Several years ago Walt Axthelm sent me this photo of the San Gabriel Gang – a group of off-road racers from the San Gabriel Valley of greater Los Angeles. Unfortunately I can’t ID most of the racers. I think that’s Walt sitting on the motorcycle with the helmet on the hanging off the handlebars on the left. I do know for certain that the rider in the center with helmet and goggles on is Motorcycle Hall of Famer John McLaughlin. The great thing about this photo is that the little guy standing with his dad is none other than Steve McLaughlin. Twenty years after this photo was taken Steve would become the winner of the first AMA Superbike Championship Series race in March of 1976 at Daytona International Raceway and a little over 30 years after the photo was taken Steve would launch the World Superbike Championship.

The San Gabriel Gang – a group of off-road racers from the San Gabriel Valley of greater Los Angeles. John McLaughlin is the rider in the center. Holding his hand is his son Steve McLaughlin. Both are Hall of Famers. (From the Walt Axthelm Collection)