Honda Hills Inter Am I Think?

[rich allison]

Talking to a fellow POGGER today got me thinking about the races at Honda Hills and Lexington. Around 1971 1972 1973 time frame they a Inter Am or Trans Am at Honda Hills and I think that was the first time I saw a 250 red tank Penton and Jack was riding it but there was also another rider on a Penton at that time and I can't remember his full name but I think his first name was Buck I may be all wet on this hopefully somebody else was there.

Rich

[firstturn]

Possible Buck as in The Buck Murphy.....he was/is a great one when it comes to Penton History MX 101.  Hopefully we will have an article on him in the upcoming Still Keeping Track.  He was/is from the Northwest and still rides with some of our POG members.  He was a great rider, but what impressed me was he was just plain strong and didn't give up.  Great memories.

Ron Carbaugh
Kerrville, Texas

[rich allison]

He seemed to of got a 250 Penton pretty early, did he ride for Penton or for some bike shop? We know that most of the Pentons success came from the enduros and ISDT but did Penton put any riders in the national type mx races other than Jack?

Rich

[firstturn]

Buck was as close to a factory rider as John Penton had when the bigger bore Pentons hit the USA.  Buck came from the same region as Jim Pomeroy and Chuck Sun.  I will stop at that in that as I stated earlier we hope to do an interview with him in a upcoming Still Keeping Track.

Ron Carbaugh
Kerrville, Texas

[rich allison]

Thanks Ron can't wait for the article.

Rich

[Paul Danik]

Rich,
   
    Ron has answered your question, but I just have to tell you my Honda Hills story, you live in that area and maybe you even were at this event.

    Midstates International Moto-Cross Association, which was actually John and Ted Penton, promoted what I think was the first Inter-Am ever to be held at Honds Hills, on October 18, 1970. They ran the 125cc and 500cc classes.  Ake Johnsson won the big bore class and Jack Penton won the 125 class, I finished 2nd to Jack out of the 53 riders in our class. The Penton gang had just arrived back from the ISDT and as luck would have it they were in the rooms next to us at the little Nity-Nite motel. JP held court for several hours on Sat. evening in the parking lot telling the gathered crowd all about the ISDT, for me life could not get any better than to have lucked into being near my heros and to have JP right next door.
   
     On Saturday morning John DeSoto held a motocross school at which he tried to teach all of us some of the skills that had made him such a great rider, for a whopping fee of $6.00 each.  On Sunday morning we lined up for our race and John Penton himself lead the 125cc riders around the long course for a parade lap. There were several interesting sections on that track that are still quite vivid in my mind today, the ski jump and the shale hill were both located in the back section of the track and both got your attention.

   Thanks for stirring up those memories with your question.

Paul

[rich allison]

Paul- I didn't race at Honda hills until 72, I think they called it the Ohio State chapionships. that section of ski-jump, ditch, shale uphill, downhill,and uphill again is one of those sections you never forget.Always wished you guys in the Pentonliner were out winning gold medals on the day of that race but you always showed up. Also Rob, was at the Delta race, up towards Toledo maybe can't remember for sure, think I remember Dick Mann riding a thumper in thst race.

Rich

[tofriedel]

More fuel for the fire.  I attended a MX race at Honda Hills in October 1970.  I do not remember the sanctioning group, but the month and year was the time I was being transferred from CA to MD and we stopped in Columbus to visit family.  I saw the ad in the Columbus Dispatch and took my 2 sons & father-in-law to the races.  As I remember the event, there were a number of European riders that participated, along with JP.  

Sorry that I can't remember more details, it was 36 years ago, which is a tad more than half my age.

Tony