In 1956, Jimmy Redwine just wanted to see what it was all about.

At 16 years old, Redwine said he and his younger brother decided to check out a cross-country motorcycle race in Okeene.

The course was approximately 70 miles long and ran through all kinds of terrain.

“I bet we can see it better if we get in it,” Redwine told his brother.

After a trip to town to get gas - at 25 cents a gallon - Redwine entered the race.

The thrill of the competition and a runner-up finish - left him wanting more.

Redwine initially was attending merely as a spectator He left with his first motocross trophy and a burning passion.

That fire turned into hundreds of races and countless top placings spanning a racing career that lasted decades.

Then, late last year, that career landed him a spot in the Oklahoma Motocross (MX) Hall of Fame.

••• In over 50 years of competition, Redwine won numerous championships including the Dr. Pepper Nighttime National, World Vet Championships in the over 50, over 60 and over 70 intermediate classes, second in the over 30 class at the Houston Astrodome and many more.

Competing in cross-country races in his early days, Redwine transitioned into racing at motocross track events with his first race at Kingfisher Motocross Park in 1973.

It was the beginning of a lifetime adventure.

“I just loved the competition… and winning,” Redwine said.

An intense physical and mental challenge, riders compete on a loose dirt track comprised of hills, valleys, sharp turns, berms, whoops (a long set of evenly spaced “bumps” usually a couple of feet tall) and other obstacles.

Each individual course is approximately two miles in length with its own unique challenges and each race consists of a series of laps around the track during two separate heats, Redwine said.

Riders race out of the starting gate, maneuvering to get in the lead with hopes of making the holeshot (first rider to get through the apex of the first turn) to secure an advantage over the pack behind them.

The adrenaline of competition and a desire to win led Redwine to races from Oklahoma to California.

Recalling one particular race, Redwine said he was in a fierce competition with another rider and he had gotten second in the first heat.

“There’s a hairpin turn just at the top of the mountain known as Mt. St. Helen and he had the jump on me at the start going up the mountain,” Redwine said.

“I knew he would stay inside and try to protect his line, so I took the outside, passed him and could see out of the corner of my eye that his wheels weren’t on the ground.

“I jumped off the mountain and rode off…leaving him behind and won the race.”

Some of his biggest fans, his late wife, Deloris, and daughter, Sherry (Farrar), often cheered him on at home.

His son, Scott, cheered him on at the racetrack.

Scott also got involved in racing and he was fast, Redwine said, but he didn’t race much competitively.

“He was probably a little smarter than me,” Redwine said.

Assisting his dad, Scott primarily used his mechanical skills in the pit area helping his dad win races through the years.

“We raced a lot in Oklahoma, but also went to competition in Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, Louisiana, Tennessee and California,” Redwine said.

As his grandson, Tyler Farrar, got interested in motocross, Redwine said they raced in a summer series at different tracks around the state and some in Kansas, each in their own age category and both won their series that year.

A favorite memory during that series, Redwine said, was during the final race of the season when he needed to finish 13th or better to win overall.

“There was another fast competitor who I thought might contend against me,” Redwine said.

“I took off and got the holeshot in both heats and never saw him the rest of the race…I liked that one.”

For over 25 years, Redwine competed at the World Vet MX Championships at the Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Calif., with more than 1,000 competitors from all over the United States and numerous other countries.

During that time he took home a lot of hardware and won his final championship there in 2009 as the world champion in the over 70 class.

With years of literal ups and downs in motocross, Redwine experienced a low the following week.

Racing at Reynard Raceway (formerly Sooner State Cycle Park) near Wellston, Redwine said he doesn’t remember much about the race, but “somehow got tangled up with another rider and crashed.”

Severely damaging his neck, Redwine received a career-ending injury and, after surgery, was advised by his doctor that he should never ride again.

Having suffered other injuries throughout his career, some landing him in the hospital, Redwine said, it’s just part of motocross and fear can’t be in a racer’s vocabulary.

“It’s not if you crash, it’s when you crash,” he said.

While growing up, Redwine said, all he ever wanted to do was ride motorcycles.

Reflecting on his induction into the Oklahoma Motocross Hall of Fame, Redwine said, “It means so much…it’s such an honor.”

“I’ve always loved being a part of the Oklahoma motocross community and it’s hard to put into words what it means to me.”