Gary Jones (motorcyclist)

Gary Jones (born April 22, 1952) is an American former professional motocross racer.[1] He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1971 to 1976. Jones is notable for winning the inaugural AMA 250cc motocross national championship in 1972. Jones then successfully defended his national championship in 1973 and 1974, winning three consecutive 250cc motocross national championships while competing on three different brands of motorcycles, a feat which has never been repeated in AMA motocross history.[2][3] He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000.[1]

Gary Jones
NationalityAmerican
BornApril 22, 1952 (1952-04-22) (age 68)
California, United States
Motocross career
Years active1969 - 1976
TeamsYamaha, Honda, Can-Am
ChampionshipsAMA 250cc: 1972, 1973, 1974

Motorcycling career

The son of Southern California motorcycle dealer Don Jones, he began racing professionally at the age of 15.[1] By 1969, he earned a place on the Yamaha factory's American racing team operated by his father. Jones, along with his brother and fellow racer Dewayne Jones, helped his father further the development of motocross bikes in the late 1960s and early 1970s by redesigning the Yamaha DT model into competitive racing motorcycles which, eventually became the basis for the YZ model.[4] Although there was no American motocross championship series in 1971, he is recognized as the 250cc National Champion by virtue of being the top-placed American rider in the Inter-AMA series which featured European riders touring America after the European-based World Championship season had ended.[1] He also competed in the 500cc class, finishing second to Brad Lackey.[1]

The following year, the AMA introduced a 250cc and a 500cc outdoor national championship. Jones won the 1972 250cc title on a Yamaha, becoming the first-ever 250cc U.S. Motocross National Champion.[1][3] He also finished second to Brad Lackey in the 500cc motocross national championship.[3] Jones then competed in the 1972 Inter-AMA series which featured the top European motocross riders visiting the United States after the finish of the F.I.M. motocross world championships in Europe.[5] At the first race of the series in Boise, Idaho, Jones defeated former world champions Torsten Hallman and Dave Bickers to win all three races.[5] His impressive performance marked the first time an American rider had scored an overall victory in an AMA-FIM sanctioned motocross event.[5] Jones and Hallman fought for the championship points lead until the final race of the series when Jones prevailed ahead of Hallman and third-place finisher, Arne Kring.[5][6] Also in 1972, Jones travelled to Europe as a member of the first American team to compete in the Motocross des Nations event.[1]

In 1973, Soichiro Honda sought Jones and his father to help develop the new Honda CR series of motocross bikes.[7] As they had done with Yamaha's motocross bikes, Jones and his father developed the Honda into a winning motorcycle when he successfully defended his 250cc crown riding the Honda CR250M.[7] In 1974 he would ride for the newly formed Can-Am team and went on to win his third consecutive 250cc national championship.[1]

In addition to racing motocross, Jones was also an expert desert racer. In 1972 he won the Baja 500 and the Baja 250.[1][7] He also won the Mint 400.[7]

When he suffered a leg injury at Daytona and Can-Am bought out his contract, Jones took the $70,000 and along with his father, started their own motorcycle company.[1] At the time Cooper Motorcycles was going out of business, so the Jones family bought the Mexican-based company and used the Frank Cooper designed enduro bike as a prototype for the first Jones-Islo motorcycle (the name would later be changed to Ammex, which stood for American-Mexican).[1][4][8][9] Their intent was to achieve sales success by having Jones compete aboard the motorcycles in the AMA motocross national championship.[8][10] The Jones family significantly improved the Ammex over the previous Cooper model.[8] Jones competed on an Ammex motorcycle during the 1976 250cc motocross national championship with his best result being a 10th place at the Sears Point race.[11] However, the brand failed when the Mexican peso was devalued in 1976.[1][8]

Having retired from professional competition, Jones continues his involvement in the sport by working for motorcycle accessory companies and as a test rider for motorcycle magazines. He competes in motocross and desert races, winning World Vet Championships several times.[1] In 2000, he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and, in 2004 he was inducted into the Motocross Walk Of Fame.[1][12]

References
  1. "Gary Jones at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  2. "AMA Motocross Champions". motorsportsetc.com. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  3. "Gary Jones career statistics". racerxonline.com. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  4. "Don Jones: Motocross Icon". dirtbikemagazine.com. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  5. Assoc, American Motorcyclist (1972). 1972 Inter-AMA. American Motorcyclist. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  6. Assoc, American Motorcyclist (1983). Inter-AMA Motocross records. American Motorcyclist. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  7. "Where Are They Now: Gary Jones". racerxonline.com. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  8. "Classic Motocross Iron: 1973 Cooper 250 Enduro". motocrossactionmag.com. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  9. "Godspeed! Don Jones (1924-2008)". motocrossactionmag.com. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  10. "Retrospective: Cooper 250 Enduro: 1973-1975". ridermagazine.com. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  11. "Gary Jones race results". racerxonline.com. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  12. "Jones Goes into Motocross Walk of Fame". motocrossactionmag.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
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