Where Are They Now: Mickey Kessler
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Mickey Kessler was the original Garden State fast guy, and he actually reached factory status with the Maico team back in the day. He also collected top-ten finishes in the final standings of the 1978 and ‘79 500cc Nationals. After that, Mickey still raced the nationals, but eventually cemented his status as the all-time legend at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. Whenever the factory guns would show up at Englishtown, Mickey would be there to put the challenge to them. Some of his mid-80’s battles with Bob Hannah at E-Town are legendary!
Other career highlights include his famous 50-moto win streak at Englishtown, where the promoters eventually had to put out a bounty to anyone who could stop him, and a win in the 500cc support class at the 1986 Unadilla USGP.
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“I’m just running the KPS deal right now,” Mickey says. “It’s going good.”
Indeed, plenty of East Coast motocrossers run the KPS logo on their forks. Nowadays, it’s Dakota who is doing most of the testing for dad. “It’s good because he’s a really smooth rider,” Mickey says. “That helps because he knows what the bike is doing, which is really good for testing. But also, it’s good to have a smooth rider using your stuff, because that makes your suspension look good!”
Mickey also plays a big hand in managing the track at Englishtown. With all the time he spends on the track, does he ever climb on a bike anymore? “Not really, not in a few years,” he says. “You’ll see me at The Race of Champions this year, but it will be in a dozer!”
When it comes to New Jersey motocross, Mickey Kessler isn’t far removed from that other Jersey guy who burst into the national spotlight in the 1970s: he’s The Boss.
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