top riders of fla from 76-81

Johnny85
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Johnny85 6/25/2010 10:10pm
6/25/2010 10:10pm Edited Date/Time 6/25/2010 10:24pm
JOHN CHOATE wrote:
I looked up to, and was friends with, most of the names you mention. Those were great days and Fla. did and continues to produce some...
I looked up to, and was friends with, most of the names you mention. Those were great days and Fla. did and continues to produce some awesome mx talent. Your avatar picture looks like it could have been St. Pete. Welcome to Vital Cool
I miss those days Mr. Choate. (are you "Johnnyboy" Choate's dad? of old WPBch.?) If so I hope you and family, including daughter well.
BVS40FL
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BVS40FL 6/26/2010 5:09am
6/26/2010 5:09am
Back in '75 or '76 , before I started racing, I had a very good friend who I knew since elementary school who raced MX. He rode a Bultaco 125 and then a 250 at the old Dade City track , Golden Eagles , and St. Pete MX.
His name was Jimmy KIng. He was an average skill level rider and stopped racing just about the time I was getting started. Every time I would talk about going and watching him race to anyone who was familiar with Fla MX they would say " Oh yeah JImmy King, that guy is great ! " and I would have to say " No , not that Jimmy King".
oldschoolmxr203 6/26/2010 5:48am
6/26/2010 5:48am
Mccoy s Mtn , Sunshine speedway MX ,,, ,,. ,,, ..

Orlando sports stadium,,, 77 ... RM 250 B or C
project racer 6/26/2010 7:21am
6/26/2010 7:21am
Hey you Orlando guys, whatever happened to Brian Ward?

The Shop

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Johnny85
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Johnny85 6/27/2010 11:44pm
6/27/2010 11:44pm
jesspapp wrote:
don't forget my dad..raced strickly so fla..hyatt,west palm,naples,clewiston..tibor papp..was state champ n.m.l '77" turned pro moved to socal...
I like your dad because you are cutest brunette on this site. He must of been a good rider. I can see by your, urrr, sincere comment.
How SoCal? I lived there for ten years but a cruel, yet cute brunette co-ed killed me and I was sent home to WPBch on an old single rail birt bike trailer.
I may move back for you now am reincarnated as a neuroscientist that wants a law degree and another cute brunette.
??????????? Did this make any sense?
Forget it. I miss MX and cute brunettes.
Johnny85
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West Palm Beach, FL, USA
Johnny85 6/27/2010 11:48pm
6/27/2010 11:48pm
Cool, I understand the Jimmy King issue you went through.
I am not sure if the guy here using name "John Choate" is father of a boy used to occasionally race/ride with when mini cycleing in the day. If so, I hope he and family are great these days.
Johnny85
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Johnny85 6/28/2010 12:06am
6/28/2010 12:06am
I like your dad because you are cutest brunette on this site. He must of been a good rider. I can see by your, urrr, sincere comment.
How SoCal? I lived there for ten years but a cruel, yet cute brunette co-ed killed me and I was sent home to WPBch on an old single rail birt bike trailer.
I may move back for you now am reincarnated as a neuroscientist that wants a law degree and another cute brunette.
??????????? Did this make any sense?
Forget it. I miss MX and cute brunettes.
Sondy132001
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Sondy132001 6/29/2010 3:39pm
6/29/2010 3:39pm Edited Date/Time 6/29/2010 3:39pm
I tried to read through all the names and sorry if it's a repeat but wasn't Steve Martin's sidekick Kenny Keylon from Florida ??



S

oldschoolmxr203 6/29/2010 4:38pm
6/29/2010 4:38pm
Sondy132001 wrote:
I tried to read through all the names and sorry if it's a repeat but wasn't Steve Martin's sidekick Kenny Keylon from Florida ??



S

Yes Sondy, Kenny Keylon is from Brooksville, Fla, and Steve Martin is from St Petersburg, Fla
JMF474
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Franklin, GA, USA
JMF474 7/1/2010 11:11am
7/1/2010 11:11am
Lets not forget James Fitzgerald ( Jimmy ) from Pensacola , Fla.

