P120
50
Years Ago
JULY 29, 1969
LOOKING BACK
We featured race coverage of Superbowl VIII at the Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum where Mark Barnett scored his first career supercross win in
front of 76,000 fans. Barnett and Mike Bell battled it out for the win…
Kenny Roberts, riding a factory Yamaha YZR500 against the 750s, was
the big winner at the AMA Grand National Championship Road Race at
Sears Point; 17-year-old Freddie Spencer cruised to victory in the 38-rider
Superbike Production class… Riders refused to race and walked out on
the Belgian Grand Prix, citing unsafe racing conditions.
40
Years Ago
JULY 25 1979
John DeSoto and Mert Lawwill shared the front page of Cycle News
50 years ago. DeSoto was back in action after being injured while racing
motocross in Europe, and Lawwill had won his third national of the year at
the Castle Rock TT… We reported that 11-time national winner Fred Nix
had passed away from injuries suffered in a crash while driving his four-
wheel buggy in Bakersfield, California. He and Bart Markel were driving in
separate buggies when Nix was involved in a head-on with another vehicle.
Fifty years ago, we told our readers
about an upcoming motorcycle film
titled Easy Rider, featuring Peter Fonda
and Dennis Hopper.
Mark Barnett scored his first career
supercross win at the L.A. Coliseum in 1979.
