TODAY’S BIRTHDAY BOY: THE MAN WHO OWNED HALF A DECADE

Gary Jones won four 250 National Championship. He did it on a Yamaha, Honda and Can-Am over four consecutive years from 1971 through 1974. He might have won more, but a seriously broken leg cost him his 1975-76 seasons.

Gary’s father, Don, was a team manager and his brother Dewayne also was a factory rider.

After recovering from his 1975 leg injury, Gary and his dad formed Ammex motorcycles. Jones is the only AMA National Champion to develop his own motorcycle brand. Unfortunately, the Mexican-based company was wiped out when the Mexican peso was devalued.

Gary Jones is still racing today and is regular at the Baja 1000, Glen Helen motocross, endurance races, vintage races and offroad events. His 70th birthday is on April 22.

Gary Jones born on April 22, 1952, into a motorcycle racing family. His dad, Don Jones,  had been a well-known scrambles racer in the 1950s and encouraged his boys to follow in his footsteps. Gary and Dewayne Jones raced together on the same teams for many years—often with their dad as the team manager,

Gary won four 250 National Championship, the Mint 400, finished second in the 1972 500 National Championship, won the 1973 Inter-Am series, is the only man to have won the World Vet Championships in the Over-30, Over-40, Over-50 and Over-60 classes, he was on Team USA at the 1972 Motocross des Nations (with Brad Lackey, Jim Pomeroy and Jimmy Weinert), is in the AMA Hall of Fame and received the Edison Dye Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.

Gary (left) with son Justin, who has won ISDE Gold Medals and four Baja 1000s to keep the family heritage going for a third generation.