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/1476305
IN THE WIND P28 Unadilla MX Founder Passes W ard Robinson was one of the founding fathers of American motocross. From his early days of owning a motor- cycle dealership in the 1960s and sponsoring riders to com- pete in the relatively new sport, to building one of the most famous motocross tracks in the world–Unadilla MX in New Ber- lin, New York–Robinson's vision and dedication to the sport was immeasurable in both its early growth and continued success in the decades that followed. With his wife, Peg, at his side, Ward Robinson became a pillar of the motocross world, hosting some of the biggest and most impor- tant national and international events in the sport's history. Peg passed on September 2, 2014; Ward passed on Monday morn- ing, August 8, 2022, after a long illness. He was 85 years old. It's somehow fitting that Ward Robinson would pass on the eve of the 2022 Unadilla National, the biggest event at the track he first began running more than half a century ago. After opening in 1969, Unadilla Valley Sports Center, nestled in the rolling hills of scenic Central New York, began hosting AMA- sanctioned motocross races in 1970 and quickly grew to the point where it became synony- mous with the sport of moto- cross. In 1970 Unadilla hosted a Trans-AMA event, which was part of the first AMA-sanctioned motocross tour in America. Two years later, in 1972, it hosted an Inter-Am event that was included in the very first AMA Pro Moto- cross Championship Series. In 1978 Unadilla hosted the first U.S. 250cc Grand Prix as part of the FIM World Championship Series, won by California's Marty Tripes. Then, in 1987, Robinson's facility became the first U.S. track to host the prestigious FIM Motocross of Nations, which was won by Team USA's Rick John- son, Jeff Ward and Bob "Hur- ricane" Hannah, and managed by international racing legend Roger DeCoster. It was Hannah and DeCoster, back in his own days of racing, who really put Unadilla on the global motocross map in the 1970's. Their annual Trans-AMA battles embodied the rivalry between the European masters and the aspiring young Ameri- cans, as the highly respected DeCoster was a five-time 500cc World Champion from Belgium, while the brash California upstart Hannah was the vanguard for the rapidly improving Americans. Unadilla fans embraced both of these great champions and the two rivals responded by put- ting on their most epic duels at Ward Robinson's track, which Ward Robinson, the found of the Unadilla Valley Sports Center, passed away at the age of 85.