Yeah, you guys are right... DT-1!
The Penton's cool, but I'm not sure how revolutionary it was.
If memory serves, Gary Jones never raced open class for Honda. The earliest I remember was late '70s with Brad Lackey on an RC450. Jones didn't stay with Honda long; he was one of the first, if not the first, factory riders for Can-Am.
Motocross was epic back then, at least from a teenager's perspective.
:thumbup Jones was only with Honda one year in 73 and jumped to Can Am for a lot of money in 74. The story I have heard was the Can Am money is what provided the Jones family with the capital to buy/start Ammex. It was a BIG contract.
I was just grom in the 70's, my teens were the 80's. :laughing But everybody on the coast of Oregon was moto crazy. Its what everyone followed, bigger than anything, even football or baseball. Thats all we talked about. Heck, I think I learned to read just to follow Moto in magazines.
Every year in the 70's dirt bikes were making HUGE jumps forward. A two year old bike would be a like a 20 yr old one now.
One of my neighbors was a local semi pro racing a CR250 in 78. He earned enough locally to buy a brand new Toyota 4x4 with cash and was the hero on our cul de sac in Waldport. That doesn't happen these days. :laughing
Gary definitely raced 250 Honda's in 73, the only year. For some reason the story sticks with me about another brand being ridden a moto after breaking another Honda frame, thought it was the open class, and Honda not being happy. Of course thats many years ago and I was just a primary school kid so its entirely possible I have it wrong... or my 50yr old brain is fading. :teeth
While I am only 50, these threads, articles, and memories sure are awesome! I was a rabid Hannah fan..... and yes I wore the lightning bolt jersey to school. :ride