....brushes wif greatness....?

[Norman Foley]

I've had the pleasure of being passed at a few enduros by Jeff Fredette, and he is always yells "thank you!" when you stay over to let him fly by. After the Winterset enduro last year, he was selling ISDE shirts to help fund his trip. I walked over to his trailer to get one and he stood there talking with me like I was his neighbor. Even offered me some of the peanuts he was munching. I had been reading about the guy's racing success for years and my first interaction with him was very cool.

This year, he was at the Geneseo enduro, sponsored by Springfield Armory. He took the overall, and the giant trophy had a genuine but nonfunctional 1911 pistol at the top. One of the other racer's kid was checking it out in awe- probably about 5 years old. Jeff pops the gun off the top, and hands it to him to check out. It obviously made the boy's (and his dad's) day and was a very cool moment.

paul

Jeff is one cool dude, in that understated Midwest way. I got to eat supper with him at ISDTRR a few years ago. Six guys at a picnic table, great stories and just as interested in what you had to say.

 

[skid plate]

i remember meeting Brad Lackey for the first
time and did not recognize him untill my friend
Kelly pointed him out. remember that buddy?
seems they had a broke down pickup and we offered
to help them out. I had some extra trans fluid and
they had some extra beers so we shared some beers
and stories funny guy. if anyone remembers he rode
for husk in the early 70s and really developed his A
game over in Europe then went to Honda. I think
he rode for about every major brand but did
a few years with husky and captured a lot of titles.

being in the industry for a few years i have been
fortunate to chat with a lot of greats and hang
with a few of them like Malcom, JN Roberts, Ron
Bishop, James Stewart, Jeff Ward, to name a few but that beer moment with
Brad seems to stand out for me.
S.

 

[pvduke]

More excellent stories!

You guys totally rule.

We ended up going to Perris, instead of the Secret Stomping grounds. And before ya rag me some more, Tim, I got the message last minute, around 10:00, Friday. You were toe's up already so.....

TP is a very nice person, down to earth and approachable. I've never seen anyone go 'round a little rutted corner so fast, that close up before. I was taking a break off to the side, watching him rip this little tiny rutted right then one foot seat bounce a 40' double immeidiately after it. Holy Snikees! The lean angle and roost coming off his inner peg was incredible. Yer darn right Wow.

What a great day, met some new people, pitted with a Pro, got some tips, I met my goals and exceeded my expectations. Had one little stall, no crashes, the only Husky. And.......... a brush wif greatness!

So too much!

 

[glangston]

This is not exactly greatness but

My wife's childhood friend ended up married to the guy that did the sequel to "On Any Sunday", called oddly enough "On Any Sunday II". She hob-nobbed with the lower levels of fame in both Hollywood and Bikedom. Her husband eventually ended up in jail on some financial shenanigan deal and they were divorced. I think they were in on the Speedway Bike craze too so that would include Bruce Penhall and others. Here's the Amazon listing of the movie. Her husband was listed as Producer...first name David..http://www.amazon.com/Any-Sunday-2-Bruce-Penhall/dp/6300198499

 

[Coffee]

This is not exactly greatness but

My wife's childhood friend ended up married to the guy that did the sequel to "On Any Sunday", called oddly enough "On Any Sunday II". She hob-nobbed with the lower levels of fame in both Hollywood and Bikedom. Her husband eventually ended up in jail on some financial shenanigan deal and they were divorced. I think they were in on the Speedway Bike craze too so that would include Bruce Penhall and others. Here's the Amazon listing of the movie. Her husband was listed as Producer...first name David..http://www.amazon.com/Any-Sunday-2-Bruce-Penhall/dp/6300198499

And the entire series is available at netflix, here is a link to On Any Sunday II
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/On_Any_Sunday_II/60031378?lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strkid=1895723262_0_0

Although it seems to be available for $0.69 at Amazon. Christmas is getting close!

 

[boisedave]

I grew up in Yakima, WA and had the pleasure of knowing Jim Pomeroy. Great guy. He used to teach motocross/riding schools. I took one once from him -- he spent a full day showing a group of us [10-15 YOA] things that I will never forget.

Funny story that supports the "Its the rider not the bike" philosophy. Jim was telling us that we needed to learn throttle/clutch control. We were parked in front of a hill -- fairly steep with lots of loose rocks with many seperate lines up the face. Imagine a typical desertish type hill climb at a riding area. Jim said he wanted us to ride sidehill and switchback our way to the top -- essentially to blaze our own trail and traverse it from side to side and switchback up.

