by Davey Coombs
40 Day Countdown To AMA Motocross Opener: 1975
Friday, April 15, 2011 | 11:20 AM
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Welcome back to our 40-year countdown, one year for each day, as we close in on the opening round of the 2011 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship. This marks the 40th year of the vaunted motocross tour, which began in 1972. Today, Racer X Online presents 1975.
And if you missed the first three days, follow these links to 1974, 1973, and 1972.
Racer X reader Rex Backman was there and still has the ticket to prove it!
Let's start with a note from a lifelong enthusiast, Rex Backman of MX for Children:
“I have this sitting on my desk at home - my 1975 Hangtown ticket stub – and I just realized you are doing 1975 tomorrow! Feel free to use this if interested - I am loving the early years - that's when I cut my teeth on MX!”
In 1975 we saw the emergence of America's first genuine celebrity motocross racer. Marty Smith, the teenaged Honda rider from San Diego, was the darling of the sport here, using his great skills, surfer’s look, and a potent factory Honda to dominate the entire 125cc National Championship. His only loss came in the series opener at Hangtown, where mud and an inspired Tim Hart of the Yamaha factory team led to his defeat. But beyond that, Smith was perfect.
Marty Smith's popularity led to him starting his own moto company.
Smith also become the first American to win a U.S. Grand Prix, as he dominated the Valvoline 125cc Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio. That would lead to quite an adventure in '76, as you will find out tomorrow. And here is some excellent footage from the first Lake Sugar Tree National in Virginia back in 1975:
The AMA had tweaked the rules and scheduling somewhat to allow riders to compete in all three AMA National Championship series if they wanted to, though there were some overlaps. As a result, Smith's name showed up in both the 250cc and 500cc standings as well, though he did not win any races on big bikes until the Herman, Nebraska, Trans-AMA in October. The Trans-AMAs were still going strong, with Roger DeCoster on top, but Americans like Smith and now-Suzuki-backed Tony DiStefano had started grabbing race wins. Tony D. also dominated the last Inter-Am series, winning all three rounds that summer.
Former privateer Tony DiStefano emerged as a world-class racer in 1975.
DiStefano had gone from working out of his own kidnapper van on his antiquated CZ equipment to the Suzuki factory tent, and he rewarded the company by the shortened five-race AMA 250cc National MX Championship, as well as the Inter-Ams and three Trans-AMA races, finishing third in those rankings to Suzuki GP stars DeCoster and Gerrit Wolsink. But he was no match for Can-Am's Jimmy Ellis in AMA Supercross (the series now had a name—the term was coined by Motocross Action’s Paul “Baz” Boudreau and first appeared on the cover of sister publication Dirt Bike). Ellis swept every one of the four rounds of the tour. (There was also a 500cc class AMA Supercross tour, won by Maico rider Steve “Short Stack” Stackable, one of the tallest top riders of all time.) As for three-time champ Gary Jones, he tore his knee up early in the season and was never the same. He would eventually leave Can-Am to race a Mexico-built Amex, and then also experiment with his own Jones-Islo brand, but neither ever gained traction. But what Gary did before 1975 landed him in the AMA Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame.
In the 500cc class, Tony D.'s old nemesis Jimmy Weinert had switched from Kawasaki to Yamaha, and he was able to add the AMA Motocross title in this class. Weinert had to beat Stackable and Pierre Karsmakers to do it, Karsmakers having been reinstated by the AMA after they scrapped a very controversial citizenship requirement.
That's rising star Kent Howerton on the cover of the old Dirt Rider magazine.
Much of the 1975 AMA Motocross tour was documented for the very cool motocross documentary One Chance to Win". Here's a clip.
You can order the whole film via the Motocross Files.
Finally, 1975 ended in tragedy at the Trans-AMA Series, as highly respected AMA regular Jim West lost his life in a crash at the Saddleback race in Southern California. It was an end-of-the-innocence moment for the entire sport. By 1976, things would start to change, as the sport became even more professional, more competitive, and the equipment advanced rapidly. To put it another way, a Hurricane was on the horizon....
