The List: 30 Best Loretta Lynn Riders
Thursday, July 28, 2011 | 10:30 AM
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PrintAuthor: The staff of Racer X
Thirty years ago Mooney and Loretta Lynn opened their ranch to America's fastest young motocross riders, giving them a unique opportunity to gather on a neutral track and race for the right to be called the best amateur rider in the country. Since then the ranch has hosted practically every top young rider to rise up through the ranks as Red Bull AMA Amateur National Motocross Champions. But what if you lined them all up together in their prime? That's what we did at the Racer X offices for this bench-racing bonanza! With apologies to the vet riders and the girls, who get their own special mentions here, these are the 30 fastest young men our panel of longtime Loretta Lynn's race-watchers have seen over the years at Loretta Lynn Ranch.
1.) JAMES STEWART: If you were on the infield or along the fences to see this kid blaze on by on his Team Green minicycles, you know why he's #1 on this list. James “Bubba” Stewart was truly an astonishing talent as a youngster, carving up this track with the precision of a skilled surgeon—and that was on 80s. His last visit here as a 125cc Schoolboy was the icing on the cake. While his professional career may have had its ups and downs, James' amateur career was exceptional across the board.
2.) RICKY CARMICHAEL: This may be the only motocross list where you will ever find our sport's greatest of all time ranked second! RC possessed other-wordly speed, but he also crashed his way out of several class titles here—especially each time he graduated to a bigger bike. But once he graduated and his parents turned him lose on the pro ranks, he never lost a single AMA Motocross Championship, winning ten consecutive titles outdoors, plus five in AMA Supercross. Hard to believe it all started in a Yamaha Tri-Zinger down the Sunshine State!
3.) RONNIE LECHIEN: The Dogger only won two titles at Loretta Lynn's, but that's because he only raced here once—the first year in 1982—as an amateur. He dominated. Then he went straight to the pros and became a 16-year-old AMA Supercross winner—and that was in the premier class! Lechien was well known in California as a kid, but what he unleashed on the rest of the country at that first race here at the ranch was extraordinary.
Stewart in 2001 at the Ranch.
Photo: Simon Cudby
4.) KEVIN WINDHAM: The style you see now on TV is the same perfect, fluid style that K-Dub used to race around the ranch on his KX80s and 125s. He ended his amateur days with a streak of 18 consecutive moto wins at the ranch, which means he didn't lose a single moto for three straight years.
5.) DAMON BRADSHAW: With a constant scowl on his face and an all-business demeanor, Bradshaw was already earning the nickname “Beast from the East” by the time he started winning at Loretta's. Backed by Yamaha and Fox Racing, he was a one-man gang in battling the Team Green and R&D Suzuki juggernauts of the eighties. His last battle here with Jeff Emig was one of the all-time great Loretta Lynn's match-ups.
6.) ROBBIE REYNARD: Racing out of Oklahoma on Team Green bikes fine-tuned by his father, Reynard was a quiet kid with beautiful, effortless style. He remains the youngest pro ever to win a AMA Pro Motocross National, but his true potential was never realized due to injuries.
7.) TIM FERRY: He never possessed blinding speed as a kid, but when Ferry—another fast Team Green rider from Florida—got on 125s, he reeled off six titles in a row over three years. His professional career was epic in length, if not titles, and he continues to be a role model for young athletes who want to know how to act, work, train and live right.
8). MIKE ALESSI: We all remember the hype, and Alessi was worthy of much of it. But he was never a dominant champion at the ranch, spreading 11 titles across nine years here. He's had similar success as pro, winning here and there but never quite dominating as a champion.
9.) DANNY STORBECK: In the first first two years of Loretta Lynn's, this Yamaha rider from Texas won three 85cc titles, two 125cc Schoolboy titles, plus the 125 A class—1983 was the one and only year people could race three classes. Storbeck would earn undeserved infamy as a pro for colliding with Ricky Johnson one year at the Gatorback National, but his minicycle and amateur career was legendary.
RC before he became the GOAT.
