two stroke at some point but man could this dude absolutely send it. He even had a jump named after him on Unadilla’s amateur track dubbed “Leavitt’s leap” although I think that track is no more.
My dad used to buy Maico's and KTM's from Barry at H&H in GA. Heard a story one time about Barry lining up for an ISDE qualifier in Tellico Plains TN, he pulled up to start the test and was supposed to have I guess a license plate on his bike and didn't. He had some sharpie numbers/letters wrote on the rear fender. The lady at the check asked where his license plate was and he pointed to the rear fender, said this is my tag from czechoslovakia. She said ok and off he went lol.
Dick Mann was tougher than a three dollar steak.
Pit Row
We remember the Calvin and Brian Boetcher, Malanowich, Richters, Troy Boot, and Davenports. I raced Andrew Davenport in the Edmonton Coliseum like my bro mentioned. This was an awesome race as I got my picture on the front of the Sherwood Park News newspaper. Is this Brad Hall the same guy that's working with Troy Boot as co-owners of a cross fit gym in Kelowna?
Skaggs/woodfork/bowers
I second that, being a District 36 guy, we got to see a lot of both, First time I saw Dick Mann was ath the San Jose mile, then a few years later I see him at the local Wednesday night races at Fremont or Sandhill on Sunday. Maggom was a regular at the local races and the fences were lined to watch him, He didn't always win but he put on a show everytime.
Dick Mann would ride vet expert on a hand built BSA, when nobody rode 4 strokes. His lines were completely different too.
Sean Dukes here in GA
There was a guy who raced when I was still in high school but I can't remember his name! He raced both CR500 and CR250, I bought a ton of gear from him when I was first learning to ride
Is that a real T/A Challenger? Tell us it has a pistol grip 4 spd. 🤩
Billy Laninovic at El Cajon Speedway ripping around on a KTM 125
Early 90’s at Barona Oaks, Dustin Nelson was the man on 80s. Him, Josh Tarantino (who beat Carmichael in a moto at the World Mini in 93, and it was huge for us local kids), Andy Harrington and Tyler King were all so bad ass and we’re always Jumping jumps us younger kids in the 50/60 classes didn’t think were possible.
Lots of cool details in that pic between the car & the gear.
It's a '70 Challenger for sure, and the exhaust is correct for a T/A, but the complete graphic is missing. Beautiful car either way. I owned a bunch of Challengers in the mid 80's (and a few Roadrunners & Chargers also), and I kick myself for selling my last one - '72 Rallye 340 pistol grip with 40k miles. I was the 2nd owner & it was mint.
Pauli Piippola was (is) my local Moto hero
Here he is with his Jawa 360 at age of 66. Still going fast! He is suspension guru and if you know the snowmobile brand Lynx, he is behind the Lynx PPS suspension ( Pauli Piippola Suspension)
Late 70's in East Texas area, Derrick Wedding. Dude would show up with a 125, 250, and 400 RM's and would smoke the local pros in all classes. He had a small cowbell on his handlebars and someone told me it was to keep him awake when he was out front, LOL. It was my last year on 80's (1978) and I was in awe of how fast he went around the old Thunder Ridge track in Longview/Kilgore. He raced some pro, but never made it big.
In Georgia in the early 80's it was Billy Liles. During his amateur days, he was on Yamahas and absolutely ripped. You could tell he was on a different level than everyone else around him.
Later, it was Ezra Lusk. Watched him come up through the mini ranks on his way to Factory Suzuki.
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