Did you know

• The 1984 Daytona Supercross was decided by a photo finish between Johnny O'Mara (Honda) and Ricky Johnson (Yamaha) Ricky took the win.
  
  
• In the 1989 Seattle Supercross Team Honda riders Jeff Stanton and Ricky Johnson made a bet that who ever finished behind one or the other would work in McDonalds restaurant.
  
  
• Ricky Johnson's career went down hill after he had a practice collision with privateer Danny Storbeck at Gainsville (he suffered with his right wrist through out the rest of his career).
  
  
• Jean-Michel Bayle's 1989 arrival in the USA was unexpected by Honda US, he had to ride a production Honda (with Factory Showa forks and rear Shock) which was Sorted by Pro Circuit, it took him to a 2nd place finish at the Miami Supercross.
  
  
• American National Champion Marty Smith rode in the 1976 125 Grand Prix at Hawkstone Park England and finished 3rd in the first race.
  
  
• The first race at Hawkstone Park England was won by Heikki Mikkola on a Husqvarna in 1975.
  
  
• Georges Jobe swapped from the open class Grand Prix's and competed in the 125 Grand Prix's in 1988 and finished 10th overall.
  
  
• The best picture of all time has got to be of Danny "Magoo" Chandler jumping out of the infamous "screw U"on his way to winning the Support class at the 1984 Unadilla 250 Grand Prix
  
  
• Neil Hudson made his Grand Prix debut at Hawkstone Park England in 1976 125 class on a Mexican Carabella.
  
  
• Harry Everts won Puch there only World Motocross Title in 1975.
  
  
• Brad Lackey's clicker jump photo at the 1973 Tallahassee winter-AMA event was used as a Scott USA logo, it is the most recognised photo in American Motocross history.
  
  
• One of the most memorable Supercross races in history was the 1986 battle between David Bailey and Ricky Johnson both riders were on Factory Honda's.
  
  
• Mark Barnett on a Factory Suzuki used the airbox in the fuel tank and the fuel tank in the air box position for better weight distribution, the year was 1981.
  
  
• The 1984 250 AMA National at Broome Tioga saw the arrival of Keith Bowen.
  
  
• Roger Harvey only failed to score in one race in the 1976 125 World championships.
  
  
• The 1989 San Diego Supercross was where Ricky Johnson tied with the Great Bob Hannah's record of Supercross wins, 27 of them.
  
  
• Kurt Nicoll (GB) tried 41mm upside down forks on his Factory Kawasaki in the 1989 Grand Prix's.
  
  
• Suzuki's Eric Kehoe used Showa upside down forks and rear suspension at the 1989 125 AMA National Championship at Gainesville, instead of the standard KYB units .
  
  
• Top privateer finisher in the 1976 125 World championship was Roger Harvey on a Husqvarna in 5th place.
  
  
• American Mike Guerra on a Husqvarna finished 3rd Overall at the British 250 Grand Prix in 1981, this was his first visit to England.
  
  
• Jean-Michele Bayle's Tarmac Debut was at the French Grand Prix at Mangy Cours on July 19th 1992.
  
  
• After a dismal 1988 Season on the 250 Johnny O'Mara went to Mammoth Mountain and obliterated the 125 class.
  
  
• The Great Air time specialist Guy Cooper Will be riding for KTM and Husaberg in 1997.
  
  
• Georges Jobe was the first winner of the Dortmund Supercross in Germany it was run on Wooden Boards.
  
  
• Ricky Johnson emerged from the fist of a 30 foot mechanical arm at the greatest show of them all, the Paris Supercross at Bercy stadium in 1987.
  
  
• Jean-Michele Bayle was the first rider in the history of Motocross to win a Grand Prix in the 125, 250, and 500 classes, a U.S National in all three classes and a US Supercross main event..
  
  
• At the American track Glen Helen in the 1991 U.S 500 GP Georges Jobe and Billy Liles ordered the organisers to remove a jump and level the finish jump because they were said to be dangerous, Paul Malin (GB) J-M Bayle and the Americans were double jumping the obstacles.
  
  
• In the 1970's the US Grand Prix was held at the notorious Carlsbad Raceway near San Diego, where it was dominated by the Europeans.
  
  
• In 1980 Marty Moates became the first American to win the U.S Grand Prix.
  
  
• Former World Champion Harry Everts, see's a lot of Dave Thorpe's style in his son World Champion Stefan Everts.
  
