Heres some of my old cruiser pics from different races through the years .










This last one is Mar Lopez and I #42 racing at the 1st world cup , not sure who the wheelsnthings racer is .

Cool pics Gary, thanks for sharing, I especially like the one in the arena, thats just too cool.

can ya give us some names and places gary? i think i see johnny turner followed by nelson chanady in one pic.
mike

who's the mongoose rider in the 3rd pic?
mike

Sure 1st pic Larry Von moss / Kent Gordy
2nd Me leading moto at De . national
3rd is Roland Vieght(spelling ?) mongoose , Kevin Harlow DG , Jeff Kosmola mongoose Fla 81
4th Kevin again , not sure who MCS rider is .
5th Kevin crossing up
6th cant be sure who the 3 bar cruiser racer is but it is the water jump at murray world cup
7th Looks like Turner(profile) leading Kent Gordy (CW) ,Nelson(hot shop) ,and maybe Fehd (GT)
8th is Kent Gordy at the pontiac silverdome race (WWR)
9th is Mike Goeddey (GT) Tom Harvrey (WWR) at the world cup

MCS rider could be phil beeler (sp?) seeing it's in florida. great pics!
mike

Check out how many people there are in the second pic, sure would like to see that these days too... ya gotta love a track boarderd with lots of old tires! Great photos, love to see more if ya have em. Digging the mx style track in the cross up photo, with the clumps of dirt and a few ruts here and there. Imagine the kids and parents these days if they saw a course that looked like that? I think I would just tell them thats the motocross part of bicycle moto cross.

Hmmmm kewl old shots.. I have a few too.. KOS, Danny Oakley and I have been swapping lies about cruiser racing lately, so I found a few oldies.. KOS and I had BATTLES and thick BROTHERHOOD!! We traveled together and had ablast on and off the track, best buds and FIERCE competitors!!!

C-Ya.. OM

...and....

Check out the seat on this cruiser














Great pics Scott .

Hope I didnt scare ya OM .

Fantastic pics guys!!

OM - those pic are classics!

MAN!!!
SCOTT LOOK FAST IN THESE PIC I'M GLAD THERE IS A FEW WITH ME TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH HIM " GREAT TREAD" KOS

Scot left out the infamous "jump where there is no jump" picture from the first turn at Corona. It was in BMX Action.

I don't have it scanned in or I would post it.

Great pics, I think it would be great if someone would gather as many cruiser racing pics as possible and make a book you know like a coffee table book. All 26" racing would be sweet.

KJ,
THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, MATTER OF FACT MY WIFE HAS SOMETHING ALREADY STARTED LIKE THAT KOS

Here's a great battle between teammates, KOS and Kenny.

JT,
I CAN'T BELEIVE YOU MADE A MISTAKE! I'M WRITING THESE ONE DOWN.
THAT'S ME AND KENNY
YOU STILL ROCK
"KOS"

Yup, it's Kenny Nachman and Tinker got second in the main behind you.

Your parts were sent today

THANK'S JT
HOW MUCH WAS THE SHIPPING?
ANYWAY WHAT RACE WAS THAT?
KOS

aaaawesome pics

I love Cruiser Race Threads

I never get tired of looking at Scot's collection of action shots. Very Cool Scot!



Ben Joy & Jay Graves over Riverside's Doubles



Jay Graves on a KOS & Ben Joy on a DG Vulcan at Riverside


Powerlite Nationals June 1981 Pro Cruiser 1st Moto



Powerlite Nationals June 1981 Pro Cruiser 1st Moto


Powerlite Nationals June 1981 Pro Cruiser Main Brent Patterson on a KOS & Ben Joy on a 3 Bar Powerlite 26

Kenny Pliska, Jay Graves, Ben Joy April 1982 Riverside Park Clackamas, OR


Kenny Pliska & Mark Darcy June 1982 Jox Jag Nationals Clackamas, OR


Spring 1982 Riverside Park Clackamas, OR


Fall 1983 Oregon State Finals Eugene, OR


Summer 1983 Oregon Governor's Cup Eugene, OR


1984 Can-Am (Canadian American) Championships Monroe, WA

Yes, great pictures everyone!!!



1981 Houston Astrodome

I think the MCS rider is Jamie Burrows. That must be the 1981 NBL Grands @ St. Louis Supercross BMX. I.M.H.O. the best BMX track ever built!

