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/128333
Number One and Only n what may sta nd as the greatest achievement by an American in World Championsh ip motocross history, the coronation of Brad Lackey as 500cc World Motocross Champion in 1982 marked the first time that an American had ever won an FIM World Cham pionship MX title . Nobody knew it at the time, but it would also be the last, at least in the 500cc class, a division recognized as the absolute pinnacle of the sport back then . In hindsight it is on ly fining that Lackey, a natural- born 500cc rider, who had sacrificed so much du ring a 10-year, rollercoaster GP career year to earn his first champ ionship since he became the inaugural AMA 500cc Natio nal MX Champ ion in 1972, be the flrst World MX Champion from America. It all came down to the final Grand Prix of the seaso n, at En e lbruck, Luxembourg, on August 8, 1982. After yea", of t rying aboard Kawasakis, then Husqvarnas, then Ho ndas and back to Kawasaki, Lackey would spend 198 1 develop ing his factory Suzuki into a win ner. He finished a frustrat ing sixth that season, but in 1982 , with Suzuki loo king fo r its first 500cc World crown since Roger DeCoster won his final title with the brand in 1976, Lackey and Suzuki teammate Andre Vromans headed to Enel bruck with a mere four marks se parating them in a nail-biter of a title race. After a glorious win at the British Grand Prix two rounds before , Lackey finished a disappointing third overall at the penulti - I mate ro und in Belgium. Vromans won the race. Before Belgium, Lackey led Vromans in the points standings, 186-175. Heading into Ettelbruck, Lackey barely hung on , 206-202 . And there was more to think about than just going out and pinning it to win it in Luxe mbo urg. Lackey knew that the Belgian-bo rn Vromans would have an army of rabid fans lining the track , and thus Lackey would have to devise a race strategy that involved exact timing should he find himself in a close battle with Vro mans. Having an overzealous fan lay down on the track in fro nt of Lackey, or w orse, smash him with o ne fore ign object o r anot her, cou ld ruin his chances . Tha t stra tegy played out to perfect ion in the first moto, as Sweden's Hakan Carlqvist, Vro mans and Lackey were run ning in the top three late in the race . Lackey was over six secon ds beh ind Vrom ans w ith just a few laps remaining but t hen quickly ate into t hat lead and exec uted a pe rfect last-lap pass to finish second, with Vro mans fi nishing third, right behind him. "I know that he [Vromans] gets tired at the en d of the mo tos ," Lackey told Cycle News re po rter He nny Ray Abrams after the rnoto that day. ''All year long I've been able to catch him at the end of the race , and I'm co nfident that I can ride a race like that. If Vromans is in the lead, the spectators leave me alone . Then when I pass him, it's too late to pick up anything to throw." Lackey woul dn't have to worry as much in moto tw o , as fate dealt Vromans a crue l blow. After pulling the ho leshot, the Belgianflew up the first hill alone - all alone - as the rest of the field turned at the base of the obstacle, which was not used immediately off the start but rather picked up on the first lap. He re -joined the race in 17th place . Lackey would go on to finish a solid third , behind Carlqvist and Italian rider Franco Picco and end up second overall to claim the title by I I points over Vromans , w ho worked his way back to sixth in moto two, 228-217. "I started racing to win this for me ," Lackey said after the race. " Now I can live with myself." But Lackey wou ld not defend his title . Unable to co me to te rms with Suzuki and witho ut anothe r suitable offer worth his w hile, he retired and moved on to oth e r en deavors. In 2002 , 20 years after Lackey's victo ry, the FIM scrapped the class and made t he more pop ular 250cc class the to p of the heap in World Cham pio nship MX. With no other American s winning the tit le between Lackey and final titleho lder Stefan Everts , Lackey remains not just the first American SOOcc World MX Cham pion, but the only one . Nowadays Lackey is act ive in the vintage motocross world, riding CZs at events around the globe . You can find out more about Lackey by checking out his website , www.bradlackey.com. Scott Rousseau 3U YEARS AliU••. July 23, 1974 World motocro ss contender Heikkl Mikkola appeared on the cove r. The issue covered the 1974 USGP at the famous Carlsbad Motocross tra ck. Today the track is facing possible closure, as it might be closed for good in a few short months... There was a test o n the Kawasaki KX45 0 motocross bike . At the time th is bike was hightec h. And at 220 pou nds it was the lightest Open -class motocross bike that was made ... Yamaha's Mot ob ike was also tested in this issue. It was a new BMX bike t hat Yamaha was making and featured front and rear suspension. Visually it looked to be a vast improveme nt over the popular Schwinns of the time. 2U YEARS AliU.• • July 25, 1984 :ill ', :i 'lJli:jj fileThere was a pro_. o n dirt track star - - - - . --- Ricky Graham. He appeared on the cover sliding his Honda around a turn ... Round I I of the 1984 Supercross series took place in Buffalo, New York. Johnny O'Mara won the event ahead of David Bailey and Ron Lechien... In the Locals section Goat Breker swept both the 125 and 2S0 Pro classes at DeAnza Cycle Park. Today Breker owns the success ful Goat Eyewear com pany... Terry Cunningham got his first win of the season at the seventh round of the National Enduro ser ies in Athens , O hio. Mike Melton got second that day and with it too k the points lead. IU YEARS AliU... July 2U. 19!14 '0: The cover of issue 28 featured a dual sport tr ip in Hawai i. It was put on by Two-Wheels Dual Sport Adventures and was held on the island of ...__1iO:::.......1 Kauai... There was an inte rview with Italianoff-ro ad racer Davide Tro lli. He was a successful racer in Europe and came over to America for a pe riod of time to try to make a name for himself... Round eight of the World Champio nship Road Race se ries took place in Mugello, Italy. Honda rider Michae l Doohan won it ahead of Luca Cadalora and Kevin Schwa ntz. 94 JULY 21 , 2004 • CYCLE NEWS 40th Anniversary