1976 NML Winter Series 125 Pro second Place
1977 NML Winter Series 125 Pro Champion
1977 AMA Winter Series 125 Pro - Top Privateer 3RD behind Broc Glover , Danny Laporte , and Mark Barnett finishing fourth
Tbteam
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Tbteam 7/1/2010 1:34pm
7/1/2010 1:34pm
I take it that YOU are him?
JMF474
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JMF474 7/2/2010 3:05am
7/2/2010 3:05am
Tbteam wrote:
I take it that YOU are him?
Yes I am Jimmy Fitzgerald. Oh what great times we had back then !
JOHN CHOATE
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JOHN CHOATE 7/8/2010 6:53pm
7/8/2010 6:53pm
Kippy and his wrench let me ride to the track with them in his box truck around 79(winter -am at Clewiston, I think) and I thought I was on top of the world. He even watched my practice at one particular race and was giving me pointers. Cool stuff for a kid.
gferrell191
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Bartow, FL, USA
gferrell191 7/19/2010 7:13pm
7/19/2010 7:13pm
I feel these were the days in Florida MX. I raced against most of these riders mentioned and they were all fast. Florida was organized and we raced each other every week. Some of us started in the minis together and grew up in the sport. A few of us brake the CA riders hold on the pro-ranks, which back then was tough to do, and show them we could ride. Its nice to see today that FL riders are getting equal respect. Regardless who won or how often we got hurt, these were the best of times.

ptoots
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Covington, LA, USA
ptoots 1/11/2011 7:58pm
1/11/2011 7:58pm
Old school names...how about Monte McCoy or Kippy Pierce? I remember traveling all over Florida and beyond to watch the local talent race...John calathies, Farley, Don Kudalsky, the Folsoms. Then in 1977-79, I follwed Bob Hannah and Rick Burgett, Tony Distefano and Tony Wynn, Buck Murphy and others way too many to go on about, all the way to Daytona race, sporting my very own Trim leathers pit tootsy shorts..woohoo
FlashptA10
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FlashptA10 1/12/2011 8:40am
1/12/2011 8:40am Edited Date/Time 1/12/2011 8:55am
I know we are talking 76 to 81, I did ride back then I was just graduating high school in 1976. I rode against alot of these guys and traveled rarley due to $$$$. Kenney Keylon was from south Fla until his family moved to Brooksville Fla. to be near more MX tracks. He moved up from minis to 125's I believe in 1976 and started on a husky 125 out of John Cycle Center. This was a local shop that alot of us rode out of. Before 73 we rode Hodakas, Husky's & Penton's until the Elsinores. TM;s. RM;s Kaw's. My first trophy came on a 1975 Elsinore. In South Fla 76 to 77 Jimmy King was the King on 125's. He was injured in Clewiston Fla while running up front of the local Money class (on a 125) trying to pass or just did pass Joey Graton On a open bike. This was a extremely fast straight away (top gear top speed) with a double jump that the open bikes had a dificult time clearing even if they tried. Jimmy was going to turn AMA pro until the injury cut his MX carreer short. I believe that was 78. Jimmy did ride 250's also but I believe he was faster on 125's Here are a few pics from mags or MX papers I kept over the years.
Jimmy King

Jimmy King 1
Kenny Keylon
1976 Fla Melbourne MX Kenny was younger than Jimmy or myself 4 maybe 5 years. Both were smooth and fast in the Fla sand. Don Kudalsky was a Honda Support rider from South Fla at the time in 76 Hyiat Cycle Park

Kippy Pierce Steve Martin were north Fla am riders and fast in the sand in 70's.