  
• Johnny O'Mara catapulted himself from local hero to National rider by winning in the mud at Mid-Ohio in 1980.
  
  
• The 1989 Anaheim Supercross was Johnny O'Mara's chance for further victory's, he was extending his lead over Ricky Johnson until the steering stem broke on his Suzuki.
  
  
• Bob Moore was the winner of the 1985 West Region 125 Supercross series, that was his last ride in a U.S Supercross.
  
  
• In 1988 Team Yamaha 's Robbie Herring (GB) ran a air cooled YZ 500 motor in a YZ 250 Chassis.
  
  
• Harry Everts won Suzuki their last ever 500 Grand Prix motos in 1983.
  
  
• Doug "Dr" Dubach rode a YZ 360 Yamaha in the 1989 U.S 500 Nationals and captured several top four placings.
  
  
• The number 41 is reserved for World Champions transferring from other classes.
  
  
• Seven Times U.S National Champion Jeff Ward never got to win a Daytona Supercross during his career.
  
  
• David Bailey and Johnny O'Mara would push each other to the outer limits when they trained together, they would play golf on the run.
  
  
• The 1995 U.S National series saw more different points leaders than anybody can remember.
  
  
• Graham Noyce the 1979 500 World Champion tried to swim the river Meuse Belgium after clinching his World title and had to be saved by another Englishman Pete Mathia.
  
  
• Harry Everts was sent to America in late 1969 with a 125 Dalesman Puch, he won seven out of the eight races he competed in.
  
  
• At the Irish Grand Prix the riders get to drive on the roads around Cork on the Friday, before race day.
  
  
• Kurt Nicoll used 51mm (YES 51mm) conventional Factory KYB forks on his HRC Factory Honda 250 in 1995.
  
  
• Micky Dymond and Trampas (Chad) Parker wore hair wigs for a TV interview at the 1992 Austrian 250 Grand Prix.
  
  
• Team HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) first World Championship was won in 1979 by British rider Graham Noyce.
  
  
• Ricky Johnson had the biggest excuse of the 1989 U.S 500 National season when he claimed that he got a bad start because he could not hear his engine running over Greg Zitterkopf's 604 ATK.
  
  
• Kees Van Der Ven never finished a Grand Prix out of the top Five between 1979 and 1988, but never won a World Title.
  
  
• When David Bailey got hurt Johnny O'mara became scared to ride a bike, he could not beleive this could happen to his best friend and such a great rider.
  
  
• American Goat Breker (ex Factory Kawasaki pilot) won the European season opener at Beaucaire in 1988 at the age of 28.
  
  
• Hawkstone Park England, in 1965 was won by Jeff Smith on a BSA, there were seven British riders in the top ten.
  
  
• Bob "Hurricane" Hannah won the first ever race he entered at the age of eleven.
  
  
• What do Marty Smith, Tony DiStefano, Donnie Hanson, Gary Semics, Steve Wise, Gary Bailey and Russ Darnell have in common..? THEY all run Motocross training camps.
  
  
• Chuck Sun started out on the U.S National circuit in 1975 on a production Husqvarna, he then gained a Factory Husqvarna ride and then went on to be a factory rider for Big RED Honda Racing.
  
  
• Finnish rider Pekka Vehkonen's uncle is the former Factory Montesa rider Kalevi Vehkonen and is most remembered for the Montesa V-series VR, VB, VA, which stood for the Vehkonen series, Pekka had his own Vehkonen series for Cagiva after winning the 1985 125 World Championship.
  
  
• Ronnie "Dogger" Lechien was helicoptered in from his girlfriends prom, to race the 1989 U.S Southwick 250 National he went on to win the first moto.
  
  
• Mike Kiedrowski had the number "45" drawn on his crossbar pad it was Damon Bradshaw's number, ready for slamming..?.
  
  
• Six time World 250 Champion Joel Robert made his long awaited comeback in 1989 on a 1969 twin port CZ.
  
  
• U.S.A's Don Kudalski was a rider in the 1970's for the automatic, heavy, front and rear disc braked Rokon, he was always known as Rokon Don, he went on to secure a Factory ride with Harley Davidson.
  
  
• Micky Dymond missed half of the Supercross season and half of the 250 Nationals through injury in 1989, his bosses Team Yamaha were not amused.
  
  
• U.S 's David Bailey and Goat Breker are the only Factory stars to have pursued race track ownership.
  
