i can remember alot about this race, i should have been 9 or 10 when i was there.i can remember all the arcade games surronding the whole track.it was in a building right buy the holiday inn, me and my dad were staying at.it was cool, pattersons were staying there too..so i rode my bike down the hallway(hehe).with my dad and i got signatures from all of them.there were bmx burnouts on every floor's carpet.when we went to the track we pitted with a dood named darryle and his mom,but i can't remember his last name.he was from nothern indiana somewhere.i rode for factory wizard numberplates at the time.out of elkhart(i think) a dood named dave marriette i think owned it or something.but after seeing denny owens in that tracker uniform,i wanted to be on tracker...lol. i had to race all the factory riders, i was really nervous. good thing i was a year older than geoff scofield.that could of been real scary! so i checked my moto sheet and was like this is going to be easy.so i lost my 1st moto to a jmc co-sponsered dood named tommy rubel.i was pissed.after that i never lost again the rest of the duration of the races.got first,barely got the trophy in my dad's civic.lost the toolbox somehow.lucky the trusky's pick it up,and we got it back ,at another race.
if anybody has any pics or a story, please share.a list of all the mains would be cool.

that is an awsome picture. I was there also, 2nd in 15 and over open, behind Pete L. and second in the 14 and over trophy dash behind the great Lee Medlin. great times !!!!

How cool is that, very neat stuff... Amazing momento from the past! Thank you for sharing.

Thats a cool photo Damon ! no wonder you won 9 expert !
You to Jeff, 2nd behind Pete L. and 3rd was Paul Gossrau thats some hard comp back then.

I was there also. I don't remember too much about the race other than I won it. I still have the 6' tall trophy, it now resides in my sons bedroom with hats hanging all over it.

Hey Damon! Thanks for opening the thread.

I did the story and (some) photos for Super BMX. Those races were always my favorite. We stayed at what I think was the Hyatt (huge 20-story hotel with an atrium). Kids were hucking stuff into the atrium all night (culminating in a giant clay planter being tossed over the side at like 3AM).

Went tooling around in my mom's car after the Saturday races (I did not have my license yet, but was out driving in the snowy Indy weather), I think Tom Christopher may have been along for the ride. We finally found a greasy spoon restaurant that was OPEN (the day after Christmas in downtown Indy, at that time, was a ghost town). The place was kind of like a waffle house, and was TOTALLY overrun with BMXers. In fact, I believe some of the pros had commandeered the grill (Stu, Greg H, anyone remember this?) and were expediting orders, making toast, and keeping the groms in line (to the pleasure of the two women who happened to be working that night).

As I recall, there was some kind of drama on Sunday. Was this the one where they were going to make Anthony Sewell start backwards due to some qualifying SNAFU? And it took til 1AM to finally finish it all up...Was that in 81 or earlier?

I have some photos my mom took (the stuff I took in the infield went to Challenge Pubs and got tossed in a dumpster 10 or 15 years ago--or so I am told). Will scan some when I get a chance.

Best,

M

I remember that!! very well..... it was past mid night the the manager turned the keys over to the waitress, and it was OVERUN by BMx'ers...i can recall, stu, leary judge and nearly a who's who of the times cookin waitin tables and just plain blowinn off steam. it was CRAZY!

I was at the 1980 Jag Worlds. I finished 8th in 10 novice. I was in first but crashed big time...

Thought this would be a good addition to the thread I was 10x in 78 and raced all the jags in Indy but was only able to pull out like 14th best, even though I did pull the holeshot on my idol Kyle Fleming one moto but was passed and finished third my best moto. My dad owned Westside BMX in Indy and his ad is the handwritten one in the second photo on the left. I wish I still had all the bikes and parts that went through his shop but who knew!!

yea i got some of those from 80-81...you got 14th. this ,may sound stupid, but were they runnin more than a 8 man gate?

No, overall 14th is the best I ever did my brother placed 5th and his trophy was as big as him at 7. The trophies were huge!!

I remember the race well.

Drove all the way from Cali with Stoney Smith.
Stoney took 2nd in pro cruiser and I got 3rd.

One of the funnest races I have been at!

Cool! Could ya post a blow up of the Power lite ad?

Hey cheez did you click on full size and you can also zoom in from there.
Thanks

Yeah, but it's kinda shaded and sideways

Sorry no scanner cheez.

