American Danny "Magoo" Chandler wheelies across the finish line at the Motocross des Nations in Switzerland, for his second-in-a-row moto win.
Part 4:
The istory"of
Motocross
By Len Weed
This and future installments are excerpted from the
book, ((Motocross Techniques, T.raining & Tactics,"
by World Champion Brad Lackey and Len Weed.
The 1977 National racer Marty Smith was
u'nseated by rookie Bob Hannah in the 125cc
class, DiStefano retained his 250cc crown
and Kent Howerton won the 500cc Championship. The renamed Supercross Series saw Jimmy Weinert on top as attendance for
the Los Angeles race grew to
70,000. This made it one of the best
auended motorsports events in the
nation.
The U,S. team of Tony DiStefano,
Kent Howerton, Rex Staten and Bob
Hannah scored a fifth at the Motocross des Nations in Holland and a
sixth at the Trophee des Nations in
Switzerland.
H.eikki Mikkola moved back to the
500cc World class in 1977 and won
his second 500cc title as Moiseev took
the 250cc bonors and Rahier repeated
in the I25cc class.
.
Brad Lackey scored the first Amer-
ica win of a 500cc Grand Prix, doing
the deed in Great Britain.
In the states Broc Glover, Tony
DiStefano and Manv Smith won the
125, 250 and 500cc Championships.
The Supercross Series expanded LO a
10 race schedule and adopted the
qualifying heat format of the AMA
Grand National Championship Dirt
Track Series. Bob Hannah LOok LOp
honors winning six of the 10 events,
In 1977 the AMA used a formula LO
pick the World Motocross teams selecting the top twO finishers in the
preceding year's 250 and 500cc National classes. This excluded Jim
Pomeroy, who had finished fourth in
the 250cc World class in 1976, and
Brad Lackey, who had finished fifth
in the 500cc World class. The Ameri-
can team of Tony DiStefano, Kent
Howenon, Gary Semics and Steve
Stackable came up with a second in
France at the Motocross des Nations
and a founh in Holland at the Trophee des Nations.
Mikkola and Mosieev repeated as
1978 champions, but the 125cc class
Suzuki's Mark Barnett won the Supercross title in 1981 and three 125cc
National Championships in 1980, '81 and '82.
