Yeah I hope Billy does but I talk to him every couple months and he has not mentioned it to me.He has alot going on with 2 little ones. Although last time I talked to him he said he was at the track with the kids so who knows. As for me I live in Lake Tahoe and will be racing at the Roseville ABA nats july 4 weekend. I plan on racing both the NBL and ABA grands.Doing alot more next year.If the Christmas Classic is in Virginia again I will come race it. How about you Brian you plannin on racin some.

Sweet, My riding buddy is coming back! Sounds like I'm gonna have to ride more than just race day this summer.

I may have to dust off one of the bikes and see if I have anything left in me....

Here's an oldie for ya. Talkin about tough practice moto.On the far right "The Jet" Jeff Jessup riding a Robinson, Jeff was no doubt the fastest person on a bike, not because hes my brother, but becaused he tripled every national he went too. He didnt race alot but loved to ride and would come out to big races and nationals just to prove he was the fastest.his accomplishments included a fifth place at his first race ever at norfolk he than went on to be unbeaten for the rest of his local racing career. nk we were counting his trophies he had like 159 all 1 place, beat that anyone? Countless national wins, opens and trophie dashes. He placed 2 at the 82 HUFFY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS in the Pro Class, and won almost every Pro national entered. Next is Mike Rich, I think hes riding a Sting already. Mike was definately the constant professional and all around good guy,he is responsible for bringing BMX to hampton, Mike was always tough to beat and was always in the top three at nationals racing the Worlds best. Next to him on an original old school Redline Square tail is Phil Caudell, he was from hampton and raced the Jag Worlds as a 15x, stopped racing after that,next is my brothers best friend Bill Coleman riding a mongoose just like out the old ad, it was red and pretty,Bill was deaf and older than the rest of us, he was my first BMX hero, Bill could be seen flying around Hampton long before there was a track doing hi-speed wheelies,jumping big jumps,and long power slides. He rode fast every where he went, here he has Va. state 2 plate on his bike . He moved to Fla. shortly after this photo. Next up Ronnie Jessup yeah heh me gettin squeezed by the big boys riding a Robinson with a Nat.# 11 from 12x class. Look how little I am at 13.Went on to win World 2 in 82. I finished 8 at the the Murray World Cup 2 years later, my chain broke in the main, next to me is '78 Jag World Championships 2nd place finisher in the 14x class Tom Mahon riding an old nikel plated Redline. Tom killed it all the time,betting Tim Judge regurily. He was hudge for his age, way bigger than Kuzma, and lifted regulary. Tom like my brother won every local national he went too, definately a Hampton legend. Tom stopped racing when he turned 16 ang got into HOT RODS with Phil. They were both great guys and lots of fun to ride with.On the outside is Billy Screena, a local dont think Billy raced much but he crossed it up with the rest of us. Ihave a picture of us coming into the last turn too. These were taken the first year Hampton was opened.

Awesome pic, Ronnie. Thats some pretty deep roots. You don't have any pictures of you jumping the berm in the 3rd turn at Hampton do you? What is Mike Rich up to these days?

Yeah Brian I do, but there at my parents in a photo album, I will get her to send it to me. As for Mike I havent seen or heard from him. I saw some results where he was racing cruisers in his early 30's. ABA Nats. I saw his brother Steve about 4 or 5 years ago while in Va. He was there visiting from Georgia I believe and he said Mike was living in Chicago with his wife who used to race I think for funway. Dont know her name Popeye does I'm sure. I really would like to see Mike, he did alot for me as he did for everyone.He was a true "Legend of the Sport" . The most fun to ride with. Did you or Popeye ever ride Ft. Monroe with him. That used to be one of his favorite spots. I'll post some cool pics of Mike when my son gets home from school, yeah I don't how. You wont believe this but Kareem Richardson who used to race for Mongoose has just called in on the phone. Anyway Brian get that bike cleaned up and lets ride with Popeye to the Christmas Classic.

Here are a couple shots of the Legendary Mike Rich in action.They were taken in 81 in Springfield, Ill. At top is a 14 over open moto. Out front wearin his church socks is Nelson Chanity, year before he won the Worlds. Mike has no socks, wew boy,but hes haulin freight though. The next picture is the 14 over open main event. From the left Joe Claveau[RRS], John Piant[DG], Mark Driscoll[Schwinn], Mike Rich[noone], Rod Beckering[SE] Look at Mkes first str8 pull from the outside. Looks like hes in 3rd here dont remeber where he finihed.

