Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126073
x o U III Z Z w o ~y Jody Weisel The Europeans invented motocross. motocross fashion . motocross styles and motocross stars. For "eight y!ars they have been rubbing the neophyte teenage American motocrossers noses in the dirt on din bikes, but now the times have changed. The MX boot is on the other foot. The Americans have taken the spon out of the quaint village countrysides, off of the back road hilltops. away from it's limiting rural aspect and into the big-time glamour of the city. Americans have made motocross payoff in a big way; combining 'Japanese technology, youthful exuberance and American know -how into a totally new sport initself - Stadium MotoeroIlI. And it is in the stadiums that the Americans have shined on the European supermen for the past five years . It is in the stadiums that more people have seen motocross in American than in all the great outdoors. it is in the stadiums that the big money flows, and it is in the Stadiums that motocross will find its popularity with that vast buns-in-a-seat beercan-in-the-hand American fan . "This. year we have Ken t Howerton as 500 Champ and now J im my Carter as President. !'J im Weinert 1976 Super Series Champ ion . In 1975 a nineteen year old Pennsylvanian with the hottest U.S. winning streak in Trans-AMA history came into the American Motocross Finals and in front of a pa cked stadium demolished his opposition in three straight motos , There were men as fast as Tony DiStefano that night , there were men stronger than Tony D on the track under the big arch and there were men with more desire to win sitting on the Anaheim starting gate, but there was no one who was able to put th e speed. strength and desire together as well as the D. Motocross has two essentially -hea rt -wrenching moments the explosive power of 40 bucking rzin headlon into a comer wide (Paid Advertisement) Now you're th inking "T hese guys are fast , but they're not fast enough to touch two-time ?50 Champion Tony DiStefano, two- time 125 Champion Many Smith. two-time 500 Champion Jim Weinert or Kent Howerton, Brad Lackey. Gary Semics, and Pierre Karsmakers ." But this is a whole new ballgame and what pays off in Anaheim Stadium will be 'sheer speed. The top 80 riders in the nation will be divided into four groups of 20 . These four groups will go fo r it iri a series of exciting ba lls-to-the-walls heats with the top five in each moto qualifying for the final motocross race of the evening and of the season. enough for only one man and the drive to the finish The riders who finish in places six through 15 in the line with all its inherent handlebar-rattling and do-or- • qualifying motos will divide into another set of. die emotion. Motocross' supreme moment is a dead- . protagonists and go for it again and again in semi heat stan that carries itself out to a dead-heat finish. motos. The top two finishers in each of these motos This eye lash away type of race is so intense that will advance to the American Motocross Finals. The popcorn sellers stop selling, beer drinkers stand slacklosers will go into a trophy dash and then the climax of jawed, mechanics go hoarse from yelling. your wife the evening, and for the riders the climax of a,42 race stops complaining, the kid gets out of your wallet and season. will be the final moto with all the marbles on it is so quiet you can hear the snap.of the cloth in the the line . checkered flag . The American Motocross Finals this year are going to try and bring that kind of excitement to the spectators by initiating a totally new motocross format. Instead of three motos (with only three starts and three finishes) there will be nine motos ;ith only the cream of the crop advancing on . Time after time America's 80 best motorcycle racers will charge the first tum. time after time the gate will drop to release the pent-up fury of a season. and time after time you will be able to root for your favorites . This is American motocross and here is how it works . Instead of limiting entry to only 40 riders. or The new stadium format of heats leading up to the watering down the field with a Suppon class, every final rnoto will offer the spectator more motocross qualified rider in the country will get his shot at the racing than he could see outdoors all year. The over $25,000 in prizes and contingencies. The big complete track will be visible from the stands. a super names will be there with their heavy factory sponsored new augmented sound system will keep everyone artillery, but so will the darkljorse privateer riders. informed and d ie track will be the same exciting one And under this format a nobody could leave Anaheim that was hailed as the best stadium track ever last year. Stadium with a name and a reputation. Darkhorse Next season the multi-hundred thousand dollar Superriders like Pat Richter, the Superbowl Support class Series of Motocross will utilize this same innovative winner; Jeff Jennings , youngest member of Team format. Suzuki; Chuck Sun, Husky privateer; John Savitski, Anaheim Stadium will be the showcase of the Rich Eierstedt. Canadian 250 /500 ,Cham pion Jim motocross of the future . It is a race worth seeing Turner; Texas sensation Steve Wise or any of a because it is a race of history ; the beginnings of a number of less publicized names . whole new spon in itself. • - "I- want to show everyone that A mericans are better riders. " Kent Howerton, . 1976 500 National Champ ion: "I would like to style, but] guess I'll have to do my styling at the bank " To ny l)iStefano, 1975 American Mo tocross Finals winn er