Race In Paradise Joel

[PlumLoco]

Remember how you felt when Lemmy died?
Yeah, it's like that. The original G.O.A.T.
https://motocrossactionmag.com/amp/joel-robert/

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

How they went so fast on what would be crap bikes by todays standards always amazes me.

 

[PlumLoco]

In Joel's case, he would do it with a hangover and a Marlboro.

 

[bk2drvr]

Pretty cool, too early to remember who he was. Looks like those bikes still could lift the front wheel in the right gear. Looking at those bikes I can't help but imagine what the monoshock and modern swing arm invention meant to those guys. lol....

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

In Joel's case, he would do it with a hangover and a Marlboro.

I used to help my brother in law when he raced MX in the late 80's back east. He and his buddies would all go get stoned big time in the panel van for each race. And he typically won.

 

[PlumLoco]

I was sitting in my truck with my 15 yr old son at Milestone one day. My kid says "Hey dad, do you think taking a big bong rip right before going out to the track is a good idea?" I laughed and said NO. I look over at him, and out through the window to the truck next to us. And that was exactly what was happening in that truck. This was two years ago. Can't fix stupid I guess.

 

[timstoy]

I remember the first Trans-AMA
series at Saddleback Park. Joel Robert, Roger DeCoster, Torsten Hallman and the rest of the Europeans were on another level of motocross racers. CZ, Husky’s, Maico’s, BSA’s,Bultaco’s and later the Works Suzuki’s. Good Times. God Speed Joel.

 

[PlumLoco]

I grew up in Corona and absolutely hated the track surface there. But I cheered at the fence line a few times. Somewhere in the late 80's I got DeCoster's autograph. He was just walking through the spectator area all by himself while a non pro race was going on. Cool dude and so fast, even then RJ said nobody on Team Honda was faster for the first 15 minutes.

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

I grew up in Corona and absolutely hated the track surface there. But I cheered at the fence line a few times. Somewhere in the late 80's I got DeCoster's autograph. He was just walking through the spectator area all by himself while a non pro race was going on. Cool dude and so fast, even then RJ said nobody on Team Honda was faster for the first 15 minutes.

There was a track in Corona back in the day?

 

[Ziggy]

Right around 1970 I was the first kid in my hood to put motorcycle handle bars on my bicycle. Those guys were major inspiration.

 

[PlumLoco]

There was a track in Corona back in the day?

Friday Nights under the single light LOL. High school motocross was a big deal. Not a bad track at all in the daytime. Staten, Fishback, and a few other guys were regulars. 1/2 mi east of McKinley exit now.

 

[ArizonaKevin]

Bengt Aberg and Joel Robert, two euro legends with their stories told to generations of Americans through On Any Sunday.

RIP Joel

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

Friday Nights under the single light LOL. High school motocross was a big deal. Not a bad track at all in the daytime. Staten, Fishback, and a few other guys were regulars. 1/2 mi east of McKinley exit now.

Interesting, before my time in California, we busy racing back east,
mainly Southwick Mass which had a AMA national back then.

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

Friday Nights under the single light LOL. High school motocross was a big deal. Not a bad track at all in the daytime. Staten, Fishback, and a few other guys were regulars. 1/2 mi east of McKinley exit now.

When did that go away? I’m sure a strip mall or houses replaced it.

 

[boatdoc55]

Friday Nights under the single light LOL. High school motocross was a big deal. Not a bad track at all in the daytime. Staten, Fishback, and a few other guys were regulars. 1/2 mi east of McKinley exit now.

Yep, that downhill in the dark was a bitch, It tossed me off one night and on another, my best friends leg was pointing in the wrong direction after a get off, cost him about 14 months of racing. My brother didn't do too bad out their with the other experts, isn't that what they called the pro's back then, experts? Rex was a fast SOB out there!!!!

 

[boatdoc55]

Pretty cool, too early to remember who he was. Looks like those bikes still could lift the front wheel in the right gear. Looking at those bikes I can't help but imagine what the monoshock and modern swing arm invention meant to those guys. lol....

We had WAY too much power back then for the suspension. Beat the shit out of us. Brother raced the first Monoshock in the States that wasn't a works bike. Dad imported it into the States from Canada. White/Red International colors. Took our mechanic awhile to figure that darn thing out.

 

[boatdoc55]

I remember the first Trans-AMA
series at Saddleback Park. Joel Robert, Roger DeCoster, Torsten Hallman and the rest of the Europeans were on another level of motocross racers. CZ, Husky’s, Maico’s, BSA’s,Bultaco’s and later the Works Suzuki’s. Good Times. God Speed Joel.

My brother was first American for several laps at one of the T/A's back then. Even lead a few laps and ol' Larry Huffman was going nuts on the PA. Blew the gear box all to hell on the KX 400 he was on. That thing was way to much power for the tranny, went though a LOT of them. Should have stuck with the Yamahas. RIP Joel it was a pleasure watching and racing you!!

 

[timstoy]

My brother was first American for several laps at one of the T/A's back then. Even lead a few laps and ol' Larry Huffman was going nuts on the PA. Blew the gear box all to hell on the KX 400 he was on. That thing was way to much power for the tranny, went though a LOT of them. Should have stuck with the Yamahas. RIP Joel it was a pleasure watching and racing you!!

John DeSoto?

 

[Havasu Surfer]

I grew up in Corona and absolutely hated the track surface there. But I cheered at the fence line a few times. Somewhere in the late 80's I got DeCoster's autograph. He was just walking through the spectator area all by himself while a non pro race was going on. Cool dude and so fast, even then RJ said nobody on Team Honda was faster for the first 15 minutes.

I know there was allot of open terrain out there back in the day. Was a part of that track visible from the 91 Fwy?


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[PlumLoco]

To be clear, I was referring to Saddleback when I said I "hated the dirt there." Corona had a variety of different soils and most were good and I don't remember dust being a problem much. Yes, much of Corona Raceway was visable from the freeway. The overpass just east of McKinley is Buchannan. Cars would be bumper to bumper to get into the parking lot at the big auto races. And the GPs ran in the hills where you could drive in easily and watch from your own truck.