U.S. ISDE Team

Erfurt, East Germany – 1st Silver Vase Team 1964 – (left to right) Dave Ekins, John Steen, Steve McQueen, Clifford Coleman, Bud Ekins

The list of participants in the ISDT/ISDE (International Six Days Enduro) since the beginning event in 1913 that saw US citizens as contestants is divided into four segments; Ambassadors, Trailblazer, Pioneers and Qualified/Selected Participants 1971 and beyond. Ambassadors are those hardy men and women who competed in ISDT/ISDE at least 10 times in their career. Trailblazer is but one man on a very early moto-cycle. This typical trailblazer was only looking for what was over the next hill and what challenges he and his machine could conquer. Pioneers were on more modern motorcycles and got themselves and their machines ready for the challenges long before USA had an official affiliation with the FIM. Qualified/Selected riders are 1971 and later participants who rode in AMA qualifiers or were appointed by the AMA based on prior performances.

This list of riders was compiled from an 18 page document assembled over 45 years. The author (Mike Vancil) was the first organizer of the AMA qualified ISDT effort for the 1971 event on the Isle of Man. Since then these records have been compiled with considerable effort. FIM and AMA records were only partially helpful. Any additions to this list or removals should be thoroughly researched and agreed upon before being made. Just because somebody says they rode doesn't qualify; it has to be proven.

Compiled by Mike Vancil – Director of Amateur Activities at the American Motorcyclist Association from 1970–1972 and was responsible for Chartering AMA Motorcycle clubs and sanctioning AMA amateur competition eventsl and later the first year of AMA ISDT competition. Updated and input by current AMA Off-Road Racing Manager, Erek Kudla.

The Origin of the "Skunk Stripe" Helmet

Dan Gurney 1959 FIA Ferarri USA Helmet	Dan Gurney 1960 Ferrari team		Steve McQueen wearing the blue and white striped helmet at the 1964 ISDT in East Germany.	ISDE Helmet Colors from the 1973 Dalton, MA ISDT Program	The Colors have stayed relatively the same to this day.

Every country participating in the International Six Days is designated by the colors adorned on their helmets. Since the first official US Team the colors were blue with white stripes. The origin of which is fuzzy at best but there are some very good indicators of where the design actually came from.

Starting in 1951 the Cunningham racing team added racing stripes to their cars to easily identify them during the a racing^[1]. These evolved from the traditional FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) registered US Racing colors of a white body and blue chassis which dated from when racing cars had the chassis exposed. The two blue stripes were a symbolic echo of the chassis colors. In 1959 the FIA instructed drivers to add a country color to their helmets similar to British Racing green.^[2] Dan Gurney of Ferarri decided to run a blue helmet with a white stripe. He only ran the helmet for 2 years as he felt it was bad luck with a string of sub par finishes.

In 1964 the first official US ISDT Team was organized and Bell helmets supplied the team.^[3] The helmets that they supplied were blue with 3 white stripes on them. Later Bell became the official helmet supplier for the team and the "Skunk Stripe" was further developed and stuck as the designation of the US ISDE Team. While the "Skunk Stripes" have evolved slightly and Arai is now the official Helmet provider of the US ISDE Team, with Tagger being the official US ISDE Trophy team painter, the blue and white still holds a special spot in the hearts of all of the riders on this list below.

Segments

Jeff Fredette has raced and finished more International Six Days events than any other US rider with 34 starts and 33 finishes. He is now in charge of all of the check crews and volunteers for the US ISDE Team effort.

Pioneers

John Penton not only changed the face of off-road racing as we know it he was also instrumental in organizing the very first US Team effort at the International Six Day Trials in 1964.

