The 12 best mini-cycle racers in America. Anybody old enough to remember this?

Rooster
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Rooster 9/15/2016 1:37pm
9/15/2016 1:37pm
DC wrote:
Here's a shot of maybe the last one... How many guys do you recognize?[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/15/151840/s1200_IMG_6172.jpg[/img]
Here's a shot of maybe the last one... How many guys do you recognize?

That was such a cool idea.

I wish KTM or Husky would do the same thing with a 125 class in SX or at the nationals. Although 20 bikes is a heck of a lot less investment than 40, so maybe SX would work best.

Anything to get the ring a ding dingers back on the professional circuit.

It would be a heck of a lot more entertaining than the kids race and an actual stepping stone between 80's and the 50+ HP 250F's.

Give them a section of the pits and have them assemble the bikes right out of the crate on race day. Test your mechanical skills and your riding ability.

What's worth more to a manufacturer? Paying a 100K bonus for a win or having an entire race on your brand?
mx317
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mx317 9/15/2016 3:37pm
9/15/2016 3:37pm
DC wrote:
Really cool memory of the way things were.. This started out as the Yamaha Race of Champions at Saddleback Park, as part of the World Mini...
Really cool memory of the way things were.. This started out as the Yamaha Race of Champions at Saddleback Park, as part of the World Mini GP, and then transformed into the Kawasaki Race of Champions in Las Vegas. Everyone would ride identical stock bikes from the brand, even identical gear, and it was more or less the most important minicycle race of all. But then amateur racing contracts got complicated and guys like Damon Bradshaw would not ride -- he was a Yamaha factiory and Fox Racing rider -- because they had exclusivity.

I believe the last year they did it was maybe 1990, and I will try to dig up a photo from that.

And mx317, I would love to see some of that stuff in Gene McKay's suitcase! He was way ahead of his time on a Noguchi Yamaha,,,

DC
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mx317 wrote:
No problem! I can bring it to Loretta's next year if we can't get together before then. I bought one of Gene's Noguchis and it was...
No problem! I can bring it to Loretta's next year if we can't get together before then. I bought one of Gene's Noguchis and it was very fast! I wish I could locate it now to restore.






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philG
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philG 9/15/2016 4:01pm
9/15/2016 4:01pm
I was lucky enough to see some of the US guys race a schoolboy event here, back in 1983.

Team Green sent over Hank Moree, Dick Belora ,and Paul Denis, and Larry Ward was on a Suzuki. They were so fast compared to our guys, but our class structure was always different, as we didnt stay on 80's after 12 years old.

Mark Banks and Denis went bar to bar for 3 of the 4 races , with Denis winning the overall i think.

2 years later Banks was on a 500 giving Dave Thorpe a run for his money in the Pro class here.

Of those 4, only Ward had a decent pro career, Denis faded off( i believe he posted here in Old School) , and Moree joined the ranks of minicycle guys that dominated as a kid , but didnt keep it up.

Good times.
kzizok
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kzizok 9/15/2016 5:02pm
9/15/2016 5:02pm Edited Date/Time 9/15/2016 5:03pm
Far left. Kyle Lewis? Lowell Thompson? Or neither?

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Motoxdoc
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Motoxdoc 9/15/2016 5:26pm
9/15/2016 5:26pm
PastranaWho wrote:
Only jeff ward made it big.
Jim Holley won a world SX championship......that seems kind of big.
BobbyM
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BobbyM 9/19/2016 10:27pm
9/19/2016 10:27pm
TG130 wrote:
Bobby - Is this the same Brian Wargo that was from Antioch ? [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/14/151822/s1200_s1200_Screenshot_2016_09_14_12_21_55.jpg[/img]
Bobby - Is this the same Brian Wargo that was from Antioch ?



Yup... Brian BADASS Wargo ... Good dude and one helluva rider. Haven't seen him in a while but I consider him a pretty good friend.
slipdog
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slipdog 9/20/2016 4:54am
9/20/2016 4:54am
kzizok wrote:
Far left. Kyle Lewis? Lowell Thompson? Or neither?
Neither, they were in the '85-'86 range. Believe Lewis had won a 125 SX main by '87.
Django
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Django 12/17/2024 11:26am
12/17/2024 11:26am
tup
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donman
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donman 12/17/2024 2:07pm
12/17/2024 2:07pm
1000013064.jpg?VersionId=AdvndhsY
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sclark309d 12/17/2024 2:41pm
12/17/2024 2:41pm Edited Date/Time 12/17/2024 2:58pm

I first saw Phil Larson at Hi-Side Park outside Gorst, Wa.  His mom was helping him with something as he got ready to go on his XR75.  
I believe Phil went on eventually to factory Honda in the early 80s then to Europe for GPS, scoring some top 10s - maybe top 5s - can't remember.

He was the first to jump Suicide Mountain, and I think the first to jump the famous Hawkstone Double

not bad





 

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web mx
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web mx 12/17/2024 2:59pm
12/17/2024 2:59pm
DC wrote:
Here's a shot of maybe the last one... How many guys do you recognize?[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/15/151840/s1200_IMG_6172.jpg[/img]
Here's a shot of maybe the last one... How many guys do you recognize?

bayodome wrote:
Cool idea for sure. I believe that's Craig Decker in the center with Ezra Lusk behind him with his eyes closed and Damon Huffman in the...
Cool idea for sure. I believe that's Craig Decker in the center with Ezra Lusk behind him with his eyes closed and Damon Huffman in the sweet pink pants. Don't really recognize anyone else though. Got any names DC?

?,?,Shawn Morgan 3rd from left skip 1 guy then Ezra Lusk, Craig Decker, Greg Rand, Damon Huffman, Chris Cooksey, Spud Walters,?..

.Can't believe you guys didn't pick out Cooksey, lol

7eleven
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7eleven 12/17/2024 3:04pm
12/17/2024 3:04pm
kzizok wrote:
Far left. Kyle Lewis? Lowell Thompson? Or neither?

Neither. That's Jason Buzzee, he was from New England. Him and Jason Fowler were the team green kids back then. JB & I battled for 125am moto's in 1991. He's the154, behind me. I can assure you he eventually got around me. He won the title that year. IMG 0629

2
Benchracer17 12/17/2024 3:25pm
12/17/2024 3:25pm Edited Date/Time 12/17/2024 3:30pm
philG wrote:
I was lucky enough to see some of the US guys race a schoolboy event here, back in 1983. Team Green sent over Hank Moree, Dick...
I was lucky enough to see some of the US guys race a schoolboy event here, back in 1983.

Team Green sent over Hank Moree, Dick Belora ,and Paul Denis, and Larry Ward was on a Suzuki. They were so fast compared to our guys, but our class structure was always different, as we didnt stay on 80's after 12 years old.

Mark Banks and Denis went bar to bar for 3 of the 4 races , with Denis winning the overall i think.

2 years later Banks was on a 500 giving Dave Thorpe a run for his money in the Pro class here.

Of those 4, only Ward had a decent pro career, Denis faded off( i believe he posted here in Old School) , and Moree joined the ranks of minicycle guys that dominated as a kid , but didnt keep it up.

Good times.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jaBlQOKIZkE?si=7RuMocjfU09q66Ea" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

EDIT: sorry, forgot how to embed from youtube.

 

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

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