I was the 9th person in the gate for my class. There were no others. I had gotten DQ'ed in my semi for something I didn't do. The official said I looked behind me while entering one of the turns with a jump and ran another girl off of it. After Renny Roker reviewed it he knew it was BS and put me in the main. Thank god for video tape as that was the beginning of personal recorders and we had a video.

Fast forward to the Christmas Classic 2006. Renny shows up working for Versus I did an interview with him before the elite race and he remembers everything. Even the letter I sent to him after the fact thanking him. The cool thing is my dad got to chat with him on the phone that night RIP Dad!

Think what you want about Renny but he was always good to me and my family.

Great thread. Great pics with lots of memories. I wasn't at the '81 Jags but raced in the '80 Jags in 14 expert. Won the 1st and 3rd motos. The 3rd I popped a wheelie across the finish line and broke my ankle. Didn't get to race the main. Was very bummed.
It would be great if someone here had some pics of the '80 Jag World Championships.
Ahh yea, and the riding down the hotel halls was a blast.

Dean
www.deansfabshop.com

Nice to see the Aussies were represented.

Dude on the left finished 4th in 15 Expert.

I think I got 3rd in 9 Novice that year. I just started racing earlier that year.

It's funy that all the jumps were wooden table tops & I didn't know how to speed jump yet. Just crank & hang on!!!

This thread is terrific. I was wondering if any of you can help me I.D. an old video? Here's what I got from the tape:
1. Announcer says that this is the first annual JAG world championship.
2. Stu Thompson is racing for SE
3. The PRO winner was David Clinton/Red Line
4. Greg Hill just turned 15 and is riding for Red Line
5. Anthony Sewell is 16X
6. Chris Hopkins is 13X
7. Over 1200 entries

Would like to determine the year of this JAG World Championship. Thanks in advance.

Jim

I found these a while back, and I had to find them again. I'm never sure what good things like this are good for, but my guess is that they will be well received here at VBMX!

How about the original moto sheets for the semi's and finals for the 14x class at Indy, 1981.

Semis


mains


Bless those grandparents fighting over the souvenirs taped to the wall eh? lol
I don't like to go too into this one for various reasons. This thread was done before, and since I posted these moto sheets, it will come up again, lol.

I finished 1-1-2 in the motos. I slipped a pedal and almost crashed my third moto. I had already qualified, so I decided to go for the fastet track time, which was giving awards and gifts, so I let it all hang out, and almost ate it, and it dawned on me, that even though I had qualifying in the bag, that if I would have gotten hurt, it would have been moot. lol.

Then I got 1-1-1-1(-1?). And I did get the fastest track time of the weekend in class, so I won a bunch of trinkets. I still have the Aero plate, and it is mounted on a bike here. The rest of the trinkets disappeared. A digital clock, stickies, etc...

Mr Anderson, on the other hand, got 1-1-1. and 1-1-1-1-2.

He still hates me. I know it. lol. There are some things there, which in life, give me reasons why I often choose not to go there. But you know what, what the hell, I'll get you a T shirt! (I've got like 12,000 views on 3 threads, but I still don't get a T-shirt. lol. But I'm going to get you one here, cuz that's just how I am! lmao!)

Here is a part of a story I really never tell. And I decided that it never needed to be. But I guess tonight I just feel like , what the hell.... But there is some I still probably never will, lol. Cuz inevitably the walls have ears, it's all comes back around, and frankly, it's a pot I could care less about stirring, leave alone dealing with what comes back..., but, ... the short race, long story version, from the driver's seat, lol.

First, Mr A was NOT happy with me by the TD. And face it, we were kids, and we struggled with all kinds of things in life, including emotions. If you watch the vid, on the zoom ins, there is something that I know, that probably nobody else even knows. I may be the only one that knows what I am seeing when watching that video, (and my close friends have known too), But Mr A was so upset about losing to me, that (if you check the zoom shots) he was actually wiping tears on the gate of the TD that night. So I KNEW, he was not happy with me, and I knew that I wanted to stay away from him on the track! (but still ahead of him in the end, lol) (out comes 138 copies of the DVD being fast fwded to the TD. lol)

If you watch the trophey dash, He (Mr A.) was in lane 8, I was in 7, and there was nobody in lane 6. Frankly, I had a plan, and I wanted to offer him lane 6, or at least wanted to offer him to trade for my lane, ... but I really didn't think that would fly with the others on the gate!!!