1949-1970

First Name	Last Name	Years Participated	Notes
Tommy	McDermott	1949	First Modern Gold Medal
Walt	Axthelm	1959–1960,1964–1965
Jim	Brunson	1961
Bud	Ekins	1961–1966	First US Class winner 1962
Lloyd	Lingelbach	1961
John	Penton	1962,1965–1970	Canadian Team 1962 AMA National Enduro Champion
George	Stack, Jr.	1962
Cliff	Coleman	1964–1965
Dave	Ekins	1964–1966,1969–1970	First US Brothers 1964
Paul	Hunt	1964,1970
Steve	McQueen	1964	Yes, that Steve McQueen
Stu	Peters	1964	AMA Hall of Fame Inductee
Al	Rogers	1964–1965,1968
John	Smith	1964
John	Steen	1964
Bill	Stewart	1964
John	Taylor	1964
Mel	Green	1965,1969
Klims	Cox	1965
Ed	Kretz, Jr.	1965
Lars	Larson	1965,1967–1973,1975–1976,1978–1979	Swedish Team 1965,1967 Mexican Team 1978–1979
Dave	Deyo	1965,1967
Nick	Nicholson	1965
Mike	Patrick	1965,1969–1971,1973
Dale	Richardson	1965,1969–1971
Max	Switzer	1965,1970–1971
Bill	Thorwaldson	1965
Dick	Vick	1965
Leroy	Winters	1965–1971
Jack	Krizman	1966
C. Hookie	Hochderffer	1966,1969–1970
Malcolm	Smith	1966–1967,1969–1971,1973–1976	Silver Vase winning team member 1973 AMA Hall of Fame inductee
Dennis	Bemis	1967
Dave	Mungenast	1967–1975	Canadian Team member 1974
John	Nelson	1967,1970
Bob	Arison	1968–1969
Jim	Cameret	1968
Bob	Ewing	1968–1970
Wolf	Jackson	1968
Ted	Lapadakis	1968–1969
Tom	Penton	1968,1970–1978
Don	Watkins	1968
Al	Baker	1969
Ron	Bohn	1969–1974,1977	Silver Vase Winning Team member 1973 AMA National Enduro Champion
David	Eames	1969,1972–1974
Bud	Green	1969
Bob	Hicks	1969–1970
Dave	Latham	1969,1971–1974	Canadian Team member 1972
Bob	Maus	1969–1970
Tommy	Maxwell	1969
Jerry	Pacholke	1969–1972
Preston	Petty	1969–1971
John	Rice	1969
Ed	Schmidt	1969,1971–1975	Canadian Team member 1969 Silver Vase Winning Team member 1973
Billy	Uhl	1969–1974,1976–1977	First Son/Father Entry 1969 Awarded Count Lurani Trophy 1973
Herb	Uhl	1969–1970	First Father/Son Entry 1969
Bob	Armstrong	1970
Don	Bohanan	1970
Gene	Cannady	1970–1972
Tom	Canning	1970
Don	Cutler	1970–1975
Bill	Friant	1970
Barry	Higgins	1970,1972–1973,1975,1977–1979,1982
Steve	Hurd	1970–1972
George	Johnson	1970
Mike	Lewis	1970–1971
James Whitey	Martino	1970
Bill	Messer	1970
Lewis	Milligan	1970
Jack	Penton	1970–1977,1979–1980,1985
Jeff	Penton	1970,1972–1973
Gordon	Rasse	1970
Bob	Rogstat	1970
Richard	Smith	1970
Charles	Whitten	1970
Doug	Wilford	1970,1973–1975

2016 Navarra, Spain – (Left–Right) Americans Thad Duvall, Taylor Robert, Kailub Russell and Layne Michael hoist the ISDE trophy over their heads for the first time at the 91st running of the ISDE.

References

• Compiled by Mike Vancil, Director of AMA Amateur Activities 1970–1972 from the AMA Hall of Fame Archives

External links

• Dan Gurney Racing Stripe
• Bell helmets providing Skunk Stripe Helmet
• AMA National Hare and Hound Championships
• AMA GNCC Championships
• AMA National Enduro Championships
• AMA Hall of Fame

See also

• Origin of the Racing Stripe – Racing stripe
• AMA National Motocross Championships – AMA Motocross Championship
• AMA Supercross Championships – AMA Supercross Championship
• Baja 1000 Wins – Baja 1000