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era ol the sport s greatest knight errant.
Jeremy McGrath has won six consecutive
Supercross championships In 1991 and 1992,
he won the 125cc West Supercross
Championship. Beginning the next year, he
began his dominance ol the premiere 250cc
Supercross Championship, winning the Series
title In 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 There is
neither precedent nor parallel Incredibly, he
has only gotten stronger. Last season he
came within two bike lengths ol accomplish
ing the unthinkable — the still unfathomable:
winning every round ol the Series His only
“loss" was a second-place finish in the St.
Louis round, the 14th race ol the Scries. By
that time, the sheer drama ol a possible per
fect season culminated in a Irenzy ol atten
tion previously unknown in the sport Major
magazines and news agencies caught the
scent oi a genius savant in the backwoods
sport and descended with cameras and klieg
lights.
Even outsiders understand Jeremy
McGrath is reshaping Supercross In the 1997
season he Is moving the sport forward yet
again, this time oil the track In another
unprecedented endeavor. McGrath has estab
lished his own race team, gathered his own
corporate sponsors and set out to establish a
way for future racers to earn the kind of
money they deserve. Uh-oh. more money for
the spoiled richboys? Nope Major League
Baseball salary arbitration proceedings are in
another building The majority ol tip-top level
professional motocross riders live from sea
son to season — two-year contracts are still a
rarity. A good number of racers live from race
to race, depending upon their health, any
bike damage, and the travel distance to the
next race. Politely put, professional
motocross offers an unstable living.
McGrath's gamble may change whose pock
ets get lined.
Even more Impressive, McGrath has
achieved his success in a time ol great riders.
Arch-rival Jeff Emig beat Jeremy straight up
in the final round of the outdoor motocross
250cc National Championship Series to win
the championship and the #1 Number Plate.
Emig was the streak-breaker, beating Jeremy
at the 19% St. Louis Supercross, and thwart
ing the perfect season. Emig has also been
the 125cc National Motocross Champion.
Mike Lorocco is a multi-time National
Motocross Champion as well. Greg Albertyn
is a two-time World Motocross Champion,
come to America to challenge himself against
the Americans (who are now overall the
world's fastest riders). Steve Lamson has
been National Motocross Champion twice
over. These are committed, serious and seri
ously talented racers, profoundly determined
to win the Supercross Championship. They
may respect McGrath, but they’re willing and
able to make him eat dirt, just the same.
McGrath’s adjustment to a new team and
a new brand of motorcycle (Honda to Suzuki)
has proven the talent and parity of the
Supercross field. Thus far in the 1997 Series,
McGrath has yet to win. In fact, the five races
have had three different winners: Greg
Albertyn. Jeff Emig. and current points'
leader Doug Henry. Henry’s success this year
has inspired everyone. In 1995, Doug had
what is arguably the most nightmarish crasn
in Nat >nal Motocross Series history. He
badly broke his back, underwent surgery and
spent the next year In rehabilitation. This
season, he has regained his strength and is
fulfilling his early promise as a high-caliber
rider in what is proving to be the most excit
ing season in recent memory It's anybody’s
guess who is going to win from one week to
the next.
THE RACE
It's a joy to watch the start of a
Supercross Main Event. Nerves and noise
bounce aro.'nd the stadium like stray atoms.
And let’s talk ..bout air — big air Four hun
dred pounds of n.tn and motorcycle lift from
the ground like kit* s at the beach. Jeremy
McGrath, and kids of h." generation, brought
to Supercross the aerial ski’ls they learned on
BMX bicycles. The long hangtime of the big
"triples" afforded them time to incorporate
some of these maneuvers on their motorcy
cles. If you came of age watching Evel
Knevel’s labored leaps on his massive Harley
Davidson, the aerial gymnastics of the
Supercross riders will blow your mind. Watch
lor the “Superman." where the rider takes his
leet olf the footpegs, stretches them out
behind him in a body position parallel to the
ground before bringing them back to the
pegs at touchdown In the “Can-Can" the
rider crosses one leg over the gas tank to the
opposite side ol the motorcycle, ending up
with both legs on the same side, one leg jut
ting out as if he were part of a chorus-line.
My personal favorite is the “Nac-Nac," which
is, as you've guessed, the opposite of the
“Can-Can." This is also a Jeremy McGrath
specialty. For this move the rider also swings
one leg over to the opposite side ol the bike,
but. instead of in front of him. he swings it
over behind him. The balance shift causes
the bike to swing like a fence gate radically
sideways and leaves the rider to rehinge the
separated elements (person A motorcycle)
with the toe of one boot. The “Whlp-lt" flings
the motorcycle sideways at the same time as
laying it over on its side. The “Heel-Clicker" is
a new breed. In this one the rtder takes both
feet off the footpegs. swings both legs over
his arms (which are stretched out hanging
onto the handlebars) and clicks his two heels
together before trusting muscle memory to
find the (ootpegs again. Now. I don't have the
flexibility to do this move on my living-room
carpet, much less 30 feet in the air (at 60
miles per hour!). These little sculptures in
space are a simultaneous play of disjoining
and attachment, mesmerizingiy beautiful In
their lingering image. Thelonious Monk
chords given form.
But. these are for playtime, lor learning
the limits ol the motorcycle and oneself, and
for simply thrilling the fans. When the race
gate drops, all efforts are to keep the motor
cycle on the ground and propelling forward.
As such, the dominions of momentum (i.e.
braking and cornering) quickly attain their
own balletic beauty, and the dive, duck, and
repartee excite as much as the jumping At
the Atlanta round of the Series, young Damon
Huffnwn rode the race of his career, finishing
first ahead of Kawasaki teammate Jeff Emig
and third-place holder Jeremy McGrath. He
was so excited after the race that he report
edly had to steady his writing hand to sign
autographs. Two days later Damon broke
his ankle practicing
and will miss the
next four Rounds,
ending any chance
for a good finish In
the Series Though
McGrath moves one
step closer to his
first 1997 victory.
Jeff Emig can practi
cally smell hts first
Supercross
Championship, but
Yamaha’s Doug Henry
Is not moving over
for anybody.
At this point, this
season is a Yahtsee
toss. Hang on.
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