Marty Tripes had a lot of game

Here's a great shot of one of America's most interesting MX characters and also one of the greatest natural talents in the sport.

This shot was taken at Daytona.  Marty Tripes always seemed to see the fun in racing.  His demeanor was jovial and on some occasions he went very fast.

I was at a Gary Bailey MX camp and Tripes came to the school with former Supercross promoter Mike Goodwin.  It was supposed to be a boot camp to get Marty back in shape, but what I remember most was:

1) Marty could load an entire hot dog into his mouth, chew and swallow it in one efficient effort.

2) He could ride a motorcycle effortlessly.  He had a sit-up-very-straight riding stance.  From there he'd simply roll on the throttle and rocket away.

As I look back at the sport 30 years later, it's the individuals and personalities I remember most.  It took the colorful antics of guys like Marty Tripes to make motocross legend.