November 27
1979
Today is the birthday of the GOAT himself, Ricky Carmichael. The 15-time AMA Supercross and AMA Pro Motocross Champion had the most prolific career in the history of motocross, winning 102 outdoor nationals, 48 premier-class AMA Supercross races, the Motocross of Nations, and countless youth and amateur minicycle titles, and a continued presence in both amateur and professional racing as a brand ambassador, broadcaster, teacher, event promoter and more... He doesn't own every record in AMA racing—Jeremy McGrath remains the King of Supercross with his seven titles and 72 main event wins—but many of the ones he does have seem just as unbreakable.
Carmichael won ten consecutive AMA Pro Motocross, and he clinched every one of them before the last round. That's why he's called the greatest of all time.
1994
Day two of the Tokyo Supercross was won by Mike LaRocco over Jeremy McGrath.
1979
U.S. Yamaha riders Mike "Too Tall" Bell and "Rocket" Rex Staten went 1-2 down in Brisbane, Australia, at a race called Stefan's Summer Superbowl of Motocross (it's summer now Down Under). And Stefan, in case you're wondering, made men's hair products.
Also in 1979, Husqvarna ran this ad for "King" Richard Burleson on winning his sixth straight AMA National Enduro Championship. All told, Burleson would win eight straight titles.
1987
There's one day left in the 1987 Winter Olympics at Gatorback Cycle Park, and the big winners are going to be Michigan's Brian Swink and John Kitsch of Kawasaki Team Green, and soon-to-be-Yamaha factory rider Damon Bradshaw of North Carolina.
Other top prospects include Californians Jeff Matiasevich, Craig Decker, and Mike Craig, who beats Bradshaw in the TT portion of the event, Iowa's Chad Pederson, Missouri's Jeff Emig, Indiana's Mike LaRocco, Ohio's Greg Rand, and a fast young rider from Texas named Colin Edwards, who won the 85cc 12-13 Modified Supercross final over Jeff Dement, Butch Smith, and Tim Ferry. Edwards would soon make the move to a road racing career.
Brian Swink earned his first cover of Cycle News after his wins in Florida at the Mini Os.
