by Davey Coombs
40 Day Countdown To AMA Motocross Opener: 1979
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 | 6:45 PM
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PrintThe countdown to the opening motos of the 40th year for Lucas Oil AMA Motocross continues, and today Racer X looks back at the 1979 season.
(Click here for previous years.)
But we have to start 1979 with an apology for a mistake in yesterday's 1978 review. The 250cc AMA Motocross Champion Bob Hannah was back in California for the last rounds with an injury after clinching the title early with his dominant rides through the first seven rounds of the tour. He was working on getting healthy for the upcoming Trans-AMA tour, which he also won in what was surely one of the most impressive seasons in motocross history. I also should have mentioned that the famous Dick Miller photo of Hannah coming out of Gravity Cavity was shot in 1978 at the Unadilla 250cc U.S. Grand Prix, the rare race that Bob did not actually win in 1978. Our apologies for the oversight on both counts.
Bob Hannah kept rolling right into 1979 on his Yamahas, winning another AMA Supercross title as well as another AMA Motocross title.
Danny LaPorte would take the AMA 500cc Motocross crown and earn another MXA cover.
Saddleback, arguably the hub of the motocross world at the time, finally joined the AMA Motocross tour, taking the place of nearby Escape Country, which was on the schedule for a single year in 1978 before being sold for housing. And a track just below Denver in Lakewood was added to the schedule, though it was not on the same spot of what is now Thunder Valley, which is on the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship schedule.
The legendary Saddleback became part of the AMA Motocross tour in 1979.
"In 1979 the game plan was for Keith McCarty and I to continue to hand out ass whippings – and we did,” Hannah told Racer X Online. “That was, until I went water skiing with the competition. Then the Colorado River gave me an ass whipping for next year and a half!”
Marty Tripes' works Honda was claimed by a privateer and then tore down by a magazine.
Hannah's younger teammate Broc Glover was once again the class of the 125cc class, winning the title there for the third time in a row in what was shaping up as a legendary motocross career. But Glover did find new competition in the form of Suzuki's super-fast newcomer Mark “Bomber” Barnett, as well as Brian Myerscough.
After after losing the 1977 AMA 125cc National title to Glover on a tie-breaker, Suzuki's Danny LaPorte avenged himself with a championship effort in the 500cc class in '79, narrowly beating Yamaha's Mike Bell by just three points in the closest title bout of the season.
And in what was now called the Trans-USA Series, Howerton topped the almost-all-American field on his Suzuki. The highest-placing European in the five-race series was future world champ Andre Malherbe, who finished ninth in an abbreviated tour.
That's Mike Bell at the '79 Trans-USA race at Sears Point in Sonoma, California.
1979 250cc AMA Motocross
3/25 Sacramento, CA Bob Hannah, Whittier,CA Yam
4/1 Irvine, CA Bob Hannah, Whittier, CA Yam
4/8 Phoenix, AZ Bob Hannah, Whittier, CA Yam
4/22 Herman, NE Bob Hannah, Whittier, CA Yam
5/20 Southwick, MA Kent Howerton, San Antonio, TX Suz
5/27 Atlanta, GA Bob Hannah, Whittier, CA Yam
6/17 Sonoma, CA Marty Tripes, Santee, CA Hon
6/24 Lakewood, CO Bob Hannah, Whittier, CA Yam
7/1 Buchanan, MI Marty Tripes, Santee, TX Hon
7/8 Mt. Morris, PA Kent Howerton, San Antonio, TX Suz
1979 250cc National Point Standings
1.) Bob Hannah, Whittier, CA 454
2.) Kent Howerton, San Antonio, TX408
3.) Marty Tripes, Santee, CA 315
4.) Jim Weinert, Middletown, NY 253
5.) Mark Gregson, Salem, OR 226
6.) Larry Wosick, San Jose, CA 208
7.) Mike Guerra, Bolton, CT 205
8.) John Savitski, Atlas, PA 190
9.) Steve Wise, Pharr, TX 188
10.) Ron Sun, Sherwood, OR 148
1979 500cc National Motocross
5/20 Southwick, MA Danny LaPorte, Yucca Valley, CA Suz
5/27 Atlanta, GA Danny LaPorte, Yucca Valley, CA Suz
6/17 Sonoma, CA Gaylon Mosier, Huntington Beach, CA Kaw
6/24 Lakewood, CO Mike Bell, Lakewood, CA Yam
7/1 Buchanan, MI Danny LaPorte, Yucca Valley, CA Suz
7/8 Mt. Morris, PA Gaylon Mosier, Huntington Beach, CA Kaw
8/5 Houston, TX Rex Staten, Fontana, CA Yam
