The Lives They Lived 2025

Cameron Thurston was a popular and fast New England motocrosser who passed away at the age of 25 doing what he loved to do: riding his dirt bike. Thurston hailed from Wilmington, Massachusetts, and worked at General Electric. He grew up in a family that shared his passion for motocross and achieved professional status in 2023. He was described as “an old soul who loved the simple things in life, like the fresh air, road trips, the mountains of New Hampshire, and listening to Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. He would always be the first one to offer a helping hand to anyone who needed it.” He had a girlfriend of eight years, Audrey Lefebvre, and the two of them were practically inseparable.

The NESC posted on their social media, “Besides being a top rider, Cam was a friend to everyone at the track; he always had time to stop and say hello to old friends and new riders who would soon become great friends with him. He was always encouraging his fellow riders if they had a bad moto and was welcome in every pit area at the NESC races. Cam was sincere and humble, loved motocross, and all the people in his big extended moto family. On the track, Cam was a hard-charging rider other experts could always trust to ride clean next to them; all of his competitors have spoken very highly of him and will miss seeing the #43 line up for another moto. In the pits, Cam had a great team behind him, always traveling with his dad, Brian, who was an NESC Expert back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and his longtime girlfriend, Audrey. Cam's mother, Kristen, and stepdad, Rich, would also attend many races to cheer him on.”

On October 18, Thurston was riding in an open practice when he went down hard. He did not survive the crash. Two weeks later, Cam’s friends held a massive ride day in his honor.

Earlier this year, we featured an Inside Motocross photo of two riders jumping a tabletop together at LA County Raceway in Palmdale. We captioned it “152 Years” because the two riders featured were 83-year-old Gary Willison and 69-year-old Garry Conner. Both were regulars at LACR until Willison, who was on the left, had back surgery in March. Doctors then discovered cancer on his liver and pancreas, according to his friend Rob Healey, and then he suffered two strokes. Willison passed away on his 84th birthday. It was just before that day that Gary’s riding buddies—including Garry from the photo—got together to honor him while he was still alive by having a ride day and a celebration of his life while he was still living it.

The tragic death of 16-year-old Aidan Zingg at Mammoth Mountain MX on June 28 sent shockwaves through the entire motocross industry. Aidan was very well-known and well-liked in the sport; Mammoth Mountain is one of the sport’s biggest and oldest events. Zingg appeared to be on the fast track for a professional career, having just been signed to a development deal with Kawasaki Team Green. Then his life ended in an instant when he crashed on the back section of the track. Medics and flaggers tried to revive the rider on the track before he was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was reportedly due to “cardiac tamponade,” which means the heart sac was rushed with too much blood and put too much pressure on the heart, making it difficult to properly fill the heart’s chambers and leading to a drop in blood pressure. Cardiac tamponade can be caused by heavy impact to the chest or back.

The accident became national news, as mainstream news outlets picked up on the story. The fact that a very talented teenager could lose his life so quickly while racing dirt bikes led to some serious introspection throughout the industry. There was speculation that Zingg was run over by others in the race, but race officials have said repeatedly that that was not the case.

The outpouring of sympathy and condolences ran throughout the sport, as AZ39 memorial stickers and T-shirts were displayed everywhere. Many top professional riders at the following weekend’s RedBud National round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship also paid tribute. Malcolm Stewart wore a Zingg #39 jersey in practice, and 450 class winner Jett Lawrence spoke about Aidan during his post-race interview on NBC. The website AZ39Forever.com was set up for people all over the world to remember Aidan as well as to purchase hats and shirts, with 100 percent of the profits going to the Zingg family. And Aidan’s dad, Bob Zingg, wrote the following in the days after the tragedy:

In their January 2025 issue, Motocross Action featured Aidan’s super-mini motorcycle on the cover. Upon his passing, they wrote on their website, “Aidan Zingg’s legacy and impact on the motocross industry are not a result of his skills on a motorcycle, but of who Aidan was as a person when his helmet came off. He was extremely competitive on the track and exceptionally funny and lighthearted as soon as his race was finished. He was never ‘too cool’ to associate with anyone; he was quick to forgive even when other riders would hold a grudge, and he was uplifting and always encouraging other riders in his conversations.”