Kippy Pierce 1
g0rd057
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g0rd057 1/17/2011 12:01pm
1/17/2011 12:01pm
FlashptA10 wrote:
I know we are talking 76 to 81, I did ride back then I was just graduating high school in 1976. I rode against alot of...
I know we are talking 76 to 81, I did ride back then I was just graduating high school in 1976. I rode against alot of these guys and traveled rarley due to $$$$. Kenney Keylon was from south Fla until his family moved to Brooksville Fla. to be near more MX tracks. He moved up from minis to 125's I believe in 1976 and started on a husky 125 out of John Cycle Center. This was a local shop that alot of us rode out of. Before 73 we rode Hodakas, Husky's & Penton's until the Elsinores. TM;s. RM;s Kaw's. My first trophy came on a 1975 Elsinore. In South Fla 76 to 77 Jimmy King was the King on 125's. He was injured in Clewiston Fla while running up front of the local Money class (on a 125) trying to pass or just did pass Joey Graton On a open bike. This was a extremely fast straight away (top gear top speed) with a double jump that the open bikes had a dificult time clearing even if they tried. Jimmy was going to turn AMA pro until the injury cut his MX carreer short. I believe that was 78. Jimmy did ride 250's also but I believe he was faster on 125's Here are a few pics from mags or MX papers I kept over the years.
Jimmy King

Jimmy King 1
Kenny Keylon
1976 Fla Melbourne MX Kenny was younger than Jimmy or myself 4 maybe 5 years. Both were smooth and fast in the Fla sand. Don Kudalsky was a Honda Support rider from South Fla at the time in 76 Hyiat Cycle Park

Kippy Pierce Steve Martin were north Fla am riders and fast in the sand in 70's.

Kippy Pierce 1
I was spectating at that Clewiston race and remember witnessing Jimmy's bad crash.
Seems that he didn't quite make the double and endoe'd hard at full speed. As he was going over the bars, he instinctively stuck both his arms out trying to protect himself from hitting the ground head first. He broke boke arms at the wrists. I think it was similar to the injuries Bubba Stewart suffered last year except that medical technology wasn't as good back then.
Later on that year I remember seeing Jimmy hanging out at the races with both hands in full casts. I don't remember ever seeing him on a bike again. Pretty sad...
SteelTigers 4/22/2011 10:49am
4/22/2011 10:49am Edited Date/Time 4/22/2011 10:50am
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Keylon used to race Hair Scrambles with the Florida Trail Riders, mini class around 75-76? I remember a Kenny K., that road a 90cc Kawi., that used to race with FTR when I raced with them. I used to live down the road from Greg, Todd and John Porter who all used to race the Florida mx circuit. Last time I seen Greg, he had a 81 YZ125H back in 81' LOL. Speaking of Longwell, my mother used to baby sit for him...

Pit Row

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BVS40FL
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BVS40FL 4/22/2011 12:15pm
4/22/2011 12:15pm
SteelTigers wrote:
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Keylon used to race Hair Scrambles with the Florida Trail Riders, mini class around 75-76? I remember a...
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Keylon used to race Hair Scrambles with the Florida Trail Riders, mini class around 75-76? I remember a Kenny K., that road a 90cc Kawi., that used to race with FTR when I raced with them. I used to live down the road from Greg, Todd and John Porter who all used to race the Florida mx circuit. Last time I seen Greg, he had a 81 YZ125H back in 81' LOL. Speaking of Longwell, my mother used to baby sit for him...
Yes, both Kenny and his dad Big Ken used to race FTR back in the late 70's .
SteelTigers 4/22/2011 9:35pm
4/22/2011 9:35pm
SteelTigers wrote:
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Keylon used to race Hair Scrambles with the Florida Trail Riders, mini class around 75-76? I remember a...
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Keylon used to race Hair Scrambles with the Florida Trail Riders, mini class around 75-76? I remember a Kenny K., that road a 90cc Kawi., that used to race with FTR when I raced with them. I used to live down the road from Greg, Todd and John Porter who all used to race the Florida mx circuit. Last time I seen Greg, he had a 81 YZ125H back in 81' LOL. Speaking of Longwell, my mother used to baby sit for him...
BVS40FL wrote:
Yes, both Kenny and his dad Big Ken used to race FTR back in the late 70's .
I thought so, does he or anyone that knows him post on this community? I was just curious if Kenny remembered an FTR race in 76/77 at Beeline Hwy., and Pratt Whittney road in Jupiter/West Palm out by old Moroso. We both were in same mini class, in which I found him stuck in a bunch of mud and fouled spark plug about 20 minutes into the race and I helped him get his bike (we both had same bike) running out in the middle of no where. lol. I think it might have been a poker run as riders had the option to complete the run in one lap or two...