Photo: Fran Kuhn
10.) BRIAN SWINK: A remarkably fast Team Green rider from Michigan, Swink engaged in 85cc battles with California hotshoe Buddy Antunez that were the stuff of legend. He turned pro and became a member of Mitch Payton's first Pro Circuit Honda team in 1991, winning the East Region 125 Supercros title two years in a row.
11.) DAVI MILLSAPS: Another fast young prospect from Florida, Millsaps grew quickly and on was on bigger bikes at a younger age. He racked up nine titles in eight years before turning pro the day he turned 16.
12.) ELI TOMAC: The Colorado-born Tomac was just a solid rider at every level, beginning his amateur career with a 65cc title in 2004 and ending with double-class sweeps his last three years. He then became the first rider in AMA Motocross history to win the first outdoor national he ever entered—it was his first pro race!
13.) TRAVIS PASTRANA: The tall Pastrana was always big for the 85cc, and that led to a spat of knee and ankle injuries that would plague him well into his short-but-spectacular pro career. But Travis was a force of nature even as a 15-year-old, and his Schoolboy battles with Ernesto Fonseca were epic.
14.) EZRA LUSK: Legend has it that Ezra Lusk was the first kid to jump the old infield tabletop on a 60. Well it's true, and “Yogi” would go on to dazzle for much of his amateur career. But a broken leg ruined his graduation race at the ranch and likely cost him two titles in 1991.
15.) JOSH HILL: A super-fast, super-nice kid from the northwest, Hill starting taking titles here on 65cc Kawasakis and finished on YZ250Fs when he swept both his A/Pro Sport classes. His nine titles include double-class sweeps his last three years as an amateur.
Michigan Mafia's own Nick Wey.
Photo: Thom Veety
16.) NICK WEY: A proud member of the Michigan Mafia, Wey was a Team Green standout as a kid, winning eight titles here over seven years in the nineties, including double-class sweeps in '94, '96 and '97, when he won the AMA's Horizons Award.
17.) EDDIE WARREN: Already an 85cc champion in the pre-Loretta Lynn's years, “Fast” Eddie Warren was on 125cc motorcycles here in '82 and '84, winning four titles. The Michigan rider turned pro the next year and become the first 125cc East Region AMA Supercross Champion.
18.) JEFF STANTON: A big kid, Stanton moved off of minicycles early, so he didn't get much time at Loretta Lynn's before turning pro at age 16. Already lightning quick, his epic 100cc class win over Donny Schmit and Fred Andrews in 1983 came down to a last-turn battle for the three of them, with Stanton in the right place at the right time—something that would carry him far as a professional.
19.) JEFF EMIG: Emig hailed from the midwest and had more success at other big amateur races, as luck never seemed to be on his side here. But after his Hall of Fame professional career, he came back and added four more titles to his career haul
20.) JIMMY BUTTON: Riding for Honda factory support from the time he was on 60s, this fast kid from the desert won six titles growing up, then turned pro as soon as he turned 16. The hotter the afternoon, the faster Button, who hailed from Arizona, seemed to go.
21.) JEFF MATIASEVICH: Part of the mid-eighties' Team Green class that included many other riders on this list, as well as future world champion Donny Schmit, Matiasevich enjoyed his best year here in 1987 when he swept the 125 and 250 Pro-Am classes.
A young K-Dub.
Photo: MX Sports Archives
22.) ERNESTO FONSECA: After moving up to Florida from Costa Rica to pursue his motocross dreams, Fonseca proved to be a force in his BSY Yamaha, winning four titles between '95 and '97 and then becoming a pro motocross sensation. He remains the only rider in history to win the first four pro races he entered.
23.) NICO IZZI: With support from Suzuki, the Michigan-born Izzi was always in the mix here at the ranch. He lost a full year of riding due to knee injuries when he stepped on to the bigger bikes, but he was especially fast on minicycles—he won six titles on them here.
24.) KEITH BOWEN: Another blast-from-the-past, as in the very early years of Loretta Lynn's, Michigan’s Bowen won three A class titles in the first two years here before turning pro and immediately becoming a thorn in Bob Hannah's side. After his pro career, Bowen returned and added four vet-class titles here at the ranch.
