This Week's Birthdays
December 31: One of the most stylish riders in motocross history has to be David “The Icon” Bailey. As a Team Honda standout in the 1980s, Bailey won four titles from 1983 to 1986, plus the AMA Grand National Championship in ’83. Unfortunately, his career was cut short by a practice crash in 1987, but what Bailey has done since then – raised a family, worked on television, won the Ironman Triathlon and stayed a powerful voice in motocross – has only added to his legend.
December 31: Ogio’s Andy Bell
December 31: Gear Media and Marketing ATV Motocross Producer, Mike Roser.
January 1: Larry Brooks ranks as one of the fastest 85cc riders ever to throw his leg over a minicycle; he even earned a rare cover (for kids) on MXA while riding for R&D Suzuki. Brooks turned pro in 1985 with Honda and won three 125cc Supercross races. He was a mainstay in the top ten of the 250 class for nearly a decade before he decided to hang up his leathers and give management a try. In 1998, his buddy Jeremy McGrath gave him the opportunity to manage his newly formed Chapparral Yamaha team and they won three titles together. Last year, Brooks and Reed got together to form the L&M Racing team and won the Supercross Championship. In 2009, James Stewart is riding for that team and they will be looking for Larry’s fifth Supercross Championship.
January 1: GP photographer Gary "Redeye" Freeman
January 2: James Dobb decided to leave the GPs to come to America in the early 1990s and race against the best riders in the world. Mitch Payton gave him a shot and in 1993, James won his only AMA race at the Unadilla 125cc National. A few years later the Englishman returned home and won the 2001 FIM 125cc World Championship.
January 2: Hinson Clutch Components, Ron Hinson
January 2: DeCal Works Riley Fredin
January 3: Robbie’s sister, Cherie Reynard
January 4: After years of racing SX and MX fulltime, Kelly Smith got a chance to ride for Team Babbitt's Monster Energy Kawasaki in the arenacross series this year and he finished second overall. He has a place in the history books as the first KTM rider ever to win an AMA National (High Point 125 in 2000) and he will be remembered by bench racers as one of the best starters ever.
Have a birthday (or know someone with a birthday) that you would like mentioned on Racer X Online? Send them to mikef@racerxill.com
