For this edition of Classic Steel, we are going to take a look back at Steve Lamson’s 2002 Fast By Ferracci DKNY Husqvarna 250CR.
Husqvarna has a long storied history in motocross. Going all the way back to the late fifties, Husqvarnas have been at the forefront of the sport. In the early sixties, it was the new lightweight two-stroke Husqvarnas that helped push the big four-strokes out of the sport. When motocross started moving back to four-strokes in the early nineties, it was Husqvarna once again at the forefront of that movement. Over the years, Husqvarna has won sixteen World Motocross titles and countless off-road crowns. Unfortunately, however, all of that overseas success has rarely translated to this side of the pond.
In the seventies and early eighties, Husqvarna enjoyed its greatest success here in America. With riders like Brad Lackey, Gary Semics, Kent Howerton, Mark Blackwell, Marty Tripes and Dick Burleson at the controls, the Swedish brand captured countless race victories and several major titles. In motocross, they captured the 1976 500 National Motocross title and off-road, they scored an astounding sixteen AMA National Enduro titles in a row.
By the mid-eighties, Husqvarna found itself in a major crossroads. In motocross, they were no longer really competitive against the best from Japan. As the sport had transitioned to be more Supercross-focused, the Swedish had been slow to adapt and resistant to change. Off-road, they were still competitive, but outside of the woods, they were a niche player.
In 1987, Husqvarna decided to cut its losses and sell off the motorcycle division to Italian motorcycle giant Cagiva. Even though the new owners continued to produce motocross models, they had very little interest in promoting them in the USA. In Europe they thrived, winning the ’93 500 and ’97-’99 125 World Motocross titles, but in America, they were little more than a curiosity.
Husqvarna’s reemergence into the American motocross circuit would be brought about by the convergence of two events. The first would be the clinching of a third straight 125 World Motocross title for Husqvarna by Alessio Chiodi. The second would be the decision by Fast By Ferracci owner Eraldo Ferracci to pull out of road racing at the end of the 1999 season.
After several successful seasons in road racing, Ferracci was looking for new challenges at the end of 1999. Eventually, that challenge would turn out to be motocross. At the time, Ferracci was the US distributor for Husqvarna, and the thought was that a motocross team would help him perk up the lagging sales of the Italian bikes in the US.
Coinciding with the formation of Ferracci’s new motocross team was the desire of Alessio Chiodi to come race in America. After capturing his third consecutive crown, the diminutive Italian was looking for new frontiers to conquer. Like Greg Albertyn and Sebastian Tortelli before him, he felt that that new frontier should be America. With Chiodi already racing Husqvarnas in Europe, the new Ferracci team looked to be a perfect fit for the reigning 125 World champion.
Unfortunately, Chiodi’s 2000 season would not go as expected. A pre-season injury would prevent the Italian from making the splash many expected and put him on the sidelines for the entire 2000 Supercross season. In the end, his only 2000 on-track result would be a dismal twenty-ninth place finish at the motocross season opener in May. At the end of the season, Chiodi would pack his bags and head back to Europe for good.
After Chiodi’s departure, Ferracci would turn to a mix of young talent and veterans to campaign his Italian machines. His 2001 team would be led by two-time 125 National Motocross champion Steve Lamson. Joining the longtime AMA pro would be journeyman racers Travis Preston, Jason Thomas, and Chris Gosselaar.
The sole highlight of the 2001 season would turn out be the surprising 125 victory of Travis Preston in Houston. After nailing down second place, Preston would be handed this win by Grant Langston, when the KTM star cartwheeled his machine with only turns to go. This victory would be the first for Husky since the heyday of Kent Howerton in the seventies.
In the 250 class, Lamson would score an eighth at Atlanta, but struggle to crack the top-ten the remainder of the Supercross season. Outdoors, he would step down to the 125 and fair slightly better, scoring a seventh at Red Bud and a sixth to round out the season. After a season of growing pains, it was hoped that better things were ahead for Lamson and the Ferracci team.
Unfortunately, however, that was not to be. After a sixteenth at the opener, Lamson would suffer a crash and a broken leg at round two. This would effectively end his 2002 Supercross campaign. Outdoors, things would only get marginally better. On the 250CR, he would fail to score a single top-ten finish and round out the series in a disappointing twenty-fourth place.
Eventually, financial troubles and a flooded manufacturing plant back in Italy would spell the end to the Fast By Ferracci’s motocross effort. After three years, two big stars and a plethora of journeymen racers, all the team had to show for their efforts was a single 125 Supercross win. The team had faced a steep learning curve, switching from road racing to motocross. In the end, they did the best they could with antiquated equipment. For Lamson and Husqvarna, it was an experiment that both would probably rather forget.
This story first ran in my Classic Steel column on PulpMX. Read the original at PulpMX.com.
