Brian,
That Marietta track was one of the greatest, what fun it was.
Mike

mike, thanks I grew up riding that track. we had one of the first "christmas tree"electronic gates. Joe built it with a concrete start pad. the first straight was downhill and wicked fast! your name sounds familiar. our team raced most all tracks around there, kettering,stowe,springfield,to name a couple. bmx was big then. later, brian.

Brian,
You are most likely remembering my son's name. (Mike also) He was great friends with Jason McNutt etc. About a year ago I posted some photos in this thread of riders in the first strait at your dad's track.
Mike

big nard was awsome... so was lil nard. other friends i made in that sport during those years were awsome.

My closest being the following: forgive me if i forget some names.

Jim Kelly (best pal)
John Feckie (great guy and fast)
Sean Dunn (even tho he hates me lol)
J-Rad (Looked up to this guy)
The Deans (Mike and Michelle)
Scott Armstrong (for the many rides he hauled my butt to the races)
Erin Belcher(Novice class kid i mentored)
Greg Beam
Mike Lausman
Jimmy Levan (kentucky but he was close enuff)
Suzie Levan
Colin Winkleman

Then The friends aka mentors
Todd Lyons ofc. (watchin him ride convinced me Profile racing frames was the shiz til i broke it in half in Indianpolis trying to clear a triple step jump in the second straight next to David Milham...knocked my butt out lol)
Steve Stump ( dude had upper thighs the size of Tree trunks, u could get him on the gate but after 3 cranks he was gone)
Billy Au. All around great guy.(I could only beat him in indoor if hed been out the night before)
Lawan Cunningham for teaching me the Mighty Elbow and growl.

Geoph Zingoba (I know i spelled that wrong)

I know there is alot more and if i forgot you forgive me. There were alot of years. I have some pics as well of J-Rad and Mike K. and Tom K. hanging at the B-Ville local track. Just after i think we paved the burm for that regional National in 1988 in the rain

I had alot of good times racing with the guys in Ohio. Matter of fact they were the best times of my life.

Not Drew .........go fish.

Drew is alive and well and living in Atlanta. He is married and has a little girl Annie who is 3 and a son Wilson who is 3 months old. He is the director of finance at corporate Home Depot.

He doesn't race anymore but I do.

A few riders I would like to see is Matt Ling, Todd and Aaron Hido, Steve and Dave Bender, Billy Au, Tom Ritz, Cindy Wallace, Chris Hedges, Jason Thompson, Tom and Mike Kinylocts, J-Rad Raflik, Billy and Nikki (Raflik)Danishek, Mike and Mike and Tiffany Reddy, Todd and Brenda and Bob Lyons, Doni Hier, Dean Reynolds, Leslie Lynch, Tim and Tom Janes, Mark Hardy, Jim Kavelec, Jim Hill, Tommy Riggle, Billy Morris, Jim and Becky Wahl, Ken Spring, Danny and Lori Kunkle, Jim Porter, Brian Chambers, Todd and Tony and Troy Hines, The Hemburys, Tom and Kelli Merryman, and a bunch of people who I can't remember their names right now

Trying to think about all of the Ohio BMX teams from the 80's. I should pull up some photos and look at jerseys but ...
off the top of my head, teams that come to mind are,
Eddy's, dK, Huffy, McFarlands, Whitman's, K&G, Hole-in -the-Wall, Eastland Schwinn, Peddlers, Hardees, Dorrs ...
... I can't recall the other teams big and not as big that were always at every Ohio race. I can't even remember the Seavolt's team right now. Anyone have some names from back then?
Mike

reggies,,mountain dew,atari,Holeshot,jjp,frankford,brunswick schwinn,martys,harrys[brock harrys dad?]
I remember jody ,john,jason and roleand pavlik jr on seavolts...

Hey everyone ,were going to have a bigger and better oldschool reunion this summer .I can only guestimate a date right now as the 3rd week in aug ..Im really trying hard to get mr lyons to show this year and parents...Please get the word out early i really enjoyed seeing the parents as well so bring mom and dad out too.

Steve,
How could I forget those teams?
Also Cycles 161. I have a photo of Rick Heisler with a Vern's jersey but I don't remember any details on them. Was that Ohio?


The reunion last year was great. I was very late due to an out of state appointment, but most people stayed late and in the rain too. It was good to see everyone that made it last year.
Mike

Im sure shroeder will have the heer park/columbus reunion mike.We will be having the one we had 2 years ago at kettering since we didnt get to do it last year.Big nard announced the races and well get him to do it again.Im sure todd will bring se goodies as well.This one will be less emphisis on racing more on seeing everyone.I think brian fitzwaters dad was there and noone knew as well.

reggies,,mountain dew,atari,Holeshot,jjp,frankford,brunswick schwinn,martys,harrys[brock harrys dad?]
I remember jody ,john,jason and roleand pavlik jr on seavolts...

Steve-brock's harrys dad's name was Kevin I believe and their team was K&C racing. We had a pretty good team when I rode for them. Some of the riders Mark Flora, Shawn Bone,Brock Harry, the Norman clan, and some others that I forget.

Hey everyone ,were going to have a bigger and better oldschool reunion this summer .I can only guestimate a date right now as the 3rd week in aug ..Im really trying hard to get mr lyons to show this year and parents...Please get the word out early i really enjoyed seeing the parents as well so bring mom and dad out too.

Steve,

When do you think you will have a date nailed down for this. The calander is filling up fast already and I want to make sure I get to this event.

If you have never been to one of the OS Reunion races make sure you put it on the calander. Its a must attend event.

