by Davey Coombs
Racing on the Bayou: The New Orleans National of 1976
Tuesday, April 10, 2012 | 3:40 PM
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With the New Orleans SX this weekend, we thought it might be fun to dig out these old slides from the Dick Miller Archives from the 1976 New Orleans National at the old Moto-Cross West Cycle Park. To put it into perspective, when this race was run down on the bayou, along the banks of the Mississippi River, Kevin Windham was minus-two years old! To see the results of both the 125 and 500 Nationals that day, just click on these links to the Racer X Vault:
http://vault.racerxonline.com/1976-08-29/500MX/moto-cross-west-park
http://vault.racerxonline.com/1976-08-29/125MX/moto-cross-west-park
Kent Howerton clinched the 1976 AMA 500cc National Championship in New Orleans with a win on his Husqvarna.
The late Gaylon Mosier (23) blasts off in traffic aboard his Wheelsmith Maico.
Factory Kawasaki rider Gary Semics scored second in the 500 National and displayed a killer 'stache with his open-faced helmet.
New Jersey's Mickey Kessler rode a factory Kawasaki KX125 at Moto-Cross West but broke down in one moto.
FMF Honda rider Warren Reid (20) leads Bob Hannah in the 125 class.
Semics leads Brad Lackey (24) out of one of the off-cambers.
Not sure who this cat is but he's definitely not in a good spot... Can anyone ID him? [email protected]
http://vault.racerxonline.com/1976-08-29/500MX/moto-cross-west-park
http://vault.racerxonline.com/1976-08-29/125MX/moto-cross-west-park
Marty Smith wore #1 in the 125cc class for the last time at New Orleans '76 as Bob Hannah had already clinched the series title.
Kent Howerton clinched the 1976 AMA 500cc National Championship in New Orleans with a win on his Husqvarna.
125cc National winner Danny LaPorte leads Marty Smith down along the bayou.
The late Gaylon Mosier (23) blasts off in traffic aboard his Wheelsmith Maico.
Factory Kawasaki rider Gary Semics scored second in the 500 National and displayed a killer 'stache with his open-faced helmet.
New Jersey's Mickey Kessler rode a factory Kawasaki KX125 at Moto-Cross West but broke down in one moto.
FMF Honda rider Warren Reid (20) leads Bob Hannah in the 125 class.
Semics leads Brad Lackey (24) out of one of the off-cambers.
Not sure who this cat is but he's definitely not in a good spot... Can anyone ID him? [email protected]
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The guy in the last pic is PING.
Thank you for the excellent flashback. Great rarely seen pictures. I know it is impossible, but wouldn't it be cool to take the outdoors to some traditional (rough) old school tracks like this one? see this Alli link for a great piece on this series. Thx DC! http://www.allisports.com/motocross/feature/40-day-countdown-to-ama-motocross-opener-1976
BTW, that Mosier pic looks like a different track.
Laker23, you can see the river in the backround...
I have seen some old home video of my dad riding that track around that time. Looks like an old forward falling gate in the last pic too.
I have seen some old home video of my dad riding that track around that time. Looks like an old forward falling gate in the last pic too.
Great pics of the past, always enjoy looking at them.
Fred is that you in the last picture? lol
Check out the party going on in the VW van !!
@CZMark, yeah that was me.It was hot and I was mad cause I was getting smoked so I decided to run off the track and try to run over Steve Whitlock.
Is that one of the canals in the background? It kind of looks like a levy on the other side of it. That would be crazy if that was within the city limits.
Kent Howerton has the best form in these photos.
@HandlebarDragger- that's the official flat biller look of Riverside, he is representing! lol
Fred, too funny!
I wish motocross tracks still looked like that.
As a REAL privateer pitting out of my '65 Chevy truck, it was my goal to get into the top ten OA for the series. I had to beat John Ayers to do that and he was very fit. I was very pumped at the time to finish 8th for the day and top ten for the season! John went on to sell t-shirts. Best of all was prize money for dinner and a hotel room for a shower!
Chuck "Rising" Sun weighing in???
How freakin' cool is that!?!?!?!?
While I do agree Howerton looks good in the pic, I think Mickey Kesseler was looking pretty good on that old Kwacker too! I don't think I've ever seen a bad picture of Marty Smith......those factory Hondas were the stuff of legend.
Gotta give props to Semics for going commando behind the wheel(s) of 500's........that's just plain tough.
My family and I were at that race on the MIssissippi River. What an incredible venue. I can remember the guys launching those factory bikes off the levy bank. Marty Smith was legendary! Great memories! Thanks for the flashback.
My first brush with motocross fame was Marty Smith coming to my high school in 1976. There was a company called PDI that arranged it. They showed this short film about him and he took a few questions. He wasn't real happy about getting beat by Hannah that year.
