1974 Superbowl of Motocross Los Angeles CA - 4-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article

Description

1974 Superbowl of Motocross Los Angeles CA - 4-Page Vintage Motorcycle Article
Original, vintage magazine article
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm)
Condition: Good
SUPERBOWL:
MOTOCROSS
ON A RUG
Tripes got the cheers,
DeCoster got the attention,
%
Falta got the win, and the
Yamaha team got the night off
The Olympia Superbowl of Motocross
; • the most exciting, the most dynamic
international event. . . .” If you were in
the Los Angeles area the week or so prior
to the Superbowl, you might have heard
that advertisement over local radio
and TV stations. And there was another
featuring two-time Superbowl winner
Marty Tripes, punctuated by more super-
latives like “incredible.” Could a moto-
cross on a football field possibly be that
great?
The Los Angeles Coliseum had the air
of a circus to it as immense throngs of
people stood in ticket lines while peanut
and popcom vendors hawked their good-
ies. One old man was even trying to sell
collapsible opera glasses to those who
might find themselves in the upper
reaches of the vast stadium.
Meanwhile inside, the motocrossers,
entered by invitation in the 250cc “Inter-
national” class, paraded out to the infield
podium. They were individually intro-
duced by the announcer, resplendent in
his burgundy, crushed-velvet formal din-
ner jacket. “And now, ladies and gentle-
men, National Number One. Garrrrryyyy
Jones!” The crowd of over 47,000 loved
it.
The track behind the introductory pro-
ceedings stood in readiness. It was a Rolf
Tibblin-designed serpentine that squig-
gled back and forth across and around the
bowl of the Coliseum, snaking up into the
stands and through the arches at the top.
The tons of dirt that had been dumped
along the course to form the track were
heaped upon 70,000 square feet of carpet,
put there to protect the grass underneath.
As the lights of the stadium were turned
on, splashes of vivid colors—Marty Tripes’
red leathers. Roger DeCoster’s yellow
leathers and bike, greens and blues of
other teams and riders—moved in high
relief against the brown of the track.
The 250 “International” class earned
that name by virtue of the fact that there
were several different nationalities pres-
ent. It was an invitational meet, so it
wasn’t really an international anything;
the only U.S. round of the Grand Prix
series was in the 500cc class and that
wasn’t for another month. Although it was
AMA sanctioned, it wasn’t run for any
points, international or otherwise. And as
the riders lined up in the staging area for
the first 250 moto, one notable thing about
the American team was the absence of
several top U.S. riders. Where were Brad
Lackey, one of the names mentioned in
pre-race publicity, and Jim Pomeroy?
And for that matter, where was the whole
Yamaha factory motocross team? But the
fans weren’t thinking of things like that
as they tried to out-db the motocross bikes
poised at the gate.
Roger DeCoster headed the surge at the
drop of the gate with Bill Grossi and
Czechoslovakian Jaroslav Falta hot on his
heels. Halfway through that lap. CZ-
mounted Falta took over the first spot and...
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