Well, i promised Crehan.. So here it is!

15 Cruiser Main

15 Expert Main



23 Years ago.

Man Chris Backus had a tough day with that first turn. Both times he was leading into it and crashed or lost lost traction. I don't know how he stayed up in Cruiser but he did.

Thanks for posting those, the track has changed so much since 1986.

back then u still look as fast as some of todays pros !Wish i had 14 x or cruiser on film .Almost cant make out the riders if you didnt know them bitd .awesome main mike

Gonna upload 14x and 14 cruiser later this evening also 16 over open, one of the best races that day.

I can't get on it here at work, so I"M FREAKING OUT!! I want to leave early just to go home and watch it. You know what I think I will...later THANKS BUD!!

Uploading a bunch of videos right now. 14x,14 cruiser,14-15 open Main,16x 16 cruiser main,16 girls for D, 16 over open.. etc

I'm doing this the ghetto way playing on a widescreen and using a camera to record. LOL ,i guess its better than nothing though.


Link is in my Sig

Thanks for uploading those videos. Deanna, I beg to differ about Chris leading into the first turn. I think I had a pretty clear lead!!!

Tom great vids,wish i would of made the mains dudes were fast.Thanks for putting in the 16x state race,lot of P.A. guys will dig it

Seriously. Brad Birdwell absolutely ripped in that main. It reminded me of Grubbs on the Jox Jag indoor DVD. Big props to Mike Crehan winning big in the cruiser main.
Thanks for sharing.

Hey Brad, remember that it was on your mind that both of you had to deal with the "Ultimate Sin"....lol That is one of the only times that I have seen myself race. I have seen my 14 X main from the Grands the year before, that one the unknown took them to school...lol. Thanks so much for posting those. I wish that I was in the X main but messed up in the semis. Brad and I were tied in points on both bikes going in, we both won all of our motos, so it was do or die in the main. I remember right before I went to staging I listened to Ozzy's "Over the Mountain" from Diary of a Madman...dude I was pumped. When Brad got hurt it just wasn't the same for me.

Yeah Mike... same story on cruiser too. We went in tied up with Backus just a little bit behind us. Any of the 3 of us could have won the X or cruiser # 1 plate. And to be clear... anytime I stepped on the track, you were on my mind. It just works that way when someone is your 'arch-rival' (or 'arch-enemy' as the case may have been lol).

Kinda hard to call yourself an unknown when you went into the grands inside the top 3 on both bikes. You had a great 1985 season... and an even better 1986. I still find it hard to believe that you did not take both number 1 plates in 1987 after I got out. I really figured you would dominate our age class and hate that things changed for you after I left. How many more years did you race after the 86 season?

I think that I raced 4 nationals in 84-85 season. Remember that the nationals that were over 2 days counted as 2 races. I went into the 85 grands with a 846 in Cruiser (4 points behind you), and like a 840 something in X, you of course had perfects (850) in both. I forgot what happened in 14 cruiser (I think that I made the main and got like 7th or 8th), still good for Nat # 2. And just had a great race in X. Heck I won all my motos on both bikes wearing jeans and a long t-shirt. Then before my X main Bill Prince picked me up and I wore one of his riders WP uniform. 86 was good to me, I doubled both days at like 6 or 7 nationals. Had 850 on both bikes, and the rest is history. 87 was good too, to a certian point, I just wasn't having fun any more. Of course I still had an arch rivial that took your place, Kenny May. We traded wins back in forth through the summer. Then I fell @ South PArk and broke my left hand, So I went to the World's in Orlando with a cast on, was doing pretty good. I won all my motos, and then crashed in practice the next day and broke my colar bone. I still had a brace around my shoulder at the 87 grands. I think the way that the points worked out is all I had to do was make the X main and get the title....well what did I do...I crashed in the semi and choked. I got Nat # 3 on Cruiser and # 2 on 20". I raced like the first 3 nationals of the 87-88 season, then my attitude got the best of me in Ohio....When I got off the plane form Ohio my dad asked me if I had fun or not. I said no, and that was it.

Glad ya guys enjoyed that! John Hamilton was flying that weekend also,he wasn't even in the top 40 going into the grands and got 2nd in main and 1st in open.


Jimmy do you have the 87 Johnstown Regionals on tape? Still looking for that and the 86 South Park Nationals. If anyone does PM me.

You guys forgot about bj and big mac ,after you guys quit noone dominated like you 2.i think big mac got a few 1s and kenny did too ,as well as bj but none strung together .
I enjoyed watching brad and you battle mike ,and even finished close to brad in the only time i ever raced him in 85 at memphis i was 12 brad was getting ready to age up to 14 ...lawn took the win brad 2nd i got a close 3rd was one in the memory banks -as well as orlando a few weeks later but i cant remember how many of you big kids were there i think joe spurer won ,andy golobic ,then me there im sure i beat a few 13 yr olds ..One of my friends has the 85 memphis race on tape im hoping to get a copy one of these days .These videos and pics keep popping up on here its amazing .
Brad did you see the team shot loper or dalbac posted with the thruster team at the 83 grands in another other post -classic ?

Steve, good to hear from you. I remember the 85 Memphis race. Lawan and I were in the same moto... I won all 3 motos and then he won the one that counted. I also won 13x and 12-13 open that weekend, so the 2nd in cruiser cost me a triple for the weekend. I always loved racing in Memphis. It was pretty close to home (4 hours), and the tracks were typically fast and fun.