25.) TREY CANARD: This late-bloomer from Oklahoma didn't really hit his stride until he got on big bikes, and then he reeled off four titles in two years before stepping right into a GEICO Powersports' Honda ride, on which he would win the first three AMA Supercross Lites races he entered.
26.) RYAN MORAIS: For three years in the late nineties, California's Morais may have been the top prospect at the ranch. He rode smart and hard and was incredibly fast in any conditions—and we get all kinds of conditions here! An injury in practice at his first-ever SX races as a pro slowed his momentum before it ever hit full stride.
Keith Bowen at the Ranch in 1982.
Photo: MX Sports Archives
27.) JUNIOR JACKSON: Hailing from Illinois, Jackson was a can't-miss kid with lots of talent and determination as a young amateur. He won four titles in super-competitive classes in the mid-eighties, but then a series of wrist injuries ruined his shot a decent professional career.
28.) GREG RAND: A very fast and stylish Suzuki support rider from Ohio, he looked and rode a lot like Travis Pastrana—and that was before Pastrana came along! He won five classes between 1990 and '93 (plus an exhibition class) but for some reason he could never find his rhythm as a professional.
29.) BROCK SELLARDS: Another fast young man from Ohio, Sellards was also in contention for titles, but he was often matched up against the likes of Ricky Carmichael, Charley Bogard and more.
30.) LOWELL THOMSON: Whatever happened to the fast young Yamaha rider from Idaho that won a bunch of 85cc titles as a kid here, then pretty much disappeared from the scene? Like Eddie Hicks, Hayden Richards, Eric McClear, Ben Riddle, Billy Fosnock, the Melton brothers and more, Lowell Thomson is an amateur motocross legend now.
Greg Rand had an incredible 3 year stint at Loretta's in the early 90's.
Photo: Fran Kuhn
BEST OF THE VETS
1.) KEVIN WALKER: His 14 titles—all in the older age divisions—are a record that may never be broken.2.) KEVIN FOLEY: He was fast when he was a soon-to-be AMA Rookie of the Year in '82-'83, then came back a decade later as a formidable annual contender.
3.) DOUG DUBACH: Another former pro who came back when his SX days ended, he's had lot of success here.
4.) ROBBIE NEELEY: The first vet-class star of the ranch, he even beat former three-time pro champ Tony DiStefano once here.
5.) STEVE LEWIS: An amateur icon a generation ago, Lewis was a solid rider well into his 50s.
BEST OF THE GIRLS
1.) LISA AKIN-WAGNER: The first truly fast girl at the ranch, she and Mercedes Gonzales had some epic battles here—post-baby for Wagner in their last great showdown.
2.) MERCEDES GONZALES-NATVIG: The California Team Green standout was the other half of the greatest girls' rivalry of all time. She and Akin-Wagner belong in the AMA Hall of Fame.
3.) JESSICA PATTERSON: JP$ won here three times and piled up a ton of moto wins, bad luck cost her a few more titles. Also, modern women’s pro’s like Patterson are able to pursue the WMX pro route and X Games instead of focusing exclusively on Loretta’s.
4.) SARAH WHITMORE: The Michigander always seemed to step up at Loretta’s, taking four titles here and engaging in some epic battles. She was probably due a few more if not for some bum luck here and there.
5.) KRISTY SHEALEY: She took four titles in the '90s during a superb run.
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Cool flashbacks... I always looked forward to racing Mammoth Mountain MX. As a so-cal kid, that was the race that most of the Team Green prodigies would come race right before they turned pro....I saw K-Dub, RC (on 80's and big bikes), Reynard and Wey all race up there as intermediates and they were faster than tha Pros....AMAZING....Damon Huffman on an 80 going down the mammoth down hill tapped was EPIC and the following year racing Intermediate he put on a clinic going from dead last to win on the last lap of the main....INSANELY FAST...
