Jeremy McGrath | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | November 19, 1971 52) San Francisco, California, U.S. | (age|||||||||||||||||||||||
Motocross career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years active | 1989–2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Teams | Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Championships | AMA 125cc Western SX – 1991, 1992AMA 250cc Supercross – 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000AMA 250cc MX – 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Wins | 89 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
Jeremy McGrath (born November 19, 1971) is a former American motocross racer. He is one of the most popular American Motocross/Supercross champions in the history of the sport, earning seven AMA Supercross 250cc Championships, one 250cc AMA Motocross Championship, two 125cc West Championships and a record 72 Premier class Supercross wins. He was most active in the 1990s earning the title the "King of Supercross".
McGrath did not start riding motocross until the age of 14 because he spent his younger years riding BMX. This experience helped him revolutionize the way supercross was ridden, employing a technique he learned in BMX allowing him to stay a foot or two lower over jumps by coming in with more speed then soaking up the landing into his body similar to the way you ride BMX. [1] One of his BMX "tricks" during jumps on the supercross track, the most famous of which he called the "Nac Nac", helped spawn the sport of freestyle motocross. McGrath won the AMA Pro Athlete of the Year Award in 1996. [2]
Still competitive in Motorcycle racing, McGrath has tried his hand in many types of motorcycle competition. In the 2010’s, he expanded into off-road trucks in the Pro 2 division of the Lucas Oil Offroad Racing Series. In 2017, Mcgrath won the Pro 2 class championship in the LOORS. McGrath has the privilege of being the first rookie ever to win the AMA 250cc Supercross Championship, in 1993.
McGrath began racing motocross at the age of 15 after a successful career in BMX. He placed 8th in the 125cc West Region Supercross season of 1989. In 1990, he won his first supercross race and placed 2nd in that season. McGrath won the 125 West Supercross title in 1991 and 1992. [2]
McGrath won a record of seventy-two 250cc Main Events and captured seven 250cc supercross championships between 1993 and 2000, a time now known as the "McGrath Era".. He also won the 1995 250 Outdoor Motocross Championship and had the 1996 title in sight before a late-season injury handed the title to Jeff Emig. He described the loss as follows: "I get mad at myself a little bit because I should've won the '96 title too, but I was thinking I was invincible and tried a jump at Millville that I never should have attempted and got injured." McGrath also participated in two victories by the U.S. team at the Motocross des Nations –1993 in Austria and 1996 in Spain. [2] His 1998, 1999, 2000 seasons with The Chaparral Motorsports race team was the 1st non-factory team, in the history of the sport, to win a Supercross Championship [3] [4]
He started the 2001 season in typically strong form; winning 2 of the first 3 main events. However, he lost the next event to Team Kawasaki's Ricky Carmichael. Carmichael would then win every race from there on out; dethroning McGrath as Supercross champion and equalling his 1996 win record of 13 consecutive main event victories. McGrath returned in 2002 to take a shot at regaining his crown, but chronic arm pump (Compartment Syndrome) and perhaps age caught up with him, and he could only muster a 3rd place in the final standings behind Carmichael and Yamaha's David Vuillemin.
For 2003, he signed with Team KTM, but a pre-season crash on the much-maligned KTM 250SX made him rethink his future in racing and he decided to retire on the eve of the 2003 Supercross season. He did a farewell tour with KTM to show his appreciation and sign autographs for fans.
He holds the third best record for most combined AMA Supercross and motocross victories with 102 career wins; only Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart have won more. [2]
In 2005, McGrath came out of retirement to race a limited schedule on the Supercross circuit. He rejoined forces with his former Team Honda squad and has recently proven to be at a competitive level and speed that has not been seen from McGrath since the 2001 season. At the age of 34, he placed regularly in the top 5 positions. In the same year, Jeremy also raced Supermoto in the X-Games and placed 2nd to take home the silver medal. McGrath switched motorcycles from his trademark Honda CR250R 2-stroke to a Honda CRF450R 4-stroke at Round 3 of the 2006 Supercross season. In keeping with his partial schedule, McGrath withdrew from the series after Round Six, after earning multiple top 5 finishes, and running as high as fourth in the point standings. Jeremy competed in the 2006 Summer X Games; earning a 2nd in Step-Up and 7th in Supermoto. He announced plans for the McGrath Invitational; an off-season supercross race with an innovative track and huge purse. McGrath announced that the 2006 Invitational would be the final professional Supercross race of his career. McGrath was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2003.