Kevin

Longest van ride of my life ,26 hours one way in the WWR van . The ride was well worth it once we road the track .

1979 ABA Grands, I'm all elbows, leading down the first straight.





1981 Worlds





1980 ABA Nationals @ Monroe, Washington. Me & Kos in the last turn.

Here's a pic of the Powerlite Cruiser I ran during the 1980 season



Kevin

Here's a couple more.

Robby Rupe (SE) Jamie Burrows (MCS) and I (DG). 1981 War of the Stars, Atlanta, Ga.



Jumping Contest at a local race in San Diego, Ca. 1981


Kevin

I recall Reid Rowlands (CW-WWR)and a few other wwr guys used that powerlite that same year . Do you guys recall Marty McCue(big mustacheCW-WWR), Bill Green (DG) . They were a little older than you guys back then , I think they were in 25-35 cruiser then . Saw some great racing at the Jags that year . Seeing Tim Judge lifted up in the air by everyone was one of the highlights of my childhood . Hearing Eddie King & Pete L go at it with broken legs after the trophy dash was unforgetable .

Gary,

I remember Bill Green, and thinking he was pretty fast for an "old guy" L.O.L. Wish I was that old now! Sorry, I don't recall the others.

Kevin

That 25-35 class is alot faster then back in our day . I remember guys having a tough time just pulling up over a roller in that class bitd . Of coarse a 35lbs bike didnt help either . Reid & Marty used to race Bill at nationals quite often . Isnt St. loui grands where Bill got hurt pretty bad ?

Yes, he did get hurt there. 1st straight, right?

Kevin

No I thought it was the step but I may be wrong . I think he broke both collar bones . Reid got # 5 & Bill got 2 or 3 that year . Bill had been the man to beat up until that crash . When you raced for DG there was another DG racer named Randy Heanan from Miami that was in my class 13x . I raced him at all the Florida nationals .

Hey Kenny and Kevin... GREAT pictures u guys!! Love 'em..

My bro Kenny P.. Love ya dog.. Thanks for the letters.. Means MORE than u understand..

Haulin' Harlow!!!! By the way.. awesome to see you at the Fulerton Bike gig a few weeks ago Kevin. U look great! Still a stud bro! Thanks for all the wonderful memories and friendship Kevin...

Kos.. U R THE MAN!!! Period!

Dennis, I forgot that series of pics in BMXA.. Who has the "Old Jump Where there is no jump Trick" spread scanned?... Can u PLEASE post it?... That was Corona at a NBA National I think.. Or ABA?.. I drew lane 8 on the outside and asked Oz to go shoot the first turn and I would do a tabletop jump
leading into the drop there.. he said: "But it's the main, you might crash...and there is NO JUMP! ".. I told him just to" Just focus and push the damn button.." he laughed and ran down the hill to do it! LOL.. Oz was the BEST of the BEST!! I'd do ANYTHING to get Oz's attention and in the pages of the MIGHTY BMXA!!! SOMeBODY PLEASE POST IT......

Also.. the neato high speed blurr shot from Monroe ABA National for the first ever Pro Cruiser race?..One of Oz's kewl pics, two page spread deal... SOMEBODY PLEASE POST IT!

I HAVE MORE, GOTTA FIND 'EM.. LOL..
C-Ya..
OM

Hmmmm found the Seattle shot, but have it too small.. anyone have it bigger?...

Kewl shot at bottm of last post.. first turn at World Cup event in 1981, Belgium race where they let me race Open Elite Class on my OM Flyer VS the 20" dudes.. Gates were tuff, but once I got rolling, SMOKED 'EM! LOL.. Ahhhh... the good ole days! LOL...

Have a few others....

Notice shoulder sling.. Amarillo Tx., Track guy waters first turn while he's talking.. SOAKED IT! I come blasting into turn full throttle and front tire washes out.. Johnny Severin shoves his S & S cruiser up my tailpipe and I dislocate my shoulder, and break the collarbone!

Mug shot is Toby Hollywood Henderson.. my SE Factory ACE who DOMINATED NBL Pro Cruiser Class in 83-84... One of my heros..

Thought I would add a pic from Aug 24, 1984. Place: Jacksonville, FL (Arlington BMX track). This was taken in practice by a Florida Times Union photographer who was doing a story on the track.

