Stanton and DeSoto on MX-Files Today
March 10, 2009 1:29pm
FULLERTON, CA – Two of the most anticipated Motocross Files episodes re-air this afternoon on Speed. John "The Flyin' Hawaiian" DeSoto and Jeff Stanton will re-air on Speed as part Speed's continued schedule for the biographical motocross series.
About John DeSoto:
The sport of motocross would not be what it was today had John "The Flyin' Hawaiian" DeSoto not been involved from the beginning.
A native of Hawaii, the tough but friendly DeSoto traveled to the mainland to pursue his dream of being a professional motocross racer during the very beginning of the sport in the US. RIding for brands Montesa, CZ, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Ossa and Maico, DeSoto was a motocross pioneer who simply loved to ride and felt privileged to do it.
He battled Parnelli Jones in a Ford Bronco during the 1968 Baja 1000, rode the 250cc World GP circuit in 1969 and won the 1971 Elsinore Grand Prix after "On Any Sunday" came out. A fan and fellow rider favorite, John DeSoto was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Hawaiian Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
"John DeSoto is one of those riders who represents most of those that participate in this sport. A love to be able to just ride." said Todd Huffman, Producer of The Motocross Files. "He grew up in a poor but loving family who loved motorcycles. He was great to hang out with and interview, being funny, serious, philosophical. A great interview!" Huffman added.
About Jeff Stanton:
Jeff Stanton emerged not from the Southern California breeding grounds of motocross royalty, but from a 100+ year-old family farm in rural Michigan. The farmer from Sherwood Jeff Stanton, who learned to work hard the old fashioned way, moved from 80's to 100's and out of necessity jumped right to the 250 and 500 classes to become an amateur champion.
In 1989 he joined the powerful Team Honda and took over for the injured Rick Johnson in 1989 winning both Supercross and 250cc Outdoor titles. He backed that up again in 1990 with the same two titles while dealing with growing inter-team rivalries and politics.
The 1992 season would be Stanton's toughest as the Supercross title came down to one of the strangest finals at the LA Coliseum with Stanton, Damon Bradshaw and Jean-Michele Bayle being the major players. He ushered in a new era for the sport as Team Honda rookie, Jeremy McGrath took over as the new Supercross Champion in 1993.
Perhaps, his biggest and most important contributions were his rides at the '89, '90, and '91 Motocross des Nations event. His races there saved the US from certain defeat. Jeff Stanton would retire from the sport in 1994 and begin a new career as a rider consultant for the factory Honda team.
"You know Jeff Stanton is one of those great Supercross and Motocross Champions that is sometimes overlooked in the hierarchy of champions in this sport" said Todd Huffman, Producer of The Motocross Files. "But if you look at what he did during his career and how he acted as a professional, everyone needs to realize what a great and important champion he was and still is." Huffman added.
John DeSoto's Re-air is at 2:00pm-Eastern (11:00am on West Coast)
Jeff Stanton's Re-air 2:30pm-Eastern (11:30am on West Coast)
For up-to-date TV show schedule and more information visit www.motocrossfiles.com
The Motocross Files Presented by Lucas Oil is produced by Pipeline Digital Media, LLC. (PDM) PDM is a full-service television, video and commercial production company offering complete video and film production services for all applications. PDM’s television work has been produced for Speed, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports Net, Fuel TV and OLN. For more information please contact them on the web at info@pdmtv.com
