The 70,s was the best motocross-gr8 video!!!!! I was looking to see if my old friend Mickey Boone was in this race,but did not see him as far as I can tell-mickey was an awesome rider!!!.
Great video!! Bob Hannah DNF’d. I recognize Kent Howerton on the Husky, Jammin Jimmy Weinert on the Kawasaki, Tommy Croft on the Honda and is that Steve Stackable in the Maico. Wow, great times.
I would have loved to seen Pomeroy take that bike over for the GP's, he would have been the 500 World Champion without a doubt in my mind. The most naturally rough track we had and that uphill to the orchard was a killer. It's a shame they started to rip it and add man made jumps. I know they say they have to keep up with the bikes and rider skills but it took away the personality of the place. Thanks for posting this and others from that era lfoxracer!
I bought my first Husqvarna, a CR250, from Pat Moroney, who used to race the 250 Grand Prix at Unadilla every year in this era. I bought his 250 right after the 1977 race season ended. I immediately took off the top end to put in new piston rings and saw he had that bike bored out to the max. It was a serious beast, went like a rocket but handled like a dream. The Unadilla experience was amazing because the track was outrageous and the riders were just spectacular. That was the heydey for those European bikes, the Huskies, Maicos and KTMs. I still have the Unadilla poster from 1981, which features a 1980 CR250 Husky rounding the track. It reads, "Global powers invade the premier U.S. track in an all-out battle to be world champion. Be there." 'Nuff said!
You are Unafuckin Dilla correct. Actually the heathens early on drunk and destroying property not cool. But if you saw the races awesome. At 58 1976 first Trans AMA. Gaylon loss in fall 1980 I saw the so sad Kawasaki pits. Raced there myself 2000 to 2012. Vet classes. What a ride ! It is a place to behold !
I remember Pat Moroney as a local racer in upstate NY. He was very flamboyant on the track a-la Magoo Chandler. I think they both rode support motos at ‘Dilla in the late 70s.
@@kurtvonfricken6829 Yes, Pat's father Jim Moroney owned the shop in Newburgh that sold Harleys and Husqvarna in the late 70's. I was a regular there buying parts and top quality genuine Husky Products, like the coolest Husky pants and jerseys. I wish I still had some of those, but I wore them all out. I agree that the track of that era seems ruined. I just watched a few clips from this year's GP and it was a bummer. The track was almost totally unrecognisable apart from the first turn out of the gate and the Gravity Cavity, which back then we called the Screw U. I am in the process of restoring a 1977 Husky CR250, like the one I bought from Pat back then. Alas, this one has the stock Öhlins, whereas the one I bought from Pat has Marzocchis.
Pat in 79 rode a RM 400 in the 500cc support race. I remember the low end grunt of his short shift and major air and sideways off every jump. Fuckin awesome!!
Maicos, Huskys, even a Can-Am or two. I even saw a Bultaco! And they were still (pretty much) as fast as the Japanese bikes. Ah, for the good old days.
Howerton has the #1 Plate from his 1976 500cc championship. This is a 500 National.....no Euros in sight throughout this film. Man, those were the days, eh?
Those factory Hondas from '77 could probably still win some local races today. Those things were incredible. I read an interview with Jim Pomeroy where they asked him what was the best bike he ever rode, and he instantly said that it was the bike in this video.
I was there, Stackable won his 1st national that day. Yes Pomeroy would have a been a force on 250's in Europe, not sure about 500's though. The Euro field was deep with talent & Lackey was a major American contender at that point finishing 4th behind Mikkola, DeCoster and Wolsink. My thoughts, Honda should have sent Bimbo to Europe in the late 70's for 250 GP's instead of keeping him here to battle Hannah. MX history would have been altered significantly in 250 GP's. R.I.P Bimbo we miss you.