Shortly after I was the only 11 y/o with a 77 RM125B for which I couldn't even touch the ground and had to find a tree to prop up the bike and kick start it. Hehe. Does anybody remember Ernie Cox Jr & Sr ? Who's family started FTR?
Kartwheel84c
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Kartwheel84c 5/1/2011 1:44pm
5/1/2011 1:44pm
I know of two others. My Cousin, Ernie Phillips, raced from '72-'74 out of Pensacola, he got hurt in late '74 and had to quit. He raced a Maico 450 and a Hodaka Super Rat. In the '74 Florida WinterAM series is was the ONLY rider to beat Don Kudalski. Kudalski rode both 250 and 500 classes, he won every single moto that Winter series except for Tallahassee in the 500s where Ernie went 1-1 on him. Tallahassee was more hard packed and Ernie was good on harder dirt. If Ernie had not gotten hurt (knee) he could have made an impact in the Nationals.

The other guy is also from NW Florida, Ricky Palmer. He is still racing now last I heard, and I think at one point in the late '70s or early '80 he had a factory support ride.
Moto-Park-South 6/20/2011 11:45am
6/20/2011 11:45am
Hey JMF474, you still there in Franklin, GA? I started racing on a Yamaha enduro 60 in 71 at Motocross Park South. I was 7 years old! Do you remember that track? My parents owned the track....it was just outside of town....Goodwin's owned the land...off Pea Ridge? 1st track to bring the Europeons over to the states. Joel Robair (sp?), Roger Decoster, Barry Higgins are a few names I remember that raced there.
Mini Elsinore
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Mini Elsinore 6/22/2011 9:37am
6/22/2011 9:37am
SteelTigers wrote:
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Keylon used to race Hair Scrambles with the Florida Trail Riders, mini class around 75-76? I remember a...
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Keylon used to race Hair Scrambles with the Florida Trail Riders, mini class around 75-76? I remember a Kenny K., that road a 90cc Kawi., that used to race with FTR when I raced with them. I used to live down the road from Greg, Todd and John Porter who all used to race the Florida mx circuit. Last time I seen Greg, he had a 81 YZ125H back in 81' LOL. Speaking of Longwell, my mother used to baby sit for him...
I can still hear the sound of Longwell's modified XR 75......er, uh, 115. Dude was extremely fast. Had forgotten all about him.
dirtbikemike 7/18/2011 9:37pm
7/18/2011 9:37pm
Here are a couple of pics that I have from some Florida trips back in the day. We used to make the trek down south for the NML and AMA Series every year from 77 to 84. Most weekends we would just swoop down and race on Sunday, turn around and make it back in time for work on monday. 16-18 hours each way. From Memphis, Bob Beasley, Bob Collie and Don Lindholm, from Little Rock, Darrell Brown, Stanley Jacks, Tony Wynn, Tony Carruth, George Jensen, Roddy Frank and a whole bunch of others from Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana I can't remember. I have a few more in a box. I'll try to load them soon.

Mike Lambert #405

#405 at Jacksonville 1984

#405 at Cocoa Beach 1977

Bob Collie and a New York rider at Bob's grandparents house in New Port Richey 1977


Don Kudalski Cocoa Beach 1977

Kenny Zhart Cocoa Beach 1977
JOHN CHOATE
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JOHN CHOATE 7/20/2011 4:43am
7/20/2011 4:43am
More cool pics. Thanks for posting/sharing.
badbrad108 7/20/2011 9:03am
7/20/2011 9:03am
Project Racer Brian Ward lives in Georagia now. I have not seen him in a year or two but I think he is around Cartersville..
dogger315
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dogger315 7/23/2011 5:55pm
7/23/2011 5:55pm
Saw this thread and dug up a couple of old photos and scanned them. They are
both from the 1974? Winter AM at Palm Valley.

