Old Pros That Could Make Mains Now

7/28/2026 9:51am

Would definitely be a tall ask to qualify at 50ish (even 1 fast lap never mind a moto) if you have not been actually racing much for long periods of time.I think its much easier to let folks remember how fast you went and keep that image rather than facing harsh reality.Most racers have pretty big egos so I think most see mostly downside with little upside.I would love to see it but when I think more about it I bet the amount of critical never was's chirping would be unbelievable,at least when it comes to "famous greats".The social media world is pretty critical and nasty hiding behind keyboards.Would absolutely love to see it but don't think we will see Ricky,Bubba,Mcgrath,Reed,etc facing the harsh reality of getting old anytime soon.Too bad,would be here for it.

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jambalaya
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7/28/2026 1:37pm

The only 3 that could do it are canard, dungey, and Pourcel 

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jambalaya
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7/28/2026 1:38pm

Actually 4. Marvin too 

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yardsailor
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7/28/2026 2:58pm

I remember early 2000’s where Tom Benolkin went to Millville on an old Elsinore IIRC.  Raced the open A class and wither won or top 5. 
Millville obviously has always had some excellent racers at a local race. 

4

The Shop

7/28/2026 3:40pm
yardsailor wrote:
I remember early 2000’s where Tom Benolkin went to Millville on an old Elsinore IIRC.  Raced the open A class and wither won or top 5. Millville...

I remember early 2000’s where Tom Benolkin went to Millville on an old Elsinore IIRC.  Raced the open A class and wither won or top 5. 
Millville obviously has always had some excellent racers at a local race. 

I remember that a pic of him

Was in Cycle USA .  Bruce Gates was fast in 97 he got 16th in a moto , he raced am day too. Late in practice I passed him in the whoops like his chain broke.  I jumped the big early ones perfect in the air click 5th  & pin it. For the gnarly closer ones. 

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TeamGreen
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7/28/2026 4:04pm

Jeremy McGrath

Huh? All those down votes?

We're talking about making The Fast 40 for a National? 

If MC "wanted" to do it...he'd be in. Get this, RC, too. 

Honestly, I'm quite sure they'd be in the top 36 times and go directly. 

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Sully
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7/28/2026 4:14pm Edited Date/Time 7/28/2026 4:15pm
Ob917 wrote:

Tickle 

Whoever downvoted this would do well to check Racer X's The Vault every once in a while. Tickle finished 8th at Budds Creek 2 years ago, so just qualifying (the topic of this thread) would be pretty easy.

Screenshot 2026-07-29 at 7.56.36%E2%80%AFAM
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TeamGreen
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7/28/2026 4:18pm
Ob917 wrote:

Tickle 

Sully wrote:
Whoever downvoted this would do well to check Racer X's The Vault every once in a while. Tickle finished 8th at Budds Creek 2 years ago...

Whoever downvoted this would do well to check Racer X's The Vault every once in a while. Tickle finished 8th at Budds Creek 2 years ago, so just qualifying (the topic of this thread) would be pretty easy.

Screenshot 2026-07-29 at 7.56.36%E2%80%AFAM

Again...if he "wanted to" race...? Brock is quite literally faster...and a helluva lot smarter... NOW than he was when he last raced for a full season. 

Broc as a Team Manager (evolving into) in the future makes sense. A lot of sense. 

3
yardsailor
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7/28/2026 4:41pm
TeamGreen wrote:
Huh? All those down votes?We're talking about making The Fast 40 for a National? If MC "wanted" to do it...he'd be in. Get this, RC, too. Honestly, I'm...

Huh? All those down votes?

We're talking about making The Fast 40 for a National? 

If MC "wanted" to do it...he'd be in. Get this, RC, too. 

Honestly, I'm quite sure they'd be in the top 36 times and go directly. 

Maybe a gofund me would work. 

Get a group of the retired guys to do a “one-off”.   

The beer would taste good after the race day regardless if any of the retired pro’s de-seated the Law Firm or not. 

😂😂😂😂✌️

7/28/2026 4:52pm
Joshracing wrote:

How fuckin awesome it'd be to see Pastrana on the start line!

He might pop a shoulder out setting his holeshot device. 

kxking wrote:
Lets be honest here TP199 did 3 laps at Carson Browns track and was dying of exhaustion, a 1 lap heater MAYBE, but he would finish...

Lets be honest here TP199 did 3 laps at Carson Browns track and was dying of exhaustion, a 1 lap heater MAYBE, but he would finish 5 laps down if he finished at all.

He only needs to do one lap to make the mains outdoors.

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ShellyMX
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7/28/2026 5:06pm
yardsailor wrote:
I remember early 2000’s where Tom Benolkin went to Millville on an old Elsinore IIRC.  Raced the open A class and wither won or top 5. Millville...