  
• Roger DeCoster described the Ribi Front forks as the "best forks I have ever used".
  
  
• Ribi Quadrilaterals were linkage type front forks designed by Valentino Ribi, Honda purchased the rights to them and shelved the idea..?.
  
  
• Valentino Ribi designed the linkage controlled rear brake (it was the ultimate full-floating brake) it was used on the HRC Factory Honda's.
  
  
• Ricky Johnson was disguised as Batman and Jean-Michel Bayle as the Joker at the opening ceremonies at the Maastricht Supercross in Holland.
  
  
• The Best ten up and coming U.S riders in 1990 were Buddy Antunez, Jeromy Buehl, Jimmy Button, Mike Brown, Mike Craig, Jeff Emig, Doug Henry, Keith Johnson, Steve Lamson and "Now" the great Jeremy McGrath.
  
  
• An unknown kid by the name of Steve Lamson took a DGY YZ 360 to top ten positions every week during the 1989 U.S 500 Nationals, The National veterans kept asking "who is this guy".
  
  
• In 1981 Derbi the road race company made a production Motocross bike that had a twin-tube girder swingarm.
  
  
• In the 1970's suspension oderties were common namely the Skunk Works forks, which used a shock instead of fork internals, the rear shocks had leverage arms to help the shocks operate.
  
  
• Harry Everts won the 1975 250 World Championship on a Twin carbed magnesium Puch, one carb was to the piston port and one to the crankcases "Brilliant motor".
  
  
• The retired Motocross rider and now Deep sea fisherman Jo Jo Keller rode one race in the U.S 500 Nationals, made the top ten then went back to sea again, the year was 1989.
  
  
• The first safety seat was designed in 1981 by Ceet and they sold thousands, then the manufacturers made them standard production units.
  
  
• Kent Howerton won the 1979 and the 1980 rounds of the World 250 Motocross Grand Prix's in the U.S.
  
  
• Yamaha's budget for the 1991 U.S contingency program was a massive 2,000,000 dollars, the most ever.
  
  
• American Damon Bradshaw was known and awarded the trophee for the Dirtiest rider.
  
  
• Famous actor Steve McQueen was an avid Desert, Motocross and Enduro rider, his favourite bike was a 250 CZ.
  
  
• Other Famous Dirt bike riders were Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Sidney Poitier, Keenan Wynn and Clark Gable.
  
  
• Marty Tripes won the 1978 U.S round of the World 250 Grand Prix's.
  
  
• Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki Factory rider Warren Reid use to vomit before every race he entered.
  
  
• Carlsbad raceway in the U.S was a jinx for Brad Lackey and Roger DeCoster, they never had good luck there..?.
  
  
• In the early days of Supercross the World's top riders complained that it was not "real Motocross" it was "stunt riding".
  
  
• European riders dominated Motocross in the U.S from the offset up until about 1980 when Marty Moates and then Chuck Sun started winning, and have dominated right up until the French rider Jean-Michel Bayle came along, is it now the Euro's turn again ?.
  
  
• What do the Factory riders do when they retire..? Marty Smith-Three times National U.S champ runs his own surf shop called Smitty's surf and sport, Brad Lackey-1982 500 World Motocross Champion was in the auto whole sale business, Kent Howerton-Three times National U.S champion did riding schools and bought into VP racing fuels, Gary Jones Four times National U.S 250 champion was in the construction business and a test rider for Motocross Action magazine.
  
  
• Rex Staten punched out Vic Allen at a U.S Grand Prix round.
  
  
• The The Last ever Trans-AMA title was won by a young kid by the name of (now legendary) Bob Hannah, he beat the great Roger DeCoster.
  
  
• The 1990 Factory Honda RC500's of European rider Eric Geboers used a Four speed gear box, U.S Factory Honda rider Ricky Johnson used a conventional five speed unit in his Pro-Circuit/HRC CR500.
  
  
• Race Tech shifter was designed by Paul Thede and used in 1987 by U.S.A's Doug Dubach it helped YZ's to shift gear better.
  
  
• Gary Hymes former U.S Dirt Bike magazine test rider can be regularly seen in TV movies as a stand in motocross rider for the stars.
  
  
• The hardest trying rider EVER is the legendary Danny "Magoo" Chandler he would jump anything.
  