8/12 Center Isle, NY Mike Bell, Lakewood, CA Yam
8/19 Charlotte, NC Mike Bell, Lakewood, CA Yam
8/26 St. Petersburg, FL Mike Bell, Lakewood, CA Yam
1979 500cc National Point Standings
1.) Danny LaPorte, Yucca Valley, CA 399
2.) Mike Bell, Lakewood, CA 396
3.) Gary Semics, Huntington Beach, CA 233
4.) Arlo Englund, Denver, CO 219
5.) Rex Staten, Fontana, CA 217
6.) Gaylon Mosier, Huntington Beach, CA 213
7.) Darrell Schultz, Orangevale, CA 205
8.) Mickey Kessler, Framingdale, NJ 201
9.) Marty Moates, Waukegan, IL 188
10.) Greg Thiess, Omaha, NE 161
1979 125cc National Motocross
3/25 Sacramento, CA Brian Myerscough, Calimesa, CA Suz
4/1 Irvine, CA Broc Glover, El Cajon, CA Yam
4/8 Phoenix, AZ Broc Glover, El Cajon, CA Yam
4/22 Herman, NE Broc Glover, El Cajon, CA Yam
8/5 Houston, TX Broc Glover, El Cajon, CA Yam
8/12 Center Isle, NY Mark Barnett, Bridgeview, IL Suz
8/19 Charlotte, NC Mark Barnett, Bridgeview, IL Suz
8/26 St. Petersburg, FL Mark Barnett, Bridgeview, IL Suz
1979 125cc National Point Standings
1.) Broc Glover, El Cajon, CA 369
2.) Mark Barnett, Bridgeview, IL 299
3.) Brian Myerscough, Calimesa, CA 269
4.) Warren Reid, Westminster, CA 244
5.) Donnie Cantaloupi, Stockton, CA 225
6.) Jeff Ward, Mission Viejo, CA 210
7.) Jim Gibson, Orange, CA 172
8.) Ron Turner, Whittier, CA 149
9.) Pat Moroney, Newburgh, NY 146
10.) David Taylor, Glendora, CA 124
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Awesome once again DC. One more correction to set the record straight. The famous, rare photo of Hannah (I saw one of those posters on EBAY go for $150) getting squirrelly out of Gravity Cavity was from '79. Hannah wore 21 that day and got second to Howerton on time. He was #22 in '78 and went 5-1 for 3rd after a first turn crash in moto 1. Hard to believe it took him until '86 to win there.
'79 also marked the first year Broome Tioga hosted a national.
Hannah was wearing Scott boots in that photo which I don't think he had until 79'.
I believe 1979 was the first year the number plates were moved towards the rear, making them easier to see. I'm pretty sure the picture of Hannah was
from Southwick.
Most riders today don't know that the factory teams raced custom one-off bike - not highly modified production bikes like today. Those "factory" bikes had no parts in common with production bikes. The AMA had a "claiming" rule that would allow a rider to claim the bike for a standard fee - the idea being that the factories would not go too far - but they did. When a rider tried to claim a factory bike, the other factory riders would also put in a claim. A drawing would be held and any factory rider that "won" the bike would return it to the other factory - thus protecting each other's secrets.
But in '78 or '79, Bob Hanna claimed the Yamaha mono-shock bikes were better than his competitor's factory bikes - and proved it by riding a production bike, then giving it away at the end of each race. I'm sure he added his own shock/fork/wheels to the stock bike, and put the stock stuff back on. But he made his point and Yamaha sold a lot of bikes.
If I was Yamaha's marketing guy, I'd put James Steward on a "stock" bike and do the same end-of-race giveaway.
Hannah (and Tripes) wore Scott boots that year, but not JT gear in '78 at Unadilla. Good call JD on the number plates as well. Those were the days!
Sure seems like there was a Honda claimed in 74 or 75 and the name MIckey Boone comes to mind who rode for Suzuki for a year or so ...guess I am old and forgetful or dreamt it ..Thanks for the memories
..
One great loss that DC either overlooked or has perhaps forgotten from 1979 was Gassin' Gaylon Mosier.
Mosier lost his life when he was struck by a motorist while training on his bicycle either before or after Unadilla that year.
mxworksbike.com rules
Anybody know what LOP stood for?
LOP stood for Lawrence Offner Products. I had an LOP t-shirt in high school. Thought it was cool. Love this series!
THAT IS SOUTHICK IM SURE, AND I WAS THERE, MY FIRST NATIONAL I THOUGHT I SAW GOD WHEN I SAW HANNAH IN PERSON HE CRASHED HARD THAT DAY HE GOT OUT OF CONTROL GOING VERY FAST ON THE DOWN GRADE THE SECTION WHEN THE FIRST TURN WENT RIGHT OUT OF THE HOLESHOT SWEPT RIGHT HE BOUNCED OFF THE SEAT AND WENT RIGHT OFF TRACK SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY 30 YEARS AGO OH MY TIME FLY'S.