I was the youngest (and shortest, lol) on the gate, and there were some heavy hitters in lanes 1-4. And truthfully, I wasn't intimidated by their speed, but I made no mistake about how fast they were, and that I had my work cut out for me if I wanted to be in this thing! !! But I truly did not want to be mid-pack with them in turn one. So, knowing and watching how things went all weekend, I figured those 4 would all pile up and kill each other in turn one, and during the crash, they would migrate to the outside of the turn. Leaving the inside open for me. The guy with a plan. lol.

If I played my cards right, and IF the history of the weekend repeated itself faithfully, I could make the swoop, avoid getting kilt, and ...and...and... Lots of variables for a 14 year old to plot out on a napkin at 1AM (The TD was run at about 1:30 AM Monday morning as I recall!) .

So I decided to take a soft gate, (but not too soft, as this is the fastest of the fast on the gate!) and sloooowly, migrate back and outside for an inside swoop plan. Knowing full well, Mr A was going to be going all out, I figured that by the time we neared turn one, I could have an outside line, and that I wouldn't have to back off much for him to get ahead of me and give me a chance to move outside for a swoop line, and when they were all on the brakes, (or in a pile on the floor, lol) I could be on the gas. I also knew that lane 6 was open, so we could migrate (as I said) slowly, and had plenty of room to do so....


So if you were to watch the TD on slow mo (everyone is doing just that now, lmao). ....here is what you would see. I know this is one of the few well documented and retained ...and watched...videos that exist from that era, So that is the only reasons the memories are so vivid, and therefore, may still be interesting to hear about! ...So here is a few things you didn't...or can't...see on the vid. Or things that look suspicious, but can't be confirmed. And honestly, I would never be able to remember the details, but in watching it during local gatherings of recent, I remember it well....every time....and when I do, it all comes back, the emotions and all!


The gate fell, and as I planned, I'd let Mr A inch ahead, and just about the time...I was going to go hard, and fully implement my plan, to find that speed differential from everyone else that is required for a swoop pass... things changed.

About 3 cranks out of the gate, Mr. A turned his bars no less than 45 degrees into me, and I actually stopped pedaling to let him elbow air, and I opted to just let him pass to the inside, and get him out of my way so I could implement my plan my own way!!!. It was immediately apparent that he was truly gunning for me in that race. (I guess I don't care if he reads this anymore, lol) But I was suddenly pizzed, and I truly considered changing my "Clean" riding style and beliefs into something else at that point. True!

So now I'm thinking, this is crazy, here I am at the World Championships, in the trophy dash, and three pedals out of the gate, I have not only taken a soft gate, but I have actually stopped pedaling to avoid getting hacked and taken out! At that point I really did not like Mr A. ! But, my plan was still good, so I just had to re-group, and implement it quickly.

So I went for the outside, (in the video, you'd think I was aiming for the camera man, or making up my own track! The fact is, I WAS making up my own track layout...er...trying to! )and I hoped I'd see the pile up in turn one. But alas, no such luck. I had all the speed I needed with the line I chose, to do some serious inside passing, but all I saw was a line of traffic, with no room on the inside. And all I could do was grab the binders hard. (Which was odd, you can watch that video, and all day long traffic went wide in turn one! And pile-ups were like clockwork there too!).

But the crash which I was sure that would happen in turn one, didn't happen in turn one, but it did happen in turn 2. This opened the door for an entirely ad lib plan! I knew the key at that point would be to avoid bodies, and if I could, then anything was still possible. So I evaded, and eluded, and went "Freestyle" up to turn 3, and I was actually entering into third place in turn 3!

This is where Mr A had come off of his bike too, and I was only too glad to go past him....and give him one of these... , as I had the speed, and I had MY favorite premium line in that turn, and he was off his bike, and I could leave him in the rear view, and look for the next guy ahead.

At this point the camera goes off of he and I. And there is some oddity, here I am flying into a turn that I had mastered all weekend, and I had a lot of speed, and Mr A is standing there taking his bike for a walk. But in the next frames, we are still in the turn, and he is actually coming out ahead of me. Strange. As memory serves, just as he was hopping back on his bike, and as I was just about to do this... ... His foot which was coming over his bike to get back on it, instead of his foot landing on HIS pedal, conveniently landed on MY pedal! ( or back tire, or all of the above, but I think it was the pedal and ankle, and I remember having another blast of WTF angry feelings towards Mr A at that point. ), and almost knocked me down, but it only knocked my foot off. But, it gave him time to get on, and suddenly it was a drag race, and a grudge match, between he and I.

