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/1530089
W hat more is there to say about former MX star Dale Burton? A hard-charging farm boy from Ohio, Burton was one of the top MX stars of the '70s, riding for numerous factory teams and competing in both National and World competition. When his ca - reer was over, he began teaching at his own motocross schools, helping the likes of Jeremy Mc - Grath understand the importance of physical conditioning and proper training. Dale Burton is truly a motocross legend. He is also a fraud. Because if the AMA pro racing officials had just peeled away the glued-on photo on Burton's license way back in 1971, they would've seen the real Dale Burton, a 33-year-old racer in cahoots with a youngster who was still a year away from the legal racing age of 18. The data belonged to Burton, but the man in the photo was Gary Semics, who would go on to have a highly suc - cessful career in motocross. Semics was one of the early members of the powerful Husqvar- na Team, which included MX pioneers like Bob Grossi, Billy Cle- ments, Mark Blackwell and Gunnar Lindstrom. The riders were men- tored by Swedish ironman Rolf Tibblin, a former World Champion who was a firm believer in physical fitness. Tibblin was known to train by running in the snowy forests of his homeland, weighted down with a backpack full of logs—which he had likely hand-chopped with a dull axe while shirtless. "Rolf was our team manager," Semics recalls, "but he was really much more than that. He was more like a big brother, and he really helped us, both mentally and physically. Everybody on the team looked up to him." Unfortunately, Semics' time with Team Husky would come to an unceremonious end. He and teammate Grossi were play-rac - ing on minibikes and both riders crashed. Grossi suffered a se- vere knee injury that would derail his career, while Semics injured his elbow. Healed up and ready to race, he drove to the St. Louis round of the 1974 Trans AMA series, only to find his former me - chanic, Eric Crippa, wrenching on a bike for another rider, a Texan named Kent Howerton. Despite having won a 500cc National in '74, Semics was off the team. He would not stay in the MX unemployment line for long. Kawasaki's new 500cc National Champion Jim Weinert had been lured away by Team Yamaha, leaving an open spot for Semics. Weinert took his number one plate with him. Two years later, Semics was in position to bring it back. It would come down to the final event in muggy New CNIIARCHIVES P112 FOR THE LOVE OF THE SPORT BY KENT TAYLOR FACTORY RACER TO FACTORY TRAINER GARY SEMICS (AKA DALE BURTON) IS INDEED A MOTOCROSS LEGEND Gary Semics was a member of several factory MX teams through the 1970s and '80s but is probably best remembered when he rode for Kawasaki.