Year | Rnd 1 | Rnd 2 | Rnd 3 | Rnd 4 | Rnd 5 | Rnd 6 | Rnd 7 | Rnd 8 | Rnd 9 | Rnd 10 | Rnd 11 | Rnd 12 | Rnd 13 | Rnd 14 | Rnd 15 | Rnd 16 | Rnd 17 | Rnd 18 | Average Finish | Podium Percent | Place |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1990 125 SX-W | 7 | 21 | 2 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | 6 | 3 | 5.00 | 70% | 2nd |
~1991 125 SX-W | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | OUT | 9 | OUT | 2.40 | 88% | 1st |
1992 125 SX-W | - | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1.25 | 100% | 1st |
1993 250 SX | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | - | - | 2.25 | 75% | 1st |
1993 125 MX | 1 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3.75 | 67% | 3rd |
1994 250 SX | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 2.20 | 80% | 1st |
1994 250 MX | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4.54 | 54% | 3rd |
1995 250 SX | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | DNS | - | - | - | 2.00 | 79% | 1st |
1995 250 MX | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1.83 | 92% | 1st |
1996 250 SX | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 1.13 | 100% | 1st |
1996 250 MX | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 2.84 | 85% | 2nd |
1997 250 SX | 15 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 7 | - | - | - | 4.40 | 60% | 2nd |
1997 250 MX | 2 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | 4.84 | 38% | 3rd |
1998 250 SX | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 14 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 4.00 | 75% | 1st |
1998 250 MX | 2 | 1 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3.00 | 66% | 14th |
1999 250 SX | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 2.19 | 75% | 1st |
1999 250 MX | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2000 250 SX | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1.69 | 88% | 1st |
2000 250 MX | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
2001 250 SX | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | - | - | 2.88 | 69% | 2nd |
2002 250 SX | 13 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | - | - | 5.80 | 19% | 3rd |
Overall AMA Career Wins: 102
In April 2007, McGrath announced he had signed a driver development contract with the NASCAR team JR Motorsports owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. And1 brand with Monster Energy Drink sponsoring.
McGrath has occasionally raced in off-road races in the late 2000s. He has finished in the Top 10 in several PRO-2 races. In 2017, he won the championship in the Pro 2 division of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.
In September 2005, [7] McGrath teamed up with long-time friends Ken Faught and Jason Williams to create a state-of-the-art indoor go-kart track called Pole Position Raceway. The track uses environmentally friendly electric karts that produce 20-horsepower.
McGrath was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2010. [8]
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
The AMA Supercross Championship is an American motorcycle racing series. Founded by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in 1974, the AMA Supercross Championship races are held from January through early May. Supercross is a variant of motocross which involves off-road motorcycles on a constructed dirt track consisting of steep jumps and obstacles; the tracks are usually constructed inside a sports stadium. The easy accessibility and comfort of these stadium venues helped supercross surpass off-road motocross as a spectator attraction in the United States by the late 1970s.
Richard Joseph Carmichael is an American former professional motocross and stock car racing driver. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1997 to 2007 and in NASCAR from 2008 to 2011. His unrivaled successes in the sport of motocross earned him the nickname "The GOAT"; standing for Greatest of All Time. He won 15 AMA championships (1st), 10 in Motocross (1st), five in Supercross (2nd); scored 150 wins (1st), 102 in Motocross (1st), 48 in Supercross (4th); had two perfect Motocross seasons; was never beaten in 125 Supercross; and was a five-time winner of the AMA's Rider of the Year award.
Donny Schmit was an American professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1986 to 1989 and, in the Motocross World Championships from 1990 to 1994. Schmit was notable for being a two-time motocross world champion, winning the 125cc title in 1990 and the 250cc championship in 1992.
Chad Mark Reed is an Australian motocross and supercross racer. He is a two-time AMA Supercross 450cc champion, a one-time AMA Motocross 450cc champion, record holder for the most main event starts in AMA Supercross history with 265 starts, as well as podium finishes with 132.
