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Rio Bravo

Houston, TX

Space City has a rich history of Supercross, and also held an important place in Pro Motocross during the 1970s. Opening in 1972, Rio Bravo MX Park hosted a national in the inaugural season of Motocross and held races throughout the first decade of the sport. The track went dormant for a time, but was resurrected in the late 2000s.

Fast Facts

Venues

Rio Bravo MX Park may have been named after the Mexican name for the Rio Grande River, an iconic waterway between Texas and Mexico. Located in Houston, the track hosted seven nationals in its time. The track began to break down and be neglected in the late 1990’s, until current owner Danny Erdeljac stepped in to save the original layout and return Rio Bravo to great conditions. The facility is open to the public, from 9 am to 4 pm Friday through Sunday.

Iconic Moments

Cool stuff here

1973-Old Glory On Top

One of many Trans AMA rounds, Rio Bravo was the host of a monumental victory in 1973. The combined rounds were traditionally dominated by European stars and to that point, no American had won an overall. Jimmy Weinart changed that on a rainy November day, putting the US on top of the Motocross world. Weinart put his Kawasaki up front to start the day and battled with Maico’s Adolf Weil for the top spot. The two traded the lead at different portions of the race, but a late slip from Weinart knocked him to third as the German took the checkered flag. After a pause due to heavy rain, Weinart again returned to the top spot as rival Weil dropped out with mechanical issues. Pierre Karsmakers took the second moto win, but Weinart “rode his little cheeks off” to put America ahead of its European rivals after previous heartbreak and disappointment.

1976-The First of Many

One of the most famous names in Motocross history claimed his first professional championship at Rio Bravo, putting in a consistent day to climb the mountain. Bob Hannah went 3-5 to claim the 125MX title aboard his Yamaha, the first of six major championships in his career. Another first in the day was Danny LaPorte claiming his first career overall win. LaPorte cruised to a second place finish in the first moto, with Broc Glover 20 seconds clear. LaPorte and Steve Wise fought for the final moto win as Glover conserved energy. Meanwhile, two bad starts from Marty Smith put Hannah in the catbird seat to claim the title. Needing to finish 7th, The Hurricane ended the day in 5th to secure the title.

This interactive table details the all-time leaders at Rio Bravo. Who has the most starts, wins, podiums and points. Filter by class. On mobile, slide left to access more columns. To see all years of data, become a member of the We Went Fast Garage and help us continue (and expand) these unique views of the sport’s history.

All-Time Leaders

This interactive table details the Rio Bravo winners history. Who won in what year and what round was this venue. Filter by class. On mobile, slide left to access more columns. To see all years of data, become a member of the We Went Fast Garage and help us continue (and expand) these unique views of the sport’s history.

Winner History

Race Results