I remember early 2000’s where Tom Benolkin went to Millville on an old Elsinore IIRC.  Raced the open A class and wither won or top 5. 
Millville obviously has always had some excellent racers at a local race. 

Was it Donny Schmidt or Hansen that came out of retirement at Millville and led the  for several laps?

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yardsailor
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7/28/2026 5:17pm Edited Date/Time 7/28/2026 5:48pm
ShellyMX wrote:

Was it Donny Schmidt or Hansen that came out of retirement at Millville and led the  for several laps?

That was Donnie Schmit. 
Led for a good part of moto 1 and I think he went 4-5 or something like that.  

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TeamGreen
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7/28/2026 5:36pm
ShellyMX wrote:

Was it Donny Schmidt or Hansen that came out of retirement at Millville and led the  for several laps?

yardsailor wrote:

That was Donnie Schmit. 
Led for a good part of moto 1 and I think he went 4-5 or something like that.  

If the place had more sand...yes...more sand...

He'd have won! 🤣

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NicNak
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7/28/2026 6:11pm Edited Date/Time 7/28/2026 6:12pm

Dennis Stapleton qualified for pala in 2021 at 41 years old. Straight out of times too. I think his last national before that was 09 so 12 year break. He ran a lot of nationals between 2000 & 2009. Scored points. 

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kaboom645
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7/28/2026 6:16pm

Last national I tried to qualify for was in 2001 at the age of 23 at Budds Creek. I'm 47 now. I still have the raw speed, but endurance is completely gone. If I had a solid 6mo of training and riding daily I could make the program at a national. As its already been said, you dont forget how to go that speed. Your willingness to go that speed goes away

8
TeamGreen
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7/28/2026 6:18pm
kaboom645 wrote:
Last national I tried to qualify for was in 2001 at the age of 23 at Budds Creek. I'm 47 now. I still have the raw...

Last national I tried to qualify for was in 2001 at the age of 23 at Budds Creek. I'm 47 now. I still have the raw speed, but endurance is completely gone. If I had a solid 6mo of training and riding daily I could make the program at a national. As its already been said, you dont forget how to go that speed. Your willingness to go that speed goes away

And you only drink the good stuff these days 🤣

7/28/2026 7:24pm
ShellyMX wrote:

Was it Donny Schmidt or Hansen that came out of retirement at Millville and led the  for several laps?

yardsailor wrote:

That was Donnie Schmit. 
Led for a good part of moto 1 and I think he went 4-5 or something like that.  

TeamGreen wrote:

If the place had more sand...yes...more sand...

He'd have won! 🤣

Donny,s 1st or 2nd yr in the GP,s he lead Everts in the deep sand by 50 seconds.  I,ve been watching a lot of 88-98 races , healing up.  Especially 89 cr125 vids , thinking about getting one.  50+ riders are not willing to push the envelope as much.  If a national track was smaller like a local track . And there on 125,s I,d make it., if there’s whoops.  Great sprint speed all I do is 4 lap spirits. 5 sometimes.  I just broke 7 ribs near my spine , collapsed lung with a hole in it.  3 of 4 rotor cuffs tore & 1 strained.  Speed has consequences .  It ran through my head if I want to go that fast again.  

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yardsailor
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7/28/2026 7:36pm
Donny,s 1st or 2nd yr in the GP,s he lead Everts in the deep sand by 50 seconds.  I,ve been watching a lot of 88-98 races...

Donny,s 1st or 2nd yr in the GP,s he lead Everts in the deep sand by 50 seconds.  I,ve been watching a lot of 88-98 races , healing up.  Especially 89 cr125 vids , thinking about getting one.  50+ riders are not willing to push the envelope as much.  If a national track was smaller like a local track . And there on 125,s I,d make it., if there’s whoops.  Great sprint speed all I do is 4 lap spirits. 5 sometimes.  I just broke 7 ribs near my spine , collapsed lung with a hole in it.  3 of 4 rotor cuffs tore & 1 strained.  Speed has consequences .  It ran through my head if I want to go that fast again.  

Yikes. You’ll be on the mend for a while. 
😕

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yardsailor
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7/28/2026 7:43pm
Donny,s 1st or 2nd yr in the GP,s he lead Everts in the deep sand by 50 seconds.  I,ve been watching a lot of 88-98 races...

Donny,s 1st or 2nd yr in the GP,s he lead Everts in the deep sand by 50 seconds.  I,ve been watching a lot of 88-98 races , healing up.  Especially 89 cr125 vids , thinking about getting one.  50+ riders are not willing to push the envelope as much.  If a national track was smaller like a local track . And there on 125,s I,d make it., if there’s whoops.  Great sprint speed all I do is 4 lap spirits. 5 sometimes.  I just broke 7 ribs near my spine , collapsed lung with a hole in it.  3 of 4 rotor cuffs tore & 1 strained.  Speed has consequences .  It ran through my head if I want to go that fast again.  