Barry and BJ definitely had their days in the sun. Both of those guys were fast when I was racing, but I think both of them really hit their strides after I 'retired'. I kept up with the sport from a distance but did not watch the week to week results. Both of them were great guys... so happy to see them win some championships. Always nice to see good guys win (unlike Ozzy and me)!!!

I actually have that Thruster team picture that Dalbec posted. Scott Stewart posted it on Facebook as well. Pretty cool to look back and see the old teammates. Facebook has been cool, as it has allowed me to catch up with several of my old teammates.

So Steve, what are you up to these days?

Tom i have the Johnstown tape & the South Park Nationals in a box somewhere with a bunch of other vcr tapes.

Back at it after 15 year break .Still just as fun as always .Would be cool to catch up with some more of the ol gang ...




Im pretty sure i won south park in 87 or 88 on cruiser can you check 14-15x on these?love to see that ..

Will do,whenever Bramer can dind them.

Wasn't that when you got back from Michigan?

Yeah Brad, It looks like you were in front. You were pulling from the outside for sure.

Well I did have fun in MI, if I remember corectly

Anyone recall who the announcer's where? I know Carmen Enciso and Lenny were. I can't remember the other guy thats announcing Mike's cruiser main.

It was probably Tom McMillan.

Kelly Burnette (R.I.P.) is the gate starter.

Tom found some tapes the sp.national is from 85.still looking

Check your Inbox.

i grew up in the northwest and raced backus a lot. the only time i ever heard him say someone was fast was one day at a local race. he said "this guy in the nbl birdwell, he is the fastest guy i have ever raced".

Wow tomatoehead, that is quite a compliment from Chris. Anyone know what he is up to these days? It would be great to catch up with him.

I believe it's Bob Lyons father to the Wildman TL. Steve knows for sure with that memory he has of bmx

I think your right greg .I taked to todd just a few days ago on the phone and subtract the frisco accent and there both dead on .

I allways thought brad was the jeremy mcgrath of the 80's bmx.Always had a brand new bike /uniform won most of the races he attended- murray seemed more of a dynasty team rather then a limited support/ budget factory team..
Speaking of that do you still have any of your old bikes brad ?would be cool to see a picture if you do.

Yeah, the Murray- DYNASTY! Birdwell was fast as he'yall. I miss the Memphis two day indoors at Liberty Land!! That was fun, the BMXA freestyle team of RL & Buff comin in for shows. I was still a contender back then! lol!

Trey

PS- thanks for the videos.

Steve, thanks for the compliment. As you probably know, in the mid-80's McGrath was actually a reasonably good BMXer. He made some national mains and was pretty competitive. Not near the success story as he was on the motorcycle... but a good rider.

I only have one frame/fork set left, and it is the first true BMX bike that my father bought me (and to be truthful, he has it). It was a Torker that I rode my first 2 years and won the 1982 Grands on. I got rid of every bike I owned when I retired in early 87. Part of that was to make sure that I did not make a half [please review the site FAQs] a comeback. I still have some of my old uniforms and helmets. I will pull a few out and take some pictures in the next week or so and post them on here.

Does anybody have the 1986 NBL top 20 national plate# results for 16 EXPERT @ 15 EXPERT.Think i have the points standings before the grands.

I may have them Bramer... let me check.

15x i dont have 16.


Jimmy can ya post the 15x prior to grands? ty


1. Brad Birdwell AL
2. Chris Backus WA
3. Michael Crehan FL
4. Matt Williams FL
5. Kerry Knight IA
6. Craig Reynolds IL
7. Paul Prestis NJ
8. Michael Russo FL
9. Robert Macpherson CA
10. Billy Jones OH
11. Bernard Gant FL
12. Ronnie Rioux CA
13. Barrett McManus IN
14. Gary Seals FL
15. Stephen Dillard CA
16. Danny Gibson CA
17. Jeremy White AL
18. Dan Wyllie IL
19. Billy Steele PA
20. David McKnight CT
21. Greg Frederick PA
22. Michael Hatfield AL
23. Derek Fink MO
24. Mike Guttin CN
25. Eric Turner CT
26. Billy Norman OH
27. Devon Morley CA
28. Jason Smith MI
29. Woody Reeves CA
30. Danny Nash MD
31. Raymond Rogers FL
32. Jason Herrrick IN
33. Gregory Bendos CT
34. John Hamilton TX
35. Tom Hartman PA
36. William Zdicham OH
37. Stephen Murphy? OH
38. Richard Obrian MI
39. Tom Andrews PA
40. Mark Dolby OH

Here are the 16x final standings...

1. Eric Carter CA
2. Sean Riblett CA
3. Sean Callahan CA
4. Danny Millwee CA
5. Dean LaBerge CA
6. James Dean LA
7. Matt Hadan CA
8. Lonnie Tatton CA
9. Todd Mitchell TX
10. Scott Breverman CA
11. David Gattis CA
12. Phillip Gaines GA
13. Chris Kennedy LA
14. James Bramer PA
15. Alan Foster MD
16. Eddie Nelson OH
17. Kevin Gennodie NY
18. Dave Cullinan CA
19. Scott Johnson MA
20. Marty Yockel PA

Hey Bramer, How old were you when you quit racing?

Tom the listing i have is for 16 expert.But i might have a Bicycle Today from then,I'll have to look.

About 17 or 18 how about you?

Thanks Bird sure do appreciate it.

They are watching you Bramer.

Just can't stop watching the vids