Kristy Shealey was HOT!!.. Pitted next to her at mammoth one year, nice girl and she was fast...where is she now????
Reading this brought back some good memories of the eighties and those team green bikes.
Good to see JS7 take the top honor, as he was phenominal on those eighties.
Lots of riders from Michigan back in those days too.
Great story! Enjoyed all the commentary. It's so cool because it covers so many generations - from Bones (Bowen) to the current crop of riders! ~ Mikeee P
JS before RC!!!!! I dont know about that
Notice how Dungey is not on here. Neither is Reedy or RV but now The trio is handling the MX biz. Especially for Dungey bcoz he was a B rider
Robbie Skaggs
lot of michigan riders
Reedy was from australlia! duhh kevin walker is in jail now.
I got to watch all those Michigan racers through their amatuer careers. This article brings back some sweet memories of Warren, Swink and Nico. Watching those guys on 80's flat out never letting the throttle close. What this list really shows us is that if you don't win at an amatuer national of this caliber you might as well come to grips you won't win on the pro level.
Dgizzy - Its a list of the 30 top Loretta Lynns racers.... Reed obviously never raced Loretta.....RV did many times, just never won a bunch of championships to make the top 30 and Dungey raced Loretta pleanty of times too, but he never dominated and won multiple championships as an A or B rider......he may have made the list if it was a list called " Top Guys now who raced Loretta as an amateur one time or another".....must we disect every fukn list these guys come up with.....
michigan representing...got to watch each one tear it up over the years. Epic Lechien, Bowen battles in 82 was my highlight.
@DGIZZT, Reed never raced in the States as a youngster. HE IS FROM AUSTRALIA!! I would think you would at least know that...RV never could get the titles because Alessi ruled as a kid. He beat everyone around in those days.
Its amazing how many guys were studs in the young ranks and just havent made it in the pros. Some guys have never done anything. Broc Sellards, Nico Izzi, and some others should have titles by now, and have struggled with injuries and such..
I thought that Mike Alessi and James Stewart were tied for the most Loretta Lynn Championships? If so, shouldn't they be 1 and 2?
I know the pro ranks havent been goin his way butC'mon. JASON ANDERSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Some guys just dont live up to the hype. Look at Alessi, has he ever won a title?? Nope. Well look at the No. 1 guy here. Stewart is the most decorated mini-rider ever, but only has one big bike motocross title. And 2 supercross titles, and had to wait for RC to retire to get that, or he prabably wouldnt have those. Some guys cant handle the pressure, and some thrive in it. Look at Dungey, he never won anything as a mini-rider, and already has 2 titles, He will pass Stewart soon. And he never made the top 30. You have Lusk, Brian Swink and Reynard, never won a thing, and Dungey is killing it. Makes you wonder if these guys get such huge egos that they dont work as hard until they realize they arent going to just walk away from everyone, then by the time they realize it, its too late.
Another name dropping moment ...Fresh off his outdoor national win at Steel City on the #593 via 7-1 moto finishes, 16 year old rookie Robbie Reynard and his father rented a condo right next door to me the very next week for Mammoth Mountain MX.. Lots of media attention around the purple and black Fox box van that weekend....Robbie was bad ass dude, too many injuries and was never able to get a championship....he showed moments of brilliance out doors here and there and I think he annihilated the compettiton on his Primal Impulse Honda on a few occasions outdoors.....
What about PA's: Gene Stull, Branden Jesseman, Jimmy Evans, Shane Lawson, Davey Yezek , Darryn and Shane Durham, Broc Hepler, Joshua Sweat, Robert "sooty" Stock and Racer X's on DC winning 125a stock title in 1992 :)
Ps great pic of Buddy Little's mullet in KW pic
I don't think RC is at home shedding any tears over that one. He showed who the man was his entire pro career. Pretty sure JS7 only beat RC 2 or 3 races his entire outdoor career. The rest was a GOAT beatdown.
