by Davey Coombs
The List: Reversals of Fortune
Thursday, May 3, 2012 | 4:20 PM
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PrintThe history of moto is lined with storied seasons where one rider or brand underwent a complete reversal of fortune, going from the dog house to the big house, from also-ran to winner, winner to also-ran. It often happens because of injury -- Bob Hannah's water-skiing accident, Ricky Johnson's broken wrist and Ryan Villopoto's busted knee all put dominant periods on the skids. But take injury out of the equation. What about the true paradigm shifts?
10.) HONDA in 1997: After winning the AMA Supercross Championship in 1988, '89, '90, '91, '92, '93, '94, '95 and '96 -- the last four by Jeremy McGrath -- Honda seemed to have the #1 plate on lockdown. But then McGrath split for a unique Suzuki deal that gave him more freedom to market himself, and that led to Honda being shut out for the next six years. What changed? Ricky Carmichael came to the fold.
9.) McGRATH in '01: And speaking of Carmichael, his arrival in 2001 as a solid SX rider turned the tide completely on Jeremy. After winning three more titles on blue, the Yamaha-McGrath went into '01 as the solid favorite for another four-peat like he did on red. But he hit a brick wall in the form of RC, who went on a 13-0 roll against the champ and everyone else to match Jeremy's all-time winning streak.
Kurt Nicoll (pictured above) helped the British end the United States winning streak at the MXoN.
DC photo
8.) TEAM USA in '94: And speaking of 13-in-a-row, Team USA was dominant in the Motocross of Nations from 1981 to '93, winning every one as well as the last four of the old Trophee des Nations race (so technically it's 17 in a row). But then the British team of Kurt Nicoll, Rob Herring and MX-Life.tv host Paul Malin upset the Yanks in Roggenburg, Switzerland, and Team USA would begin an up-and-down period of not winning two in a row until 2005-'06...
7.) TEAM USA in '05: What it took was a recommitment by not only top riders like Carmichael, Kevin Windham and then-Lites MX Champion Ivan Tedesco to take back the MXoN, it took Team USA's Roger DeCoster and assistant manager Mitch Payton to really start pushing buttons again and getting the event high up on everyone's radar. Now Team USA is on another streak -- we haven't lost since '05 -- but the sands of Lommel loom large when September comes...
6.) SUZUKI in '85: Up until 1985 the brand had won every 125cc World Championship title, using Gaston Rahier, Akira Watanabe, Harry Everts, Eric Geboers and Michele Rinaldi to run off all ten titles. But 1985 and '86 belonged to the Italian-made Cagiva brand, as first Pekka Vehkonnen and then teenaged Dutch rider Davey Strijbos took home the 125cc Grand Prix titles. Suzuki would not win again until the late American hero Donny Schmit came along in 1990.
Akira Watanabe was part of Suzuki's 10-year winning streak in the 125 GPs.
Tom Brinkman photo
5.) POURCEL today: Christophe Pourcel has been down before last year -- twice actually, both times the result of injury. But then he did not get picked up by a U.S. factory team, had a short-lived deal with MotoConcepts Yamaha early last summer, then went home to France and ended up riding for his dad's team at the end of the year. But now he's got his own new Kawasaki team, and after a lackluster start in the sand of Holland, Pourcel is going very, very fast. He finished second in Bulgaria, then won last weekend in Italy. He has completely turned his career around again, and he's going after Tony Cairoli's MX1 crown.
4.) WINDHAM in '03: Kevin Windham dropped out of site after breaking his femur in early 2002, but there was more to it than injury. He was struggling on his Suzuki and seemed in need of some kind of career/life intervention. So he took more than a year off, found himself aboard a Factory Connection Honda, and started racing again in the summer of 2003. He beat Ricky Carmichael twice that summer (no easy task, as RC was in between two undefeated seasons) and has been going fast ever since.
