Rod Bush

[hersman31]

I Remember Rod Bush riding a honda SL 100 in motocross at a track near Parkersburg WV and lapping the field. Shortly after i think his dad opened a small Penton shop in his garage.I think they also sold monarks for a time. I raced  motocross near Charleston WV and had to buy my bike in charleston but always got my parts from the Bushes. I remember I thought that old honda sounded funny until I heard that first Penton. My jackpiner was the best  bike I ever owned. I loved for it to rain, it usually meant I could lap the field.

John Hersman  #31 Ripley WV

[Paul Danik]

Rod's dad is quite a nice guy, I haven't had a chance to talk to him lately but he sure has to be proud of his son. I believe his name is Don, I am also thinking the name of their shop was " The Bike Shop", I used to have a tee shirt from them but it shrunk:D and was put to other uses. Another old Penton racer from that area is Joe Barker, did you happen to run into him at some of those races John?
Paul

[Gary Roach]

John,
What was the name of the track near Parkersburg? I live in Belpre, OH (the same city that Joe Barker grew up in), and I remember going to a race back in the very early 70's, but I don't remember the name or location. I know it wasn't Badlands or Brimstone Raceway.

Paul,
You're right about the shop name. The Jackpiner I restored for Black's Motorsports still had a "The Bike Shop, Vienna,WV" decal on it. The shop was co-owned by Jeff Corra's dad. I remember going there a few times with my Dad. When they went out of business, they sold everything to Harold's Cycle Shop in Little Hocking, OH. Kent Knudson bought up their remaining inventory a year or so ago. "The Bike Shop" building has been converted back into a garage.

Gary

[hersman31]

The name of the track was New England Raceway just south of  Parkersurg on rt 2. I Remember Joe Barker being therre i think he was on a suzuki and rode several classes. I remeber it being the Bike Shop too. I raced some at Bad Lands Raceway too. I remeber a young kid who was 15 named Rusty Johnson who went there and beat all the pros on a new Penton 250 in about 1974-75.

[wade195]

I to grew up in that area and raced at Badlands and area. I wasnt as good as most but boy we had a good time. I ran a 250 Bultaco and ran a 125 penton and a 100 penton.

[Gary Roach]

wade195,

When Badlands was still around, My Dad and I were racing Hare Scrambles all of the time, so I never got to race there. I lived just a few miles from the track, so I did practice there quit a bit during the week. I'll never forget coming around that last left hand turn before the downhill jump. You couldn't see anything ahead of you except for the sky and maybe a few tree tops. I was always too chicken to just hold it wide open off of that thing like some of those guys did. The length of my jumps could be measured with a yardstick! I'm trying to remember, but wasn't it close to 100 feet from the top of the jump to the bottom of the downhill? I know it was advertised as "The biggest downhill jump on the East Coast".

What dealer did you buy the Bultaco and Pentons from?

Gary

[wade195]

I remeber that turn Grab the throttle and hang on the bottom just fell out and you would sail down the hill. I also remember getting run over at the end of the front sraight Brr still feel that one. Lol I remeber seeing Mary Smith do that and land almost in the hair pin? Unbelivable.  Brr still gives me goose bumps. The bikes we had were bought used. If I remember correctly am man named Harold Stats did the engine in our Bultaco. There was a Penton shop on your way outside of Vienna Wva going toward Williamstown we bought our parts at for the Pentons. I think it was Bushs shop? Dont remember where we had gotten the Pentons was a long time ago. Sorry. Smiles.Thanks

Doug Wade

[hersman31]

I remember that big jump at badlands too, I remember lots of jumps down that big straight too. It was a good track to watch races and to ride. does anyone remember when there were teams,  I think we just did it one year, charleston was the mountaineeers, dont know what Pburg was, I had fried my jackpiner and got a KX 125, and I let the Piner sit and sold it. what an idiot I was. Id love to have it again. I remember the owner hyped the track and riders good it was alot of fun. does anyone remember racing at rocky fork and tuppers creek near charleston WV. good racing there, sad to see houses there now. does anyone remember these racers, Ronnie Stone, Husky, Steve Childers,Maico, Scott Runyan Honda, Randy Hersman Kawaski, Toby Lathey Kawasaki,Rusty Johnson, Penton, or any others I forgot,I think I remember doing a Hare Scramble with Jack Penton near Deerwalk WV, it was cold snowy, we died doing about 8 laps around  on a kawasaki,I think he did 19 or 20. we knew he had something we didn't have  and it wasn't just a Penton...john

[wade195]

Tuppers creek was off of i77 wasnt it? Was a long time ago for me. Do you all remeber Danny Willis? He rode a 125 suzuki. He was a heck of good mud ridder. I think he worked for the Suzuki shop in Belpre and then went out on his own? Havent heard of him in years

[hersman31]

I do remember the name, cant place the bike he rode, but i do remember several good suzuki riders from belpre just not the names, i remember Joe Barker, blond hair rode suzukis and a guy named Denny maybe  Shultz who rode kawasaki, also Jeff Corra who rode with rod Bush, I went to illinois once to buy a guy named John Franklin's Maico but it was just too much i think. My cousin Randy Hersman who rode out of charleston Kaw shop went to honda hills and  won the 200 class supposedly against the penton boys, was a long time ago, we started out with 175 Kaw enduros stripped down, then the real MX bikes came out. I remeber a young guy charlie godby from around charleston in mini class then went  to 125s kawasaki way after I was finished he got killed in race at clarksburg. also some postlwait boys from pburg.

[wade195]

You are correct. I went to school with Jeff. He was a year ahead of me i think. Good rider and super nice guy. The Postiwates boys were good. They were a few years younger than me.  Wheew takes you back huh?