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Osteen MX-------- THE FIRST AMERICAN By john Huetter With the talent and training gap between the American and European motocross riders getting smaller every year to a point where the distinction has about disappeared, there is increasing interest by almost everyone in the history of Americans in International competition. Specifically, who was the first American rider to beat the Europeans? There is no simple answer to that. Then:. are a lot of first time this, or that or the other things in the Yanks vs. Furriners battle. The best we can tell, the history of significant events and American t'firsts goes something as follows. (I'm sure there will be corrections, argumen ts, and discussions abou t this chronologue of happenings and, to some extent, that's what we're trying to produce: accurate information about ,Americans ic International motocross competition. If you have some accurate data, let us know.) As far as anybody can tell or remember, it really started with Bud Ekins, who actually won a Grand Prix point by finishing lOth on an Ariel in 1958 in Europe. No American has done that since. There is strong argument to the effect that he was the first US of A type to "beat the Europeans", .a phrase which can have many meanings, as I found out trying to get the information for this rundown. The next big event seemed to be in / the Spring of 1965 when Keith. Mashburn won the 125 class at Castaic in an ~CA·FlM sanctioned event. This U More Motocross on P, 41 was an International race but die 125 is not an internationally FlM-recognized class (though it probably will be next season or the one after), and there is some question about the FlM sanction. In 1969, Gary Bailey was .astride a Greeves when he won the 250 class at the Firecracker MX at SaddJeback, beating Arne Kring on time. Both won one moto, but Gary did it fastest. This was not an FiM or AMA-sanctioned international MX or series, but did have some important European riders in it. Bailey did the trick on the Fourth of july. Two years later and several thousand miles away, another American celebrated the Fourth by winning a motocross. Bryan Kenney won an international meeting in France in 1971 with 2-3-6 finishes, which was better than anybody else did overall that day. It was not., as has been sometimes stated, the French Grand Prix that he won. It was one of the best performances ever by the AMXT captain and, by all accounts, those international events in France are tough. N ow this year, the AMA·FIM sanctioned Inter-AMA series of six motocrosses with former World and European National Champions in attendance, i.e., just about everybody. with a ride who wasn't campaigning the Grands Prix was there one way or By Christopher Ostlind POMONA, CAL., August 6, 1972 - Did you ever get the feeling that the day got up on the wrong side of the bed? I'm sure Rex Staten has that feeling after the incredible hassle that he had to contend with on his way to victory in the 250 Senior division at Osteen Park today. Things looked good as Staten hauled his potent CZ to the track and took his practice laps but the gremlin struck and zapped his gas tank with a big leak and it was time for the quick shuffle home for the other tank so the day wouldn't be lost. While trucking down the freeway his brand new van suddenly started making all sorts of weird noises and a quick check of the underside revealed that the bottom radiator hose had fallen off and he had lost most of his coolant. After some phone calls and some scrambling around he finally got back to the track with another tank only to find out that his dad had fixed the original item and had the thing ready to go. 10to number one jumped off the line to find Staten take an early lead wi th hot competition from Richard Eirstedt on an equally fast Maico. Down went Staten in the middle of the dicing and got up only to find himself in last place with about 18 or 19 minutes to go. Riding like a man possessed he picked off two and three riders on each trip around and when the end of the moto (Please turn to pg. 41) g- < '" ~ w Z W ..J U >U NEW MUFFLER/SPARK ARRESTOR FROM WSD INTRODUCING the amazing new muffler that doesn't lose power in low, mid or top range (Oyno charts available on request) XDUSOR is a new, aerodynamically designed exhaust silencer and spark arrestor. This imaginati.ve approach to muffling and tuning increases the power output, throttle response and RPM range. Both com· pact (5" x 2") and light (17 oz.), XDUSOR enables the motorcyclist to keep his exhaust system inside the rear rim as required by AMA rules. another. In the first one at Boise, Idaho Gary jones won overall with a clean three moto sweep to stun everyone. 1t was the first time an American had won overall at an FL1\II·sanctioned in ternational event in one of the GP classes. Who was first Yank to beat the Europeans? Take your pick. There are a lot of "firsts" listed above and probably some more that 1 don't know about. The question has become largely academic and is one for the hair-splitters. What has been established is that Americans are demonstrating the capability to beat very good European riders in motocross. Not the riders of World Championship caliber, not yet. To quote Mark Blackwell, currently riding the GP circuit, maybe three years." That's probably the only thing that will settle the question and relieve both Americans and Europeans of inferiority, superiority and other competition-bred complexes: an American World Champion. That is "beating the Europeans"_ The term doesn't have real meaning unt41 that day. 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