Local SoCal MX Legend Passes
1
970s SoCal motocross legend
"Davey" Williams lost his
battle with metastatic mela-
noma on Saturday, October 15,
2023. The Riverside, California,
native died in his sleep at his
home in Laughlin, Nevada, said
his daughter, Ruby Russell.
Williams began racing in 1971
on bikes prepared by his older
brother, Rocky, who was deaf.
Naturally gifted, he soon began
racking up wins on his Penton
in the ultra-competitive 125 Pro
class at tracks such as Co
-
rona Raceway and Saddleback
Park. It was not long before the
aftermarket powerhouse, DG
Performance Specialties, signed
Davey to join Bob Hannah and
Broc Glover on their race team
and hired Rocky to wrench for
Hannah.
Williams raced a couple of
AMA Nationals in 1975, scoring
top 10 finishes, but
factory Yamaha
hired only Hannah
for 1976, leaving
both Williams'
brothers behind.
Rocky felt betrayed
that Hannah had
not taken him
along to Yamaha (a
customary practice
at that time) but
moved on to build
a storied career
alongside fac-
tory racer Gaylon
Mosier at Maico
and Kawasaki.
Rocky passed away
in 2021.
Not much into
training, Davey
seemed satisfied to stay in So-
Cal, where every Sunday was like
a National. He forged a career
as a journeyman pro into the
1980s, winning countless CMC
races while also raising a family.
Williams was a stylish, aggres-
sive rider who relished competi-
tion and loved to talk smack.
With the advent of social media,
he was able to reconnect with
the moto community and could
usually be found at reunions and
vintage events.
Williams did not get the recog-
nition he deserved, considering
the number of races he won and
the level of competition he beat.
He won the 125 Pro class at the
Mammoth Mountain Motocross
in 1975.
R.I.P. Davey, you will be
missed.
Steve Bauer
WIND
IN THE
P40
SoCal MX legend Davey Williams
passed away at the age of 67.
Williams was a
member of the
powerhouse DG
Performance
Specialties Team in
the 1970s.