What was the first bike you raced at a track where there was an entry fee to participate. I only mention the entry because in the mid-1950's we built a dirt track in Whitehall and all the neighborhood kids raced on it, but there were not organized/advertised races there.

By those loose guidelines, my first race was at Madison on Mike's Redline that we bought used at a police auction ...endo'ed on the first jump. First cruiser race was with a frame that I found, cut down and welded back together for better geometry. It turns out that brazing might have been a better idea. The steel must have gotten too brittle during welding and the frame let go during a National at Ft Hamilton.
Mike

What was the first bike you raced at a track where there was an entry fee to participate. I only mention the entry because in the mid-1950's we built a dirt track in Whitehall and all the neighborhood kids raced on it, but there were not organized/advertised races there.

By those loose guidelines, my first race was at Madison on Mike's Redline that we bought used at a police auction ...endo'ed on the first jump. First cruiser race was with a frame that I found, cut down and welded back together for better geometry. It turns out that brazing might have been a better idea. The steel must have gotten too brittle during welding and the frame let go during a National at Ft Hamilton.
Mike

What was the first bike you raced at a track where there was an entry fee to participate. I only mention the entry because in the mid-1950's we built a dirt track in Whitehall and all the neighborhood kids raced on it, but there were not organized/advertised races there.

By those loose guidelines, my first race was at Madison on Mike's Redline that we bought used at a police auction ...endo'ed on the first jump. First cruiser race was with a frame that I found, cut down and welded back together for better geometry. It turns out that brazing might have been a better idea. The steel must have gotten too brittle during welding and the frame let go during a National at Ft Hamilton.
Mike

1ST race june of 81 at GrandPrix Raceway in Canal Fulton finished third.Raced for about 5 years.

I started to try and go through all 80 plus pages and it's just to much. I did run across some one mentioning Elyria BMX and several names I that I have read ring a bell. All of the bigger names from back in the day were from the top riders when I wasn't riding any more.

My question is did any one race at Elyria BMX? I can't remember the first person to run the track but he had his own trophie shop and then I think Thomson may have ran it for a while. I think Thomson ran Avon for a while too. Thomson lived in Elyria for a while on Middle Ave.

The only name I remember racing was of a pro named Max and he had one of those black smoked chrome Mongooses form Rick Case. He and a few others would always come out from Cleveland and race at Elyria BMX.

One day I was lucky enough to race against two factory Boss riders and beat them both. That was my track during my age of 15-16 years old. I forget how long I raced at Elyria BMX but once it closed I stopped racing. never had the money to travel. I use to ride my bike to the track down the highway.

I did race at Vermilon BMX a few times, Burbank indoor, Mansfield. Norwalk was my first time ever racing BMX and I only raced there that one time. I don't even remember what bike I had when I first started racing.

I just got back into the sport this past March with my daughter.

Bob M.

I raced at Elyria BMX all the time-have some vidio-skated @ skateboard paradise down the street. Don't think Mr thompson ran elyria, will call rich hamillia to find out
Jim Kavalec

That's a track that I just barely remember the name.

Here's Tiffany's first BMX bike and 1st or 2nd race.


Mike
Maverick, ... look like Madison BMX?

Mike

That sure does look like Madison BMX. I learned to race with goggles there since it was always so dusty. Now I don't race without them.

That was the deadest dirt I ever saw in Ohio. It must have never had any crop rotation - ever.
With State Races, we tried to give the 4 corners plus the center of Ohio races making it so that at least once in the series a racer would not have to travel far from his home. When we gave the State Race to Madison BMX, there was a well planned to supply water. For a variety of reasons, it did not happen plus we almost lost Big Marty Brown as the starter because of a drilling accident. Then the temperature went somewhere north of 100 degrees I think on race day. That State Race day was the closest I EVER came to seeing Ken and Rosie upset about anything.

... anyway, some really great stories about first bikes/races here, thanks to everyone for the input. I love those early racing memories.

Mike

Forrie? Forrie from Mansfield? Forrie who was the boyfriend of Caroline Janes(Tom and Tim's mom)? If that is who you are talking about last I heard he still lived in Mansfield and his garage is still packed with bmx parts from bitd. Not married, no kids and his garage will be quite a find for someone one of these days.

Some of the people on my list I have seen once or twice through out the years but would sure like to see them all again to catch up.



Little Lisa? Yikes! Who is this?

Did you race on the track that was built North of the putt putt course or the track that was right in front of the putt putt course next to the highway? I only ask because I don't recall a skate park near the track. I think there use to be some sort of skate park located by the old GM plant in Elyria and I know there was one right off of RT57 and broad ST but that park was closed down when I discovered it. We did get in through the fence a couple of times before they dozed it down.

What class did you race in at Elyria? I race there when I was roughly 15-16. I'm now almost 43.

Maybe Thomson didn't run Elyria but I am pretty sure the track was run by two different people. I could be wrong. The track North of the Putt Putt course.

Didn't the Setta's (SP?) old man run elyria bmx and Cullin Thompson make the trophies? I'll have to find out.
I have video of myself, mike kelly kenny allgood and others racing at elyria bmx
Jim Kavalec

More Team stuff: What team did the Flora's (from Springfield) ride for? It was a dark blue w/ a little bit of yellow uniform?

Fairfield Schwinn was a good team, Todd Bitter rode for them.

I think Ultra BMX was Peddlers Elite team: Roger Williams, Kevin Fancher & Steve Paul....

Some early OH factory riders: Aaron & Andera Cargill on GT, & Shawn Bone on Robinson. Eagle Snacks, World Class ,MCS and White Bear had some OH riders.

Was Hole Shot "Ruth & Jason McNutt already mentioned?

What was the first bike you raced at a track where there was an entry fee to participate