1979 World Mini GP - Saddleback

Dropbear
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Dropbear
Edited Date/Time 3/1/2018 8:56pm
I mentioned this in another thread (I probably should't have, apologies to the author) but I was hoping someone might be able to help getting a copy or scan of the stories on The Yamaha Race of Champions at the World Mini GP.

It was featured in Minicycle/BMX Action Magazine from August 1979 and also the Motocross Action of the same month. I think.

I finished 3rd in the Race of Champions behind Kehoe and Holland and have lost all my clipping of the event. I have a 14 year old son that I would love to show.



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newmann
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newmann 5/7/2008 3:35pm
5/7/2008 3:35pm
I think I have MINI/BMX with the ROC from 1980? I'll check.
Dropbear
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Dropbear 5/8/2008 5:47am
5/8/2008 5:47am Edited Date/Time 4/16/2016 6:53pm
Mini Sidecar racing was big in Australia in the '70s. Mainly in South Australia and to a lesser extent Victoria. That's me swinging on the Harley Davidson 90 in the photo in 1974 when I was 10 years old at a track in suburban Adelaide. We had State and National Championships for differing age groups. It was like stockcar racing with lots of barging and banging bars.

Photo still makes me laugh.
porterhouse
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porterhouse 5/8/2008 3:21pm
5/8/2008 3:21pm
Very cool.

As a dad with young kids the first thing I thought was it must have been a challenge figuring out who was going to be the rider and who was the monkey.

"I wanna drive!"

"No, I wanna drive..."

The Shop

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mr50racer
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mr50racer 5/17/2008 4:30pm
5/17/2008 4:30pm
Hey drobear I raced that day. I will look around to see if I can find anything. I was supposed to race the 50cc ROC on the Italjets but got hurt in my second moto of the weekend.........
nicks dad 450 5/18/2008 7:53am
5/18/2008 7:53am
hi guys,i had to add "450" to my screen name to re-register.anyway,dropbear; is your name derrim porter?
Dropbear
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Dropbear 5/18/2008 1:24pm
5/18/2008 1:24pm
Hi Nicks Dad, my name is Steve Skilton.

Derrim rode in the ROC the year before and we were both entered in the '79 event, but Derrim hurt his arm in a earlier moto and could not ride.

I have to get some photos scanned from the event that my Dad took, pics of Kehoe, Holland, Hemme etc. on 80's.

Mr50. that is a shame you got hurt before the Italjet ROC. Track would have been tough for a 50!

BTW, Sidecar racing was nuts.



nicks dad 450 5/18/2008 8:09pm
5/18/2008 8:09pm
nice to meet you steve.do you still ride?what became of your racing career later?what about porters? you guys were my heroes as a kid. i got to meet kehoe a few yrs later at a team yamaha riding school-autograph event. they stopped at a local track right before the washougal national.it was 1982 and as a 14 yr old i had just gotten a new yz-125. after that weekend i got new o'neal gear just like kehoe's.didnt ride like him though.how would you compare the riding skills of your'e era to today's mini experts?
Dropbear
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Dropbear 5/19/2008 1:04am
5/19/2008 1:04am
I did all right at a state level, got bikes from Honda but never went on after about '84 on CR500's. Loved bikes but realised i wasn't gonna go much faster without a LOT of work and there was no money in it - I still spent a fortune. Great fun and made great friends though, that's the main thing. Went on and did Enduros and stuff.

Still ride as much as I can. Never really heard about Derrim again - not sure if he rode big bikes at all.

Really at the ROC there were two races- Kehoe vs Holland, then the rest of us. Those guys were on another level. The mini riders today are great to watch and it's good that Australia has more of a homegrown series that the riders can prove themselves and go on to bigger things.
popdoggy
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popdoggy 8/18/2008 4:06am
8/18/2008 4:06am
Dropbear wrote:
I mentioned this in another thread (I probably should't have, apologies to the author) but I was hoping someone might be able to help getting a...
I mentioned this in another thread (I probably should't have, apologies to the author) but I was hoping someone might be able to help getting a copy or scan of the stories on The Yamaha Race of Champions at the World Mini GP.

It was featured in Minicycle/BMX Action Magazine from August 1979 and also the Motocross Action of the same month. I think.

I finished 3rd in the Race of Champions behind Kehoe and Holland and have lost all my clipping of the event. I have a 14 year old son that I would love to show.



Drop bear, l have the minicycle/bmx action with the race of champions article. You are wearing a taylor yamaha jersey on a YZ80, race number 20. If you still need a copy give me a reply.
popdoggy
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popdoggy 8/18/2008 4:08am
8/18/2008 4:08am
Drop bear, l have the minicycle/bmx action with the race of champions article. You are wearing a taylor yamaha jersey on a YZ80, race number 20. If you still need a copy give me a reply.
DonnieS
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DonnieS 3/29/2010 9:55pm
3/29/2010 9:55pm
I was at the 1979 WMGP too! I have a few pics with Derrim. I did better myself in 1980 (1st)
Original 44
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Original 44 3/30/2010 9:40am
3/30/2010 9:40am Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 9:46pm
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Webcokid
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Webcokid 3/30/2010 6:37pm
3/30/2010 6:37pm Edited Date/Time 4/1/2010 6:37pm
Kehoe and holland were flyinn that day. One rider lost the handle and the 80 Goast rode itself down the hill to the road turn. My pals dad bought one of those bikes with the Magura thortle and other trick parts. Premier Yamaha in HB I think supplied the bikes forYamah. That Italia Jet race was most memorable and I did not realize that MR 50 missed that. Those little bikes were so cool, and fast, and Italian! Of course, all of this was taken in after my moto at Webco flats. Beginner class 78, nov 79
Rosco_Holden 3/10/2012 3:22am
3/10/2012 3:22am
DonnieS wrote:
I was at the 1979 WMGP too! I have a few pics with Derrim. I did better myself in 1980 (1st)
Gday all, computers and the things you come across , I was also over ther in 79 with Derrim , whom Im very much still in contact with,Steve and 6 other Aussies doing the World Mini's in 79 at Saddleback. I was on factory DG RN 125 which is a whole another story. I have some pics from the day but not many as I was riding and over with no parent on my first Big Trip abroad.

