Grand Prix Motocross Book Review - Beautiful photos, skilled dirt bikers, and great Motocross. - Dirtbike at Off-Road.com
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Grand Prix Motocross Book ReviewBeautiful photos, skilled dirt bikers, and great Motocross.

Source: Dirtbike at Off-Road.com

dirtIt’s not just another pretty coffee table book, no sir. 

What it is, my friends, is the compilation of a full years work by Terry Pratt.  You see,  from April through September of 1972, Volney Howard and Terry shot the black-and-white photos in featured in Grand Prix Motocross with 35mm Pentax SLR cameras.  They used a film cassette loader and a few 100-foot rolls of Kodak Plus-X. The film was developed in hotel rooms, or campgrounds, using a changing bag and the bathroom sink. Later, after the Plus-X ran out, they had to buy Agfa, Ilford, Onvo or whatever film they could find at camera stores -  and even from vending machines.

pits
Pits back then were a far cry from what they are now. Here, the CZ mechanics prep a race bike.

Terry and Volney traveled in a Volkswagen Westphalia camper that was picked up at the factory the day after they landed in Frankfurt, West Germany. During their trek, they covered more than 12,000 miles that summer before the engine blew up one night on the Autohahn.

This, then, is so much more than just a book.  It’s piece of history that was a long time coming.

When you first leaf through the book, you don’t know where to stop.  There are so many fantastic photos that you want to share them with friends before you move on.  In  fact, I can hardly wait to sit down with my Old Buddy Tom and say, “Lookee here!  There’s a shot of Bengt Aberg’s works Husky and …” and so forth.

motocross
Joel Robert taking a smoke break between motos.
biking
Miroslav Halm astride his factory CZ.

All things considered, this book is a minor masterpiece.  The only sad thing is that just the 1972 GP season is covered.  It would be staggering to have one book for each year from 1965 through 1975.  Of course, that would have taken a decade out of Terry’s life. Still…

This book covers the entire 1972 World Championship Motocross season, with more than 300 large-format black-and-white photographs. In addition to the racing photos, there are many shots of great riders of the time, such as Roger DeCoster, Joel Robert, Ake Jonsson, Paul Fredrichs and many others. The exotic, hand-built factory works bikes are revealed in close-up photography from the pits and race shops.

race
Adolph Weil snakes his Maico down a grassy hill.

Also included are reports from five 250cc Grands Prix, six reports from the 500cc World Championship, and a report from the 1972 Trophee des Nations.

Source:  Cycle News, 3505-M Cadillac Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626

To order, call:  714-751-7433  Visa, M/Card

Cashiers check or money order.

Softbound, 9” X 11-3/4”, 240 pgs., 300+ b&w photos.

Price: $39.95, plus $5.75 Shipping, CA res. Add $3.10 sales tax

 suzuki

 A genuine factory Suzuki.

 

 

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