The first one is Tim Hart standing in the Yamaha pit, watching teammate Pierre
Karsmakers (who took the overall that day if I remember correctly) and the second
one is Marty Tripes and his factory CZ.

dogger

project racer 7/24/2011 7:03am
7/24/2011 7:03am
dogger315 wrote:
Saw this thread and dug up a couple of old photos and scanned them. They are both from the 1974? Winter AM at Palm Valley. The...
Saw this thread and dug up a couple of old photos and scanned them. They are
both from the 1974? Winter AM at Palm Valley.

The first one is Tim Hart standing in the Yamaha pit, watching teammate Pierre
Karsmakers (who took the overall that day if I remember correctly) and the second
one is Marty Tripes and his factory CZ.

dogger

North Florida Raceway. I want to say that the first Winter Mini Olympics were held there in '74, but may have not been tagged with that name. 1/4 mile short track in the infield of the MX track, and miles of trails for the Hare Scrambles. Remember Rhett Radford, Jeff Ward, Mike Brown on the Indian from that event.

Pat Ray was the promoter of North Florida. First place I ever saw Rocky and KC Folsom race. Rocky was damn fast.
dogger315
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dogger315 7/24/2011 5:41pm
7/24/2011 5:41pm
Yeh, that was the name of the place. The locals, like me just called it Palm Valley because that was the name of the
town. We only had two tracks then, Palm Valley and Hilliard. One was AMA and the other was NML.

I remember taking my Super Rat out to Palm Valley the Wednesday (practice day) after that Winter Am. The track was
just the way it was after the final moto on Sunday, roughest I have ever seen and the ruts nearly swallowed up my Rat.

The racing was great at both places in the 100 class, always a full gate and then some. Both tracks had drop off sand
pits and PV had it's signature big hill right after the first turn. Hilliard had the twin jumps that eventually became doubles
when the first YZ monoshockers showed up. I especially liked the trick rubber band starting gate Pat used - Great times.

Both tracks are gone now, replaced by housing developments.

dogger
project racer 7/24/2011 6:48pm
7/24/2011 6:48pm
dogger315 wrote:
Yeh, that was the name of the place. The locals, like me just called it Palm Valley because that was the name of the town. We...
Yeh, that was the name of the place. The locals, like me just called it Palm Valley because that was the name of the
town. We only had two tracks then, Palm Valley and Hilliard. One was AMA and the other was NML.

I remember taking my Super Rat out to Palm Valley the Wednesday (practice day) after that Winter Am. The track was
just the way it was after the final moto on Sunday, roughest I have ever seen and the ruts nearly swallowed up my Rat.

The racing was great at both places in the 100 class, always a full gate and then some. Both tracks had drop off sand
pits and PV had it's signature big hill right after the first turn. Hilliard had the twin jumps that eventually became doubles
when the first YZ monoshockers showed up. I especially liked the trick rubber band starting gate Pat used - Great times.

Both tracks are gone now, replaced by housing developments.

dogger
You did not happen to buy your Rat at Durham's Hodaka in Atlantic Beach by any chance?

Durham Parker also ran Durham's Cycle Park on the west side of the Intercoastal (St.Johns River), just before you went over the bridge as you were heading to the beach, to the north of Atlantic Blvd. He held a big mini race there in late '73, early '74. The track was pretty brutal, and I do not recall many other events being held there. Even had local news coverage on the tube of that race.

I used to ride at Durham's often. The folks would drop me off with the old Kaw 100,a couple of five gallon cans of gas, and a cooler. I had some great times there in the park riding with all the Mayport sailors who would come out , rent a few of Durham's Hodakas ,and just thrash them .

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