Can you identify this rider?
http://www.pentonusa.org/archive/homepage/2009/default_101209.htm
Paul Danik
I know who it is, but I'll let someone else tell everybody.
Dane
I'll take a guess Steve McQueen
72 six-day
Dick Mann ???
I would have to say - Lars Larsen
Lars Larsen it is, all good guesses but Rob gets the gold star. Can anyone tell us anything about this very shy and conservative gentleman?
Paul
I even know who prepaired this bike for him.
OK Doug, don't keep us in suspense........ inquiring minds want to know :)
Paul
I'm betting it is the set up King.....Doug Wilford.
Ron Carbaugh
Lars at Diamond Dons 2009(//%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r368/tdthigpen/DiamondDons030.jpg)[/img] (//%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r368/tdthigpen/DiamondDons045.jpg)[/img]
Thom Thigpen
1974 125 Six Days (21c)
1972 125 Six Days
Does anyone know if Lars will be coming to the ISDTRR?
P.A. Busick
I noticed in the background Gary Jones.
I have a funny story about MY FIRST AND LAST RACE SERIES in which GJ was in.
Around 1986 I wanted to go dirt bike riding again after 20 years and a friend sold me a YZ490. He told me that there was a race that weekend and Yamaha was paying Yamahabucks to 5th place in the Golden State series at De Anza. My friend said I had a pretty good chance at winning some money.
Since I qualified for over 35 vet, I figured nobody would be in that class. I should have known I was in trouble after practice.
Anyways, I line up on the starting grid and I look over to my to right and its Gary Jones. I'm , "Hey buddie, are you the Gary Jones that was an AMA champ back in the 70's" He replies, Yea and thats my brother on your left. WHAT THE ----, I'm thinking.
So I ask him to hold my bike and I walk up and down the line and there is Rocket Rex Staten, the Jones brothers, the Zarht brothers, Ron Turner, the King of Saddleback. and MY BUDDY, Mike Johnson. I get back to my bike and want to get these guy's autograph's.
So, I tell Gary, "Hey, when the gate drops, I'm just gonna let all you guys go." Since I was on a 490 and they were all on 125's or 250's. He's all "don't worry you'll be ok." However, I'm about to ---- my pants.
Well, the gate drops and NOBODY moves. I look down the line and they are all looking at me. Screw this, I shifted up to 3rd peg the throttle and slipped the clutch all the way to the 1st turn.
I looked over my shoulder and had everybody beat by 6 bike lengths. The turn went left, I went straight, jumped the berm and went over the fence, and had 1/2 a lap on everybody.
2 corners later I could hear them all comming up behind me and I remember thinking, here it comes. Block pass, T-bone, Traction control for these guys, Roost etc etc. So I kept my line, Held on tight and waited for the worst. They went right by me, like I was in reverse, clean, wide no roost, nothing. I'm thinking, "that was cool of those guys not takeing me out" They all lapped me 2 times in a 5 lap race. I was glad just to survive.
After the race, Gary Jones came up to me and asked me How I liked the start. "It made my life" was my reply. I thanked him and all the other racers for not taking me out. They ALL said, just race your race and we'll get around you. "No Kidding" They were my hero's before the race and after the 2nd race, I really respected them as racers and as people. They all smoked me on the 2nd start.
I ended up racing the whole series and at the last race I got a 3rd overall, my name in Cycle News and $100.00 in Yamahabucks. Of course in that race, all the Pro's were off racing someplace else.
I never raced again and if anybody asks me, I will tell them why they are called Pro's. My Buddie's Sister ended up marrying Ron Turner many years latter.
G
72 six-day
Garrett- I really enjoyed that story, ha! I got to know Ron Turner just a little bit at some of the 125 nationals back in 75-76. Fast, really nice and if I remember, had a "afro"
Jeff
As usual Ron was right again. Lars was plenty of help working on his bike and around the shop. The Husky people seem to have a way of making their riders want to help. During preparations for sure. When race day came it was a different story. They ride you fix! The first year was the toughest for me doing the Trans Am. A slight kink in the planning. I had five riders and no mechanic (except me) Somehow we managed to hang in there and do all 12 weeks.
Lots of stories in Edison Dye Circus (Trans-Am series)
Garrett, I was probably there that day but I was a punk kid on a CR125 in 125 Int. I raced at all the SoCal tracks and De Anza was one of my favorites.
Brian
'72 Berkshire
Doug,
I think you had your hands full with being Chief Mechanic and Head Baby Setter keeping some fun loving guys from another country out of trouble. There are some Great Stories here.....[:0].
Ron Carbaugh
I was just sorta wondering....?
...if this was taken at a '68/'69 Inter-Am race, in which the premier class were 250cc machines, and the support class were 500's.
Why would Penton Imports attempt to compete on a 125. (even with Lars aboard) ? That's just no match against Torsten Hallman, and Dave Bickers.
Thanks,
Bob W
Rob,
In the message from Lars that contained the photo, Lars made mention that it was probably taken at Carlsbad 1968, is that the race that your speaking of?
Ron,
I hope Doug tells a few...what an era that was.
Paul
Paul & Rob,
They did race against the bigger bikes. I think Doug Wilford actually won one Moto at a National Support Race on a 125 against the 500? I do not think they let him race the second Moto. Doug is a walking Wikipedia on this era. Hopefully he will help with my memory.
Ron Carbaugh
To me the best part of Doug's story is having his tell of the Euro riders cheering him on as he kicked butt on his Penton, " go Duggie go" they shouted as Doug would just miss the snow fence by inches to allow him to ride on the undisturbed section of the track on his Penton!!!
"Go Duggie Go"
Paul
Good one Paul....not sure how good their english was either. Have we got Uncle Doug's attention yet???[:p]
Ron Carbaugh
Lars
(http://www.pentonusa.org/forum_images/2009/lars.jpg) (http://www.pentonusa.org/forum/)
More on Lars.
Sixth person down ->
http://www.motocrossactionmag.com/ME2/dirsect.asp?sid=9C9B4628B933436B9C502D63D221397C&nm=WRECKING+CREW
also found -> (Doug's post)
http://www.pentonusa.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3587&SearchTerms=lassie
Check out the third to last paragraph.
http://motorbikearchives.com/Competition/Motocross/The-Inter-Am-Motocross-Series-1969.html
By reading this, it sounds like there were all three classes at these first Inter-Am races. 250, 500 & 125 ?
Is that true ? If so - that's something I never knew. 125's ? really ?
Wow.
And Gary Bailey on a Penton - really ? Cool stuff.
Hmmm, He's riding with the swedish flag on his chest and back. Is he a swede? That would be strange since I have never heard of him. Lars Larsen is a danish sounding name but there are swedes as well with that name. In sweden is would have been, Lars Larsson.
Can someone help me out. Who is he? Can't find anything about him.
Oh, sorry. Missed this second page and just found out that I've been involved in this discussion before back in 2004. Lars Larsson it is, and he is very much a swede. I got fooled with this Larsen spelling.
Sorry for clogging the board but, hey this is my countryfellow!!!
http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/hofbiopage.asp?id=212