Skip Norfolk: Box Van to the Bitter End
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In 1996 Honda was the last factory team sending box vans to motocross races.
Skip Norfolk’s 1996 Box Van Stats
- Rider: Jeremy McGrath
- CB Radio Handle: “SNEWY”
- Box Van: Grumman Box on a Ford chassis with a V8 460 Ford engine.
American Honda may have been first to the finish at most of the races in 1996 but they were the absolute last team to give up on box van life.
Bitter in Minneapolis in 1996
On Saturday, Jan. 20, 1996, it was time for first practice and Skip Norfolk couldn’t start the bike. It was yet another kick in the teeth for a weekend that had been on–literal–thin ice.
Norfolk had already squashed one crisis thanks to a Supercross-loving Goodyear tires dealer who got the Honda box vans rolling again
When Norfolk and Mike Gosselaar (Steven Lamson’s mechanic) went to drive over to the Metrodome, they found eight flat tires. The overnight temperature fell to 18 degrees below zero.
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“It was so cold our valve stems contracted and let the air out,” Norfolk said. Being Californians, and having just come from much warmer climes in Florida, they hadn’t properly prepared for the extreme temperature drop.
And this was the morning after Norfolk had a scare on the road into Minneapolis, where he encountered a blizzard and temperatures so low that snowmelt from the warmth of the engine had rolled onto the throttle linkage and refroze causing the throttle to stick open.
While coasting toward the crossing of the Mississippi River. Norfolk threw the engine in neutral and coasted to a stop. He was thankful the whole thing didn’t blow up.
Honda: The Box Van Holdout
In 1996 every other major team had 18-wheelers but American Honda continued to send box vans to the races. At round one in Orlando, Kawasaki actually debuted a second generation of 18-wheeler and they handed down their previous hauler to Pro Circuit Kawasaki.
Even Honda of Troy had traded in their box vans. American Suzuki rolled out their first semi at round three in Anaheim and many of the privateer teams had upgraded to fifth wheel trailers.
American Honda, however, which won 31 of the 56 total overalls and main events in 1996 between both classes, was still driving box vans. Norfolk even believes the box van was a contributing factor to McGrath’s only loss in the 1996 SX season.
So after enduring a 1600 mile drive in treacherous conditions, experiencing an 80 degree temperature drop and fixing eight flat tires, Norfolk now had a frozen Honda CR250R.
With no choke circuit on the carburetor, Norfolk used a space heater to get the bike up to temperature.
Despite missing the first practice session, McGrath cruised to his 31st career SX win.