Yes a lot of good memories. Glad you put Ronnie up that far! When he was on it was poetry in motion. I remember reynard walking at Mosier Valley and whitney limping all the time , had a few battles with his dad in the over 30 class. I dout he remebers the times we hit, lol. Why not mention of De Ann Wood ? She could run with Gonzalas? Some of us still have to wonder how some of these racer can do it for so long???????????????????????????
I remember in about 99-00 people were demanding to see James Stewarts Birth Certificate because he had won so many amatuer titles that no one believed his age...everyone thought that Big James was lying about his age so he could keep running amatuers. Well I guess he shut everyone up when he moved up and had the same type of domination at the pro level. True he's had some ups and downs but you can't take any of those titles away from him.....he's definately earned them. One bad dude for sure!!
Wow Nick Wey has been young too
Like this list...i tend to agree with most of it....curious as to where I might find the results archives for LL....like from the start in '82 until today....that would be cool to look back on....
I was edged out by Jay Wagner and Chad Pederson in 87 in the 85cc intermediate class.I smoked Junior Jackson and a few other big names at Ponca City but unfortunately never did to well at Loretta,s track,which is ironically only a short distance from my home in Murray,Ky.I loved watching Curt Libbey,Mike Morris,Tommy Watts,Kenny Kizzar,Brian Gray race back then.I wish i could go back to those days.After Brett melton graduated from 60ccc to 80....he never beat me!!Not bragging but only implying that I,m going to capture some 40yr and over titles!Coming up....and I hope my swimming hole is still there.Rick henninger #631
live up to the hype makes an excellent point. Big egos can really hurt a rider, can lead to a sence of entitelment. RD is a perfect example of humility. I know it won't work that way for everyone but it makes me wonder if JS would be better off with RDs attitude.
If Windham never lost a moto and Ricky crashed his way out of more than one how is Rick #2 and Windy #4???
SCOTT SHEAK!! 1993 LL 125/250 PRO CHAMP. Follow LL next week and watch Sheak win the +35 class....
I the Vets New Englander Keith Johnson should have been mentioned.
I was there in 1984 and the baddest dude at Lorettas that year won 5 of 6 motos he raced in and only lost that one when his chain fell off...his name is TOMMY WATTS, and he lives Kentucky..check the records. Team Green
Mike Alessi wins more championships( 11 ) then ricky carmichael ( 9 ) and kevin windham (8) and gets rated 8th on the all time list ? saying that mikes 11 titles in 9 years is only average ARE YOU KIDDING ? fact is Mike Alessi won championship titles in 6 consecutive years 1999 to 2004 (six streight years ) that is more impressive then any of the above metioned riders !
Mike Alessi wins more championships( 11 ) then ricky carmichael ( 9 ) and kevin windham (8) and gets rated 8th on the all time list ? saying that mikes 11 titles in 9 years is only average ARE YOU KIDDING ? fact is Mike Alessi won championship titles in 6 consecutive years 1999 to 2004 (six streight years ) that is more impressive then any of the above metioned riders !
i Miss BRANDON LAYTON #154
I tore up my knee in 1985 but man do I remember Tommy Watts. Funny, he came to Dirt Country in Blanchester OH one year and a local named Mark Safried owned him. Both guys like JoJo Keller, kinda chunky, you'd laugh at them in the pits. Very bad idea lmao. Greg Rand was the fastest kid I ever saw local, he wouldnt beat you, he'd embarass you. Kinda goes back to a highly respectable comment Johnny O'Mara made in the mid 80's. "There's fast guys everywhere you just don't hear about them" - I agree O'Show.
2damnOld2race, cool--have been to Dirt Country many times, it is a pretty cool track. Actually got to race moto all day, then Stone Temple Pilots played that night, it was a wild time, almost turned into a riot. Agree with you about some local guys, they ride those tracks so much theyknoiw them by heart, its hard to beat them there..
Sweet Mullet on the K Dub shot.
Mike Alessi wins more championships (11) then Ricky Carmichael (9) and Kevin Windham (8), and gets rated 8th on the all time list? saying that mikes 11 titles in 9 years is only average, ARE YOU KIDDING? Fact is Mike Alessi won championship titles in 6 consecutive years 1999 to 2004 (six straight years). That is more impressive then any of the above metioned riders!
