Last week right here on Racer X Online, we ran a list of riders who went 1-DNF in the 125/250MX classes, inspired by Michael Mosiman’s exact score at Hangtown. You can read that HERE.
Well, it’s an off week so take a look at the same list of riders who have pulled off that same feat but this time in the 250/450MX classes. It’s something I know all too well (on a personal level), as you’ll read here.
Thanks to Clinton Fowler for the help with this list. And away we go!
1972 Rd 9 Straddle Line Park Gary Jones 1-DNF
1973 Rd 2 Cherokee MX Park Gary Jones 1-DNF
1974 Rd 12 Motocross West Gary Jones 1-20
Jones had wrapped up his third 250MX title earlier on the Can-Am and won the first moto start to finish. In these days, you really had to ride the bikes, at times, pretty easy or they would break and in New Orleans on this day, two flat tires struck Jones in the last moto of the year and he called it a day. Jones also completed the trifecta with a third 1-DNF in three years! That’s hard to do.
1975 Rd 16 Omaha Moto Park Pierre Karsmakers 1-DNF
Looking at the Cycle News archives for this race and yes, it recounts how Pierre won the first moto but there’s absolutely nothing in the race report to tell us what happened to the Honda rider in moto two. Anyone who was there, please feel free to comment below.
1978 Rd 6 Lake Whiney Marty Tripes 1-DNF
Tripes won moto one in another of his out-of-nowhere wins he would get against the very best in the sport back in the day. When Tripes was on, he was on and there weren’t a lot other guys who could go with him. Second moto Marty had rear brake issues and couldn’t finish.
1983 Rd 3 Gatorback Scott Burnworth 1-DNF
Burnworth, riding for factory Suzuki, took his first and only moto win with a last lap pass on Kenny Keylon when Keylon’s chain fell off. In the second moto Burnworth hit a fence and injured his finger, which took him out of moto two.
1983 Rd 9 Washougal Bob Hannah 1-DNF
The Hurricane was the man in 1983, his first on Honda, but injuries struck him down in both SX and MX. On this day in Washougal, he was the fastest man in the 250MX class. He blitzed to an easy win in the first moto and was gone out front in moto two when late in the moto his chain came off his works RC250.
1984 Rd 9 Washougal Bob Hannah 1-DNF
The Hurricane warning was cancelled again the next year at the same race for Bob. Hannah had again won the first moto and was again leading the next moto when he succumbed to a flat tire! You can’t make this stuff up, people.
1984 Rd 12 Gatorback Rick Johnson 1-20
Johnson had taken his production based YZ250 to the series-opening moto win with a strong ride against the factory Hondas and Kawasakis. The next time out he grabbed the lead early and looked to go 1-1 on the day but soon afterwards his shock broke and he lost all his dampening, leading to the DNF. Side note, this was also the day Johnson wore Life’s a Beach shorts over his Sinisalo pants. His team manager, Kenny Clark, told him he could if he won the first moto!
1995 Rd 1 Gatorback Mike LaRocco 1-36
What a day it was for wheels at the national opener in Florida in 1995. World GP Champion Greg Albertyn broke a wheel after finishing second in the first 250 moto, Steve Lamson broke one after winning the first moto in the 125’s, and so did 250MX first moto winner Mike LaRocco! The Rock was “surprisingly upbeat” according to Cycle News while explaining the crash that happened while he was in fifth when the wheel broke. Side note: this was also Jeremy McGrath’s first ever overall national win on his Honda.
1995 Rd 9 Spring Creek Mike LaRocco 1-37
Ah LaRocco again! The defending 250MX champion had that wheel break at the opener, then broke his arm in SX, causing him to miss a few races. He was gaining momentum outdoors by the time the series hit Millville. The Rock came from the back to get his teammate Mike Kiedrowski late for the first moto win but crashed in the first turn of moto two and tore his ACL, thus ending his year.
2003 Rd 5 Budds Creek Timmy Ferry 1-DNF
Ahhh, memories! This was actually a day that I reference quite a bit as Red Dog’s mechanic that day. Maybe you’ve heard? First moto he rode great. I attribute some of this to a yelling match with teammate Chad Reed that morning after practice. Timmy was fired up! He passed Kevin Windham early in the race and took off with the moto lead. Ricky Carmichael caught him a couple of times but couldn’t find a way by and Ferry/Matthes took the moto win! Second moto he went down in the first turn, went down two or three more times and called it a day. Oh the ups and downs of motocross!
2007 Rd 8 Washougal James Stewart 1-35
Stewart looked on his way to a title-winning season when he went down late in moto two (while leading) and twisted his knee. It was bad enough that Stewart couldn’t line up for the rest of the year and created an epic race to the title that saw Grant Langston win the championship. Crazy how fast the tables can turn, right?
2009 Rd 11 Southwick Chad Reed 1-31
Reed had clinched a most unlikely 450MX title the race before (he started the year on a supercross only contract!) and won moto one on a crappy, drizzling day at The ‘Wick. Second moto he went out early with a bad crash over the finish line that knocked him a bit loopy and caused a DNF. Matt Goerke, a fill in rider for factory Yamaha, took the win. It was the only one of his career. Weege and I did a podcast with Goerke’s Yamaha Team Manager, Jim Perry, on that day HERE.
2015 Rd 3 Lakewood Eli Tomac 1-33
ET had crushed everyone at the opener going 1-1, he doubled that up the next week with another 1-1 at Glen Helen. Shoot, after his first moto win at his home race at Lakewood, he was the heavy favorite for the title. We all remember what happened next with a vicious crash coming down a hill that ruined both of Tomac’s shoulders. That would be it for the season for ET but he might’ve very easily had a fourth 450MX title.
2019 Rd 12 Ironman Marvin Musquin 1-40
An amazing ride by Musquin where he caught and passed both the 2019 450MX series champion, Eli Tomac and his main rival for second in the points in Ken Roczen. The Frenchman took the moto win but disaster would strike early in moto two when he went down and tore his ACL. That was it for Marv and he would also miss the 2020 450SX season as well.
2020 Rd 2 Loretta Lynn's Justin Barcia 1-32
A complete mudder, Barcia took the lead on his Yamaha off the start and took off for the first moto win rather easily. The New York rider wouldn’t have the same luck in moto two as numerous crashes caused him to call it a day early in the slop.
