Retired motocrossers who race off road rc?
08-25-2010, 08:27 PM
#61
Time for the senior citizen to chime in.
I started racing MX when dirt bikes only had 4 inches of rear wheel travel. In 1973 (21 years old then) I raced an F-11 Kawasaki (street legal) dirt bike with the following mods - lights removed and a knobby mounted in the rear
. At one race that season I finished 2nd out of 24 (the track had a huge downhill section that everyone else merely coasted down, I pegged it there) My local Kawasaki dealer had traveled to this event. Afterwords, he said "we gotta get you on an actual race bike". The following spring I was on a KX250 racing the 250B class. In 21 races I finished 2nd 17 times and had the lead many of those times. At that time I couldn't go fast if no one was in front of me. But I was much faster with someone in front of me!
The years and the different race bikes rolled by. In 1982 I was racing the 125B class and was in the top 5 in points (AMA District 16) I turned 30 in July and became eligible for the Senior class. Senior class was allowed to run any displacement. 99% of the class was open bikes, but since I couldn't afford a 2nd bike, I started racing the Senior class mid-season on my 81 RM125. Of the remaining races I won all but 3 of the motos, and finished 3rd for the season. 1983 found me on a new CR250 and a with a small sponsorship from Torque Center. I won all but 2 of the motos that season in senior class, and finished 3rd in 250B. 1984 was same bike, same classes, same sponsor. I won the Senior class again, and finished 6th in 250B. I raced only a few times in 1985, numerous knee injuries/surgeries/concussions were taking their toll. My job and life began to fall apart at that time also. I quit racing MX that year.
Would I do it all over again? HECK YEAH!! It was the most satisfying period of my life.
In the 90's I raced personal water craft in the summer and did giant slalom/ downhill snowboarding (light speed
) during the winter. Two more knee injuries and two more major concussions later, I was reduced to "the old guy with the limp/cane that can't remember much of anything short term".
5 years later I was suffering from "competition withdrawl". I figured "What the heck, I'll buy an R/C, cant get hurt doing that!"
2 weeks into R/C racing I got harpooned by an 1/8th scale buggy going 40mph mid-air. I got hit in the same collarbone I had separated once and broken twice before! Hmmmmmmm guess I need to be more careful marshalling . Well, I've been racing one thing or another most of my life, it looks as tho R/C may be my final category. As long as I can get those kids to marshall for $1, I'm golden!
I started racing MX when dirt bikes only had 4 inches of rear wheel travel. In 1973 (21 years old then) I raced an F-11 Kawasaki (street legal) dirt bike with the following mods - lights removed and a knobby mounted in the rear
. At one race that season I finished 2nd out of 24 (the track had a huge downhill section that everyone else merely coasted down, I pegged it there) My local Kawasaki dealer had traveled to this event. Afterwords, he said "we gotta get you on an actual race bike". The following spring I was on a KX250 racing the 250B class. In 21 races I finished 2nd 17 times and had the lead many of those times. At that time I couldn't go fast if no one was in front of me. But I was much faster with someone in front of me! The years and the different race bikes rolled by. In 1982 I was racing the 125B class and was in the top 5 in points (AMA District 16) I turned 30 in July and became eligible for the Senior class. Senior class was allowed to run any displacement. 99% of the class was open bikes, but since I couldn't afford a 2nd bike, I started racing the Senior class mid-season on my 81 RM125. Of the remaining races I won all but 3 of the motos, and finished 3rd for the season. 1983 found me on a new CR250 and a with a small sponsorship from Torque Center. I won all but 2 of the motos that season in senior class, and finished 3rd in 250B. 1984 was same bike, same classes, same sponsor. I won the Senior class again, and finished 6th in 250B. I raced only a few times in 1985, numerous knee injuries/surgeries/concussions were taking their toll. My job and life began to fall apart at that time also. I quit racing MX that year.
Would I do it all over again? HECK YEAH!! It was the most satisfying period of my life.
In the 90's I raced personal water craft in the summer and did giant slalom/ downhill snowboarding (light speed
) during the winter. Two more knee injuries and two more major concussions later, I was reduced to "the old guy with the limp/cane that can't remember much of anything short term". 5 years later I was suffering from "competition withdrawl". I figured "What the heck, I'll buy an R/C, cant get hurt doing that!"
2 weeks into R/C racing I got harpooned by an 1/8th scale buggy going 40mph mid-air. I got hit in the same collarbone I had separated once and broken twice before! Hmmmmmmm guess I need to be more careful marshalling . Well, I've been racing one thing or another most of my life, it looks as tho R/C may be my final category. As long as I can get those kids to marshall for $1, I'm golden!
08-25-2010, 08:30 PM
#62
yeah i guess when bad things happen good things come lol, I would look at it this way no marshaling, no standing(me being kinda over weight its hard), no lines, great parking and ur always miss judged so its an advantage lol.
08-25-2010, 08:36 PM
#63
[QUOTE=motomatt;7856298]I got harpooned by an 1/8th scale buggy going 40mph mid-air. I got hit in the same collarbone I had separated once and broken twice before!QUOTE]
Ive been down that road with collor bone isues, I got ran over buy a race kart and broke my color bone and had a couple other injures that occured at the same time to ever since then i havent stood on a track with a kart goin about 40 toward me lol. Lession learned and i definetly lost that game of chicken lol good thing was that i was a kid and didnt loose much of anything just a better excuse to not take a shower.
