30 Day Countdown to A1: #12 Mark Barnett
Monday, December 24, 2012 | 1:25 PM
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PrintWe’re getting close to the top ten in the Monster Energy Greatest Supercross Racers of All Time here on Racer X and this column, presented by Monster Energy, is gaining steam as we head to the Anaheim 1 season opener of supercross. Grab your drinks and snacks and get settled in, January 5 is almost here.
Number 12 on our list is Mark “The Bomber” Barnett who all-in-all captured 17 wins indoors and one title. When he hung up his boots before the 1986 season, Mark was second all-time in the supercross win list behind Bob Hannah. And Hannah himself in interview after interview always expressed that Barnett was the rider he feared most on the starting line on any given day.
Barnett won a total of 17 SX races throughout his career.
Racer X Archive photo
Just an animal on a bike, Barnett spent all of his winning years on a Suzuki except for his last year in ’85 on a Kawasaki when he captured the Atlanta supercross with a 2-2 (the year they had goofy two 12-lap motos in SX). But here’s the thing when talking about Barnett, you had to understand that even though his only title came in ’81, he had the most wins out of anyone in a three-year span but just won one title as his Suzuki broke at a couple of races and cost him any chance at more titles. The year he did win (1981), Barnett won a series-high six races to go along with his four wins in ’82 and four more in ’83.
Renowned for his fitness, Barnett was almost the complete opposite of a David Bailey or Johnny O’Mara as he got over the obstacles the best way he could and style be dammed. Mark rode a ton of laps, went through tanks and tanks of gas and in the end, won many races off of his fitness. Just 26-years old at the time of his retirement, Barnett captured a win in his very last season of racing and there aren’t too many times that a racer can say they ended their career standing on top of a podium.
All-in-all Barnett’s 17 wins, one title and two more runner-up finishes puts him at #12 on our list of best supercrossers ever.
Stay tuned tomorrow for number 11 who I really, really wanted to write about but Weege pulled rank.
Barnett won one SX title during his career.
Racer X Archive photo
#13 Kevin Windham
#14 David Bailey
#15 Ryan Dungey
#16 Mike Bell
#17 Jeff Emig
#18 Johnny O’Mara
#19 Doug Henry
#20 Jimmy Ellis
#21 Mike LaRocco
#22 Ezra Lusk
#23 Broc Glover
#24 Ron Lechien
#25 Jimmy Weinert
#26 David Vuillemin
#27 Donnie Hansen
#28 Larry Ward
#29 Mike Kiedrowski
#30 Marty Tripes
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A true Legend, of Sx ,and Mx. Back in the day when real Men rode real bikes, 2strokes 4 life braaaap!
Best 125 MX racer ever. Would take the worse lines in order to get around people and go faster.
Him, Kent howerton and Roger D are the big reasons I became a Suzuki fan and rider.
I have a picture from Atlanta SX start towards the end of his career where he is wheeling real bad and ended up getting horrible start. Nit sure what year off hand but had to be 84-85ish. He worked his way up front. Went into the pits after the race and he was just sitting by himself. I got him to sign my shirt and told him he was the best ever in my book. He seemed unhappy, but meeting him was such a big deal to me and he was still very nice to me.
The Bomber was my absolute hero during those days, I raced RM80s 1979-1981, then back to Suzuki 250s in 1984/85. I am going to barf my Christmas dinner tomorrow when I see Damon Bradshaw ranked above him! WTF!
A good ole Illinois boy that made good in motocross!
"Barney" was a true bad ass Pit Bull on a motorcycle;
I remember a race somewhere in Indiana in 75; He was still riding Honda's
As a 14 year old A rider and he lapped the field!
His Super Bowl of Motocross win at 17 years old is classic!
I still have a VHS tape of that race somewhere!
I used to love watching this guy ride. A Bull dog is a great description. Short and stalky ...... he could rail rutted corners like no man alive, nearly dragging his handle bars in every turn. With his little legs pinned right up beside the triple clamps, inside foot sticking straight forward. Perfect. And he was a "never give up" tenacious racer. Seemed like he hung it up too early. I think he mentally burnt out before he physically wore out .... unlike most.
I watched him many times over the years and I have to agree, one of the best 125 riders ever!! Whether riding motocross or supercross, Barnett was a threat to win every time he lined up. I can see why Hannah was so respectful of him, they were a lot alike. No nonsense, tough, tenacious and very fast, the big difference was Bob was more vocal than Mark.
Wow, I had no idea Barnett won so many supercrosses. I never started watching MX until 95, so some of these riders are very enjoyable to read about. I was fascinated by Barnett after watching his MX files, and he seems pretty deserving of this honor. It's hard for a newer generation rider like me to imagine a dirt bike breaking or wearing out. Barnett went thru 10 bikes a year for just practice!