Robert Redford passed away at the age of 89. He was an actor best known for classic films like The Sting, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, The Natural, All the President’s Men, and more. In 1970, Redford, nearing the peak of his fame as an actor, read a script about a road and flat track motorcycle racer and sometimes scrambles rider on the semi-pro circuits of Arizona. It was called Little Faus and Big Halsy, and it revolved around the complex partnership between a womanizing rider and his loyal mechanic. Redford loved the script and decided to play the role of Big Halsy, with Michael J. Pollard as Little Faus. The movie came out before On Any Sunday, which was released the following year. At the time, it was very rare to even see dirt bikes in a movie, let alone have an entire feature film based around them.

And Redford played off the riding scenes well because he and his friend Paul Newman both rode dirt bikes often. Another very cool thing about this movie is the theme song, written and performed by none other than the Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash. Robert Redford made a lot of great films, but this rather modest, small-budget motorcycle movie made him cooler than any of those others.

“Jason Frenette was a long-time privateer on the scene in the mid to late 90s, and this Canadian rider managed to earn three top 100 numbers and make a number of main events along the way,” read the intro to a Racer X Podcast by Steve Matthes, with his friend Jason Frenette. “He also might be the funniest human being I've ever encountered as I traveled the country with him for a number of years.”

In a Racer X List we posted back in 2011, Matthes ranked Frenette as the sixth-best Canadian rider to ever come race in America.

Jason Frenette passed away right after Christmas. The details of his death have yet to be released.

Here are Jason Frenette’s AMA finishes.

In a very cruel coincidence, another rider that Matthes worked with in his early wrenching days passed unexpectedly in November. Ty Birdwell hailed from Oregon and raced SX/MX throughout the mid-nineties. “Ty taught me a lot about being on the pro circuit,” wrote Matthes upon hearing the news of his passing. “I wouldn't be where I am today without his help in those early years, that's for sure.” He did one of his early podcasts with Birdwell on their time traveling the AMA circuit together.

Listen to Matthes’ podcast with Birdwell from 2017.

Ty Birdwell's career results.

According to his wife, Holly, Birdwell died just one day after going to see a doctor for an ongoing chest cold. “He didn’t get help soon enough,” she posted. “He was sick with a chest cold already for a while and had more than likely progressed into pneumonia, and he finally went to the doctor the day before he passed and was given antibiotics. His upper arms were hurting too, which tells me that he may have had a blood clot in his lungs.”

His friend Tom Hines wrote, “He was an awesome friend to everyone. We will always remember him not just for his riding skills but for being an honest, friendly young man to everyone.” Ty Birdwell was 53 years old.

Harry Oxley was one of the most influential Americans in the history of speedway racing. Along with 1937 Speedway World Champion Jack Milne, Oxley was the co-founder of Costa Mesa Speedway in Orange County, the epicenter of speedway racing in this country. For decades, the oval track hosted competitions for riders young and old, professional and amateur. Its grandstands and paddock were practically a cocktail party for the Southern California motorcycle industry, just as Ascot Park was for the flat track set. When the 1982 FIM Speedway World Championship Finals came to the U.S., it was Harry who organized the big race, only it wasn’t held at Costa Mesa but rather on the floor of the Los Angeles Coliseum. Fittingly, it was a Costa Mesa regular, Bruce Penhall, who claimed the world title. Oxley passed in June at the age of 90, but racing continues at Costa Mesa Speedway, as his son Brad is now in charge of the iconic little track.

John Penton celebrated his 100th birthday in August at his home in Amherst, Ohio, surrounded by visitors from all over the country who had been touched by his work in the motorcycling industry. Penton went from being one of the nation’s top enduro and long-distance riders in the 1950s to being one of the most influential men the global motorcycle industry has ever known. After serving in the Merchant Marine and U.S. Navy during World War II, Penton’s first business venture was opening a motorcycle shop in his hometown along with his three brothers, selling European brands like BSA, BMW, and NSU. He appreciated those lightweight two-stroke brands because he raced against them in the annual International Six Days Trials (now Enduro) seven times. Penton decided that he wanted to design and build one himself, then mass-market them. He took his designs and a business plan to Husqvarna in Sweden, but they passed. So, in 1967, he went to Austria to visit KTM, which at the time made only bicycles and mopeds. They took him up on his idea of a lightweight Penton off-road motorcycle, with the condition that the bikes be called KTMs outside the U.S. John agreed, and in 1968, the first Penton/KTMs rolled off the assembly line. They were a hit in both the U.S., where they were initially used for off-road and enduro racing, and in Europe, where Gennady Moiseev won his first of three FIM 250 World Motocross Championships on a KTM in 1973.