I'm #46. A couple other people I knew where Drew Johnson (#7) and Stan Sanford (#28) who was the owner of the local schwinn bike shop.

Kewl to see ya' there too Scot. Maybe hang out @ the races one of these days? My son and I hit most of the west coast ABA nationals these days.

Kevin

1982 combined Cruzzer class at Hidden Trails BMX, Plano TX. Gave up the KOS for a 24 soon after.

Gary, those are some great pics, it truly is sad that with that many people watching that the track at lums closed. You should put together a history of that track in book form I bet you would sell alot of copies.

Been thinking about doing something with all these pics and stories but between racing and work havent had much time . NJ started a bmx site just for the history of bmx in NJ this past year . Delaware should do one . Ive checked out DE. site and theres no oldschool stuff . Have you been on a track yet ?

fun thread!
thanks for sharing.

A question for Kevin and Ben, Did you guys ever feel racing a 3 Bar cruiser was a disadvantage against the more race geometry OM's or Koz cruisers. Looking forward to your replies, thanks, Kevin.

>> 1st pic Bob Von moss / Kent Gordy

Yeah, looks like 75-80 BMX (Monrovia, MD) next to the 75-80 Speedway/Drag-Strip (now closed). I was running the Maryland state champion number plate probably August 1981. Thanks for the memories. BIG B would be proud. Love the 26" tribute. The golden year(s) of cruiser racing.

I got to go to see the drags a few times there after the race . Made it out on the track yet Bob ?

No. The three bar Powerlites were designed for racing, and had geometry that was considered "racing geometry" for that era. I actually felt that the Powerlite frame was superior to the ones you mentioned in that it was lighter weight and had a 4" tall headtube (standard on today's BMX bikes), where the others had 5"+ tall headtubes, making it slightly more difficult to get your handlebars low enough for good pull on the big bikes. Also, I believe that the OM had longer chainstays than the Powerlite, making it an even more neutral handling bike. Anyway, I never felt at a disadvantage on my Powerlite. On the contrary, I believed that I had an advantage because of superior equipment. Maybe just delusional, but whatever works.

Kevin

Yeah, Turner (21), Fehd (84), pretty sure 41 is a guy from Florida (always forgot his name; not a magazine name guy), Gordy (5).
I noticed I am in the DeLux jersey behind Gordy (*gasp!*) (25v, black plate). Don't have enough info on the guy behind Fehd. This is clearly mid summer 1982. I'm not really sure where this is. My guess is deep south, like the Georgia race that they cut out of a field or a Florida race. If this is Florida, I got the flu at the race on the second day of the weekend.

Good old Azusa NBL
Click to view attachment

Yeah, I remember Marty M.: big mustache, dark hair. Wasn't he riding an SE? CW? He was all stretched out leaning forward over his bike, had his own corny style of humor. He came out to 75-80 a few times. I vaguely remember Bill Green. Marty was always sticking around Reid like glue from what I remember.

26" Torker with the wide GT bars....one of the fondest memories riding a bike, and I rode a lot of bikes in my lifetime. I was pretty much the cruiser pioneer in Maryland BMX at Rockville BMX and 75-80. That was the beginning, sir. Me and Gordon Bantum and Neal Allen and sometimes Steve Rich and Justin Shepherd would come up from VA.

I will actually be in Asia in 2 weeks not 75-80. I even have a Chinese transit visa. If I really wanted to, I could see BMX in the Olympics no problem. Not planning on it at the moment.

You gotta go see it Bob . It's our history as bmxers being made . If you can and dont you'll regret it . Do you know how many old school guys would kill to be there for that race . If you do take your camera and share some pics . I recall racing you at 75-80 in trophy dash races . You and that Torker took up the whole track , impossible to pass you on that track .

Kevin, That's interesting I personaly like the three bar cruisers and have an MCS which is really light in weight. It seems most guys collecting cruisers tend to only be interested in Koz's or OM's etc. and shy away from the three bars thinking they were merely beach cruisers being raced. However guys may feel about three bars they were an important era in early BMX cruiser racing and should never be overlooked as merely beach cruisers. This thread has actually inspired me to take mine out for a spin which I did last night, soooo smooth of a bike and as I said before really light.