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50 Years of Pro Motocross: 1981
Davey Coombs

Davey Coombs

50 Years of Pro Motocross 1981

April 19, 2022 10:30am
by: Davey Coombs
  • Home
  • 50 Years of Pro Motocross
  • Recapping the Full 1981 AMA Motocross Season
Carlsbad, CA Carlsbad Raceway Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship

As we get closer and closer to the start of the 2022 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, we are counting down the days by taking a look back at the last 50 years of AMA Pro Motocross, one year at time. Today we reach 1981 in our MAVTV+ 50-Day Countdown, a big year for American motocross.

First of all, Bob “Hurricane” Hannah was back in action after missing all of 1980 with a shattered leg. When he returned the Yamaha rider found that he wasn’t quite as fast as his old self. He also learned that Suzuki riders Kent Howerton and Mark Barnett were much better than they were two years earlier. First came AMA Supercross, and for the one and only time in history, a full-time 125cc rider won the AMA Supercross Championship on a 250. Barnett had supplanted Broc Glover as the top dog in the 125cc class the previous year, and then came into ’81 wanting to show that he was a force to be reckoned with on a 250 as well. Barnett won exactly half of the 12 AMA Supercross rounds, taking the title away from defending champion Mike Bell. It would be another 25 years before another Suzuki rider would win the SX crown, Ricky Carmichael in 2005.

Broc Glover on the cover of Cycle News.
Broc Glover on the cover of Cycle News.
Broc Glover in Cycle News.
Broc Glover in Cycle News.
Bob Hannah in Cycle News.
Bob Hannah in Cycle News.
High Point Raceway
High Point Raceway

Barnett was even more impressive on his 125 outdoors. The Bomber won every moto in the first seven of eight total rounds and had a real shot at the first perfect season in motocross history before breaking his arm just before the last round at Carlsbad. No matter. He was still more than a race ahead of series runner-up Johnny O’Mara of Team Honda.

Of course, Barnett did not have Broc Glover to worry about, as Yamaha had finally allowed him to move up to the big bikes full time. He rewarded them with the 500cc class championship over his teammate Mike Bell. It was the Golden Boy’s fourth AMA Pro Motocross title, the record up to that point in series history.

Mark Barnett on the cover of Motocross Action Magazine.
Mark Barnett on the cover of Motocross Action Magazine.

As for Howerton, he was also dominant in the 250 class. He would win five of the eight rounds for what would be his third AMA Pro Motocross title. Hannah won the other three rounds on his way to second overall in the final rankings. Among his wins was the dramatic Saddleback showdown that saw him and Howerton bang bars on more than one occasion in a heated battle.

Here’s some of Gary Bailey’s footage from the 1981 High Point National:

1981 125 Class Points Finish

Motocross

125MX Standings - 1981

PositionRider Hometown Points
1Mark Barnett Mark Barnett Bridgeview, IL United States350
2Johnny O'Mara Johnny O'Mara Van Nuys, CA United States284
3Jeff Ward Jeff Ward Mission Viejo, CA United States280
4Jim Gibson Jim Gibson Orange, CA United States251
5Tom Benolkin Tom Benolkin Minneapolis, MN United States225
Full Standings

1981 250 Class Points Finish

Motocross

250MX Standings - 1981

PositionRider Hometown Points
1Kent Howerton Kent Howerton San Antonio, TX United States389
2Bob Hannah Bob Hannah Whittier, CA United States345
3Donnie Hansen Donnie Hansen Simi Valley, CA United States289
4Kris Bigelow Kris Bigelow Rochester, MI United States200
5Warren Reid Warren Reid Westminster, CA United States191
Full Standings

1981 500 Class Points Finish

Motocross

500MX Standings - 1981

PositionRider Hometown Points
1Broc Glover Broc Glover El Cajon, CA United States366
2Mike Bell Mike Bell Lakewood, CA United States276
3Chuck Sun Chuck Sun Sherwood, OR United States253
4Danny Laporte Danny Laporte Yucca Valley, CA United States227
5Goat Breker Goat Breker Anaheim, CA United States219
Full Standings
Mark Barnett, the 1981 125cc Class AMA Motocross champion.
Mark Barnett, the 1981 125cc Class AMA Motocross champion. Steve Griffin
Kent Howerton, the 1981 250cc Class AMA Motocross champion.
Kent Howerton, the 1981 250cc Class AMA Motocross champion.
Broc Glover, the 1981 500cc Class AMA Motocross champion.
Broc Glover, the 1981 500cc Class AMA Motocross champion.

One other thing happened in 1981 that helped define the year in American motocross, as well as its future. Just ten years after the birth of AMA Pro Motocross, as well as ten years after the first Superbowl of Motocross, an underdog Team USA lineup of Donnie Hansen, Danny Laporte, Johnny O’Mara, and Chuck Sun shocked the world by winning both the FIM Trophee des Nations, as well as the FIM Motocross des Nations. Led by team manager Roger De Coster, the young Americans put a whipping on their European rivals, marking the first time in history that the Americans had won the “Olympics of Motocross.” It was the beginning of an incredible winning streak that would reach a record-smashing 13 in a row before it finally ended in 1994.

Team USA in 1980.
Team USA in 1980.
Team USA's camp.
Team USA's camp.
Team USA's win ad in Cycle News.
Team USA's win ad in Cycle News.

And here’s more footage from 1981 and Gary Bailey, albeit the Trans-USA Series at Rio Bravo. This series would also be won by Broc Glover.

  • 50 Years of Pro Motocross: 1980 50 Years of Pro Motocross: 1980 4:55pm
  • 3 on 3: Speedways, Big Jumps, East/West 3 on 3: Speedways, Big Jumps, East/West 11:30am
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