April 30
1978
Hoping to become America's first FIM Motocross World Champion, Brad Lackey split moto wins with reigning 500cc World Champion Heikki Mikkola in France. Mikkola won the tiebreaker based on his faster combined time for the two motos. He also led Lackey by two points in the standings, 72 to 70.
And here's an ad for the 1978 Mr. Pibb AMA Pro Motocross Championship, which was racing on April 30 in Omaha, Nebraska.
1972
In Payerne, Switzerland, Finnish rider Heikki Mikkola beat the Suzuki of Roger DeCoster and the Maico of Gerrit Wolsink to win the 500cc Grand Prix. Three Americans were in the race, all on Husqvarnas: Mark Blackwell, Bob Grossi, and Billy Clements. Grossi finished best among them, 13th in the second moto. He was the last man on the same lap as leader Mikkola. Former multi-time FIM 500cc Motocross World Champion-turned-training pioneer Rolf Tibblin, who was also acting as the American riders manager in Europe, said, "It's good. I think maybe in two years, we have a world champ." He was eight years off.
Belgium's Gerard Rond rode a 125cc works Honda to the win in the Dutch round of the FIM 125cc Motocross World Championship. Japanese Suzuki rider Akira Watanabe was second both times out, with Rond's teammate Andre Massant going 4-4 for third.
1978
Seventeen-year-old rookie Mark "Bomber" Barnett took his second straight win in the AMA 125 Nationals in Omaha, Nebraska, splitting moto wins with defending champion Broc Glover and holding on to the points lead in the process. Kawasaki-mounted Gaylon Mosier was third, while two more Suzuki-mounted rookies, Jeff Ward and Danny "Magoo" Chandler, rounded out the top five.
In the 250 Class, Bob Hannah kept the hammer down to win his fourth straight AMA Motocross National. Hannah was followed by Team Honda's Jimmy Ellis and his older teammate Pierre Karsmakers.
2016
At MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, RCH Racing Suzuki rider Ken Roczen grabbed the 450SX main event win ahead of Monster Energy Kawasaki's Eli Tomac and Team HRC Honda rider Cole Seely, who round out the podium. Finishing fourth, and clinching his third career AMA Supercross Championship, was Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey.
In the 250SX East Region, Malcolm Stewart scored the win on his GEICO Honda, followed by Rockstar Husqvarna's Martin Davalos and Star Racing Yamaha's Jeremy Martin.
2011
Monster Energy Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto topped Honda-mounted Chad Reed in Salt Lake City to inch closer to what would be his first Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship. RV left Utah with a nine-point lead on the former two-time champion Reed, who was a huge surprise on the TwoTwo Motorsports Honda in 2011.
One of the things people might remember about this race is the two crashes within maybe 50 feet that James Stewart had while leading, effectively knocking him out of the race. It happens around the 7:20 mark in the footage above.
In 250SX, GEICO Honda rider Eli Tomac took the SLC win over Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen and Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Broc Tickle, who headed to Vegas holding a slim two-point lead over Tomac in West Region standings.
