Do you old guys know?

lumpy790
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lumpy790
Edited Date/Time 6/25/2018 7:27pm
OK back in the 70’s & 80’s there was a fall series that the Europeans would come over and race. Over the years It had 2 names and I cant think of what they were.
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EastFlorida
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EastFlorida 6/20/2018 10:38am
6/20/2018 10:38am
Trans USA I think was one, I'm drawing a blank because I'm an "old Guy"...
NorCal 50+
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NorCal 50+ 6/20/2018 10:40am
6/20/2018 10:40am
The recent Racer X podcast with DC and the Weege will tell you all you need to know about those old series. Good stuff. I'd track down the link, but I'm lazy.
OldPro277
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OldPro277 6/20/2018 10:41am
6/20/2018 10:41am
Inter-Am -----Trans-USA also we had the Winter-am

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731chopper
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731chopper 6/20/2018 10:42am
6/20/2018 10:42am
Are you talking about the Trans-AMA / Inter-Am?
lumpy790
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lumpy790 6/20/2018 10:50am
6/20/2018 10:50am
OldPro277 wrote:
Inter-Am -----Trans-USA also we had the Winter-am
Thats it!

In 1981 I started wrenching at a couple rounds for MD rider Sean Player.

Thank you guys.
disbanded
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Just here to see if I was old or not.

OldPro277
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OldPro277 6/20/2018 11:00am
6/20/2018 11:00am
Yep-- no problem. ran a few rounds of those. Got schooled pretty heavily on the sand tracks down south. Us Pa boys didn't have much experience with that type of surface lol
zehn
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zehn 6/20/2018 11:01am
6/20/2018 11:01am
Trans-AM or Winter-AM and I’m 28.
lumpy790
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lumpy790 6/20/2018 11:04am
6/20/2018 11:04am
OldPro277 wrote:
Yep-- no problem. ran a few rounds of those. Got schooled pretty heavily on the sand tracks down south. Us Pa boys didn't have much experience...
Yep-- no problem. ran a few rounds of those. Got schooled pretty heavily on the sand tracks down south. Us Pa boys didn't have much experience with that type of surface lol
Little different from the night races at Trailways wasnt it. LOL
OldPro277
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OldPro277 6/20/2018 11:05am
6/20/2018 11:05am
disbanded wrote:
Just here to see if I was old or not.

If you're not sure.....then you are !! Dry
JBlain619
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JBlain619 6/20/2018 11:12am
6/20/2018 11:12am
OldPro277 wrote:
Inter-Am -----Trans-USA also we had the Winter-am
Mid-Ohio had a round if I'm not mistaken, I was super young. I just remember my mom won 2 Puch mopeds that they raffled off one year at Mid-Ohio.
KennyT
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KennyT 6/20/2018 11:13am
6/20/2018 11:13am
I believe the Inter Am was earlier, then the trans am came along, then Trans USA but by then it was pretty much a National series with a couple of Euros

The Trans Am early years were the best in the sport. Imagine Herlings, Carrioli etc coming over here in the fall and going against America’s best. Nice thing about those times were nobody sat out/passed because they needed a vacation
OldPro277
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OldPro277 6/20/2018 11:14am
6/20/2018 11:14am
OldPro277 wrote:
Yep-- no problem. ran a few rounds of those. Got schooled pretty heavily on the sand tracks down south. Us Pa boys didn't have much experience...
Yep-- no problem. ran a few rounds of those. Got schooled pretty heavily on the sand tracks down south. Us Pa boys didn't have much experience with that type of surface lol
lumpy790 wrote:
Little different from the night races at Trailways wasnt it. LOL
No doubt. I remember the first practice at Cocoa Beach (I think) It was so smooth and fast ,we all thought we were going kick some serious ass. About 3 laps in to the first moto the track became unrecognizable from what we practiced on and I was sucking major ass lol, never rode on a track that rough !!!Taught me a lesson for sure. Although my claim to fame is that I did pull the holey in the first moto and got my pic on the cover of Cycle News East.
OldPro277
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OldPro277 6/20/2018 11:21am
6/20/2018 11:21am
OldPro277 wrote:
Inter-Am -----Trans-USA also we had the Winter-am
JBlain619 wrote:
Mid-Ohio had a round if I'm not mistaken, I was super young. I just remember my mom won 2 Puch mopeds that they raffled off one...
Mid-Ohio had a round if I'm not mistaken, I was super young. I just remember my mom won 2 Puch mopeds that they raffled off one year at Mid-Ohio.
Mid Ohio held 125 GP's back in 75 through 78 . Great races !! And I believe you are correct on a Trans-USA round held there in 78 --I think
TJMX947
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TJMX947 6/20/2018 11:38am
6/20/2018 11:38am
My Wife's Uncle raced back in the 70s/80s. He quit, got married had kids. Started riding again like a year ago, nothing serious. He was telling me over Thanksgiving he went to the Muddy Creek National and he was blown away when he saw "Roger" as he called him. Told me they raced against each other, and he walked by and waved to him and was like "Hey Roger!" as if "The Man" would remember him. I was like "Yeah, Decoster is still an icon in the sport.
mb60
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mb60 6/20/2018 11:47am
6/20/2018 11:47am
Bring back the Trans Am series. 4 races starting Oct. How cool would that be again ?

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DavetheVintageGuy 6/20/2018 11:50am
6/20/2018 11:50am
Challenge accepted.

At first there was Edison Dye's Fall series called the Inter Am. Started up in 1967 I believe.

Then the AMA, like it always has done, tried to create their own competing series and called it the Trans AMA featuring Open class bikes with US & International riders and a 250 support class. There was also a lawsuit involved at the time with the Sports Car Club of America over the name Trans AM since they had a series of that name.

