In the early 1970's a young rider, Brad Lackey, traveled to and trained behind the Iron curtain to learn how to ride. Against dominating Europeans, Lackey became the fastest rider in America to win the 1972 AMA 500cc National Championship. From there, he suffered a long struggle on various brands, including Kawasaki, Husqvarna, and Honda. Finally though with Suzuki, he won his World Champion title in Luxembourg against a tough Belgian named Andre Vromans.