"HAMPTON SUPER SPEEDWAY" by: Ken Bailey , This was taken in 81 i think right before a state Championship race. Oh the good times. Thank you Ken Bailey from all of us that got to ride it.

Wow! Was that the last turn? That is even before my time there. When I first started it had a berm there already.

I do remember Tom Mahan. He worked in the shipyard as a pipefitter years ago. I remember one race I was at, he kept poking Mike Rich in the chest and calling him bird-chest tweet-tweet. I was still a novice then and I never got to race against him.
You are so right about Jeff being the fastest guy back then. He never even new what gear was on the bike. I remember beating him to the first turn one time, then immediately sliding out at getting my shoulder smashed my Dogan Gunessever"s front tire. That was the only time I was ever in front of him and I think it was a fluke. He must have been looking the other way when the gate fell.

More great pics Ronnie. I love the picture of Hampton by Mr. Bailey. I remember when they put in "the tripple" in the 3rd straight, and then Bobby Encinas coming and doing a little clinic. Those 3 little parking lot speed bumps seemed bigger back then.

Speaking of your brother Jeff, I remember one time he saw that my chain was really tight and he told me that he liked things a little loose on his bike for speed. He showed me his hubs were a little loose and said that he rather them be way loose than even a little tight. He said "loose is fast." 15 years later I heard the same thing in Days of Thunder and thought about that day.

As far as the Christmas Classic goes, Im in. On flats, and everything just a little loose.

I've got a pic of the legendary Mike Rich on his Schwinn Sting at 75-80 BMX in Monrovia, MD in a 16 & over expert race. Leading: Joel Linnell [Flying Wheels], Mike Rich [none], Bob VonMoss [System BMX], Dogan "Shot From Guns" Gunnesever [none]. One more turn and Joel Linnell is heading up PORK CHOP HILL. Big B is announcing.

How about the Legendary Steve Rich beating Richie Farside at the Vineland, NJ national?
Steve Rich @ Vineland

It would be great to see pics of his homemade 26" cruiser beyond the one in BMX Plus at Lawrenceville 1981.

One time all 3 of us were racing 20" at 75-80. We all launched off the jump in the first turn together. I was sandwiched in the middle, I did a complete flip in the air and got tangled up with Mike on the outside. I got up with a chainring folded over with some skin and blood on it.

that was a ballas bullet by ballas precision machine out of richmond va. i remember ronnie riding it.

Randy Daugherty from Richmond is on vintage and posting guys. The "Richmond Legend" is loose!

That picture is so cool. I never knew he raced a GJS. I do have a picture of him racing his cruiser from Fairfax Va. national. I will get that up tonight or tomorrow for sure.

These photos may not be vintage , but it does show how much fun Popeye and I had last time we rode to the Christmas Classic together in 2000. Thats me in the lead about to eat it, take a look at Popeyes face, is he? a] happy to be racing with his long time friend. b] overly worried about his friend and travelin buddy. c] finding the situtation hystericly funny, and laughing so hard his face has turned flourescent pink matching his cruiser. I think its b.

Yeah Popeye Steve had all the cool bikes. The GJS was real nice cause of its length, and of course hes beatin Farside, as he beat Judge and the rest of the Hutch team too. Virginia's Steve Rich, Jeff Jessup, Justin Shepard, Billy Boyer,and Tom Mahan were always beating the so called best. You guys above rule. And about the Bullet frame I rode, it was givin to me at Mr. Shepards bike shop as they wanted me to test it for them.It was the same as a CW in which I personally didnt like because of its slow steering.However the short rear end was nice. The bike lasted all summer I was trying to break it.I would have to say the bike was well made and took alot of abuse. I never grew to like it though. Sorry CW fans. Justin sure seemed to like his though.

How about this picture of Jeff Jessup at Hampton.Half way down the second straight and he already has a 4-5 bike length lead. In this one he is leading from left to right: Carl Denny, Mike Rich, Mike Gordon, Herbie Smith (from Va Beach) and Steve Brooks (also from Va. Beach).

Thought I would add a neighborhood pic.

This was the ramp we built in the woods by my house. This was taken during the winter of '79.
We had some guests from the other side of Hampton visiting our goofy little jump this day.
These were the guys I rode with all the time. That is David Inge behind the ramp. Mike Mingee laying under it. Kenny Haymes with the green jacket. John Draylick with the black plate. Brian Judkins siting on my red Schwinn Mag Scrambler. I don't know who that was siting down with the green jacket. Steve Rich with the #3 on the plate riding if I remember correctly, a PK Ripper.
The guy jumping the ramp was Jim Taggart on his mongoose. Jim was the guy who really got me started racing. He went to the church in our area and talked David Inge into trying racing. I went to watch and check it out. I loved it so much I had to try it and on June 17 1979 I raced my first race thanks to Jim. Coming up on 30 years straight with no breaks in a couple weeks.