Eventually, the Trans AMA series overpowered the Inter AM series (probably because the AMA was known to threaten to pull licenses from riders who rode in "outlaw" series) and it's Fall dates went away.

Then the Inter AM series became a 250 class Summer Series that was held during the FIM World Championship break (June/July). It had a 250 International class and various combinations of support classes. That went away when Edison Dye and the AMA had numerous disputes.

Eventually, the American riders started beating the International riders on a regular basis and they quit coming for the Fall Trans AMA because the monetary rewards weren't as easy to come by.

Then in the late 70's the Trans AMA became the Trans USA series and eventually dried up and went away.

The Florida Winter AMA series started in 1970 by Russ Coe and Bill West. It ran for awhile and then they got sideways with the AMA (see a pattern here?) and was then called the Winter AM. It ran from January thru March ending at Daytona. The rise of Supercross and the CMC Golden State Series effectively killed off the Pro rider count at the Florida Winter series even though it continues on today.
OldPro277
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OldPro277 6/20/2018 12:20pm
6/20/2018 12:20pm
DavetheVintageGuy wrote:
Challenge accepted. At first there was Edison Dye's Fall series called the Inter Am. Started up in 1967 I believe. Then the AMA, like it always...
Challenge accepted.

At first there was Edison Dye's Fall series called the Inter Am. Started up in 1967 I believe.

Then the AMA, like it always has done, tried to create their own competing series and called it the Trans AMA featuring Open class bikes with US & International riders and a 250 support class. There was also a lawsuit involved at the time with the Sports Car Club of America over the name Trans AM since they had a series of that name.

Eventually, the Trans AMA series overpowered the Inter AM series (probably because the AMA was known to threaten to pull licenses from riders who rode in "outlaw" series) and it's Fall dates went away.

Then the Inter AM series became a 250 class Summer Series that was held during the FIM World Championship break (June/July). It had a 250 International class and various combinations of support classes. That went away when Edison Dye and the AMA had numerous disputes.

Eventually, the American riders started beating the International riders on a regular basis and they quit coming for the Fall Trans AMA because the monetary rewards weren't as easy to come by.

Then in the late 70's the Trans AMA became the Trans USA series and eventually dried up and went away.

The Florida Winter AMA series started in 1970 by Russ Coe and Bill West. It ran for awhile and then they got sideways with the AMA (see a pattern here?) and was then called the Winter AM. It ran from January thru March ending at Daytona. The rise of Supercross and the CMC Golden State Series effectively killed off the Pro rider count at the Florida Winter series even though it continues on today.
Very nicely done. Thanks for the very accurate timeline. I even forgot a lot of those details. Funny how your memory comes back when you read about it ,lol. We didn't have a "concussion protocol" back then, Tongue
ruy
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ruy 6/20/2018 1:35pm
6/20/2018 1:35pm

The Man and The Flying Dentist
motomike137
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motomike137 6/20/2018 1:41pm
6/20/2018 1:41pm Edited Date/Time 6/21/2018 8:08am
Between 1975 and 1980 it was possibly the best series in the world. I got to see "The Man" ride at Red Bud.
Knobbyjake
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Knobbyjake 6/20/2018 1:43pm
6/20/2018 1:43pm
I went to an Inter Am race at Delta Motorsports Park in Toledo,Ohio late 60s or early 70s. It was incredible. Some of the riders were Roger DeCoster, Joel Robert, Sylvain Geboers, Brad Lackey, Dick Mann, Gary and Dewayne Jones, Dick Burleson, Jaroslav Falta, and many other greats. I got about 30 heroes to sign my autograph book that I still have. My first pro race, thanks Dad. Cool
zehn
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zehn 6/20/2018 1:47pm
6/20/2018 1:47pm
My dad was racing CMC around those times. He actually just found his card recently oddly enough
Bermworm
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Bermworm 6/20/2018 7:44pm
6/20/2018 7:44pm
Here's an odd fact they (AMA)had to change the name from Trans Am to Trans USA under threat of a lawsuit from Pontiac.Saw the 1981 round at Unadilla still one of the greatest parties I've ever been to.And yes the other side did suck.
OldYZRider1
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OldYZRider1 6/20/2018 7:59pm
6/20/2018 7:59pm
I went to the Trans-USA race at Red Bud in 1979. Very few Euro's there like had been advertised. Also Hannah had broken his leg in the watersking accident and couldn't race. Bummer all the way around. Always heard the Trans-AMA events were good but I was somewhat sorry I drove 5 hrs to watch this race.
lostboy819
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lostboy819 6/20/2018 8:17pm
6/20/2018 8:17pm Edited Date/Time 6/20/2018 8:19pm
Bermworm wrote:
Here's an odd fact they (AMA)had to change the name from Trans Am to Trans USA under threat of a lawsuit from Pontiac.Saw the 1981 round...
Here's an odd fact they (AMA)had to change the name from Trans Am to Trans USA under threat of a lawsuit from Pontiac.Saw the 1981 round at Unadilla still one of the greatest parties I've ever been to.And yes the other side did suck.
DavetheVintageGuy is correct it was the Sports Car Club of America over the name Trans AM since they had a series of that name and a lawsuit, so they changed it to Trans AMA series. The Trans Am from Pontiac was named after the Trans AM race series and the Dodge challenger T/A is also for the Trans Am series .
lostboy819
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lostboy819 6/20/2018 8:23pm
6/20/2018 8:23pm
Back in the late 70s and early 80s the Florida winter series was where the factory riders went to train and it could have passed for a national any day it was such a big deal.

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