1976 was a great year for dirt track. It's a very good feeling to be set up correctly for dirt track and run with the pack. I remember a track in Lodi that used to get 250 to 300 ametuer riders on a Friday night. There would be so many races you could find yourself racing your main event at 1am !
Rick Hocking and Dave Hansen were Teammates on freshly minted Champion Racing Frames with the new 1976 TT500 Yamaha motors, Rick Hocking had an oversize fuel tank and Hansen had a regular size tank, so Hansen had to pit late in the race for a splash of gas. Hocking and Hansen finished all 100 laps, third place was 2 laps down (98 laps).
I rode against Rick on the Ascot half-mile as both a novice and a junior. As a novice Rick would launch off the TT jump but when landing he'd keep the front wheel in the air all the way to the right-hander. Never saw anyone else do that!
The HOCK could really ride the wheels off of any bike he through his leg over. He won so much at Baylands that no one wanted to be in his race , so they came up with a winner take all race and called it BEAT THE HOCK!
Kind of sad to watch this Video as Hocking passed away in 2011 reported as a suicide. Also both announcers Frank Gifford and Robert Evel Knievel are gone along with veteran racer Paul Bostrom who was the Uncle of Roadracers Ben and Eric and Dave Bostrom's brother. Hocking was known as "The King of Fremont" in DT racing. One of the few riders that rode the Legendary TZ750 Yamaha in 75 @ Indy. Ascot Park long Gone but certainly not Forgotten. Probably the Best Friday Night Racing in the Country back in the Day. The caliber of Riders that rode there weekly was almost like watching an AMA National every week...R.I.P. Guys ...
Rick I believe is like one of only 3 or 4 riders in Grand National history to win a Grand National short track, a mile, a I/2 mile and a TT ..... he really was a great all around rider.
Evel says Dave Hansen is on a Triumph, but Dave Hansen was on a TT500 Yamaha, he was riding as teammate with Rick Hocking on the Champion Frames Racing Team, on the new Yamaha TT500s
1976 was a great year for dirt track. It's a very good feeling to be set up correctly for dirt track and run with the pack. I remember a track in Lodi that used to get 250 to 300 ametuer riders on a Friday night. There would be so many races you could find yourself racing your main event at 1am !
Rick Hocking and Dave Hansen were Teammates on freshly minted Champion Racing Frames with the new 1976 TT500 Yamaha motors, Rick Hocking had an oversize fuel tank and Hansen had a regular size tank, so Hansen had to pit late in the race for a splash of gas. Hocking and Hansen finished all 100 laps, third place was 2 laps down (98 laps).
I have had 7 deferent XT, TT SR 500, I love them!
I rode against Rick on the Ascot half-mile as both a novice and a junior. As a novice Rick would launch off the TT jump but when landing he'd keep the front wheel in the air all the way to the right-hander. Never saw anyone else do that!
I was there, 10 year boy wanting to be just like them.
The HOCK could really ride the wheels off of any bike he through his leg over. He won so much at Baylands that no one wanted to be in his race , so they came up with a winner take all race and called it BEAT THE HOCK!
Kind of sad to watch this Video as Hocking passed away in 2011 reported as a suicide. Also both announcers Frank Gifford and Robert Evel Knievel are gone along with veteran racer Paul Bostrom who was the Uncle of Roadracers Ben and Eric and Dave Bostrom's brother. Hocking was known as "The King of Fremont" in DT racing. One of the few riders that rode the Legendary TZ750 Yamaha in 75 @ Indy. Ascot Park long Gone but certainly not Forgotten. Probably the Best Friday Night Racing in the Country back in the Day. The caliber of Riders that rode there weekly was almost like watching an AMA National every week...R.I.P. Guys ...
Steve, Do you remember any Oregon riders racing there?
I kind of thought that Paul Bostrom was related to Eric and Ben - not too many Bostroms out there-
Awesome I was there
Evel Knievel doing the commentary with Frank Gifford
Rick I believe is like one of only 3 or 4 riders in Grand National history to win a Grand National short track, a mile, a I/2 mile and a TT ..... he really was a great all around rider.
Evel was saying that they took their hand off of the bars to tuck in, when they didn’t 😂
Evel says Dave Hansen is on a Triumph, but Dave Hansen was on a TT500 Yamaha, he was riding as teammate with Rick Hocking on the Champion Frames Racing Team, on the new Yamaha TT500s
The HOCK could ride anything with wheels!
He John Genni where
the best short track
racers, blue grooves
or a cushion .
Great memories at Ascot back in the day!
Evel was a decent color commentator.
Evel didn't know shit about racing...butg he was a master bullshitter!
Evil was Evil
Isn't that Ben bostrom writing for Tony guitars have a Santa Paula California
Mert Lawill crashed!
A real nice blast from the past! the only issue is the mindless blather coming from the commentators trying to be profound.