#30: Where is Lowell Thomson?
Answer: He is still in Idaho the last I knew of. He raced a few years of "The 4-Stroke Nationals".
http://www.4strokenationals.com/Profiles/2002Profiles/Profiles2002_1.htm
# 84 Lowell Thomson
Bike: Yamaha YZ426F
Hometown: Post Falls, Idaho
Accomplishments: '01 AMA Western 4-Stroke National #34, '00 AMA Western 4-Stroke National #24x, 94-95 Mickey Thompson Off-Road MX Champion.
Sponsors: Done Now Graphics, Thunder 1, Jak-Bakz # Plates 4 Your Body, http://www.4strokenationals.com
Some of you people are so blind...
There is no doubt that Stewart is hands down the most amazing mini rider ever...even better than RC, i realize that is hard for some of you to swallow...
someone mentioned alessi, he won the same # of titles but took 3 more years to do it or something like that...(if its simply about titles, how about Kevin Walker? get it?)
YES RC is the GOAT and pro careers aren't being weighed here...
Some of you feel the need to take any chance you can to take a stab at Stewarts career as a pro...STFU and get over it...he is the 3rd best rider EVER in this sport according to the numbers...only behind RC and MC...
sx counts and so does mx...both are part of this sport...
bottom line, this list is dead on...deal with it...
The best mini rider ever wae not on the list John Kitch
@half316- You act as if its OK for you to give your opinion, but not someone else to give thiers unless they agree with you. It is all just opinions, so you need to get over it. Not all opinions will be the same, and everyone is entitled to thiers, and sadly so are you..Or maybe YOU can STFU!!
And hate to break the news for you, but Stewie is nowhere near the 3rd best rider in our sport, not even close. there are a ton of riders with more titles than Stewie, Chad Reed has the same number of titles on the big bikes. Rick Johnson, Jeff Ward, Bob Hannah, the Man Roger Decoster, just to name a few, have more titles than your boy Stewie, you need to do some homework before you spout off. Reed is tied with Stewie, with the exact same titles, as much as you hate to see that. 1 National title, 2 Supercross titles..
And then there are guys like Doug Henry and John Dowd. Two guys from the Northeast who never raced the amateur events. You couldn't get a factory ride today without proving yourself as a amateur first.
Kevin Windham got a lot more attention coming up than RC. Everyone thought KW was the next great thing. I was telling people to watch RC because when he was on he was like you never seen before fast. I tried to tell them....
Jeff Stanton--Supercross 3; Motocross-3; Ricky Johnson-Supercross-2 Motocross-5 (500 class-250 class) Jeff Ward-Supercross-2; Motocross-4; Bob Hannah-Supercross-3; Motocross-2;
All of these guys have better "NUmbers" as you want to call them half316, these are Pro Numbers, the REAL Numbers-Championships SO YOU GET OVER IT..
Tommy Watts was incredible in 1984. Super smooth with a style I have tried to emulate for nearly 30 years.
It's too bad that James Stewart couldn't stay on the straight and narrow and role model he once WAS. Those FELONIES he committed on the highways of Florida was the end of this pin headed & inflated ego boob. And LECHIEN? The fans close to our sport will ALWAYS remember what you were about. Would never consider coming within a country mile of the product you tout a-hole. Yeah, it was YEARS ago. But the danger you put us in was obscene.
1. RC 2. Alessi 3. Bubba 4. "The Beast" 5. Windham
Stewart was the most talented, but RC and Alessi were more dominant champs! "The Beast" would kick all their butts.
halfe316，
One reason it is so hard to " swallow" lil'Stew being the number 1 LL rider of all time is all the the affirmative action inspired hype that has surrounded his pro career.
And only somebody that has no knowledge of the MX would claim lil'Stew is the 3rd greatest ever. lil'Stew wins came at the period (2007 post GOAT to 2009) when MX/SX was at it weakest in terms of the level of competition. How many past or future champions has lil'Stew ever won a title against? Reed? And how many points did he beat a healthy Reed in 2009, 4. Does any of this really indicate that lil'Stew is the 3rd greatest of ever?