One of the kids said "Impossible." Jim grabed the kids KX80 [Jim was a pretty big guy mind you] and hopped on and switchbacked up the whole thing -- working the throttle and clutch and just making it look easy. To cap it off -- once he got to the top, he flew of the top at 40 MPH and landed 3/4 of the way down the hill. Amazing -- one of the greatest displays of skill on a bike I can ever recall seeing.

 

[Mike Kay]

Brad Lackey was my idol in high school.

So fast forward decades. Im in Cabo. Bad Brad and his buddy and I are drinking beers at the same hotel. We make plans to go riding next day, its like a dream come true.

Next morning-Bad Brad gets horrible news from the states. Has to catch the next plane out. Had too. Funeral. We get in my truck, and i drive 100mph for 30 miles to the airport. All my skills, off on the shoulder, nearly killed a horse, nearly killed us. He is in tears from the news, yet agrees we have to drive as fast as possible and he MUST catch that flight. Made the flight by a minute or so.
It was intense.

Im not big on hero worship, they're all wankers, right?! But it was really a weird experience. Not sure im describing it right.

 

[Dirtdame]

I had more of a collision with greatness, rather than a brush Back in 1975, I rode district 38 motocross here in Southern California. Torsten Hallman Racing was in El Cajon and Lars Larson worked for the company. At the time, he was riding enduros and also motocross. He would come to the district races with his Can Am factory truck, a couple of bikes and a mechanic and race the Expert class in the mornings. In those days, it was quite a sight to see such a rig at a local racing event.

Anyway, one Sunday I parked in the upper pits and his peeps and he set up camp right next to me. After my moto was over, I was hurrying up the access road and he was late to the start of his race (the 2 minute sign had just been turned to 1) and hurrying to the starting line. There was a little blind spot in the pits where we managed to meet head onand I got a broken hip and femur out of the whole thing. Lars got his elbow dislocated. Both our bikes sustained heavy damage.

I ended up in traction for 8 weeks. Lars ended up not being able to ride the I.S.D.T. the following weekend., but he did come and visit me in the hospital and gave me a book by Torsten Hallman and Hakan Andersen on how to ride motocross. Too bad it wasn't a book on how to ride in the pits.

 

[WoodsChick]

I had more of a collision with greatness, rather than a brush Back in 1975, I rode district 38 motocross here in Southern California. Torsten Hallman Racing was in El Cajon and Lars Larson worked for the company. At the time, he was riding enduros and also motocross. He would come to the district races with his Can Am factory truck, a couple of bikes and a mechanic and race the Expert class in the mornings. In those days, it was quite a sight to see such a rig at a local racing event.

Anyway, one Sunday I parked in the upper pits and his peeps and he set up camp right next to me. After my moto was over, I was hurrying up the access road and he was late to the start of his race (the 2 minute sign had just been turned to 1) and hurrying to the starting line. There was a little blind spot in the pits where we managed to meet head onand I got a broken hip and femur out of the whole thing. Lars got his elbow dislocated. Both our bikes sustained heavy damage.

I ended up in traction for 8 weeks. Lars ended up not being able to ride the I.S.D.T. the following weekend., but he did come and visit me in the hospital and gave me a book by Torsten Hallman and Hakan Andersen on how to ride motocross. Too bad it wasn't a book on how to ride in the pits.

Ouch!! Doesn't sound like fun, but it is a great story


WoodsChick

 

[mrkartoom]

I rode with Damon Bradshaw and Buddy Antunez on a local sand track here back in the late 90's in preparation for the Southwick National. I played the part of backmarker.

 

[robertaccio]

spent alot of time riding with (behind) one of my Italian friends,, Luca Trussardi ,, lots of classic stories , and this one funny one , met Luca and his GF(Camilla) for a ride and for him a photo shoot for his sponsor Gaerne boots,,,, we were suiting up and he realized he did not bring his boots (forgot them)......at that time (just by coincidence) I had Gaerne boots but they were last years or before models, he size @9 me size 13,,,,,,he wore my huge boots for the photo session and I cruised around with sneakers. I don't know if the folks back in Italia had any issues or if the photos were used for any adverts,,,I will ask him next time (this story reminded me).R

 

[pvduke]

I had more of a collision with greatness, rather than a brush

I guess so! Holy crap!