Another brush with motocross fame was having breakfast with the Sun brothers and a privateer from Ohio (Scott Ross?), all on Husquavarnas at the time, before the 79 Trans USA race at Road Atlanta. It was at Embers or something. I hitched a ride from town to the track. The next year Sun was on the Honda and the eventual 500cc champ.
My impressions from back in the day...not wearing any face mask (just goggles) meant you were fast and bad a**...if you are leading you did not catch much if any roost.#! Semics was a great hole-shotter.
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I actually lived and grew up in the subdivision next to that track on river road. Spent "lived" alot of time on that track ridin, racin and hanging out. Really cool pics and I bet there is alot more sitin around somewhere.
In '76 I was at this race hangin in the back section between the last sand berm turn and back towards the gully. I didn't get to flagman at this one because I was to late that time but always got in for free. Got to meet most riders the days before the races since I lived within walking distance. Used to hang out with David Bailey when his dad Gary Bailey came to conduct mx school. They stayed in a camper on the track. Man, how I have tons of stories to tell about those years and the emotional effect it has till this day that I witnessed "history making" in my beloved sport.
Moved out on my own a year or so later to begin life, work etc. but till this day, I always remember the great times this track gave me all those years. I can say this is where my "mx fever" started and is still going strong.
Thanks to Davey Coombs for bringing up this piece of history.
I love these old articles n photos, best years of my life were the late 70's, I nearly hadda stroke when I logged in and seen the RM !!!!! My moto look was very simler to LaPorte's,
THE Chuck Sun?! That's awesome, Chuck. What was your number that day? I can look and see if I can find you in some of the other slides and scans. I will also pass that note on to John Ayers, pretty cool that you are both still so involved in the sport.
And I am stoked on how much everyone liked this piece; I will try to do even more here in the future.
DC
Great aricle and pics. Yes I remember those days of racing. Still have my Carrera goggles and yellow jofa. Also a bunch mmore stuff. Oh yeah also still have a pair of the Munari Norstar leather black with the yellow arrow.
BTW tha vault is great I like to check it out from time to time then end up searching stuff too long having fun. All of you need to check out "The Vault" if you have not already.
Thanks DC.
17th place finish, Charles Cooper from stillwater Ok,,, Relative/Dad of Guy cooper?
Davey, '76 was my first year on the Nationals leaving the local tracks of Oregon behind in search of fame and fortune. I rode a 360 Husqvarna I believe the number was 661? Great photos were the factory guys I looked up and wanted to be.
Davey if you are going to do some old stuff like this.. could you look up one of the talladega races back in the 80's. A buddy of mine (Mike Crane) was racing there and did a cart wheel over one of jumps and it was in the paper but I cant find it.. Thanks.. BOB
DC - - Nice pics from the '76 "Battle of New Orleans". Why not dedicate a few pages every month in the magazine for old school things like this? It would likely be your most popular segment in the mag. Chuck Sun's # for the 1976 season was 661, although I could have sworn he rode some support events in the fall 1975 Trans - AMA series too. I believe Chuck's debut on the national stage was at the 1974 Evel Knievel Snake River MX, where he tangled with John DeSoto! Go Chuck! Jim Myerson
You can just hear those bikes in your head - the snappy 2-stroke sound barely muffled - makes the adrenaline run just thinking about those abrupt power bands and raspy handling... We got it pretty good with the current rides - all quiet and controlled. Same wild eyed thrill junkie on the back though. Great walk down memory lane!
Word on the Street is...folks want to see a Special Edition Racer Vintage X issued.
What do you say DC?
Grooving to the '70's loved the read...and the shots.
Thanks Again...for all U DO.
MX West was a great track. Thanks to Davey Coombs for the flashback. I worked at that venue to about two years, through the 75 and 76 nationals. I remember meeting Tony Distefano in 74 when he was ridng a privateer CZ. He was knocking on doors in the motel the night before the 74 national asking for coat hangers...so he could use them to weld up the cracks in his CZ frame. So many memories...
Always fun looking back at the history!
Yep, nice one DC. Got a great article about my first tarns AMA race at Unadilla (as a spectator of course) if you're interested.
oops, dyslexia again, Trans AMA, but you knew that ...lol
Alright D.C.!
Now take me back to 1975 when Honda showed up a the old Hangtown track with those first works Honda two strokes. You will recognize them as they had flourescent stingers on their expansion chambers and were raced by motocross heroes.
The pictures will only be found on archaic technology known as "film"
cheers
Chuck, When ever i go to a AMA Pro race, people still asked me if i am Chuck Sun.. :) Hearing your name again brings back so many good times at Sears Point we all had..