Michael Byrne turned pro in 1997. He won three championships in Australia before coming to the United States in 2001. He started his US career racing for former SX and MX champion Jeff Emig on his TheEdgeSports.com Kawasaki team. He moved permanently to the U.S. the following year to race the full AMA schedule.
The 2002 and 2003 seasons for Byrne were solid learning seasons for him in the U.S., and he piloted his Amsoil Honda to fifth in the final standings in the 2003 AMA 125cc National Motocross Championship.

The following year marked Byrne’s first full year aboard a 250cc machine. Riding for Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki, he earned multiple top-five finishes in both AMA 250cc Supercross and the AMA 250cc Motocross Championship. Those results helped him earn sixth in the year end points in each championship.

Byrne once again competed aboard a Factory Kawasaki machine for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. He earned 15th in the 2005 Supercross championship while racing a limited schedule, but rode strong outdoors to a year-end finish of sixth place in the final standings despite being penalized for out-of-spec fuel. He would’ve finished in the top five, otherwise. Then, 2006 was just the opposite for Byrne. He had a much better season indoors, finishing the season sixth in points, but had a limited outdoor series that saw him finish the series thirteenth in points.

Byrne switched teams for the 2007 season, hopping onto a Rockstar Suzuki. He had two good series aboard his new machine, finishing seventh in Supercross, and eighth in the Outdoor Nationals thanks to seven top-10 finishes. Byrne jumped back into the factory rig for the 2008 season, stepping up to the Rockstar/Makita Suzuki team. Bad luck struck yet again for Byrne as he went down with an injury prior to the start of the 2008 Supercross series, but he returned for the Nationals and has had multiple podium finishes.

Part of the first wave of Australian superstars to move to the U.S., Byrne has been a frontrunner for nearly a decade. He recently relocated to Florida, where he rides and trains with fellow Aussie Chad Reed. Well-respected in the pits, “Byrner” worked on rebuilding his program after several years of injuries.

Amateur Career

Byrne started his riding days on his family farm in Australia, thanks in large part to his older brother. After spending quite a while play-riding on his property, Byrne began to race competitively. He fit into the amateur scene quite well, and by the time he turned pro in 1997, he had won multiple amateur titles.

Personal

Byrne lives the single life at his home in Newnan, Georgia, but also spends quite a bit of his time in the hotbed of Southern California. Byrne enjoys playing basketball and golf, and mountain biking when he can find some free time. Sam Wappelhorst

Contributors: Alissa Gilligan , Bad Billy