Nice Herbie and Steve from Va.Beach. Those guys were fast also.

This picture was so cool to see. In high school they used to have a "Energy Conservation Week" every year and on the thursday of that week it was bike day. This picture was put in the Yearbook of my junior year at Bethel High school. It was taken in front of the school.

That Is Ronnie Drumeller #82 on his redline squareback and Larry Brumfield on his Schwinn scrambler. Me and Ronnie wearing our Hampton Schwinn Jerseys. I'm riding a Schwinn Sting of course but with Redline forks so I already broke a pair of sting forks then. I have what Ronnie and the track area guys called a trash-can-lid gear on. (48/16) That was my favorite number and was before I had an NBL license.

OK, Here is that pic of Steve Rich and his cruiser I promised.

April 1982 Fairfax Va. National wining his class of course.

awesome pic Popeye

Here is a Pro Am gate at Hampton either late '83 or early '84.
Left to right: Mike Rich, Les Gordon?, Ronnie Jessup, Popeye Mertens, Brian Boyle?, Dan Boyle.
Help me out Brian, is that you?

Mertens, that hurts. I had way more snap than that. I am not sure who that is, but I do see Clayton Denny's head next to Mike's tire and Mike's Dad to the inside of Dan. By the dates you gave I would have been 14 or 15 and too young for the Pro-ams.

Click to view attachmentHere's on of me following Rodney Cooper in turn one at the infamous Fairfax "mud" national. Lookin all factory, huh? Hovan's back there too.

Click to view attachmentThis ones a little more recent of me. ABA Hotlanta Nationals either '98 or '99. I'm in the middle #944 doing my best Ronnie Jessup inpersonation. I hit several races in those two years and had a great time. My brother and Dana Meredith had started talking about racing again. i was in Tennessee, Dan in Charlotte and Dana in Florida. We were supposed to meet up at some races, but neither of them ever got passed jumping curbs those two summers. Good times anyway.

Popeye back in these days it was harder to make the main at Hampton in the 16X AND 14 over open than it was at the nationals.This was only the first moto and look at Mike Rich struggling.Next moto had you ,me, Steve Rich, and bunch other hotshoes. Racing was both fun and tough at the Speedway than.Have any pics of mud races at Hampton

Nice pic ,and what style. Lookin good. Just like ridin a bike, You never forget huh Brian,just takes a little longer to get in shape.

Click to view attachmentAwesome shot of the legendary Mike Rich on his Quad, jumping the "quad" at Hampton Super Track. Probably around 1985. Sweet ride. My brother later owned that bike.

Click to view attachmentAnother Quadangle. This is Chris Messik busting a huge air on the 3rd turn berm at Hampton Super Track way back in about 1983. Back then tracks were always "open" for people to ride, and you could have just as much fun then as on race days. Nowadays, atleast here in Tennessee the tracks are locked up tight unless they are having a race.

I owned this Quad at one time and Mr. Hobbs painted it Porche green for me. Looked awesome, but hated the way it rode.

Chris was a fun guy to hang around with and was always willing to go big. Do any of you Hampton guys know where he is these days?

Hey Popeye you wouldn't happened to have 84 Super Bmx mag. with Tommy Brackens on the cover from the Murray World Cup would you. Iam in 4th behind Tommy, Brian Patterson, and Richard Zagars. I am ahead of Stu, Brent Patterson, and Tinker Juarez. If you have it please post it. Or if anyone else does please post. I dont have it , and my son thinks I'm BS him. Thanks

Yeah Brian Chris came to a local race about 5 years ago and looked really good, actually as if he has not aged. He was running his own company and doing well for himself. I believe he lives in either Poqouson or in the Matthews area. He was lookin for racing pants for his son. I hooked him up with a sweet Factory Powerlite uni. that used to be my sons.

Hey guys...GREAT PICS! I lived in southwest Va. and raced mostly NC state races and such but when the state series was in Lynchburg I would show up there. Lots of faces and names I recall on this thread.

I know Gagnon and his dad use to come down to the Va. series. I also heard Timmy Nelson showed up at a practice last year in Richmond.

Ronnie.....hope you come on back! Our class has gotten STUPID hard. Be nice to see ya' back again.

Joel Clark

Thanks for posting. I always wondered who won that race, because I got second behind him.


That's a home-chopped frame, isn't it? Looks better in the pic.