Just go on to facebook and friend me and you can see a bunch of the Old Stuff.

Stay safe shit I love the the Old Days, Over from Under Rosco Holden
lbccrf450r
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lbccrf450r 4/10/2012 11:03am
4/10/2012 11:03am
I recently started to ride again after a 30 year break and found these threads that take me back to the good "ole" days. I was at that race as well representing Harrys Cycle Sales. I didn't ride enough to ever compete in the ROC. Those guys rode circles around me! haha. Kehoe and Holland were on a mission of their own! I also have that Minicycle/BMX action magazine which had the write up for the '79 WMGP in it. Actually got a little write up in it and made the table of contents thanks to Ms. Campbell I believe. That event was one of several of my fondest memories!
RM Mike
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RM Mike 4/26/2012 1:22pm
4/26/2012 1:22pm
Nothing to do with 1979 but I was at the Mini Grand Prix at Escape Country in '77 or '78 I can't remember.

I know the Race Of Champions that year was Jeff Wards last race on a 80. I will never forget how he destroyed everybody on the start. All the brand new YZ80's just getting wringed out.

There were lots of very trick bikes there. I remember the R&D Suzukis. Chris Heisser was on one. Myerscough. Eric Kehoe was there. Can't remember all the names.

Pit Row

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lbccrf450r
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lbccrf450r 4/26/2012 6:20pm
4/26/2012 6:20pm
RM Mike wrote:
Nothing to do with 1979 but I was at the Mini Grand Prix at Escape Country in '77 or '78 I can't remember. I know the...
Nothing to do with 1979 but I was at the Mini Grand Prix at Escape Country in '77 or '78 I can't remember.

I know the Race Of Champions that year was Jeff Wards last race on a 80. I will never forget how he destroyed everybody on the start. All the brand new YZ80's just getting wringed out.

There were lots of very trick bikes there. I remember the R&D Suzukis. Chris Heisser was on one. Myerscough. Eric Kehoe was there. Can't remember all the names.
I was there for that ROC as well. Jeff Wards last ride on an 80! He not only smoked everyone off the gate but in the race as well. I have pictures somewhere of him in that race.
fader418
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fader418 4/30/2012 8:26pm
4/30/2012 8:26pm
I remember the World mini in 1978. My brother won the 80 class and he beat Mike Healey. I remember Mike saying "you got lucky". That sure was a long time ago. Damn I'm old
highlandpark_mxer 9/20/2016 7:09pm
9/20/2016 7:09pm Edited Date/Time 9/20/2016 7:10pm
Dropbear wrote:
I mentioned this in another thread (I probably should't have, apologies to the author) but I was hoping someone might be able to help getting a...
I mentioned this in another thread (I probably should't have, apologies to the author) but I was hoping someone might be able to help getting a copy or scan of the stories on The Yamaha Race of Champions at the World Mini GP.

It was featured in Minicycle/BMX Action Magazine from August 1979 and also the Motocross Action of the same month. I think.

I finished 3rd in the Race of Champions behind Kehoe and Holland and have lost all my clipping of the event. I have a 14 year old son that I would love to show.



Check this out. The original program in perfect condition. If you want to show your son and you would appreciate it, ill give it to you.





highlandpark_mxer 9/20/2016 7:12pm
9/20/2016 7:12pm
RM Mike wrote:
Nothing to do with 1979 but I was at the Mini Grand Prix at Escape Country in '77 or '78 I can't remember. I know the...
Nothing to do with 1979 but I was at the Mini Grand Prix at Escape Country in '77 or '78 I can't remember.

I know the Race Of Champions that year was Jeff Wards last race on a 80. I will never forget how he destroyed everybody on the start. All the brand new YZ80's just getting wringed out.

There were lots of very trick bikes there. I remember the R&D Suzukis. Chris Heisser was on one. Myerscough. Eric Kehoe was there. Can't remember all the names.
Check this out



RM Mike
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RM Mike 9/21/2016 6:34am
9/21/2016 6:34am
RM Mike wrote:
Nothing to do with 1979 but I was at the Mini Grand Prix at Escape Country in '77 or '78 I can't remember. I know the...
Nothing to do with 1979 but I was at the Mini Grand Prix at Escape Country in '77 or '78 I can't remember.

I know the Race Of Champions that year was Jeff Wards last race on a 80. I will never forget how he destroyed everybody on the start. All the brand new YZ80's just getting wringed out.

There were lots of very trick bikes there. I remember the R&D Suzukis. Chris Heisser was on one. Myerscough. Eric Kehoe was there. Can't remember all the names.
highlandpark_mxer wrote:
Check this out[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/20/152693/s1200_20160920_190526.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/20/152694/s1200_20160920_190629.jpg[/img]
Check this out



So it was in 1978 then. I was 16. Biggest event I'd ever been to. Lots of people and bikes and RVs. We were there for a week I think. It was badass. Had an enclosed trailer full of bikes and big Winnebago Commander full of kids. I went with my friends family. They raced different classes.
Thanks for the pics.

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