W
anna fire up a nice, heat-
ed discussion? Maybe
even start a good argu-
ment? Easy peasy! Stay away
from politics and religion; those
are topics for bantamweights
who lack real convictions. Take
the phrase "who is the best" and
fill in the blank with your own
noun. Other than rock drummer
(Neal Peart) and NFL quarter
-
back (Dan Marino), the playing
field is wide open, fertile ground
for banter and braggadocio.
Bring the beer and the brats. All
who have opinions are welcome.
In 1977, an event called The
Motorcycle Olympiad attempted
to take one such debate from the
rec room to the racetrack: Who
was the best motorcycle racer?
Not just motocrosser, road racer,
enduro rider or dirt tracker! The
S&W/Monroe shocks-sponsored
event wanted to see which of
the AMA's top riders could excel
in a multi-discipline event, with
$10,000 going to the winner.
That was enough cash to pull
in top racers from the different
worlds of motorcycle racing.
Even retired and semi-retired
competitors lubed up their
throttle hands for a chance to
grab some of that cash.
The names on hand repre
-
sented some of the top riders
from every discipline. Motocross
racers included Kent Howerton,
CNIIARCHIVES
P118
BY KENT TAYLOR
THE MOTORCYCLE OLYMPIAD WOULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION
(Above) Many
racers and curious
spectators turned
out for the first (and
last) Motorcycle
Olympiad at
Saddleback Park in
1977. (Right) One
of the participants
vying for the
$10,000 purse was
Bob Hannah, who,
of course, won the
MX segment.
WHO'S THE BEST?