If the GOAT had not retired, lil'Stew would likely have less then half his current win total. And given lil'Stew very predictable behavior riding beyond his ability when confronted with top level talent, lil'Stew would have crashed a lot more, been injured more, missed more races, resulting in him with even less wins.
Swallow that.
Of course, lil'Stew will have another chance prove all the "haters" wrong, but that seems doubtful. If and when lil'Stew returns, we will have a chance to see how he compares against RD, RV, TC, and CR. If any or all these riders beat lil'Stew regularly, are they all the 3rd greatest ever? Or will it be the fault of the bike, tires, tracks, or the haters?
Reed being an aussie has nothing to do with it, Townley rode Lorettas from age 13 with good results, you dont have to be from the US, we have Courtney Duncan No8 racing against the boys this weekend!!!!! remember that name. She got a couple top tens at Ponca. Go NZ! oh and Dungey.
Great list, but. yeah....where are all of the Pa riders?.........Must be going to be a different articale all together.......list the 10 ten Pa riders of all-time. Let's do it Racer X
kdub has a badass bike stand! Way cheaper than most today!
All of these riders were incredible at LL. However one name that was overlooked....who won several titles on 80's and big bikes is Steve Childress from West Virginia. He won titles over the likes of Bradshaw and Emig in the mid to late 1980's.
DC, best of the Vets? If the the race is Truly The Lorretta Lynn Amateur National, then why do former Pros, Foley, Dubach and Emig race there?
Picture a rider who loved the sport as a kid but his parents wouldn't support them having a motorcyle, due to financial and safety reasons. That guy grows up, goes to college, gets a degree then gets a good paying job. Along the way he bought a used beater and finally got his dream and started to ride and even race. Throughout the years he's made lifelong friendships with his riding buddies, even seem some pass away.
Today he's in his 30 or 40's or 50's, maybe a son or daughter goes riding with him, maybe a few kids or the whole family. Dad's developed some skills over the years and usually can run up front of his local tracks vet classes. Dad finally decides to go for it and signs for the nearest LL qualifyer. "Wow", he finished 5th! Now on to the regional!
It all comes to a screeching halt. Dad lined up on a 30 man gate in the plus 50 class and finished a respectable 10th. Not bad, but your only going to fill half a gate in that class so Pops needed 3rd or better. However lined up with him were12 former pro license carrying AMA members who still love to race too. At the race probably the top 10 riders have raced pro sometime in their lives. Look at Doug Dubach he touts his LL's wins ! But really isn;t he the trye meaning of a "Cherry Picker?' Do us all a favor and at least drop the "amateur" from the title of the race!
I love that the former pros come back to Loretta's after the sun has set on their careers. However, their place is in a Vet A class for former pros. It is NOT in the age classes riding against other vets who have never even held a pro license, let alone been a factory rider.
no love for larry "big bird" ward.
白龙 wrote: "lil'Stew wins came at the period (2007 post GOAT to 2009) when MX/SX was at it weakest in terms of the level of competition...If the GOAT had not retired, lil'Stew would likely have less then half his current win total."
Just in motocross, though. His Supercross numbers would likely remain intact, for the most part, had Ricky not retired.
Apparently James once said he would've beaten Carmichael outdoors in '08, but of course that's a cheap and stupid thing to say when Ricky's not around to defend himself. Anything's possible, as they say...but not that.
fastest minibike racers of my day.....Swink.Antunez...Reynard..kdub..yogi..Dement.Decker..RC.Bogard..and a fast kid named Clint Latham from Texas.. and will give a nod to Andy Bowyer for his 60cc title in 89.. and a few more fast guys name....Ping...Degan..Walters..Wey..Skaggs..Sellards..Tony Haynes #259
whoever put this list together had to be out of his/her mind.
anybody remember billy fosnock
oh yeah back in 89 my dad (billy fosnock) beat mike brown here for the 250 a stock championship