Current Lucas Oil 250 Pro Motocross points leader Joey Savatgy landed on the latest cover of Racer X Illustrated after winning both the Las Vegas East-West Shootout and the Hangtown opening round. Shot by Simon Cudby, this is Savatgy’s second cover—and it’s the second set of gear he’s worn on the cover. Last year Savatgy earned his first while his Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki racing team was under contract with Thor MX. Since then, the team has switched to Fox Racing. As a result, Savatgy joins a long line of past and current MX heroes who have graced our cover while running the Fox Head. From day one, back when Geoff and Bob Fox started Fox Racing in 1974, they have supported top professional riders—as well as a small army of amateurs—all over the world.
For this week’s List, we thought we’d look back through more than 200 issues to see Fox Racing’s top riders over the years.
McGrath
The first Fox rider to land on the cover was none other than Jeremy McGrath, who debuted on our very first front page back in 1998 in a shot from the Paris-Bercy SX. It was the King of Supercross’ one and only cover wearing Fox, as he soon switched to No Fear.
Reynard
One year later, Robbie Reynard become the second Fox rider on the cover after he won a night at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas.
Hughes
Ryan Hughes was chasing after a 250cc World Championship in 1999 when he earned a cover from the final round of the series, the U.S. Grand Prix at Budds Creek.
Fonseca
Ernesto Fonseca’s pro career got off to an incredible start in 1999 with four straight wins to start the 125cc East Region. His Yamaha of Troy team switched to Fox for 2000, and he landed on our cover with the #1 plate. One year later, he would score another cover when he debuted Yamaha’s game-changing YZ250F at the All-Japan Grand Prix.
Carmichael
The rider most associated with Fox Racing is Ricky Carmichael, who would earn multiple covers over the years. But his first came in the fall of 1998, when he was wearing AXO gear while riding for Pro Circuit Kawasaki at the muddy Motocross des Nations in Foxhills, England. He got his first cover in Fox gear when he won the 2000 Daytona Supercross, his first premier-class SX win.
Stewart
James Stewart exploded onto the scene in 2002, dominating the 125 class for three years while RC was doing likewise in the 250/450s. Thus began a run of covers (often together) that took up a lot of newsstand shelf space over the years to come, before RC retired in 2007 and Stewart switched clothing brands in 2009.
Emig
In the middle of all those Carmichael and Stewart covers, Jeff Emig snatched one as a rare amateur racer, having made a comeback in the Vet class at Loretta Lynn’s. Emig had been on the cover, albeit in a portrait photo, while he was in a slump. This time he got himself an action shot as a Fox rider and joined a very small group of amateurs who have been on our cover: Mike and Jeff Alessi, Davi Millsaps, and Adam Cianciarulo.
Tedesco
Ivan Tedesco had been on our cover before when he was riding up through the ranks with Yamaha of Troy, but by 2008 he was a Honda factory rider and multi-time champion, as well as a Motocross of Nations winner.
Barcia
Justin Barcia grabbed his first Racer X cover in 2009, in part because of the ridiculous whips he was doing off the big Sky Shot Jump at Unadilla, and also in part as a nod to Fox Racing for rolling out their retro gear for that race as part of their thirty-fifth anniversary. It’s still one of our most requested back issues!
Dungey
One of the best moves we can remember in the MX business came when Ryan Dungey was snatched up by Fox Racing just a week into the 2009 season, leaving One Industries after the brand signed his nemesis and hated rival, Jason Lawrence. Dungey went on to win many races and titles, and of course a bunch of Racer X covers.
Tickle
We promised Broc Tickle a cover when he won the 2011 Lites West Region SX title with Pro Circuit Kawasaki, but it didn’t quite happen until later on when he was working with RCH Racing and riding a Suzuki RM-Z450.
Roczen
Ever since he landed in America, German import Ken Roczen has been riding to the top, first with KTM and now with RCH Racing Suzuki. He’s flashy, fast, and a lot of fun, and that always make for good cover material!
Hill
Josh Hill snatched a cover when he was a Yamaha rider on the comeback trail, trying to get back to the front where belonged after some off-track issues slowed his progress. He’s now helping multiple riders in the sport running Monster Energy’s moto team.
Canard
Trey Canard got himself a couple of covers early in his career when his GEICO Honda team was backed by Fox Racing. He also earned it with a winning turn on Team USA at the 2010 Motocross of Nations at Thunder Valley.
Savatgy
Finally, and newest to this club, is Joey Savatgy, who wears the red plate right now in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross for Mitch Payton’s Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team.
Features in Racer X Illustrated, August 2016
MOTOCROSS STARTS HERE: We’re celebrating fifty years of American motocross, and it all kicked off at the GoPro Hangtown Motocross Classic outside Sacramento. Page 90.
MR. MOTO-CROSS: In 1966, Swedish World Champion Torsten Hallman crossed the Atlantic to introduce motocross to America. He’s kind of a big deal. Page 106.
MIDLIFE CRISIS: Champs Hi Flyers motocross trading cards were introduced in 1991—the midway point in America’s motocross history. We checked up on every racer who had a card that year. Page 120.
LOST TRACKS: A look at some of the legendary motocross tracks that are no longer with us—and just how much of them might still remain. Page 134.
RETURN TO SENDER: Fifty years after Swedish motocross landed in America, our publisher returned to his homeland for a reunion with Torsten Hallman, the man who changed everything back in ’66. Page 146.
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