Does anybody remember Batts Park or Arroyo MX in Harlingen, TX? Batts is now a golf course but man I sure have alot of great memories of that place. I can remember standing under this big mesquite tree watching guys fly out of this gulley and thinking man this is what I want to do. By the time I started racing Arroyo MX was the place and it was alot of fun and it was actually down stream from Batts on the Arroyo Colorado river. They were both excellent track locations being that they were the only places in the Valley that had some natural elevation changes. Larry Hughes was our local fast guy who would just annihliate the competition and I remember one race in particular when another local fast guy who hadn't been home to the Valley in a while came to Arroyo and I think actually lapped Larry. This other local was none other than Steve Wise. Talk about being blown away. You could tell he was just in a totally different league. There were other tracks here in the Valley as well such as Jack Rabbit Flats across from the Port of Brownsville, Rio Hondo(also on the Arroyo Colorado river), Mcallen MX (under the bridge by the airport) which is still there to this day but not maintained. And for those true valley MXers does anyone recall the motocross track in Brownsville off of Dennett road around '73-'74? Or how about the one in Alamo in and around '77? It's fun to think back about those days. It sure was a lot simpler then.

Paul P.
Los Fresnos, Texas

I sure do Paul. I remember seeing Steve Wise riding a Penton before turning pro. Larry Hughes on a Honda XR75. Didn't Mike Maley lose a toe in an accident practicing there?

Attached is a couple of pictures of you at the Brownsville hare scrambles. I'm still looking for a couple of missing photo albums.

Let me know if the pics opened up.

Thanks Steve that kind of looks like me but I not 100% sure. Look at those machines compared to what we're riding today! That sure was a lot of fun.

BOTTS PARK

That was the Wymand Pritty MX School with Steve Wise. Yes both toes were smashed off. Me & Turtle (Dale Parker) #319 were doing rubber band starts over and over. He seemed to pull the hole shot every time except the one time and I met Lance Conrard head on a the top of the gully. We side swiped really didn't crash and didn't hurt much till they took my boot off and i saw it. Joe Ferguson put me in his Chevy Nova 395 hatchback and we headed for the hospital.
Mike

Here is a pic of Larry Hughes crash and burn behind John Berch of Corpus in an intense battle at the Arroyo MX park behind the police station. Those two were the local hot shoes at the time. Where is Larry today?

Larry lives in Houston and works for Parts Unlimited. He has a son and a daughter who race.

Man it looks like a cow trail.
I'll dig thru some old scrap pics for a better view of Arroyo Mx Track.
....Mike

That was a gnarly crash. That was in early 83. 24 years later and that is the first time I have ever seen a picture of it. It was the first lap and I was about to pass John, so I hit the jump a little on the inside so I could pass JB in the next turn. When I landed I hit a soft spot on the edge of the track and the bike just sank and flipped me over the bars. I was pissed!!! Thanks for sharing!!

By the way, Steve did joing us in a race in 1980 and he played with us for a little while before he went on to win the moto. And no, he did not lap me!

Hey Larry,
Back when you were racing XR 75's, what mods were done to them? It seemed like your bike always flat out hauled ass. I remember one race in particular in McAllen at the track under the bridge watching you, Birch, Danner, and I think Tanner battling it out. That track was so dry and slippery that day but you looked right at home and eventually won the race. I always wanted an XR but never got one. My dad knew the guy at the Suzuki shop and, well, I didn't have much of a choice. I'll never forget having to settle for a TM 75 which was a total piece of junk compared to the XR. Anyway, it's fun to think back about those days. Do you happen to remember a short lived track in Brownsville off of Dennet Road probably around '74 or '75? Dennet T's off at Paredes Line Road about 1/2 mile north of Alton Gloor just directly across from the Titan tire plant.

Paul P.

PS Are you sure Steve didn't lap you at Arroyo?

Hi Paul,

As far as the mods go, my first mod XR-75 was built by Ray Byrd at Honda of McAllen. The exhaust was a two hole Banke, I'm not sure what brand, but it had a different cam, piston and valves along with a 22mm carb and K&N air filter. Also it had head and cylinder work from Honda of McAllen. That was in '74, and I rode for them for about a year and a half, then Leon James at Brownsville Sports Center built me a '75 XR-75 with a lot of the same mods. That bike was competitive a few months, then the YZ-80 came out. Shorty after that I started racing 125's.

As far as that track in Brownsville, I think it was '73. I went there once for a race and about 4 or 5 people showed up. It was like a TT track. We ended up just practicing. I think Ed Moody was there on a tricked out Suzuki #7.

Cool stuff!!!

By the way, I don't remember being lapped by Steve. He did come and race a few times with us in the late 70's and early 80's. I did holeshot him a few times, he would play with us for a few laps then take off.