3.) Grant Langston in 2008: Langston added to an already long list of achievements in 2007 when he secured the outdoor championship after James Stewart was forced to pull out with a knee injury with just four races left on the schedule. Langston’s good fortune didn’t stop there; he would go on to win the U.S. Open later that year. Unfortunately, the Zulu Warrior’s run would come to an end when he developed a cancerous tumor in his eye the following season. Langston attempted to mount a comeback after overcoming his cancer, but was never able to regain the speed he once had, and ended up retiring in 2010.
James Stewart took the win at Glen Helen in 2004 on a KXF250.
Simon Cudby photo
2.) The 125: There's an exact date to the end of the beloved tiddler's reign: September 12, 2004. That's the day James Stewart showed up at the season-ending Glen Helen 125 National on a KXF250 rather than the KX125 he had used to win all but one moto up to that point, as well as the East Region SX title. Stewart dominated the field on his one-and-done 250F ride, and then moved up a class. Sadly, no 125cc motorcycle has won (or even led) a Lites SX or national since.
1.) PRO-CIRCUIT/GEICO Honda in '12: Last summer the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team came within a moto of sweeping every moto in the Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championships, They went 1-2-3 in the overall standings and won all 12 overalls. But now they are seemingly on the outside looking in at GEICO Honda's sweep on the 2012 SX Lites titles, and with Dean Wilson and Darryn Durham nursing shoulder injuries, Tyla Rattray coming back from his own injury, Blake Baggett not riding like his usual self, and Broc Tickle in the 450 class, things are not looking as perfectly green as they did last summer. GEICO, on the other hand, has Justin Barcia and Eli Tomac hitting their stride just as SX comes to a close.
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I miss the sound of a good-running 125!! Amherst Meadowlarks is running a 125 2-stroke class this year at their track for fun...went to the first race this year & it was a lot of fun!!
Iron Curtain falls
This story is missing something very historical in my opinion. European dominance over the United States in its beginning. I remember back in 1980 mid Ohio I was 16 with my dad seeing Jonny O in the Quagmire on the Mugen who was in a car wreak not to long before the race. and the fall Trans USA SERIES at Mid Ohio when the US came back from the beating of the Europeans,now that was 31 years ago it was like yesterday. I have a picture of a girl taking off her to on Hannah's box van for money in a hat and a picture of Bevo Forte enjoying a big steak sub back then.Something's always remain the same. I have about 400 photos of each of those days Trans USA always in the fall and Mid Ohio USPG always in July.
http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?racerid=311
http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/asp/museum/exhibits/mx/people.asp?id=123
I was from Canton know the track well
@Fubar117 - Wow! I grew up 20 minutes from Amherst. I used to race there all the time! Small world.
Lexington Ohio- Roger DeCoster number 111- those were the days. The pit parties were unmatched.
lol dont worry about things not looking green this sommer. Barcia, Tomac, Bogle, Haun are all great riders that im sure will do good this summer but a healthy Wilson, a healthy Durham, Rattray, and a revitalized Baggett will kick Geicos a$$ this summer. And really arent outdoor 250 titles worth twice what sx titles in the 250 class are worth nowadays anyway?
@WFO–Amen brother, I (kinda) remember all to well those pit parties at Mid Ohio. Roger DeCoster in an all white coveralls on a rain soaked track, I still have photos from that day somewhere. That track would separate the men from the boy's.
That's right down the road from me.
Not to make this thread about Bubba, but it would seem story would be in there. From multiple championships and a perfect season, to injuries, missed MX & SX seasons, and now 2 fairly poor (for JS) SX series caused largely by crashing and crashing.
I also have been to the Amherst track back in the late 80's.I used to work up there sometimes and would take my bike and hit their practice day.I remember the first time a train went flying by it scated the crap out of me.
Went to Mid Ohio in 81 USGP and Trans USA.The parties were epic,we took a U-haul full of beer and a home stereo and sleep was not allowed.
@Kawi567 - too bad all those guys will be following an orange #70 all summer
AAhh Mid-Oho. Was there for the 1st two 125GPs (75 and 76?) when Marty Smith spanked 'em. Beat the Euros and, on the full factory bike, Hannah too. Awesome. They had some amateur races and to ride the same track as the GP guys, back in that day, seemed really special.