1975 250cc AMA Motocross Championship
4/6 Plymouth, CA Kent Howerton, San Antonio, TX Hus
5/4 Bruceton Mills, WV Jim Weinert, Middletown, NY Yam
5/25 New Castle, KY Kent Howerton, San Antonio, TX Hus
6/1 Herman, NE Tony DiStefano, Morrisville, PA Suz
6/15 Whitney, TX Kent Howerton, San Antonio, TX Hus
1975 250cc National Point Standings
1. Tony DiStefano, Morrisville, PA 570
2. Kent Howerton, San Antonio, TX 540
3. Bill Grossi, Santa Cruz, CA 337
4. Jim Weinert, Middletown, NY 318
5. Jim Ellis, East Hampton, CT 235
6. Mike Runyard, Hacienda Heights, CA 220
7. Steve Stackable, Austin, TX 218
8. Marty Smith, San Diego, CA 137
9. Gaylon Mosier, Garden Grove, CA 135
10. John Savitski, Atlas, PA 126
1975 500cc AMA Motocross Championship
6/8 Baldwin, KS Jim Weinert, Middletown, NY Yam
8/10 Mexico, NY Pierre Karsmakers, Holland Hon
8/17 Axton, VA Brad Lackey, Pinole, CA Hus
8/24 Ravenna, OH Bill Grossi, Santa Cruz, CA Suz
9/1 New Orleans, LA Jim Weinert, Middletown, NY Yam
1975 500cc National Point Standings
1. Jim Weinert, Middletown, NY 480
2. Steve Stackable, Austin, TX 430
3. Pierre Karsmakers, Holland 400
4. Bill Grossi, Santa Cruz, CA 359
5. Kent Howerton, San Antonio, TX 341
6. Gary Semics, Lisbon, OH 290
7. Brad Lackey, Pinole, CA 200
8. Marty Smith, San Diego, CA 180
9. Terry Clark, Lancaster, CA 83
10.Tony DiStefano, Morrisville, PA 80
Tim Hart was the only man to beat Marty Smith in the 125 class, taking a muddy win at the Hangtown opener.
Photo: Steve French
1975 125cc AMA Motocross Championship
4/6 Plymouth, CA Tim Hart, Torrance, CA Yam
6/29 Midland, MI Marty Smith, San Diego, CA Hon
7/13 Herman, NE Marty Smith, San Diego, CA Hon
7/27 Delta, OH Marty Smith, San Diego, CA Hon
8/3 Bruceton Mills, WV Marty Smith, San Diego, CA Hon
8/24 San Antonio, TX Marty Smith, San Diego, CA Hon
9/1 New Orleans, LA Marty Smith, San Diego, CA Hon
1975 125cc National Point Standings
1. Marty Smith, San Diego, CA 1000
2 Tim Hart, Torrance, CA 457
3. Dan Turner, Placerville, CA 355
4. Nils Ame Nilsson, San Diego, CA 330
5. Bruce McDougal, Orange, CA 285
6. Steve Wise, McAllen, TX 256
7. Mickey Kessler, Farmingdale, NJ 240
8. Mickey Boone, Winston-Salem, NC 226
9. Warren Reid, Westminster, CA 223
10. Tommy Croft, San Diego, CA 210
2011 MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc. All rights reserved.
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These are awesome Davey, Thanks!!
Hey I had that Dirt Rider mag ...... might still have it ..... Mr Coombs, I love these articles.
Them were the DAYS! You could sit on the seat and touch both feet to the ground!!
So I guess Jimmy Ellis is the only rider to have a perfect supercross season.Also the first and only perfect season until RC.
RUN FOR COVER, OR GET OUTTA THE WAY A HURRICANE IS COMMING!!!!!!!!!!
I noticed Tony D. wearing an orange helmet and knowing Jody W. and him were friends, I wonder if this is where the whole "orange helmet" thing originated from?
Our dad put my brother & myself in solid white & black helmets so he could tell which name to call the jughead in need of attention........I miss solid white helmets, you just don't see many decent brands in all-white anymore.
Carlsbad, while the orange lid is a trademark of MXA now, I think Tony was way ahead of that, as Jody was still a Cycle News stringer in Texas at the time of Tony D's best days ('74-'77). I think in those pre-TLD, pre-custompainted helmets, and orange lid probably passed as a style statement all by its self, especially if you were wearing solid yellow Full House gear!
Thanks for reading, we're having a ball with these.
DC
MX Sports
DC Gary Jones broke his leg at daytona supercross in march 1975. He stuck his leg in a spinning rear wheel of a fallen rider in practice.
Look at some of the states that had a race back then.
1975 was the year Marty Smith became the first rider to win the125 USGP, but that occasion also marked the first time an American went 1-1 in world championship MX. Another interesting bit of trivia: All of the first 3 American USGP winners (125, 250 & 500) were named Marty, all were the same age and all were from San Diego ( Smith, Tripes & Moates) !
Great stuff. How about Marty Smith taking a swig of soda while headed to the starting line (in the video). Some things you just don't see anymore.
Yes 1975 was one heck of a year, Motocross was big and our shop was doing good we took on a Honda dealship in the sping of 76. I finnally got my YZ monoshock when I called Donnie Emler he said no way give me the nbrs he said he had the only ones from the factory in his shop. Well I had it and blew it in the first turn at St Peters Mo Tangeled with somone got ran over, broke my shoulder and fracured my neck what a drag....... That bike was amazing I was flying in practice that day... no joking.
