Legendary Motocrosser Tim Hart Passes
| March 7, 2017
Legendary Motocrosser Tim Hart Passes – Tim Hart passed away Monday, March 6, and with him passed a piece of all of us who raced during the early years of motocross in Southern California. Who could forget the images of Tim Hart railing a berm on a big square barrel Maico, his long hair flowing, with his name, TIM HART, emblazoned on his Hallman chest protector? Tim and his trademark orange Bell Star helmet, with the white crosshatching were a fixture at tracks like Ascot, Lions and Irwindale and epitomized everything that any kid with a dirt bike wanted to be in the early seventies.
Legendary Motocrosser Tim Hart Passes
This photo was taken at Carlsbad Raceway in 1970 of Tim Hart leading Jim Wilson and Gary Bailey.
Hart raced a privateer Maico in the Trans-AMA series in 1971-72, before being hired by factory Yamaha in 1973 and staying through 1975. Hart won a 250 National at Lake Whitney and a pair of 125 Nationals, one at Mid-Ohio in 1974 and at Hangtown in ’75. Despite finishing second in 1975 to Marty Smith in the 125 Championship series, Hart’s Yamaha contract was not renewed. Following an unremarkable year as a Can-Am mounted privateer, Hart retired from racing at the end of 1976. He settled into a life as a longshoreman, working the controls of a crane, loading and unloading shipping containers.
Tim Hart was born on Christmas day in 1949 and grew up in Torrance, California. He lived in the area his entire life, right up to his death, at age 67. Tim’s lifelong friend, Mike Chamberlain, lamented that Hart’s death was the result of liver failure and that he had just gotten on a transplant list as recently as a week ago. Our condolences to Tim Hart’s family, friends and legion of fans. He was an icon and is already missed.”
By Steve Bauer
