A photo of Heikki Mikkola from Carlsbad was pictured on the cover
50 years ago. Gerrit Wolsink was the winner, but Mikkola maintained
his slim points lead in the 500cc MX World Championship. Roger
DeCoster was second and Mikkola third. An estimated 35,000 fans
turned out for the race... Gary Scott won the Castle Rock TT in
Washington... We tested the new Kawasaki KX450. We titled the test:
"The Torquiest Mutha in Town." It produced 38 horsepower, had 3.5
inches of rear-wheel travel and weighed 220 pounds—price: $1350.
YEARS AGO
JULY ,
P132
LOOKING BACK I
We profiled flat tracker Ricky Graham, who was pictured on the
cover 40 years ago... We reported the passing of Bill Bell, who was
the team manager for Yamaha's oŽ-road team in the late 1970s
and the father of 1980 Supercross Champion Mike Bell... Johnny
O'Mara won the BuŽalo Supercross. Honda teammates David
Bailey and Ron Lechien joined O'Mara on the podium... Bubba
Shobert won the Hagerstown Half-Mile... Freddie Spencer won the
Spa 500cc Grand Prix in Belgium... Terry Cunningham topped the
Buckeye National Enduro in Ohio.
YEARS AGO
JULY ,
We profiled flat tracker
cover 40 years ago... We reported the passing of
the team manager for Yamaha's oŽ-road team in the late 1970s
and the father of 1980 Supercross Champion
O'Mara
Bailey
Shobert
Spa 500cc Grand Prix in Belgium...
Steve Morehead
celebrates
winning the
I-96 Half-Mile
alongside
podium finishers
Scott Parker
and Will Davis 30
years ago.
Cycle News tested the Kawasaki
KX450 50 years ago.