  
• What do the Factory riders do when they retire..? Tommy Croft-Factory Honda rider damaged his Knee in 1980 and sat out for a year and then competed in the super 1600 U.S car racing class, David Thorpe-Three Times World 500 Motocross Champion runs a Grand Prix Motocross Team, John DeSoto-U.S National contender was a Honolulu city councilman and still continues to trail ride, Marty Tripes-U.S National winner was in to the game called Pursuit and worked for JT racing, Jim Pomeroy-U.S A's first Grand Prix winner got hurt in a car accident but is going to continue his riding schools, Gennady Moisseev-Three Time World Motocross Champion is a KTM distributor .
  
  
• Kayaba built piggy back forks for Gerard Rond to race the Grand Prix's in the 1980's, he quit using them half way through.
  
  
• CCTM was a Montesa Motocross bike designed in Britain which had a high mounted swing arm pivot and used two chains, so that it could absorb rough terrain better.
  
  
• U.S rider Jeff Jennings was winning races in the Open class at the age of Fifteen, he went on to become a Factory Rider for Suzuki, he was a fearless rider especially when jumping down Saddleback's Banzai Hill.
  
  
• In 1976 Arlo Englund raced the U.S Nationals on an Automatic Husqvarna, but never received the support to make it successfull.
  
  
• Joel Robert loved American cars because of all there electrical gadgets.
  
  
• Ronnie Lechien won the 1984 round of the World 250 Motocross Grand Prix's in the U.S.
  
  
• In 1988 Yamaha changed the chain buffers and the rear guides to eliminate the irritating noise of the chain slapping.
  
  
• In 1988 most of the Factory riders were experimenting with 19-inch rear wheels.
  
  
• Remember in the early 1980's the Jones Ball-Grips designed to stop your hands sliding off the bars-the designer was Don Jones father of four time National U.S Champion Gary Jones.
  
  
• The Un-Sung hero's..? some of the top U.S Factory Mechanics, Jim Felts spannered for Johnny O'Mara, Broc Glover, John DeSoto, Jimmy Weinert, Steve Wise and Al Baker, Skip Norfolk spannered for Team Green and Jeremy McGrath, Buddy Morgan spannered for Brian Swink and Steve Lamson, Shane Nalley spannered for Larry brooks, Keith Turpin and Mike Kiedrowski, Randy Bruininga spannered for Mike Healey and Bob Hannah, Dan Betley spannered for Jeff Stanton, Marshall Plumb spannered for Ross Pederson and Guy Cooper,
  
  
• In 1981 the AMA in the U.S passed a rule that 12-inch front number plates had to be used, it was soon scraped when Jo Jo Keller cut his nose off.
  
  
• Jeff Ward and Ron Lechein were experimenting with one-way pit radios for safer communication during the races. the year was 1988.
  
  
• The only rider to break two bikes in half in one season was Can-Am Factory rider Juan Benavidez.
  
  
• Ricky Johnson won the 1987, 1988 and the 1989 rounds of the World 250 Motocross Grand Prix's in the U.S.
  
  
• The start of Team tactics began when Dave Thorpe's Honda camps "SLOW DOWN" signal went out so as to assit Team mate Andre Malherbe gain points on Hakan "King Carla" Carlqvist at the 1983 French 500 Grand Prix.
  
  
• American Guy Cooper became the 14th winner of the Dortmund Supercross on his last ride for Suzuki.
  
  
• Two Riders from outside America landed on there soil earned Factory rides with Yamaha and Honda and then raced the 500 Grand Prix's they were Pierre Karsmakers (Holland) and Jeff Leisk (Australia).
  
  
• Mike Kiedrowski was handcuffed and thrown in jail for a day when he was caught trail riding for the fourth time in the hills behind his house.
  
  
• Talking of prison Ron Lechien was put behind bars for a minnor Drug related offences.
  
  
• What a year for great 500 riders 1983 was Team HRC Honda had Graham Noyce, Andre Malherbe and David Thorpe, Team Yamaha had Hakan Carlqvist and Jukka Sintonen.
  
  
• Jeff Ward's most difficult year of racing was the 1987 season, he broke his ankle after the first two Supercross rounds, but still went on to claim the Supercross Title.
  
  
• Ron "The "Dogger" Lechien was detained in 1985 at the Japan Supercross race for possession of drugs, which led to Team Honda firing him for being in breach of his contract.
  
  
• The hottest young rider between 1976 and 1982 was Jeff Jennings.
  
  
• American Marty Tripes (Maico) and Britain Graham Noyce (HRC Honda) rode the 1981 California Winter Series.
  
