RANCHO CORDOVA — Local retired motocross star and Santa Cruz native Billy Grossi was honored as the grand marshal of the 55th annual Hangtown Motocross Classic at Prairie City OHV Park on June 1.
Grossi was celebrated for winning the national championship race 50 years ago in the 250cc class.
Grossi said his favorite memory of racing at the historic track came when he crossed the finish line and his dad climbed on the back of his bike for a ride to the pits and told him that he had won the race.
“I had so much sand in my eyes I could hardly see and didn’t know if I had won or not,” Grossi said. “Having my dad climb on my bike and tell me I’d won was my best memory of Hangtown.”
Also honored at the event was Billy’s longtime mechanic Richard “Jo Jo” Johanson.
Grossi raced motocross as a top factory rider back in the 1970s and early ’80s. He rode for various factory racing teams, including Suzuki and Honda in both the 250cc and 500cc classes. In ’74, he finished third in the AMA 500cc Motocross Championship.
The Dirt Diggers North Motorcycle Club has held the Hangtown event continuously since 1969 and is the only active motorcycle club to hold a national championship event. This year’s race was the second in the 2024 Super Motocross Championship.
Billy’s older brother, Bob, also a top motocross racer, won the Hangtown event four times and when Billy was finally old enough to get his professional license, he raced in the 1974 Hangtown Classic and won. He also scored well in many more of the annual Hangtown races.
The Legends and Heroes Moto Museum recognized Johanson for his longtime work as a mechanic for many of the top motocross riders in the ’70s and ’80s. His legendary ability to fine-tune motorcycles for maximum performance gave Grossi the edge he needed to do so well during his career. Johanson continues to be involved in motocross mentoring young mechanics and riders.