By Dino Tortorelli

I believe the year was 1975. I was 15 years old. My father called me and said, “I need you to talk to this guy.”

The guy he put on the phone had a European accent. I had no idea who it was. It was Pierre Karsmakers from Team Honda.

I thought my father was joking. He knew I was a big Honda fan. My first bike was a 1974 Honda XR75, and my second was a 1975 Honda CR125, which I raced in the Novice Class in AMA District 3.

In Parish, N.Y., they would hold the nationals at Moto Masters Park for the big European riders from all over the world. What I didn’t know was Team Honda was staying in Liverpool, N.Y., at the Holiday Inn.

Somehow, my dad found out. He snuck up to the top floor and met with Karsmakers and the rest of the team.

They were looking for a place to practice, and my dad told them his son could take them to a track where they could. They couldn’t go to Moto Masters, because that’s where the nationals were to take place.

I took Karsmakers and the team to a track in Palmyra, N.Y. I knew the owner, and hoped he would let us practice there. We got hold of him and he said, “Sure. They can come out.”

But I didn’t tell him who it was.

We loaded the team bikes into a U-Haul truck, then drove to my house and picked up my bike.

When we got there, the owner couldn’t believe I had brought Team Honda to his little track.

We parked and unloaded all the bikes. We rode about an hour and a half.

It was like a dream come true for me. It was just one of those things that you would never believe is going to happen to you.

Later that day, Karsmakers and his mechanic came to our house to have dinner. All those guys wanted was a home-cooked meal. My mother cooked steaks.

As famous as he was, Karsmakers was such a down-to-earth guy.

I’m 58 now. My dad is 80. And it’s the greatest memory I have.

I suffered a stroke in 2013 and I’m limited in what I can do. Motocross is my true love. I miss it a lot.

When I see an old dirt bike or motorcycle, I have to stop and look at it or buy it. It’s something I’ll never get out of my blood.

Dino Tortorelli is an AMA member from Central Square, N.Y.