Also from the cover of Dirt Rider I remember the mud race there at ST Peters it was bad.
The pic of Tony D is from the Livermore Trans-AMA this year, of '75. Tony won the last three races of the series that year, Pullyalup Wsh, Livermore, and Saddleback. What was the most significant thing about this Livermore race: Roger D's bike breaking in-half over the big jump on the front straight. I was not far from this jump. Bell had a "new full-face" M-X helmet for Roger that day, and story has it, that he elected not to wear, in favor of the Open- Face he wore his whole career, up to the race. Anyother great story, also like the video's and pics that you attach to the stories as well.
WOW!!! I didn't know video like this existed!!! FANTASTIC VIEWING!!!!
Thanks!!!
Man 1975 was the year! I was racing the silver tanked Honda Elsinore, playing high school football, and loving life! Thanks for the awesome memories Davey.
Keep up the good work
Todd B
Good stories Davey, keep it up. Glad you remembered to mention Jim West. And a little off topic here but also thank you VERY much for your continued support for our privateers.
Davey,
This is great stuff. 1975 was the first year that I raced the Nationals...Delta and my home track...Appalachia Lake. Didn't qualfy at Delta due to a flat and was getting smoked at Appalachia Lake when my bike blew up...but it was still a head game stepping up to the pro class...it was the fastest that I had ever ridden on your dad's track...right up until my Bultaco became a grenade on the back section. You put tears in my eyes with this stuff man...love it all.
Great articles guys - keep em comin. Personally I cant wait til the 2006 recap, 5 days before outdoors begins. Good reading - good work !
Just when I'd given up on reading comments and posting, this series of articles comes along and renews my faith that not all of our sport's fans are uninformed, immature, uneducated, overly opinionated, etc. (aka young and dumb "dude-brahs") Everyone posting here actually writes in sentences...what a concept?! I've found "my" people and apparently they're all old like me! Thanks for these DC.
Hey Jim Adams I was at the delta OH Nat also!!!Ill tella about it?
Bell made orange helmets back then.
Jones rode an Ammex, which was a real POS, which reminds me of a friend who bartered something for an old AJS. Instead of selling it as a collector's item, which I recommended, he wanted to ride it. He was never a racer or anything, just a generic. I told him that AJS was a POS when it was brand new, that he wouldn't find parts for it, and that he should buy a Japanese MX bike if he wanted a dirt bike. He eventually tired of trying to find parts for it and bartered it for something else.
DeCoster's crash at Carnegie Cycle Park in Livermore might be why he is so against motorcycle jumps, jumping and jumpers. He probably figures they'll faceplant like he did.
I heard an interesting story from a friend who was there. When DeCoster faceplanted, the crowd rushed the track, RD was unconscious, and they took his helmet off. Well, if my memory serves me, some spectator saw DeCoster's Jofa mouth guard on the ground, and it was a new version that only he was wearing at the time, and the spectator picked it up as a souvenir. He was walking around among the spectators, somebody said, "Hey! That's DeCoster's Jofa!" The crowd got pissed and beat the guy's ass.
Does anyone have a list of the top 10 finishers at Hangtown in the 125 class in 1975? If so, could you post them or email to me?
Thanks
Steve Clark
North Bend, Wa.
I see Mickey Kessler, from Farmingdale, NJ was in the 125's. Whatever happened to him??? He use to kick everyone's butt at the local races in the Northeast. If anyone knows leave a comment!
Thanks for the reply DC, We are ALL having a ball with these articles. It bears repeating, you guys hit a home run on this bit! Ryan D, wrote "my people", that's so funny he noticed most posters spelling & sentence structure, clearly a lost art.........
I can't wait for the (early/mid) '80's stuff........my happy place.
Hey Welker, I raced at Delta Ohio in the amatuers. I remember watching Frank Lamp, Denny Bentley, and Jeff Spreeman. They were night races under the lights, Circa 1978-1979 A.D. I once did a hare scrambles there also, where you would ride the MX track for the first half lap, then go back into the woods for the second half lap. There was this six-inch diameter tree limb sticking out, and everytime you went by, it would whack you in the head pretty hard, and all the bark was worn off of it, from peoples heads hitting it all day long. I would tell myself to remember it the next time around, and watch out for it, but it still got me every single time. And you would switch riders every lap, like a relay race, that was NUTS!
They still race at Delta Oh. Was there last summer to watch. Spartan crowd and few bikes , but Barry and Art still show up every Saturday night during the season and open the gate for racing.