1973 AMA Motocross National Championship season

February 2025 1973 AMA Motocross Championship season 1972 1974 The 1973 AMA Motocross Championship season was the 2nd AMA Motocross National Championship season. Summary The sport of motocross experienced explosive growth in 1973 and motorcycle manufacturers sought to capitalize on the expanding market with all four Japanese manufacturers fielding factory-backed teams alongside their European counterparts.https://vault.racerxonline.com/1973/mx/intro 1973 Motocross Season racerxonline.com 28 November 2018 Pierre Karsmakers from the Netherlands dominated the 1973 500cc national championship, winning seven of 12 AMA Nationals and claimed 17 victories in 36 races overall.http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=468 Pierre Karsmakers at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame motorcyclemuseum.org 28 November 2018 Karsmakers is credited with helping raise the level of American motocross by stressing the importance of physical fitness and machine preparation. 1973 marked a turning point in American motocross when Jimmy Weinert became the first American rider to defeat the then-dominant European riders in the Trans-AMA Motocross Series at Rio Bravo MX Park in Houston Texas.http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=292 Jimmy Weinert at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame motorcyclemuseum.org 28 November 2018 His victory showed that the level of American motocross had begun to compare with the level of European motocross. As in the 1972 season, after the season-ending 500cc race on September 9, American riders competing for the AMA national championship continued to accumulate points counting towards the national championship while they competed in the 1973 Trans-AMA motocross series, which began on September 23 and hosted visiting European riders from the Motocross World Championship. Although Karsmakers was a Dutch citizen, he was competing under an AMA license so, he was listed as the "Top American" finisher in the Trans-AMA series. After winning the 1972 250cc national championship on a Yamaha, Gary Jones was hired by Honda to help develop their new Honda CR250M motocross bike for the 1973 season.http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=204&lpos=0px&letter=J&txtFname=&rblFname=S&txtLname=&rblLname=S&discipline=0 Gary Jones at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame motorcyclemuseum.org 28 November 2018 He did so successfully to win his second consecutive 250cc national title. When Honda failed to provide Jones with a 500cc motorcycle for the 1973 Trans-AMA series, he purchased a Maico motorcycle and raced it with all the badges removed while wearing his Honda team apparel. This act provoked Honda to end their association with Jones.David Dewhurst 2022 Motocross The Golden Years Walsworth, Marceline, Missouri 978-0-578-29016-4 Jones claims the contract had a clause that allowed him to ride another bike if Honda couldn't provide a 500 so he went out and bought a Maico. "I scraped all the names off the Maico and raced it, wearing Honda gear, but Honda didn't want anything to do with me after that. Nationals 500cc RoundDateLocationWinnerTeamReport 1 March 10 Daytona International Speedway NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 2 May 6 Opelousas, Louisiana USA Mike Hartwig Husqvarna Report 3 May 13 Hialeah, Florida NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 4 May 20 Olive Branch, Michigan USA Mike Runyard Suzuki Report 5 June 2 Atlanta, Georgia NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 