"THE WORST"
I
t is difficult to explain to
someone just how grueling
the sport of motocross can be,
especially when the other party
is a yellow-bellied, non-riding
tenderfoot. Imagine, we can tell
them, that you are outside in
the sweltering sun, wearing 30
pounds of protective gear, rowing
at a feverish pace while people
who secretly want you to fall are
throwing handfuls of dirt at your
face. Maybe they'll understand,
maybe they won't.
Motocross can be even gnar-
lier than this, as it was on June
15, 1980, at the AMA 250cc and
500cc National in Lakewood, Col-
orado. Hot summer temps made
track watering ineffective, result-
ing in blinding, choking dust for
riders and spectators. The Rocky
Mountain high altitude made
breathing difficult, and, to top it
off, race bikes kicked up rocks all
day long. "I'd have to say it was
the worst," said Team Suzuki rider
Kent Howerton. "It wasn't fair to
all the riders. You couldn't see any-
thing in the corners." Teammate
Marty Smith added, "It was the
worst. My lungs are hating life."
The 1980 season was a mixed
bag of changes for MX fans.
Yamaha's Bob Hannah, who had
dominated the sport in both
1978 and '79, was a no-show that
year due to a serious leg injury
sustained in a water-skiing ac
-
cident. Longtime stars like Marty
Smith and Jim Weinert had left
their longtime teams, Honda and
Kawasaki, and were now on new
mounts. Smith, on Suzuki, was
having a good season, but Wein
-
ert was struggling to adapt to
CNIIARCHIVES
P136
BY KENT TAYLOR
However, local
Boo Stichter
(46) liked the
Lakewood track.
He nearly won a
moto in 1980.
Colorado's Lakewood MX track in its early years wasn't a favorite among many of the racers.
In the early 1980s, the Colorado National
Motocross was described by some racers as "the
worst," due to the dust, rocks and elevation.
