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/126276
• • - - . . .. lI\ 'j ., Ao - - • - - - .... - .... - .. . 0.' • ' .~ ." ~ - -. ...• ·Let a. subscr.ip~ioil lill in'the gaps... Gavin Trippe 'By Dave Hawkins In a recent interview, Brad Lackey said, "Those guys ITrippe-Coxl are the only promoters that I've ever raced for who treat the rider right. They are good guys." Praisefrom a rider for a promoter is unusual. . Gavin Trippe started in Europe as a motocross enthusiast on a Gold Star. While convalescing from a foot injury suffered while rnotocrossinq. he was faced with the problem of making a living . So Gavin started to phone in European racing results to a motorcycle publication and started traveling the circuit with a friend. He borrowed a camera that someone preset for him and the photos came out alright, 'so he decided to buy a camera and a career in journalism opened up for him. In 1964, Gavin covered all the motocross Grands Prix. That was the year fellow Englishman Jeff Smith captured the SOOcc World Championship and Gavin was the only person with adequate coverage of Smith's feat.. One of the'highlights '(7) of Gavin's career was when he was able to test the new, revolutionary prototype BSA Victor motocrosser for England's Motorcycle Ne ws. The bike had a reversed shift pattern and as Gavin led Jeff Smith, he went to downshift for the downhill on the track , hit a 'higher gear and beat the World Champ down the hill until fate caught up w ith him at the bottom. While Gavin was at Motorcycle N ews he met Bruce Cox, the .other half of TrippeCox Associates. " With a dream of riches across the waters the duo came to America to 'start a weekly motorcycle paper. At their firstlocation in Paramount they did everything themselves from race report ing to setting type. The offices were so plush that the reproduction camera was upstairs in a dress shop . One of the first things Gavin did was to sponsor Rod Gould on a 250. That same year Don Emde, on a 350 Yamaha sponsored bvTrippe-Cox, won the Daytona road race. , After J.e. Agajanian sold out his interest in Ascot Park the new owners asked Gavin and Bruce if they would like to promote Ascot events. The, two had never before promoted an event but said why not give it a try? After the first year they ' lost $10,000 which wasn't too bad because they didn't have the 'money anyway. While at Ascot Trippe-Cox introduced Friday night racing, and arranged for the first AMA National to be held at Ascot. After 'Aggie' bought back into Ascot Trippe-Cox were out as promoters. : _ It was after this that Gavin and Bruce introduced the AMA to motocross. Bruce made a trip to Ohio and outlined on the blackboard at the AMA headquarters exactly how motocross worked. It was then that manufacturers like BSA and Suzuki brought over their European stars and put on a series of riding exhibitions. It was the idea of Bruce Cox and Gavin Trippe to combined the two separate efforts and organize the lnter-AMA. "We thought it was going to be fat..city . W.e even had the profits spent before 'the race ... W ell, the tota l attendance was 2,000. We too k in a tota l of $10,000 and spent $13,000." Although they took a dollar loss they figured that motoc ross wou ld take 'off in the U.S. Ju st thi s year Trippe-Cox paid off their last law suit from their first event . ' The U.S.GP is the only real motocross event with World Championship points still running in Southern California. Next year's t entative F.I.M . schedule excluded the SOOcc Carlsbad round, but the final decision on that will be made by the F.I.M. in Octob er. Trippe-Cox are fightin g to keep International motocr oss alive in 'Southern California. On September 9, 10, and 11 Trippe-Cox is promoting the first World Championship Formula 750 race in the U.S. to be held at Laguna Seca. I People like Bruce Cox, Gavin Trippe and associate Gerard McCaffery help the sport of motorcycling quite a bit. With unsolicit ed praise from riders and great shows for spectators, you have had an Up-Close look at Gavin Trip pe. ., Name (Please print legibly) Address City State ' ZIP J Please fill in your complete acco unt number and card exp iration.date below: • I I I I I I I I I' I II I I I' ~l.ll.-.lI' The Issue' of the card ldp.ntl- 'l~m I it'd on tru e is author ized 10 pay th e amount sho w n ItS TOT AL upon Card expires Signature ~ D Bte of this order ->- pt' O OP.f Pj.eSen lB orormee 10 pdv such TOTAL Uo g':'ther WIth any otner char gp. d ut! ~ h ,.rPOn. s scbrect to ana In eccoerta ece T 0 1l. 1 0 1 ~~h u~~~:~~~'=~ .gOVernln9 29