MOTOCROSS ACTION’S WEEKEND NEWS ROUND-UP: THE STUFF YOU FORGET

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Five-time 500 World Champion Roger DeCoster turns 70 on Thursday. Think about that. Roger has been racing, testing or managing for over 50 years. Plus, he has no intention of retiring any time soon. In 2015 he will lead the KTM team of Ryan Dungey, Dean Wilson, Marvin Musquin and Justin Hill.

Although the film of Albert powering around the White Sands Motocross Park were irradiated during the Manhattan Project A-bomb test — the guy had skills.

The 2014 Indiana National will be remember for its muddy conditions. Zach Osborne(16) used the mud as practice for the ISDE in Argentina next month. Zach is also leaving the Geico Honda team and will be part of the 2015 Husqvarna motocross team — which will consist of Zach, Martin Davalos, Jason Anderson and a yet to be announced rider. Who would you pick? Weimer? Peick? Brayton? Grant?

You don’t see modern motocross stars sitting on the hood of Ford Mustangs in ads, but six-time 250 World Champion had a Ford deal back in 1971. Best of All, Joel has that Steve McQueen “Bullet” look down pat.

All motocrossers love their bikes. Two-strokes riders really love their bikes and they hate four-strokes. Well, as Wiggo Larsen says, “We don’t hate them, we just feel sorry for them.”

Jeff Ward, seen here during his Honda XR75 days, is the only rider in motocross history to win the National Minicycle Championship, 125 National Championship, 250 National Championship, 500 National Championship, Supercross Championship, Motocross des Nations, SuperMoto Championship and finished 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 9th the Indy 500 (and earned $4,780,000 in Indycar purse money).

Can you recognize this Pro Circuit Honda CR125 pilot? Here’s a clue: When ask how tall he is, this rider always says “Five feet, 17 inches.” Give up. This is suspension guru Bones Bacon at Perris Raceway 22 years ago.

Back in 1964 Steve McQueen lived on Beverly Drive and held a FIM license. This license sold at a Bonham’s auction for $42,700.

This is a Hontesa (it says so on the gas tank). Built by Pro-Vue’s Randy Nagel for vintage races it mates a Montesa frame with a Honda four-stroke engine. The gas tank logo is pretty sweet.

Motocross racers who have designed and built their own motorcycles are a rare breed, but Don and Derek Rickman were among the first. Not only did the Rickman brothers build a successful brand, but they were among the best British motocross racers of the 1960s — shown here anchoring the British Motocross des Nations team.

The only American National Champion to invest his earnings into his own motorcycle brand was four-time 250 National Champion Gary Jones. After racing for Team Yamaha, Team Honda and team Can-Am, Jones designed his own race bike, built at the Moto-Islo factory in Mexico. Called Ammex, for American/Mexican, this 1976 model has nver been ridden and came straight out of crate that had been stored for 30 years.

If you missed Willy Simons when he won the World Mini Grand Prix back in 1974,  just flash forward 40 years and you will find Willy still winning every weekend at Glen Helen…in the Over-50 Elite class (below).

Willy Simons last Saturday at Glen Helen.

In 2014 Pro Circuit is one of the most professional race teams on the planet, with well over 200 AMA wins, but they started out as laid back SoCal race shop. From Left to right Bill Keefe (cowboy hat), Lance Sallis, Steve Wiseman, Jody Weisel (straight from the beach), Mitch Payton (with his black Cocker Spaniel), Mike Monaghan and Steve Ballmer in 1979.

Where did young racers come from back in the 1970s? From BMX. Although the Yamaha Moto-Bike wasn’t a great race bike, it did fuel the dreams of many young kids.

MXA was around 40 years ago doing what we still do today — testing bikes, building project bikes and analyzing products. This is MXA test rider Pete Maly on a Czechoslovakian-built 1974 CZ 250GP. This mag is the June issue from 1974.

One thing you can guarantee about this 1983 MXA 250 Shootout — afterwards, three manufacturers were angry with us, at least one would pull all of their advertising and the MXA wrecking was heavily into team uniforms (although only two of the four test riders are wearing the team helmet). This was before we switched to orange helmets.

During the reign of Team Peak with Jeremy McGrath, Steve Lamson, Jeromy Buehl and Brian Swink, there was also a Team Peak Vet team. They were the most pampered Vet riders in the sport with Team Peak CR125, CR250 and CR500 bikes, mechanics and full support. From left to right the Peak team was Gary Jones (eight-time World Vet Champion), Alan Olson (nine-time World Vet Champion), Jody Weisel (CMC and REM #1) and George Kohler (three-time REM #1)

Everything’s sano at Miller Mano!

 

Photos: MXA Archive, Adam Duckworth,Geico Honda, Ketchup Cox, Debbi Tamietti, Bonham, Randy Nagel, Pro Circuit