May 19th, 2007
Written by Tom White
Edison Dye – The Father of American Motocross
Edison Dye, often referred to as “The Father of American Motocross” passed away in Lemon Grove, California on May 10th, 2007, his 89th birthday. He is survived by his daughter Shirley Evancho, grandson Brent Evancho, and great-grandson Aaron Evancho.
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Malcolm Smith, with Roger DeCoster, and Chuck Minert looking on, congratulates an emotional Edison Dye at the 1999 White Brothers World Veteran Motocross Championship on receiving the Motocross Lifetime Achivement Award. | | |
Former motocross star and Honolulu Councilmember John DeSoto says of Mr. Dye, “Edison Dye has left an indelible mark on motocross. He inspired a new approach to American motorcycle racing by introducing world-class riders from the European race circuit. Individuals such as Roger DeCoster, Joel Robert, Lars Larsson, and Torsten Hallman arrived in this country, unleashing their “European-style” of riding on an unsuspecting American continent; forever changing the level performance of motocross racing. He helped build a multi-billion dollar International industry that allowed many of us riders to achieve our wildest dreams. In fact, many of today’s top riders are probably unaware of his contributions to our sport.”
“Edison really enjoyed working with the European motocross riders and the traveling, the racetracks, and all the experiences that came with the races,” says his daughter Shirley. “He loved the money that he made and loved to spend it on the young ladies. Edison could be very flashy at times and loved to be the center of attention. My father was very happy in his last few years when the motorcycle community put him in the spotlight once again.”
Private funeral services were held on May 15th.