  
• Tony DiStefano made a gallant comeback in 1981 despite being blind in one eye, he was dropped by the Factory Teams but still got top ten places.
  
  
• Jimmy Ellis rode the "Black Widow" to Supercross fame it was a Can-Am motorcycle.
  
  
• Gary Jones is the only American National Champion rider ever to race on his own brand of motorcycle the Ammex 250.
  
  
• Billy Grossi brother to Bob Grossi was a Factory Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki rider.
  
  
• Ron Lechien was happiest when he was a Factory rider for Team Kawasaki.
  
  
• "Dangerous" Darrell Schultz got his nick name for his "win or die trying attitude".
  
  
• Goat Breker gave Darrell Schultz a hay bale for a birthday presant, to replace the hundreds he had destroyed through out the seasons.
  
  
• Former snow mobile racer and Factory Kawasaki rider Tommy Benolkin was a master at going deep in to turns.
  
  
• U.S 1971 500 National Champion Mark Blackwell worked for Suzuki's upper management and snowmobile company Arctic Cat who incidently uses Suzuki engines.
  
  
• Team Suzuki were experimenting with automatic gearbox's in 1992.
  
  
• Between 1983 and 1992 the riders that won the most AMA Camel Supercross "last chance" qualifying races were Fred Andrews with 8, Erik Kehoe with 7, Rick Ryan with 6, Jeff Hicks with 5, Tom Carson with 5, Jeff "Attack" Ward with 4, Scott Burnworth with 4, Guy "Air Time" Cooper with 3, Jim "Hollywood" Holley with 3, Ron "Dogger" Lechien, Broc "Golden Boy" Glover, Bob "Hurricane" Hannah, Danny "Magoo" Chandler and Damon "The "Beast from the East" Bradshaw also raced them and won.
  
  
• Mike Healey was a Suzuki Minicycle Factory rider in 1984.
  
  
• Bobby Moore was the 1984 NMA National Minicycle Champion on a Kawasaki.
  
  
• No rider has ever won an AMA Camel Supercross "last chance" qualifying race and gone on to win the Main Event.
  
  
• Pete and Tony Wanket were Twin brothers that raced the U.S Nationals with consecutive race numbers and were on the same team.
  
  
• The only rider ever to win a U.S AMA National, AMA Supercross, AMA Dirt Track Grand National, AMA Superbike race and the first privateer to win an AMA 125 National is Steve Wise.
  
  
• Rex "Rocket" Staten is the only rider to have raced in the U.S Nationals inthe 1970's, 1980's and the 1990's will he race in the 2000's.
  
  
• In 1992 American riders Donny Schmit, Dean Matson, Trampas Parker, Bader Manneh, Billy Liles, Tallon Vohland, Micky Dymond, Rick Ryan and Mike Healey were racing the World Championship Grand Prix's.
  
  
• U.S Yamaha no1 Factory rider Eddie Hicks won the World Mini Grand Prix Race of Champions and was destined for stardom, but he never achieved it.
  
  
• Rick Ryan is the only privateer to have won a U.S AMA Supercross Main Event.
  
  
• Two privateers beat the Factory stars on the same day at the 1985 U.S Washougal National they were A.J. Whiting in the 125 class and Eric Eaton won the 500 class.
  
  
• It happened again in 1991 at the U.S National round at Hangtown privateer's Doug Henry won the 125 race and John Dowd won the 250 race.
  
  
• Against Doctors orders Rick Ryan raced and won the 1987 Daytona Supercross his first and last Supercross win.
  
  
• Doug "Doctor D" Dubach only ever won one U.S Supercross in 1991 at San Jose.
  
  
• Team Yamaha filed a protest against Team Honda at the Las Vegas Supercross in 1992, it was the first time another Japanese firm had protested against another, it was said that the Honda frames and swing arms of Jean-Michel Bayle and Jeff Stanton were illegally modified, they were found to be within specification and legal.
  
  
• When U.S rider Gary Jones was an up and coming kid, Feets Minert was a Factory BSA star, the Four time AMA Champion and 1960's Scrambles star were still riding against each other in 1992, some 25 years later.
  
  
• Superstitious riders Mike Kiedrowski will have a new helmet scratched before using it, Doug Dubach will never race in a new helmet and wont ride on friday the 13th, Ryan Hughes had a lucky pair of underware but broke his wrist wearing them..?.