I know you did but I'm not sure who that is. That looks like a B or a D on the plate. Since it's not you, it must be Carl Denny, though I don't remember him with that getup on. It does look like his crouched down start technique though.

I know exactly where he is. He worked as a roofer for many years and always had a really dark tan. But a few years ago he came into the shipyard and is now working in the Nuclear Refueling area. He has a pretty good job from what he tells me. Caught up with him at the training facility as we had classes on the same day.

Yea it was home made. Check out the reverse slot drop-out on the back. That just screams Free Spirit 10-speed frame to me. If you were wearing the yellow uniform, I have pics of you also. Mike Gordon was racing you guys at that race also.

There were some nationally famous riders from Hampton back in 1983. These guys were in a Hard bound book that was in most public and school libraries across the country.

BMX A Guide to Bicycle Motocross
by Charles Coombs printed in 1983


[Page 5 ]Kris Kuzma (#44k) in the lead followed by Les Gordon (#60g), David Marley? (#10m), Mike Leach (#24l). Mike Leach lives in Fishersville, Va.(near Staunton) and still races ever now and then with his son.

[Page 72] Top pic: Steve Rich and Mike Gordon racing cruisers.
Bottom pic: The powerful Paul Crist #55, followed by Brian Bailey(over his left shoulder), Dan Boyle (#100) and Dana Meridith (#13)

[Page 94] Ronnie Jessup(#9), Mike Rich (#76R), and Herbie Smith (#714). Hey Ronnie, It's hard to move Mike in the turns when your nearly the same height and giving up about 50 lbs. You got to get under his elbows and hit him in the ribs. That's what I did.

Yeah Mikes not budgin for sure. Look at the angle of my rear tire, I look like I am pulling to many G's from hi-lo move on the both of them and my body cant hang in there with sharp turn of that GT.

Hey Popeye, I think Bethel high is still looking for that book. The over due fine must be getting pretty steep by now.

i thought dave stevens would have been the tricked out diamond back guy? i remember he had that harry leary turbo and was always decked out but i am probably wrong

Just going by the number on the plate, It's Les. And all of us Hampton locals know that Les was way faster than a lot of people gave him credit for. That's a pretty good snap too. Might have been an old uniform of Dave's.

It is really hard for me to be sure.

I am pretty sure it is Les also, I think Dave Stevens was a little before the Haro pants time line. By the way, how wide do you think those bars are????? Im guessing he cut off a pretty big chunk of someone's broom handle for that.

Cool stuff guys!

Hope everything is well, Ronnie.

Well I know we took a big group to the ABA national in Raleigh N.C. in early '84 and Dave was racing then as a pro. That was a fun trip. Lets see, It was Me, Ronnie, Dave Stevens, Neil Scott, Les Gordon, Dana Meridith, Brian Fuller, Jody Linthicum, and two more guys too. Can't remember who they were. I remember Brian Fuller hitting his head pretty hard on Sat. and someone coming from the pit area telling me that something was wrong with him. I got to him and he kept asking for his glasses cause he could not see. Seeing that they were on his face scared me to death. I picked him up and carried him into the infield where the medics were. I thought I was gonna spend the rest of the day in the hospital, but Jeff Reid's mom volunteered to go with him. He turned out ok but he sure gave me a scare.

I'm enjoying the thread, especially remembering racing the "legendary" Mike and Steve Rich, and that a BMX bike is "typified by a high seat post."

but at the 82 NBL Grands Steve Rich didn't make the main in 16-24 cruiser. I think he had the hard semi with Fehd and Judge. I did not race Steve in any qualifiers at the 82 Grands, but I did make it to the main.

Steve Rich in BMX Plus! from the 16-24 (26") cruiser main 1981 Lawrenceville, NJ



39L: Rob Litzenberg
77R: Steve Rich
25V: Bob VonMoss
15?: Kerensky Bullard (MCS)
88: Mike Wallace (winner of 81 Grands)
97L: ? (Wooden Wheels rider?)
6: Pat Davenport

As for Steve Racing the Grands, I am not sure what year it was but it was at St.Louis, Mo. Steve hit the gate i n the main and his handle bars spun completey sideways, that didnt stop Steve though, he took off in last place passed every body was in second passing Tim Judge over the big step jump, while in the air Steve straightend out his handlebars, landed and went right off the track. Now you try racing a Ladies cruiser at the grands with your handlebars totally sideways. Good Luck. Steve Rich you rocked.Hey Justin remember Steve blasting on Andy Patterson and Rob Fehd inside the Silverdome on the cruiser.