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(February 15, 2007~Diamond Don Racing) ~ The American National Historic Racing Association (“AHRMA”) will be honoring The Legends of Motocross at their National Vintage Motocross Series this year.
Danny LaPorte will be the honored legend at AHRMA’s 5th Annual Diamond Don’s Riverport National in Jefferson, Texas to be held on March 30, 31 and April 1. Over 600 entries are expected for the three day event which includes Cross Country and Trials on Friday, Vintage Motocross Race on Saturday with the Post-Vintage and Sidecar Races on Sunday.
This great event will feature three world champions of motocross racing: Jeff Smith, Brad Lackey and Danny LaPorte.
Jeff Smith is a two-time World 500cc Motocross Champion, having won the championship in 1964 and 1965. He was one of the world’s leading motocross racers in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Smith also competed 11 times in the International Six Day Trials and won gold eight times. He still participates in vintage motocross, trials and cross country today. In 2006, he won first place in AHRMA’s Vintage 70+ expert class and in AHRMA’s Premier Expert Cross Country class.
Brad Lackey won the 1972 AMA 500cc National Motocross Championship. After ten years of trying, he rode his RN82 500cc Suzuki to the world championship in 1982, to become the first American to win the FIM 500cc class. Come watch him race a replica of this great bike. Many thanks to Alex Moroz, Ohlins, Gary Hazel, Bad Brush, HMI Billet and the other sponsors that helped Diamond Don Rainey rebuild this bike. When Brad isn’t racing, the bike will be on display at the track. Lackey left professional racing while on top. He retired after his 1982 win but still enjoys racing the AHRMA circuit.
Danny LaPorte was the recipient of AMA’s 1981 Professional Athlete of the Year and was the 1979 AMA 500cc National Motocross Champion. LaPorte became the first American to win the FIM 250cc World Motocross Championship in 1982, just weeks after Lackey won his world championship. Their first ever world championships for U.S. riders helped establish America’s standing in the world motocross community. LaPorte started racing when he was 11 and turned professional at 16.
All three world champs have been inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Lackey in 1999 and LaPorte and Smith in 2000.
XYZ X-treme Vintage YZ will be building a replica of the 1984 YZ 490 that LaPorte raced in Europe that year. ZLT Racing will be doing the graphics and Race Tech will set up the suspension for Danny.
Die hard YZ fans consider the vintage YZ line to be some of the most technologically advanced and innovative machines of their time. Scott Sears with XYZ says “a YZ just looks like a dirt bike should, not pretty, but all business.”
These champs will put on quite the show. Jefferson, Texas is nestled deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas and seems frozen in time. It is a charming town and an elegant reminder of a bygone era.
See www.DiamondDon.com for more information or call 903-445-9796. |