I think in the 125's that day broc glover had it out with a guy named rich coon he and ron sun were team mates they were at an NESC race at peppril the week before and beat jo jo it was the first watercooled dirt bike i saw in person all eyes were on em' not sure if ron sun is chuck suns brother what a day
Davey, Just an incredible retrospective look on where we have been and how we progressed through the years and decades. Applause applause. Items like these are what separate Racer X from every other publication.
You have always have had a true appreciation of the heart and soul or our sport.
Semper Fi!
Thanks for reading and thanks for the input, guys. My bad on Hannah-at-'Dilla in 1979 (not '78) and also I will mention the loss of Gaylon Mosier today in the 1980 piece. He was one of my favorite riders as a kid -- great name, cool Wheelsmith Maico jerseys, very fast! -- and I still have one of the Team Honda schoolwork folders they used to give out at the local dealerships. He was #206 on an Elsinore, I believe it was shot in 1974 at Zoar in New York.... Anyone remember those?
DC
Bob Hannah took the parade lap at Red Bus this year with an American Flag
taped to his helmet. It was very patriotic as this event was over the Fourth of July
Holiday week end. It got huge roars from the crowd...I have that pic in my gallery
but did not submit to Davey. Great year! And thank you so much Davey (and staff) for taking the time to review our great MX history year by year...
Hey DC keep em coming the mistakes are ok. Yes I was going to mention Gaylon's tragedy also. I followed the racing with Cycle News and the MX mags of the day. Yes and when Reoder claimed the bike ilt started a new era of better production bikes.
I have been adingg a bit about my trvails each day if you want I will stop? Yesterday my pute froze before I entered I may rewrite it as I may have been interesting?
!979 I did not race much if at all I got put on 3rd shift at Texast Insruments to debug the soon to be produced Tomahawk missile guildance system and also was going to college in the am's to further my education. So I put my carreer ahead of my racing for once.
Thanks if you enjoy my little inputs. yes Hanna was the king back then but here comes Barrnet..
I attended and remember the 1979 Hangtown race in Sacramento for both good and bad reasons. I was 12 years old, My brother Larry Wosick was either leading or running second to Bob Hannah ( can't remember exactlly..too much smoking of marijuna around me) and others in his first 250 National when a drunk spectator ran across the track in front of him causing him to be helicopterd out. I remember it taking HOURS to get out of that place due to all the traffic, I was super worried about my brother during those hours. He still managed to get Rookie of the Year in 79 and that's when they replaced the snow fencing with chain link fences. THANKS drunk guy!!
Great stuff DC. BD25-yes Mickey Boone tried to claim Hannah's OW125 at Red Bud in "76. I was there racing , and Bob wasn't happy about the claim. That bike was far superior to the Honda's and he was dominating the series with it. Boone lost out when the other factories put in claims also, stacking the odds against Mickey.
I know this is about mx but during the supercross season of 1979, I was visiting Florida from Canada. In the motel parking lot near Daytona were the Team Suzuki box vans with the bikes. I can say I stayed at the same motel as TEAM SUZUKI. It was a memorable scene. I remember talking to one of the Mechanics, Pat Alexander. There was a blonde wrench ther too, as well as some Asian cats but I never did figure out their names. All the factory riders were playing the Charlie' Angels pinball machine. They were in the parking lot molding number plates with a jacknife and it was tres cool.
DC,
Zoar was sooooo dusty! Neat track....first time that I went "streaking".......oh how times change!
Thanks for all the great memories, these articles ROCK!
I finally got smart and stopped reading the comments after most of the pieces here on Racer X, but the ones after these great "in the day" stories lack the harshness and add to the "remember when" theme here. I'd been a fan for years already, but '79 was the year I finally saved my own money and bought my first true MX bike (CR125 - I know, they were dogs that year, but I was still a huge Marty Smith fan) and started following the District 3 circuit. It was great to have Unadilla, Southwick and Broome all within driving distance. I miss Broome (though there is still a lot of racing there). Walking through the pits and seeing all my heroes after the races was so cool. Never forget seeing DeCoster as a rider in the pits at 'dilla (not '79, but earlier). I miss that aspect. Mosier's death was a shocker. Hannah became one of my favorites, but he hadn't developed the great rapport with the fans yet, he was still too busy kicking ass and taking names. Perhaps it was the broken leg and long layoff that softened him a bit. He would draw the biggest crowd in the pits for another 10 years - even after he was no longer top dog.
@Lynette W. I too was at that race that your brother Larry was chasin Hannah and some nucklehead ran out in front of him. I think he could have beaten Hannah that day. Not sure if you remember, but I rode with you a few times at H/Hills, during the years that your parents ran the store there..