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12/9/2009
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Mattawa, WA
US
Still haven't converted to saying "of nations"
All the US Team discussion for Red Bud has had me thinking..
Why didn't we send Lackey and LaPorte in '82? Was it even discussed?
Some say we gotta send the National Champs...but Micky Dymond never got to go. George Holland never got the chance, nor did Guy Gooper as 125 National Champs (Cooper did go a few years later as a supposed back-up rider/assistant Team Manager). Anybody else?
Some say we gotta pick Covington because he races the Euros all year. We had 125 World Champions like Parker, Schmidt and Moore who never made the team. Parker was heavily discussed in '95 for the Open Class but we went with Hughes who had never rode a 500.
Lets BS
All the US Team discussion for Red Bud has had me thinking..
Why didn't we send Lackey and LaPorte in '82? Was it even discussed?
Some say we gotta send the National Champs...but Micky Dymond never got to go. George Holland never got the chance, nor did Guy Gooper as 125 National Champs (Cooper did go a few years later as a supposed back-up rider/assistant Team Manager). Anybody else?
Some say we gotta pick Covington because he races the Euros all year. We had 125 World Champions like Parker, Schmidt and Moore who never made the team. Parker was heavily discussed in '95 for the Open Class but we went with Hughes who had never rode a 500.
Lets BS
The Shop
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK9QeLvnBxE&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]
Hannah still argues that Ward should have been on the 125 (due to his size), but Kawasaki said they didn’t have a race ready KX125. After both Johnson and Ward refused to race the 125 (even though Ward ended up racing the 125 in 88), if Hannah was going to be on the team it would be on a Works RM125. Which he had time to develop since he was on a partial schedule in 87.
In the mid 80s when the modern 3 class format of 125/250/500 was introduced in 85, in 86/87/88 team USA used a premiere class racer in the 125 class. Since 1989 it has been a 125/250f regular in the small bore class.
In the twilight of his career, Bob Hannah goes to the starting line on Sunday September 13, 1987 for the Motocross des Nations at Unadilla. He’s never won the race and he’s never been a part of a victorious American team. With a hard rain falling and the track quickly deteriorating, Hannah and his Suzuki RM125 will play a huge role in what would be an epic race.
The odds were stacked against me from day one on that deal. I was all set to be the scapegoat. Everyone was on my back. Rick Johnson and Jeff Ward were total pricks. They said they were all about the team and wanted to hold hands and ride together, yet they stuck me on the 125. They tried to get Jeff Ward to ride the 125, but he refused. he wanted to ride the 500 and Johnson wanted to ride the 250. So they tell me I have to ride the 125 and I say "screw it! But then Suzuki comes back to me and says, "Bob, you have to do it! It can be prestigious for us!" So I tell Suzuki to get me two works bikes. I get Suzuki to put two mechanics on my test bike, and then they had them put Randy Bruninga on my race bike. I didn't want anyone messing with Randy. Myself, I ran six miles a day for 21 days straight for that race. I never missed a day. I also rode every single day. Rick Johnson and Jeff Ward were all over me because I wouldn't practice with them. I was more like, "Leave me alone. Don't baby sit me. I know what to do." DeCoster - the team manager - was smart enough to leave me alone. Johnson, Ward and I were teammates on race day, but I wanted to tell them to kiss my ass. I haven't liked either one of them since that race. And, oh shit, it was one of the worst days ever.
It rained like hell and the track was all mud. In the first moto - when the 125s ran with the 500s - I got knocked down on the opening lap and it took me three times to finally get over the Elevator Shaft hill. I was dead last. I rode my ass off in that moto to get back to ninth overall. In the second moto (the 250cc/125cc moto) only Rick Johnson and Eric Geboers - both on 250s - beat me. I beat everyone else and won the overall in the class. It was a no-win situation, yet I had won. Thank God. I was never so happy to have a race over in my life.
Agree that Dymond got screwed. And George Holland as well...maybe he was hurt at the end of the year..but we didn’t have the internet to debate back then.
I wonder about the team selection process through the years....was it just a AMA good old boys decision...was it really just a MXA ballot. Did Decoster pretty much pick himself..
Then the whole Dymond thing resurfaced with the Racer X top 100 or whatever. How did he not get mention with 2 titles, but some of those other guys did...I digress.
All it seems that gets hyped and discussed is Maggiora.
Pit Row
The rules of the MXdN has changed numerous times over the years including 03 when it was 1 moto and all 3 riders in an Open class.
Post a reply to: Past MX Des Nations Team Bench Racing