However, (since you are watching it on slow mo now, lol) you will see that he positioned himself in such a way, that I was almost pushed off of the inside of the next jump. I think I had about 3 inches of jump that I was clawing onto with my comp ST! At that point, I almost snapped, and considered paying him back for the cut, for the foot, and for the attitude, by fighting back and shoving him into the upper deck of the bleachers! And if that wasn't enough, (off camera as well) there was a cone on the inside of the track following that jump, and he almost shoved me into it, ...and at that point, I didn't care about anything (except maybe pushing him down! lol), as the finish line was already being crossed by Lee Medlin, but I had to make a decision whether or not to get personal, and shove him back, right up into the bleachers, or to take my win, and go home happy, and let him be the jerk face that he wants to be. (I'm just layin' down down the facts from my own perspective 30 years ago, for reader amusement, and so someone can get a T-shirt!)

So, I made the call, and I sat down on my seat, and let him go be a big baby by himself (like I said, it was how I was feeling at the time. It's my story, and I can tell it any way I want to!) And so I went home happy without incident, and still with no love lost to orange and blue colors. But to this day, when I watch that video, I can't help but think how different our local guys rode, and how the attitudes differed around the country, and I can't help but wonder, if I had known going into that TD, that he was going to play it like he did, if I wouldn't have just let him have it. Sometimes I wish I would have shoved him right off into the toolies and played his game tougher than he did. As a competitor, there was not much love lost between he and I at the time. In fact, I wasn't much for orange and blue all together, as at the time, I thought they were all a bunch of arrogant jerk faces! (That will get you the shirt for sure now!)

Now that I am 41 years old, I am 99% glad that I chose the high road that day, and took all the lessons it gave me.

But there is that one percent of me (or so, lol) that can look back and think I should have hopped off my bike as he was pushing me off the jump and pushing me into the cone, and I should have jumped on his back, and drug him right off the back of his bike for being such a big baby/sore loser about losing to me in the mains. Those kinds of feelings alone helped me learn way back then, why it's best to always take the high road.

BMX taught me lots of lessons in life. IN most cases, BMX altogether, taught everyone here more than they can even quantify. That race was good for a lot of people. Including Mr.A. He needed a good loss under his belt! HA! And truth be known, I was happy to be the one to do it!

In reality, I am always humble about that race. You won some, you lost some. You gave it your best, and nobody ever wins them all.

...In the end, the only things that matter, are the lessons that you learned while driving down that road. Nothing else matters, not the trophies, not the fame, not the glory, not the ego. In fact, that part usually works against you. It's best to just play the subtle card.

(Unless you are trying to get someone a T-shirt)

And on a complete side note lesson that was learned that day. Lee Medlin was one fast mo-fo!