6 June 10 Adelphi, Ohio NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 7 June 17 Lake Whitney Ranch, Texas USA Brad Lackey Kawasaki Report 8 August 12 Lake Whitney Ranch, Texas NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 9 August 18 Pocono, Pennsylvania USA Mike Runyard Suzuki Report 10 August 26 Sligo, Kentucky NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 11 September 1 Alabama International Motor Speedway NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 12 September 9 New Orleans, Louisiana USA Brad Lackey Kawasaki ReportSource: Trans-AMA Series RoundDateLocationTop AmericanTeamReport 13 September 23 Springville, New York NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 14 September 28 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 15 October 7 Lexington, Ohio NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 16 October 14 Washington, Indiana USA Jimmy Weinert Kawasaki Report 17 October 21 Atlanta, Georgia NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 18 October 28 Orlando, Florida USA Brad Lackey Kawasaki Report 19 November 4 Houston, Texas USA Jimmy Weinert Kawasaki Report 20 November 11 Phoenix, Arizona NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 21 November 18 Puyallup, Washington NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 22 November 25 Livermore, California USA Rich Thorwaldson Suzuki Report 23 December 2 Orange, California NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha ReportSource:https://vault.racerxonline.com/1973/mx/races 1973 AMA Motocross National Championship results racerxonline.com 27 November 2018 https://books.google.com/books?id=PPsDAAAAMBAJ&dq=american%20motorcyclist%20gerrit%20wolsink&pg=PA60 Trans-AMA Motocross Records 28 November 2018 Assoc American Motorcyclist February 1982 250cc RoundDateLocationWinnerTeamReport 1 March 10 Daytona International Speedway USA Bob Grossi Husqvarna Report 2 May 6 Opelousas, Louisiana USA Jimmy Weinert Kawasaki Report 3 May 13 Hialeah, Florida USA Gary Jones Honda Report 4 May 20 Olive Branch, Michigan USA Jimmy Weinert Kawasaki Report 5 June 2 Atlanta, Georgia USA Marty Tripes Honda Report 6 June 10 Adelphi, Ohio USA Gary Jones Honda Report 7 June 17 Lake Whitney Ranch, Texas USA Gary Jones Honda Report 8 July 1 Tooele, Utah NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 9 July 6 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum USA Marty Tripes Honda Report 10 July 15 Baldwin, Kansas NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 11 July 22 Delta, Ohio USA John DeSoto ČZ Report 12 July 29 Unadilla, New York NED Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha Report 13 August 12 Lake Whitney Ranch, Texas USA Tim Hart Yamaha Report 14 August 18 Pocono, Pennsylvania USA Rich Thorwaldson Suzuki Report 15 August 26 Sligo, Kentucky USA Gary Jones Honda Report 16 September 1 Alabama International Motor Speedway USA Gary Jones Honda Report 17 September 9 New Orleans, Louisiana USA Gary Jones Honda ReportSource: Final standings 500cc Pos Rider Machine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Pts 1 Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha 1 3 1 1 1 13 1 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 5 1 3 15 1 1 6 1 2,659 2 Mike Runyard Suzuki 2 5 5 1 8 2 2 7 1 3 14 3 13 5 6 6 8 13 7 5 11 6 1,427 3 Peter Lamppu Kawasaki 2 3 2 2 4 4 4 6 12 9 7 15 5 9 3 4 8 11 1,126 4 Gary Semics Husqvarna 6 10 2 6 4 6 3 8 5 12 7 6 16 3 7 4 4 5 9 14 8 1,079 5 Brad Lackey Kawasaki 3 3 1 16 10 1 17 16 5 1 11 11 8 3 3 999 6 Tim Hart Yamaha 3 2 4 2 3 6 8 2 2 17 7 769 7 Rich Thorwaldson