#102 Jim Pomeroy Caught a glimpse of Jimmy Ellis on the can-Am #1 Kent Howerton #9 Marty Smith #2 Bob Hannah #5 Gary Semics #21 Chuck Sun #11 Rich Eierstedt Bultaco #13 Gaylon Mosier #16 Tommy Croft #3 Tony DiStephano #7 Danny LaPorte #31 Rex Staten on a H.D Holy cow! that has to be rare footage! #6 Steve Stackable (I think) Great footage - thanks!
As always Lyndon thanks for posting these. Bums me out that track is nothing like this now. I can still smile and feel lucky I got to be there in those days. Seeing the HOF riders push it for 45min motos Vs what we have now is no comparison
Howerton rode that Husky like a 125; just peg it and let it go where it wants. Marty Smith had so much "style" in how he rode that he could be recognized without a number or name. Just think about how many fast guys were in this race. I really enjoyed re-watching this.
Marty Smith was #9, Tommy Croft #16, Jimmy Weinert #5, Kent Howerton #1, Tony Distefano #3, Jim Pomeroy #102, Steve Stackable #6, Bob Hannah #2, Gaylon Mosier #13, Billy Grossi #21, Rick Burgett #8.
The number plates of my youth. I still associate my mental images of those heroes with those exact numbers. Remember? They called em "trick numbers" and everybody had to have em'
Great Vid, The bikes and tracks where so tuff back then, if the current stars Roczen, Dungey, Gjaser etc had to ride those bikes and tracks they would be surprised big time. 500 two stroke takes no prisoners. The tracks were rutted and bumpy because of the bikes. 60's and 70's riders have their own stories. If your'e a young rider on your 2017 250 4 stroke masterpiece of modern technology, dont think you aint like these guys, in 30 years time your kids will be on their "Tesla E hover mx bikes" thinking you look slow but you'll be saying "back in my day tracks were rough". Just my thoughts.Read more Show less
This track is rougher then and they had 4 inches less travel. I think Bubba should watch this clip to see what real men rode on. Can you imagine if these babies would have to ride on this track today.
Back in "the day", Unadilla staked, and I mean STAKED, out a different track on this hundreds of rolling hills. No bulldozers, few man made obstacles if any, and just a bitchin', great traction, fun day of racing. Sigh......
Hey, a few years ago I was accused of posting a video produced by Fox Racing (no relation) as my own! I was told I stole it from Fox, even when I sent the guy a photo of the original Super 8 400' film reel, he threatened to report me to RU-vid!
I was at the 1977 Trans AMA race. It was a rainy day. October 9. Roger D won. This was not that race: too dry, no Europeans, and the trees are too green.
I wasn't there but i wish i could remember which Unadilla race i did attend. The race i went to was definitely in '77 i am thinking early August? We didn't arrive till late Saturday afternoon and it was hot. Sunday morning it poured. First moto most of the field wasn't able to complete a lap because there was a section of track that went down a ravine to a off camber 180° and then back up the hill. Rover D and a Dutch or UK rider on a 4 stroke 250 Honda were the only riders that could get back up the hill! I think a lot of riders and fans were deeply disappointed especially those that chose to sit in small grandstand at the start/finish but it was the best moto-x i ever saw. Lot of S. Cal teenagers got served some humble pie that first moto by incredibly smooth Roger D. and what's his name Eurodude with the flatter powerband of his privateer 4-stroke. Could it have been a 250gp? I wanna say a national cuz it was mostly Americans. If anyone has footage of that race please upload. Probably already here. Sorry i should have searched.
@@kimkleiner8456 The first USGP raced at Unadilla was July 1978, so it couldn’t be that. Before then Unadilla hosted a 500 national in the Summer and the Trans-ama/USA in the fall. If it was Summer it must have been the 500 National. But if Roger and the Europeans were there it wasn’t a national so I don’t know.
Sorry 1977 was super 8 movies with no sound, a rew of my later films had sound when I bought a new camera and could afford to spend about $14 to shoot 3 minutes and 20 seconds of film per cartridge!