Thanks Larry. Finally found someone who remembers that track in Brownsville. Your right about Ed Moody having a tricked out Suzuki. It was a stripped down TS 90 punched out to a 115 or something like that with a Naguchi down pipe. The Moody's lived right across the street from us and that's really how I got into riding and racing. Ed is the one that took me to Bott's Park for the first time. After his unfortunate accident in Kingsville his dad gave me his leathers which were like two times too big but I sure thought I was a big dog in those things.
When you moved up to the 125's you actually rode for Kawasaki/Suzuki South right? I remember you riding Suzuki for a little while.

Paul P.

I did ride for that Suzuki shop in Brownsville, but I thought it was called Competition Suzuki or something like that, but that was in '79. I first got on 125's in 76, then Valley Marine picked me up in 77-79, but in '79 I could not ride that 23 inch front wheel CR-125, so I raced a CR-250 in the 250 class for Valley Marine, and a RM-125 in the 125 class for that shop in Brownsville.

Yeah, you're right that Suzuki shop in Brownsville was called Competition Imports and when it closed Kawasaki South picked up the line. Also, I remember you racing that CR250 #404 in McAllen. Was your first race on that bike at the McAllen track? I actually have a pic of you on that bike at that track as well as some earlier pics of the XR 75 days but I can't find them anywhere. Going back to that race in McAllen, Walter Bode and I pitted next to you under the bridge and we were more interested in the girls that were with you than the racing that day. I know Heather Tanner was there and two or three others. Wow, the more I seem to write about this stuff, the more comes back. Here's one for you. Did you ever ride that makeshift track at the Harlingen landfill? It was also laid out along the Arroyo and I think that's where Thomas used to practice. There was a big sandy uphill and, of course, a downhill. Not many jumps but pretty rough with a crude layout. I almost forgot about that one.

Paul P.

Paul, I remember that track. I thought it was call "Stillmans" track. Nothing but housing out there now. I remember seeing bikes like Yamahas DT's and silver YZ's with the belt strap holding down the gas tank. Track was very dusty and outlined with tires. I didn't race there, just went to watch on my Yamaha DS-7 250 street bike. After that I got my XL125 Honda and I haven't been able get away from riding in the dirt.

Steve, that track may well have been called "Stillman" because I think Dennett Road actually turned into Stillman Road at some point. Any idea who built that track or who it belonged to? Not many people seem to remember it. The one time I went there it was during the winter and I remember it being cold and misty. I think it was pretty short lived.

Paul P.

Hey Larry,
When you were a kid riding XR's, where would you practice? Who were your riding buddies in the neighborhood? We use to ride the fields, drainage ditches, and canal banks.

Paul P.

Paul,
I remember that race at McAllen, it was one of my first 250 races. Your right, Heather was there along with a couple of her girl friends!

As far as that track in Harlingen by that landfield, I went to it once to practice. It had a cool layout with some good elavation change, but the dirt was hard as a rock, and the time I was there it had a bunch of big dirt clodds every where.

When I was racing the XR-75 and would race almost every weekend, and during the week I rode at "The Hills". That was a riding place right behind Stell Jr. High in Brownsville. I could ride there from my house. That would be between Los Ebonos and Price on Corea, I think? Sometimes I would go out behind Dale Parkers house off of 802 by the Elks club.

Steve,
I ride about 2 or 3 times a month. My son Jarret (21) has a 07 KX-450F and my daughter Kendra (16) has a RM-125 and my wife Jeanette has a XR-100. So between those bikes I can ride something every now and then. I have 8 tracks within a hour of my house. My son works at 290 Cycle World and is about to get his degree here in Houston. I just agreed to become one of the MX instuctors at Three Palms MX in Conroe. I've been giving lessons off and on for about 15 years up here. My real job is District Manager for Parts Unlimited. I have been with them for 18 years. After I moved up here, I chased my dream of being a factory rider for a few years. I had some good finishes, but never made it to the top, but I had a great time trying and it opened the door for a lot of opportunities. After I quit racing a got married and then did some announcing at Supercrosses and Arenacrosses. I didn't have to many injuries while I was racing, but after I quit, I had several. So I have learned to turn it down a notch and still have fun. My kids raced BMX for a while and both of them won seveal amatuer nationals all over the country. It was a lot of fun. After my son Jarret turned pro in BMX in 2003 he quit soon after that and decided to take up MX. Two years later he qualified for the AMA Amatuer finals at Loretta Lynns. He still races now, but now as serious. Motocross has been a big part of my life and I feel very fortunate to have done all that I have. If any of you guys make it up to Houston, please give me a call or email.

Larry
281.541.2767
Lhughes804@earthlink.net

Larry,
You need to come check out the Los Fresnos track whenever you come down to the Island. Let me just tell you, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised. If you were to come on race day I bet you, Jarret, and Kendra could count on some competitve classes to enter. It is a very laid back family atmosphere but we still have a lot of fun. How long has it been since you've raced in the Valley? Well, that's too long!

Paul P.