Jeffrey Ward is a British-American former professional motocross racer, auto racing driver and off-road racer. He won the AMA Motocross Championship five times and the AMA Supercross Championship twice and the Motocross des Nations seven times. After retiring from motorcycle competition, Ward turned to auto racing, finishing in second place at the Indianapolis 500 and winning a race at the Texas Motor Speedway. He then competed in off-road truck racing and rallycross. Ward was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999 and, was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on 12 August 2006.
Cam Jeffrey Emig is an American former professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1988 to 1999. He was one of the top American motocross racers of the 1990s. During his motorcycle racing career, Emig won four AMA Motocross Championships, an FIM World Supercross title and was a six-time member of the U.S. Motocross des Nations team. He was inducted to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2004.
Kevin Windham, is an American former professional motocross racer. At 17 he received a full factory ride from Team Yamaha. He has raced for many factory teams and holds several titles, back to back AMA 125 West Supercross Championships in 1996 and 1997, the 2005 Motocross des Nations team championship, and 2nd in points for the 2008 supercross season. In 1999 Windham won the United States Grand Prix of Motocross held at Budd's Creek, Maryland. Despite his longtime status as one of the world's fastest motocross racers, he is yet to win a major National or World Championship. He is better known by the nickname K-Dub on the racing scene. He announced his retirement from racing at the third round of the 2013 Supercross season.
Sébastien Tortelli is a French former professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1994 to 1998 and, competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1999 to 2005. He returned to Europe to compete in the 2006 FIM Motocross World Championship for his final season of professional motocross. Tortelli is notable for winning two FIM motocross world championships. He was one of the few competitors who could beat both Stefan Everts and Ricky Carmichael in their prime.
Ernesto Fonseca, also known as "El Lobito" and "The Fonz", is a retired professional motocross and supercross racer from Costa Rica.
Robert William Hannah is an American former professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1975 to 1989, most notably as a member of the Yamaha factory racing team. He was one of the most successful motocross racers in AMA history, with 70 AMA race victories and seven championships.
Greg Albertyn is a South African former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1988 to 1994 and in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1995 to 2000. Albertyn is notable for being the first South African competitor to win an FIM motocross world championship. He won three FIM world championships and one American national championship during his racing career. He is now a real estate developer in Riverside, California, United States.
David Vuillemin is a French former professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1995 to 1999 and won the 1999 supercross world championship. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2000 and 2008 before returning to the Motocross World Championships for one final season in 2009. Although Vuillemin never won a major championship, he was twice the runner-up in the AMA Supercross championships and, was one of the few competitors who could beat both Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Carmichael in their prime.
Douglas Howard “Doug” Henry is an American former professional motocross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1988 to 2006. He is a three-time AMA motocross national champion. Henry was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2005.
Ryan Daniel Villopoto is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer who competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2005 to 2014; a four-time 450cc AMA Supercross Champion, a two-time 450cc AMA Motocross Champion, a three-time 250cc AMA Motocross Champion & a one-time 250cc West Supercross Champion. He was also a member of the winning USA team at the 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2011 Motocross Des Nations.
Ryan Dungey is an American retired professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2006 to 2017 and again in 2022. He is a four-time 450cc AMA Supercross Champion, a three-time 450cc AMA Motocross Champion, a one-time 250cc AMA Supercross West & 250cc AMA Motocross Champion.
Mickaël Pichon is a French former professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1992 to 1994 and the AMA Motocross Championships from 1995 to 1999, before returning to the Motocross World Championships from 2000 to 2009. Pichon is a two-time 250cc FIM World Motocross Champion & a two-time AMA Supercross 125cc East Chanpion.
Cooper Webb is an American professional Motocross and Supercross racer competing in the AMA Supercross and Motocross championships; a two-time 450cc AMA Supercross Champion, a two-time 250cc AMA Supercros West Champion & a one-time 250cc AMA Motocross Champion.
Team Pro Circuit is a Motorcross and Supercross team based in Corona, California. It is owned and operated by Mitch Payton. Team Pro Circuit competes in the AMA Motocross and Supercross championships on Kawasaki 250cc four-stroke motorcycles.
Jett Lawrence is an Australian Motocross racer. Competing in the AMA Supercross & Motocross Championships; a one-time 450cc AMA Supercross, 450cc AMA Motocross & 450cc SMX Champion, a two-time 250cc AMA Motocross, & 250cc AMA Supercross Champion.