Mid Ohio reopened around 87 for a few years,raced there a few times.it was cool to ride the GP track.
How awesome would it be to see Stewart or one of the fast guys bust out a 2stroke and give it a go. We should make this happen. With everyone hurt it would make it way more fun to watch for me.
Godd article Davey, Alway good to read your opinion and you do your reshearch.
@Mr_Mx thanks for the links! I bookbarked them.
@Elsinore Racer---I was at the 75 race it was at The Delta Ohio track. On what they called amature day I was the one that pulled the big holesot in the moto that part of the gate did not fall in the 125 class. Then did not get my same place on the gate got a bad start worked up to 5th then crashed on the last lap passin into 4th.
Welker, my new best friend. I was there and ran 125s, though I don't remember if I was running 125 A or B then. Hey, didn't they call A "semi-pro" then. That just popped in my head, not sure if that was still true in 75.
I don't remember the gate issue but maybe it was the other 125 class. I did it a couple years & remember one year it was so freakin hot that I spent as much of the day as possible in the big pond. The other year they banned the pond.
What I do remember was bike problems. Came to the line, picked a gate, and the guy next to me points at my front end. Looked down and watched the tire go flat(?!?). Another year, in practice, my CR125 stops and there is gas all over. Turned out the radial head, which came close to the petcock at rest, was hitting it (with frame flex and/or me riding the tank) and broke. Raced for Honda of Kenwood then and the team manager gave me his off his bike. Nice guy. After I put it on he stopped by and said to do well and not make him sorry. I told him he might be sorry anyway as pointed to the fin I had to break off his lovely radial head (with vice grips.... I know) to keep it from happening again.
The main thing to come out of Delta was, if I ever had had any idea of going pro, it died there. Watching what the GP guys did and then running the same track.....
How about KTM's reversal of fortune in the U.S. MX scene? They have gone from Orange-headed step children, to a force to be reckoned with.
I really am happy for GEICO (F.C.) / Honda doing so well and hope for continued success from them, they certainly deserve it. Moving away from PC support was a BIG move (but inevitible) and thankfully, it's bearing fruit right away so, there's no looking back in regret.
Also, it's not like PC losing a couple of #1 plates is going to stop their roll. A tech / mechanic or two might end up tazed but, what's a few volts / amps between employer / employee in the name of motivating the troops?
@ elsinoreRacer--yes it was hot and dry in 75, I remember Bailey winning the 250 class I dont remember if it was a Pro-am or nor either. I was jjumping these what we now were called whoops on the way inside of this corner there was no markers there and Bailey was on his Bultaco and stole my line LOL Then the next day for the pros they marked it off. As far as I know only Bailey and I useded that line, he might have saw me do it?
Welker, did they have a drop-forward gate there? It was either there or Grand-Am, Hillsboro(?) Ohio that had a couple Natls/Trans-AMAs/? and they let amateurs race. One or the other had a drop forward gate and I timed each gate drop from the sideways card with a stopwatch and it was the same EVERY time. As you gated, they lined up the next class right behind you, behind each gate, about 30ft back.
Soo, I picked an outside gate, at about 10 seconds after the 30sec card and everyone is watching the sign, I backpedaled into the second line of riders. The starter HAD been dropping at exactly 5 seconds after sideways. I figured about3 seconds to gate from where I was, so 2 seconds after the card goes sideways I launched. I will never forget how big that gate got. What an embarrassing wreck. But no, it was dropping as I got there, got about a foot of air as I am snicking 3rd gear. Holy crap! Look over at the guys I had to beat, all had lined-up on the inside and I am sure a couple thought they had the lead locked up. Most fun 3 seconds of my racing life was swooping in at Mach 9 from the outside on a roadrace line, shot across their bow at almost a right angle and was GONE. Well, for a while; a couple caught me. No one said a thing!?. So I do it again second moto but checked-up a bit (coward) and only had a decent 1st turn from way outside.
Pretty sure it was Delta, except 1st turn was a left, I otherwise remember Delta as right 1st turn.
Sorry so wordy. Love this stuff.
Delta Ohio- Glass city- downhill right first turn- night races. Fun.