What was the topic again?....

~~~~goes to the garage to work on his new 1959 boat~~~~

Cheers, and enjoy the T-shirt, cuz I have a feeling there will be hell to pay for this post of mine....one way, or another. lmao.

So how about a Role Call on the people on those moto sheets!!!?

silly doubles...lol

i found another pic...hehe
this was my first moto and last moto i lost there...

Hey Todd any relation to Billy and Jimbo Lyons their dad ran the gate at sertoma in Indy.

Well, if I'm not mistaken, the 1st Jag World Championships were in 1978. I know that was the first year for them in Indy. Am I right? If not, please correct me.




Forgot to mention. I would love to have a copy of that old video your talkin' about.

The only pics of me at the World Championships in Indy that I'm aware of is somewhere on Rod Miles computer. Rod you know the one. If you still got it, post it I'd like a good chuckle. I never did any good, but my buddy Bruce Long kicked some butt and Rob Nichols Factory Thruster and fellow Nick's BMX teammate either won or finished second in thr cruiser class on a 26 inch CBR.

[/quote]

See the big JAG BMX banner on the wall;my friend BITD got that and had a ton of pro signatures on it. It' huge! Would not surprise me if he still has it?

There is a seller on ebay who goes by 814suzanne. Not trying to give this person a free plug but I did just purchase 3 dvd's from this seller with multiple races on it. The JAG World Championships from 81 being one of them. I'm pretty sure they have more if you look under "old school bmx" and browse through until you see a picture of a light blue and a pink frames side by side with the title of old school racing dvd's. Good coverage of the race and tons of crashes in the first turn. Good stuff!

If anyone knows where I can get a copy of the DVD from '81 I would be interested. I tried Ebay but there's nothing under the seller bBoneau was talking about.

Weird, I saw her selling them on there 2 days ago. Maybe she will put more up.

about time someone put the results on here

I remember the Waffle House episode. Harry Leary was walking around serving people coffee. Even at 12 I can remember thinking that is something you don't see everyday.
I got first in my class and won the over all girls as well. I hadn't been racing very long and had no idea what was going on when they called me to the infield for the over all award. It was between me and Kathy Schackel. We both won all of our races with the exception of a second she got in her quarter so they gave it to me. I was getting interviewed by Renny Roker in the infield and Kathy was on the gate for her main. I remeber she looked upset. I also remember my dad actually complained about how we were going to get both trophies home. He made me take them to the car with my bike by myself. It was an ordeal to say the least. I think he was just cranky because it was so late by the time the races finished. Wasn't it like 1:00am or am I imagining that part?

Oh yeah I remember that waffle house night...that was pretty hilarious...the (few) people that were working there just sort of gave up! Good times...

The floor was so slick we were all using hairspray and other crap to make the tires sticky...despite that everyone was wiping in the first turn. I think both of these pictures were taken right before we ate it! I ended up getting third. I seem to remember Jensen's leg getting hurt or something.

I've posted these before but these were from '81 Jag 10x - I'm the hutch guy, Jason Jensen is the Torker guy...I can see Troy Raatz on the left of the first pic...can't quite remember the Vans guy

John the vans rider was one of everette rosecrans sons cant remember his name kurt /kevin/kelly?
I remember seeing them in 80 or 81 i think at the vans trick team show in centerville oh along with mike domingez .Everette ran vans for along time and sponsered most of all us at some time or another

I see mr modest got 2nd place in 11expert way to go bro!

Very bad photo, but enough to show my daughter at the race (#4). Plus in dsmith's post of the results I see my name in one of the geezer cruiser classes.



Mike

[

#999 is Kelly Rosecranns riding for Vans. He went on to become a big time skateboarder. He is featured in the movie Rising Son: The legand of Christian Hosoi.

Cool photos! Is that a Torker girl in the background? Kathy Hanna?

i'd say wendy edmond

Lisa,
The fun thing about your post for me is it reminds me of when I became a Harry Leary fan. It wasn't the Waffle House episode but rather his racing before that. In one of his motos he came out of the final turn in third place and I never saw anyone try so hard to race to the line before or since. It's difficult to put into words now but it was an inspirational effort on his part.
Your trophy story is funny too. It was a long way to the car, very cold and I think maybe even snowing some. I'm pretty sure you are right that it was near 1am.

Mike

Here I (25v) am battling on my 26" Torker cruiser behind Wooden Wheels rider (Kent Gordy ?).
I've also got a video of Larry going off course around the first jump, then flipping over a hay bale.

I didn't make the main. I now recall and confess that at either this race or in 1982, I was following around Lisa Vonderahe, the 12-13 Powder puff winner. Not only this race, but the Evansville, Indiana indoor race in the horse stable.

I don't remember staying at a hotel. Maybe we drove up right before the race. I remember Big B of 75-80 BMX put a lot of effort into getting permission to display the moto number with a lighted sign.

Me in 81. I made it as far as the semi and got a 5th.....by a tire....so close.

This is right outta Turn 1

I didn't make the main. I now recall and confess that at either this race or in 1982, I was following around Lisa Vonderahe, the 12-13 Powder puff winner. Not only this race, but the Evansville, Indiana indoor race in the horse stable.



What??

Video excerpts of 1981 NBL JAG BMX Grand Championships and a little South Park Pittsburgh horse stable indoors at +20F.

1981 BMX Winter Indoor racing

I have this video footage.. So many crashes and could have been MORE avoidable had there been a jump in the first straight to stagger the riders a bit. You can't fit 4-5 wide into that corner and expect no crashes... Just my 02

LOL That's my story from the race. Reading it now, I can't help but ask "what were they THINKING, running that?" Not too bad for a 15 year old, but still. It was either a stroke of brilliance on their part, or a clear case of dereliction of duty

Thanks for posting that. Not sure if I have that issue anywhere, so it was cool to see it.

Best,

M

Man, what memories that brings for me! I raced the '80 jags,not '81, but raced at south park indoors .My last season would have been 79-80, as I quit racing altogether in the summer of '81. I graduated in '80 and gave it up.I have a few good pics of the south park racing.

Now It's official! I am goin in search of some photos I know exsist from 81 or 82 Indy Jag's. Man, these will rock you when i find em.

Thanks for the memories this far!! Awesome!!

Trey