M. Weber - Wild Moments on Dirt Bikes

Conditions on the track can change depending on the weather. Sometimes the course is dry, and sometimes it is wet. When a course is dry it is easier for riders to reach faster speeds. When a course is wet riders must navigate while slipping and sliding. This is why all riders take practice runs before races.

Roger DeCoster is a well-known motocross racer. In 1978 he was running a test race in Mol, Belgium, and took an unexpected crash. To this day he is not sure what caused him to lose control of his bike. DeCoster seemed fine at first. There were no scratches or marks on the outside of his body. But he could tell something was wrong. He went to the hospital where he learned that his had broken into five pieces! He underwent an operation to remove his spleen.

Roger DeCoster was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994.

DeCoster considers this 1978 spill his worst accident. He did not stop riding for long, however, as he recalled in an interview, Surprisingly, two weeks later, I raced and won an international event. Its the biggest pre-Grand Prix event. Its called the Easter Trophy. I won the 250 class, but I felt weird. It felt as though my insides were bouncing around.

Motocross came to the United States in the 1970s. It began as a popular sport in Europe.

OLYMPICS OF DIRT BIKE RACING

The Motocross des Nations is an international race held every year in a new location around the world. It is considered the Olympics of Motocross. The race merged together with the Trophe des Nations and the Coupe des Nations in 1985 to form a single major event. Riders compete in teams and race to represent their country.

In 1981 dirt bike racing competitions had been taking place around the world for nearly 60 years. But it was still new in the United States. U.S. competitors wanted to show that they could compete with top racers from around the world.

The Trophe des Nations and Motocross des Nations were important European races. The 1981 U.S. team was made up of riders Donnie Hansen, Danny LaPorte, Johnny OMara, and Chuck Sun. They were the underdogs of the tournament. When they arrived in Europe they were met with from the European teams.

The United States won every Motocross des Nations tournament between 1981 and 1993.

In the first round of the Trophe des Nations, each American faced a possible race-ending obstacle. The chains fell from Suns bike. OMara was hit by another rider and pushed from the track, losing valuable time. A rock hit LaPorte in the throat, making it hard to breathe. Hansens throttle stuck open, and he nearly lost control. This bad luck continued when Sun suffered a crash and ankle injury that took him out of the competition. But his teammates pushed on to victory. They were encouraged by signs from the that read Need Points! and Must Pass! The United States went on to dominate European motocross events for 13 years.

Team France won the Motocross des Nations in 2016. It was held in Maggiora, Italy.

FLAGS IN DIRT BIKE RACING

Motocross races have flags that give riders information during the race. Different colors have different meanings.

	GREEN FLAG Green means go! It signals the first lap of the race was successful, and the race can continue.
	YELLOW Yellow is the color of caution, telling a rider to slow down or look for an on the course.
	RED Stop! The race must stop immediately as there is a problem on the course.
	BLUE FLAG WITH DIAGONAL YELLOW STRIPE A rider who sees this flag must move over as a rider is passing them. This is used because a rider often cannot see who is approaching from behind or how fast they are coming.
	WHITE White signals the last lap of the race.
	CHECKERED FLAG Every racers favorite flag, it is dropped when a rider wins the race!

In 1982 Danny Magoo Chandler was one of the best riders in the world. In June he won the U.S. Grand Prix in a surprise victory. Chandler won all four events in the Motocross des Nations tournament in Europe, as well. It was a great year, where everything went his way.

It wasnt until a practice run early in 1983 that Chandlers lucky spell was broken. One morning he set off on a practice run in the hills around his home. He had been riding with a friend. The two went different ways. The friend decided to run one more loop before finishing. Thats when he found Chandler on the ground. Chandler had crashed his bike and hit his head against a fence post. He had no memory of the accident, and no one knew how long he had been on the ground. After the accident, he could no longer hear from his right ear. It was a frightening time for the racing legend.

Chandler fought to return to motocross. At first he struggled to be the rider he once had been. He remained committed, however. Two years later he won his first race since the accident, on a course in France.

Motocross is a physical and dangerous sport. Up to 95 percent of all motocross riders have sustained injuries while racing.