I think he was the first rider from the Midwest to win championships. Even moving to Alabama instead of California was going against the grain at the time.
He and Glover had epic battles in the 125 class. Contrasting styles for sure, but both really fast. Same with his battles with Bell in SX. He, Howerton, and Schultz (who didn't make the top 30, shows how deep the talent is) were the Suzuki wrecking crew for a few years.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all................
I have some great bomber stories............... One was 1978 Houston, TX Rio Bravo MX Park - 125MX of course Mark won the race but a couple of days before J.Ward, B Myercough, M.Barnett, myself were headed back to the Hotel with my dad to all get cleaned up before dinner. We were just some guy's wearing tee shirts jeans,shorts and hats. No sponsored logo stuff factory look like todays RIDERS, and when we were in the atrium of the hotel trying to get extra towels..,some folks from the track were a little loaded and talk mx trash talk,looking for a room or a bath also. One guy was standing next to the bomber and put his arm around him like an old Foster Brooks and said hey buddy theirs this new hot shoe RACER named the Bomber { have you ever heard of the guy} ! Mark looked at him and said NO' never heard of the guy ! but noted I'm wandering what the guy may have tommorrow and was looking forward to the next day to see what all the hubub was about and wished them all well......... We all walked a way laughing and I said , should I say something to the guy.............Mark said forget it .. He didnt want the attention ! Back then all 3 were riding the Suzuki 125 .........Great race that day. My friend Warren Reid took second to Glover's 3rd...........
WOW! After David Bailey coming in at #14 on the list, I decided to pick the remaining 13 and I picked Windham and Barnett right. I've got Bayle coming in at #11. Maybe I can get 3 in a row.
Wish you guys would've ran a pic of the Bombers high flo front number plate. Ran one on my yz100 to emulate.
@ pshaw-liked your list. I'm proud to see how you ranked the Hurricane.Very diplomatic!!
Bradshaw next?
As a kid way, way back in 1983, we used to race supercross on Amateur day, usually the day of or day after a supercross. This one particular supercross was actually held in Foxboro, Mass and I was in a hotel getting an elevator to my room when lo and behold, there was Mark Barnett in the same elevator. I was star struck back then and I'll never forget it. The next day, Mark, Bailey, and Ward were on the side of the track posing with their Wrangler jeans..lol. Wrangler was a sponsor back then.
I remember my first run in with Barrnet, it was at the St Peters $10,000 Dollar Challenge.This was back in 1975 I had pulled the holeshot in my qualifier, since I was kinda of called a local guy I was filled with adrenalin. I think it was just a 6 lap race. People were giving me big lead sign so when the white flag came out I stepped it down a notch. Then a few turns later some guy goes by me his but about 4 inches above the seat his Honda seat hitting his but in the big breaking bumps. I tried to get him back at the big downhill, ya we were flying, then I think we bumped at the turn at the bottom and then he fell over in the next turn. I think his chain came off?
Well he had to go and win the 125 qualifer and also went on to win all 3 classes 125 on the Honda, 250 on a Suzy and the Open on a Maico! I think the motos were all 30mts plus one lap. Ya I thought that kid was an animal!
I remember his dad and my dad talking Barney's dad had a red bandana and a Hendrix tshirt on and my dad said his dad was a pretty good guy also!
The track was really rough that day and to ride and win all 3 classes that day was a big deal! Yes he made some pretty good money and the track had a lot of contigency prizes also!
Barnett was hard to beat on the 125 ' s . Even Hannah said it and Hannah did not have a lot of respect for very many riders. I remember the three class ride and people in the area that saw it talked about it for years.
This was also a great track . Remember in one of the Trans Ama mud races the rooster tails were 30 feet high ( hell 40 feet , I am getting old) . Not sure why it went away. Some great races there.
He was fast . 6 thirty minute motos wins back to back and now the pros whine about a 16 minute main. Whussies with a P .
@ CZrider, If you are who I think you are and you raced ST Peters then you were the first one to have long travel at the track , 2 weeks later we all had it! Ya if you remember me I was kinda fast on that downhill! Had a pretty fast Silver tank YZ125 WE had some ptretty trick bikes back then. Ya I remember the Trans AMA and De Coster endoed in the mud on the 3rd jump on the long straight, then shook it off and passed everyone but Weil on the Maico.
You won with the long trvel CZ when nobody had long travel! Is that you? Don?
localexpert - I was at both the Foxboro races, '83 & '84. I was a huge Barnett fan and was racing RM125's at the time. I was heartbroken at this SX, it was a mudder and The Bomber's chain packed full and locked up and he DNF'ed. Pretty much cost him the championship that year.