Just watched a short youtube of Scmit at Millville in 95 when he came out of retirement. He ran 5th m1.  Same in M2. 
He holes hotted first moto.  RJ was commentator for the live feed of race. 
Dude was negative as hell back then. 

When Kiedrowski and MC cam up on Schmit, RJ made the comment that Kid and Mc would show Schmit what fast was. 

You could tell Schmits bike was lacking being dialed in but he rode pretty awesome considering stock bike and coming off the couch.   

1
7/28/2026 7:53pm
Donny,s 1st or 2nd yr in the GP,s he lead Everts in the deep sand by 50 seconds.  I,ve been watching a lot of 88-98 races...

Donny,s 1st or 2nd yr in the GP,s he lead Everts in the deep sand by 50 seconds.  I,ve been watching a lot of 88-98 races , healing up.  Especially 89 cr125 vids , thinking about getting one.  50+ riders are not willing to push the envelope as much.  If a national track was smaller like a local track . And there on 125,s I,d make it., if there’s whoops.  Great sprint speed all I do is 4 lap spirits. 5 sometimes.  I just broke 7 ribs near my spine , collapsed lung with a hole in it.  3 of 4 rotor cuffs tore & 1 strained.  Speed has consequences .  It ran through my head if I want to go that fast again.  

yardsailor wrote:

Yikes. You’ll be on the mend for a while. 
😕

Oh yeah , I can’t describe the pressure & pain. Got my last prayer waiting in the ambulance for flight for life. Fentanyl injection did nothing. ICU yelling your name to bring you back, died a few times. Other times I left my body because I thought , the slow extremely painful death was too much. Then you figure out that I can’t stay here. Because this is not life. My life now is down on that table , having people scrabble to save ya.  6-27 to now I hv to sleep sitting up yet.  

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kaboom645
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7/28/2026 8:09pm
TeamGreen wrote:

And you only drink the good stuff these days 🤣

Actually dont drink at all 🤣. I'm actually very fortunate to get to ride 1-2 times a month with some people who are making the top 40. Granted practice is different, but usually for 1-2 laps I can latch on and hang, but by the end of lap 2 I'm so gassed I back off because if I got out of shape I wouldnt have the strength to keep things under control. I've actually told my wife that if I hit certain business goals for the year and finish our new home build that I would like to reapply for my license and go try to qualify at some nationals just for fun.

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yardsailor
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7/28/2026 8:19pm
kaboom645 wrote:
Actually dont drink at all 🤣. I'm actually very fortunate to get to ride 1-2 times a month with some people who are making the top...

Actually dont drink at all 🤣. I'm actually very fortunate to get to ride 1-2 times a month with some people who are making the top 40. Granted practice is different, but usually for 1-2 laps I can latch on and hang, but by the end of lap 2 I'm so gassed I back off because if I got out of shape I wouldnt have the strength to keep things under control. I've actually told my wife that if I hit certain business goals for the year and finish our new home build that I would like to reapply for my license and go try to qualify at some nationals just for fun.

Assuming your wife supports your idea?
Sounds like a keeper. 
Does she have sisters? 😂😂

FWYT
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7/28/2026 9:12pm
TeamGreen wrote:

And you only drink the good stuff these days 🤣

kaboom645 wrote:
Actually dont drink at all 🤣. I'm actually very fortunate to get to ride 1-2 times a month with some people who are making the top...

Actually dont drink at all 🤣. I'm actually very fortunate to get to ride 1-2 times a month with some people who are making the top 40. Granted practice is different, but usually for 1-2 laps I can latch on and hang, but by the end of lap 2 I'm so gassed I back off because if I got out of shape I wouldnt have the strength to keep things under control. I've actually told my wife that if I hit certain business goals for the year and finish our new home build that I would like to reapply for my license and go try to qualify at some nationals just for fun.

That'd be awesome! Do it!

kaboom645
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7/28/2026 9:23pm
yardsailor wrote:

Assuming your wife supports your idea?
Sounds like a keeper. 
Does she have sisters? 😂😂

The wife supports what I do fully (we actually celebrate 26yrs of marriage tomorrow). She has a sister, but the only thing she really has going for her is she is well maintained. She is a total Cee U Next Tuesday. I have actually had this goal since turning 40 but life  (and covid) have gotten in the way of it. My back and shoulders have 1, maybe 2 more years where the goal is still achievable.

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Kenny Banyan
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7/28/2026 9:55pm

I believe RC could get in race shape and if he raced a whole season would finish inside the top 10 in points and podium a few rounds.

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Wo Phat
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7/29/2026 12:29pm
I believe RC could get in race shape and if he raced a whole season would finish inside the top 10 in points and podium a...

I believe RC could get in race shape and if he raced a whole season would finish inside the top 10 in points and podium a few rounds.

i can see that....

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