Suzuki 8 6 6 8 14 7 3 4 3 1 2 888 8 Mike Hartwig Husqvarna 4 1 15 4 7 13 8 7 2 14 2 16 6 16 15 13 756 9 Tony DiStefano ČZ 8 9 13 8 14 9 5 5 6 6 5 15 4 12 7 11 14 11 20 14 566 10 Wyman Priddy Kawasaki 5 4 4 9 17 5 6 6 10 2 539 - Jim Cooke Kawasaki 9 5 8 4 11 8 11 14 9 13 17 16 15 9 12 - - Steve Stackable ČZ 6 9 3 11 13 10 18 15 13 6 6 12 4 - - Mark Blackwell Husqvarna 7 7 6 7 4 10 11 10 10 12 17 10 18 - - Robert Harris Bultaco 12 5 4 2 20 7 7 18 10 16 15 18 17 - - Gary Jones Maico 5 12 13 16 4 2 8 14 5 9 - - Sonny DeFeo Maico 12 11 14 8 9 15 11 20 14 13 7 16 - - John DeSoto ČZ 14 3 2 8 16 7 2 18 10 17 20 - - Tony Wynn Kawasaki 16 6 7 5 19 7 6 20 16 11 19 - - Jim Pomeroy Bultaco 4 3 2 4 8 9 - - Gary Chaplin Honda 17 5 9 17 12 15 10 9 12 19 5 - - Jimmy Weinert Kawasaki 18 20 3 1 2 1 - - Robert Tuggle Husqvarna 14 10 10 9 12 8 - - Jim West Husqvarna 14 13 7 4 10 - - Steve Hackney Husqvarna 11 12 8 14 7 - - John Borg Maico 7 20 20 - - Donald Smith ČZ 9 20 - - Jody Foust Husqvarna 10 12 - - David Stewart Maico 11 9 - - Fred Hanna Husqvarna 8 9 - - Jimmy Ellis Yamaha 3 - - Billy Grossi Yamaha 4 - - Mickey Boone Suzuki 3 - - Rex Staten Maico 2 19 -Sources only document the points awarded to the first ten competitors. Source:https://vault.racerxonline.com/1973/mx/points 1973 AMA Motocross National Championship overall standings racerxonline.com 15 February 2016 250cc Pos Rider Machine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pts 1 Gary Jones Honda 1 6 2 1 1 9 10 4 4 3 4 1 1 1 1,445 2 Rich Thorwaldson Suzuki 7 2 11 2 5 3 3 7 6 5 18 19 13 1 18 2 3 1,086 3 Bob Grossi Husqvarna 1 3 10 10 4 10 8 3 6 11 6 2 3 6 10 900 4 Jimmy Weinert Kawasaki 2 1 8 1 9 9 4 9 7 18 2 16 2 878 5 Tim Hart Yamaha 4 5 4 8 7 1 6 7 3 4 710 6 Marty Tripes Honda 2 9 1 5 6 1 8 13 10 603 7 Pierre Karsmakers Yamaha 1 7 1 17 1 494 8 Gary Chaplin Maico 5 2 10 10 17 6 2 19 5 7 486 9 DeWayne Jones Honda 5 4 4 4 8 2 16 13 20 13 17 12 485 10 Jim Pomeroy Bultaco 3 2 2 2 16 465 - John Franklin Maico 4 11 18 17 14 9 8 15 9 - - Bill Clements Husqvarna 7 15 4 17 7 12 11 12 - - Ricky Jordan ČZ 18 5 3 3 6 8 20 8 9 17 - - Rich Eierstedt Honda 9 8 7 15 5 14 5 2 5 5 - - John Borders Bultaco 6 8 4 13 7 - - Terry Clark Husqvarna 5 16 12 4 12 - - John DeSoto ČZ 12 20 3 1 - - Bruce Baron Honda 8 7 7 6 - - Brad Lackey Kawasaki 2 13 3 - - Carl Siegal Yamaha 13 6 15 6 - - Mike Runyard Suzuki 5 18 14 10 - - Scott Jordan Bultaco 16 6 11 12 - - Rick Baumberger Yamaha 12 16 15 10 9 - - Kent Howerton ČZ 6 4 6 - - John Joyner Montesa 5 12 18 - - Al Baker Kawasaki 8 11 3 - - Gary Semics Husqvarna 19 5 3 - - Greg Thornton Bultaco 9 11 20 8 - - Mark Harmon Honda 9 13 18 13 - - Robert Esterlein Husqvarna 19 13 10 15 - - David Clemence Bultaco 10 13 17 20 - - Gary Bailey Bultaco 3 10 - - Gary Ingham Maico 6 8 - - Robert Thompson Husqvarna 9 8 - - Jim West Husqvarna 13 4 - - Barry Higgins Yamaha 3 16 - - Joel Nicholson Honda 7 12 - - Ralph Holmburg ČZ 9 14 - - Chris Douthitt Husqvarna 11 10 - - James Wicks ČZ 20 10 20 - - Steve Stackable ČZ 8 17 - - Dewitt Knox Yamaha 5 - - Jack O'Leary Yamaha 7 - - John Savitski Bultaco 7 - - Cary Smith Bultaco 9 - - Frank Stacy ČZ 9 -Sources only document the points awarded to the first ten competitors. Source: References External links AMA Motocross web site https://web.archive.org/web/20160213234137/http://americanmotorcyclist.com/racing/motocross.aspx 2016-02-13 Motocross National Championship web site https://web.archive.org/web/20160211151643/http://www.promotocross.com/mx/home 2016-02-11 AMA Motocross Championship Season AMA Motocross Championship Season Category:AMA Motocross Championship