FAUX-STROKE ERA

I can vividly recall the first AMA national event I attended that was primarily comprised of 4-stroke bikes. Back in 2005, on a sunny and disgustingly humid day in Southwick, Mass., the first 125cc class moto blasted off the starting gate with a noise that proved sound is actually vibrations. My chest rumbled, my ears shook, and the sound caught me so much by surprise and that it just plain scared me. As the riders rounded the first turn, the only 125cc motorcycle in the group could very well have been an electric bike, for that familiar whine of the small machine was completely drowned out by the thirty-nine thumpers.

Just the shock of that experience had me thinking the races were no longer enjoyable. Two-strokes were entertaining, exciting, and at their worst (silencers with worn out or no packing) tolerable. Conversely, 4-stroke machines would only attract core fans to the races and elderly enthusiasts who were already hard of hearing and can recall the first era of 4-stroke motocross machines. Of course, as a hardcore fan myself, I did not stay away from the races for long, and the new machinery has proven to be more popular than anyone predicted.

Nevertheless, I still occasionally lament the slow fading of two-strokes in professional racing. Premix, blinged out works pipes, those were the days, right? But when I truly think about it, I am barely old enough to complain. For me and most fans below 30 years old, the two-stroke era was really just a blip on the map in terms of how long we have been following the sport.

To be honest I have only attended one single AMA Professional Motocross or Supercross without a four-stroke in the main event. The 1997 St. Louis SX was the first pro race I ever saw, and try as he might Lance Smail just could not get that enormous KTM530 around the track very well. Thus both main events were 4-stroke free, McGrath proved he was still capable of winning (much to my delight), Roncada demonstrated how to lug around twenty extra pounds of In-N-Out Burgers on the track and win, and Carmichael showed glimpses of the GOAT he was to become (although he was still a lamb at the time).

When I attended the same event the following year, Yamaha had already proven their commitment to 4-stroke development with their production YZ400F that Doug Henry would utilize in capturing the outdoor National Championship later that year. After that it was a gradual turn over to thumpers that seemed to increase exponentially. In reality, there was a combination of factors that lead to the endangering of tiddlers and 250s (in the premier class). The manufacturers, the EPA, and consumers all had a hand in the process, and while many of us miss the buzz of the 2-stroke, we have long been rumbling along in the modern 4-stroke era.

To be continued....

While the fourth round of the 2008 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series may have been held in the largest state on the West coast, it was a big night for one of the smallest states on the East coast. Names such as Jason Weigandt and Ronnie Faisst must have felt some pride for their home state. On a night that had so many potential winners, heartbreaks, and breakdowns, New Jersey native, Jason Lawrence, emerged victorious under harsh conditions.

So why was Lawrence’s win so important for a state with only two official racetracks? Aside from the fact that Jason is the first Jersey racer to achieve factory sponsorship since Mickey Kessler, his Saturday night triumph also marks the first professional AMA win for any rider from the most densely populated state in the nation. This is not to say there have never been any NJ riders who accomplished notoriety on the pro tour. (For a full run down of New Jersey motocross racing history check out njmotocross.com ).

In the 70’s it was Mickey Kessler representing Dirty Jerz on the AMA motocross tour. The local hero achieved factory support during his long career and finished as high as sixth in AMA points standings.

And just like any good rock station representing the 80’s, 90’s, and today, Bayville, NJ’s Barry Carsten was pretty much the only rider consitently representing the Garden State on the AMA circuit through much of those three decades. As a matter of fact he placed as high as fourth overall in the 1989 Eastern Regional Supercross Series.

However, while Kessler and Carsten are probably two of the nicest people one could ever hope to meet at the track, Jason Lawrence has established himself as a slightly less refined individual. In a sense he propagates the Jersey stereotype of being rough around the edges and ready to fight at the drop of a hat. And, while up until this point in his career he is probably better known for his off- track antics, he can now say he has accomplished something his predecessors never could. Jason used his East Coast amateur racing days, which essentially means racing in the mud half of the year, to guide himself to his first professional win.