Headed to Pala again
to do some Extreme recognitions. On the list to be recognized
this year : Troy Lee , The RD Cycle Maico
team, Scott Sivadge, Ronnie Rondell Jr. and R.A.
Rondell.
Today Troy Lee is a
well-recognized artist. It all started years ago when he
started painting helmets for the Motocross racers. He took
his talent to the mainstream painting goalies masks / helmets and
doing designs for the auto industry. TLD also does safety
apparel for the extreme sports and now has a motocross racing
team. Very cool !!! He has helped a lot of people over
the years from Downhill mountain bike racers, motocross and many
others I’m sure. On top of it all he is himself an
accomplished MX rider and sponsor of A DAY in the DIRT keeping
alive the “ON ANY SUNDAY”theme. Thanks for all you have done
for all of the EXTREME Sports!!!!!
CB
In the early days of
motocross in So Cal you could find the black Maicos of the RD
Cycle Team at all of the tracks around the area and beyond.
They kicked ass! The later members were Mike Chamberlin ,
Terry Bilton, Billy Payne and Bob Stephan. Scott Sivadge rode
for the shop early on and then migrated to Speedway. They
would do $500.00 challenge races. The one that sticks in my
mind was at Bay Mare where Gene Cannady aboard a 125 Sachs hunted
them down and picked them all off, if my memory serves me
well. But that was Cannady not your normal 125 guy. He
and Max Switzer in 1969 came in second in Baja on a 125 Sachs just
minutes behind unknowns Malcolm Smith and J,N. Roberts riding a 400
Husky. Anyway I digress. That did not usually happen to
the black Maico team. Not only were they at the top of talent
pool Mike also was an innovator. His shop “Mike’s Cycle
Center” was the first to start laying down the rear shocks
commercially to increase the travel of the rear wheel. This
led to needing a larger capacity oil reservoir. The early
ones he made himself and then the Maroney Corporation started
building them for Mike. Mike also experimented with different
materials building a Maico frame out of titanium weighing in at 180
pounds. Years later Mike would again be on top of the
world with his blown fuel hydro World Champoinship and up in the
air flying exotic aircraft. Pretty Extreme!!!! Mike and
terry were there but I will have to find Billy and Bob!!
Scott Sivadge could
not make it to the event with health issues but sent his regards to
everyone. Back in the day he went from the world of early MX
and flat track to the realm of Speedway motorcycle racing where his
riding fast high on the outside earned him recognition by always
being at the top for many years. He also took the Sport of
Sprint Car racing around the globe!! Today he has built a
Cheney framed TT500 Yamaha and flat tracks in So Cal……….All Extreme
endeavors!!!
Ronnie Rondell Jr.
took his athletic talents to the studios and back again through the
Viewfinders MC. The Viewfinders were responsible for the
early races at Westlake where we Americans got our first glimpse of
the new (to us) sport of Motocross. The Inter Am was run at
the movie ranch where Gunsmoke was filmed. We rode through
barns and towns. The same was true at Corriganville (Bob
Hopes) movie ranch aka Hopetown. It was cool.
At the time I knew
this sport would go big but I did not think it would take 20 years
or so. His son RA Rondell would take up the reins at the
studios as well as the race track and 30 + years later would be
part of bringing us A Day in the Dirt (now in its 14th
year) as well as being an accomplished participant!!!
Thanks for all your family has done for our sport!!!
CB
And Doug Henry
simplyAMAZING!!!! What an inspiration. I had the chance
to talk with him for a few minutes and what a nice guy. I
told him how all of my life everytime I got injured people would
ask if I was done or how can you go back to racing at your age blah
blah blah... and before I could answer he stated"because we
can"! Took the words right out of my mouth. And of
course he is deserving a pioneer award. Showing the way for
challenged people around the World!!!
