Throwback Thursday: Honda’s First Superbike Squad
Larry Lawrence | December 1, 2016
Cycle News Photo Collection
This informal photo of Team Honda’s AMA Superbike team was shot after Freddie Spencer won the Laguna Seca round in August of 1980. That was the year Honda first entered the AMA Superbike Championship with its Honda CB750F-based machine. Freddie Spencer, Ron Pierce and Steve McLaughlin were the factory riders. McLaughlin stepped away from riding around mid-season to focus on managing the squad. Pierce was injured at the Suzuka 8-Hour and was missing in this shot, replaced by Honda support rider Roberto Pietri.
In the photo from left to right are Larry Worrell, Dennis McKay, Roberto Pietri, Steve McLaughlin, Red “Pappy” Edmonston, Mike Velasco, Freddie Spencer, Jyo Bito and Dennis Zickrick.
You can read about the exploits of Team Honda and many more racing stories via the Cycle News back issues at https://www.cyclenews.com/cycle-news-archives/