Ive been down that road with collor bone isues, I got ran over buy a race kart and broke my color bone and had a couple other injures that occured at the same time to
ever since then i havent stood on a track with a kart goin about 40 toward me lol. Lession learned and i definetly lost that game of chicken lol good thing was that i was a kid and didnt loose much of anything just a better excuse to not take a shower.
08-25-2010, 11:52 PM
#64
after too many years of hurting myself & carrying some long term injuries i traded my fully tricked up (although a few years old by then) CR250 for a complete 8th outfit. i was racing 250 shifter karts at the time & i traded with one of the fast 125 guys who fancied trying MX.
he wishes he didn't as second time out he bent his knee the wrong way & tore his ligaments as did the next person he sold the bike to!
its known as the crippler now
i was stoked to finally have a hobby that didn't hurt me
i started riding dirtbikes around 10 years old, rode BMX & skated hard too
played hockey for a few years & was captain of my local team & used to coach the kids. nuked my knee doing that, broke my C5 vertebra! had a bad accident on a bike on the road with severed finger, punctured lung etc!
foolishly went back to MX & nuked the other knee & had 2 bad compressions on my spine & broke more vertebrae right at the bottom of my back! went Karting for a while but bad knees meant i started tubbing out a bit with no excersize & soon got too heavy to be competitive so eventually wound up with RC
was going ok til i had a hard head on collision in a car & took a bit of head injury & tbh i think my racing suffered a lot after that
i have to admit i do really like it bud i suck kinda bad, only just picking speed up again now
out of everything i've done i'm probably worst at RC but i just like it
i'm starting to think about it more & i'm definitely driving better but 20 plus years of pain all day everyday kinda takes the shine off my memories of MX
08-27-2010, 08:47 AM
#66
im james stewart
im james stewert and i switched to rc because i suck hahahahah just kidding. im spiderman
08-27-2010, 09:15 AM
#68
Love reading this thread guys!! keep 'em coming....more moto stories....
08-27-2010, 09:34 AM
#69
I spent 15 years of my life racing motocross, hare scrambles and enduros - mostly up and down the Eastcoast. I had my MX pro card for 2 yrs in 125cc and in 250cc for another 2 yrs and raced against some of the past "greats", like McGrath, Doug Henry and Wyndam in several outdoor MX events. (I hated Supercross) Once I got too old to compete in MX on a pro level, I switched to racing hare scrambles and enduros and had a ton of sponsors. Well, after breaking almost every bone in my body during my race career (I'm now an Advil addict) and the birth of my first son, the wife made me sell all my bikes and basically quit riding. For 4 years, I went crazy without being able to race, so I decided to try RC racing. Running these little 1/8th scale nitro beasts was just the cure I was looking for! They are definitely the cure for us "retired" riders and my past MX experience extremely helps me on the RC track.
One a bright note, I recently bought my oldest son (he just turned 8) a little KTM 65 and my 5 yr old a XR 50, so as soon as they are experienced enough, I'll start entering them in some races. PLUS - It means I'll be able to buy a new bike so I can ride with them! There's a CR450F out there just calling my name!
One a bright note, I recently bought my oldest son (he just turned 8) a little KTM 65 and my 5 yr old a XR 50, so as soon as they are experienced enough, I'll start entering them in some races. PLUS - It means I'll be able to buy a new bike so I can ride with them! There's a CR450F out there just calling my name!
08-27-2010, 09:42 AM
#70
actually im forrest gump
08-27-2010, 10:51 AM
#71
Tech Initiate
Motocross
I was a 125cc expert in Western New York back in the day of Bob Hannah. I used to drive down to Unadilla and watch the World Championships (and go insane the night before). I burned out mostly because I was going to college and trying to race against pro's. When a fellow local expert passed me on an uphill with his modified ($$$,+time) bike I knew I was done.
I picked up 1/8 scale nitro 27 years later, I found I could get the race drama I missed.
I never had a major injury but definitely had the feeling I was due. The guys I raced against were dropping like flies - broken back, broken femur, my brother spent the summers in traction or a cast every year.
I got a BMW 1150GS one year. If you have never ridden one, put it on your bucket list, especially if your the kind of guy who needs exactly 1mm of throttle play or it bugs you
Bill
I picked up 1/8 scale nitro 27 years later, I found I could get the race drama I missed.
I never had a major injury but definitely had the feeling I was due. The guys I raced against were dropping like flies - broken back, broken femur, my brother spent the summers in traction or a cast every year.
I got a BMW 1150GS one year. If you have never ridden one, put it on your bucket list, especially if your the kind of guy who needs exactly 1mm of throttle play or it bugs you
Bill
08-27-2010, 11:22 AM
#72
[QUOTE=PunchBuggy;7863193]I was a 125cc expert in Western New York back in the day of Bob Hannah. I used to drive down to Unadilla
Unadilla was my all-time favorite track to race at - it was insanely FAST! Binghampton NY was a fun track too, it just got a little blown out at times.
Unadilla was my all-time favorite track to race at - it was insanely FAST! Binghampton NY was a fun track too, it just got a little blown out at times.
08-27-2010, 12:08 PM
#73
Tech Regular
Maybe we just suck at rc??
08-27-2010, 04:18 PM
#75
[QUOTE=MotoGod;7863537]that is a track i would love to ride. Here in MN we have a few tracks that are simular sand to southwick but lack the shear size of southwick. I persinally loved sand tracks, i flew on them, unfortunetly thats also the type of track i broke my femur on.