Over the course of a decade, more than 25,000 Pentons were sold in America before KTM approached Penton with the idea of buying the U.S. distribution rights to them. He agreed, as he was already working on other projects, including an off-road-specific boot he designed and manufactured with Italian boot-maker Alpinestars, which were sold as Hi-Point boots in the U.S. He also designed and built custom trailers to haul multiple motorcycles and all of the equipment riders needed to go riding and racing. Red Dot Tires and Hi-Point Lubricants followed, along with multiple other aftermarket products. By the time he more or less retired in the 1990s, Penton had as many touchpoints as anyone in the history of the motorcycling industry. To this day, KTM North America Inc.’s Eastern headquarters remain right there where it all started, in Amherst, Ohio. John Penton was in his hometown when he passed away peacefully weeks after his 100th birthday.

Chuck Ward was a very good regional motocross racer who hailed from Morgantown, West Virginia. He was fast and stylish when he was on his motorcycle and meticulous in his presentation, always making sure his gear was perfectly matched and his bike sparkling clean. He made it to expert level in AMA District 7 before he discovered a form of racing he was even better at, which was dirt sprint cars. Ward took to the oval tracks with a passion and was soon moving up the ranks there too. Unfortunately, he suffered a massive crash while racing his sprint car, sustaining injuries to his brain and body that he would never fully recover from. Ward was 63 years old when he quietly passed earlier this year while living in a rehabilitation facility.

Tim Schmelyun was a fast local pro in the Eastern Pennsylvania/Maryland region in the 1980s. He was one of those guys who was right on the bubble of being able to really pursue a professional racing career—his best outdoor national was a 22nd overall at the Unadilla 500 National, frustratingly close to scoring points on his privateer Kawasaki KX500. He did rack up a bunch of #1 plates in district and regional events, 27 according to his own count. Working throughout the week in construction, Schmelyun used to joke, “I'm a motocross racer who does roofing on the side."

When Tim started a family, he took his only child, Broc, racing as soon as he was ready—maybe even before. And when the boy grew up and was ready to make his own run at pro racing, Tim supported him every step of the way. As a matter of fact, they were together when Broc broke through to get his first professional point at the 2012 Red Bud 250 Pro Motocross National.

Plenty of points came after that, but perhaps what Tim Schmelyun was most proud of was the fact that after Broc’s career came to an end following a spectacular crash at the 2015 High Point National over the big jump locals started calling “the Schmelyunator,” he became a very successful realtor, applying all of the lessons his father had taught him while he raised him to be a successful motocross racer. When he passed after a long illness in May at the age of 63, Tim Schmelyun’s obituary included this closing thought: “Somewhere in the world, someone just earned the title of most loved son—but only because Tim passed. There was no deeper, more devoted love than the one he gave to Broc.”

Michigan motocross lost two legendary dads in 2025, Erwin Stanton and Drex Akin. They were the fathers of two of the very best to ever race motocross: Jeff Stanton and Lisa Akin-Wagner. Those kids were among the vanguard of the Michigan Mafia that dominated the amateur motocross scene throughout the 1980s, along with the Hinkle brothers, “Fast” Eddie Warren, Brian Swink, and more. One of Erwin’s three sons turned out to be the man with the nickname “6 Time,” Jeff Stanton. Drex’s daughter Lisa became the fastest woman on the planet throughout much of the 1980s. Lisa Akin won the first AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch and added four more crowns in the years that followed before retiring to raise a family. By that point, Drex and his wife had become very involved in the local racing scene of AMA District 14. He became RedBud’s referee, as well as the promoter of Dutch Sports MX Park.

When Drex died in February due to a sudden heart attack, RedBud posted on their Facebook page, “No one was more dedicated to Michigan motocross. The rules and classes of the day came from those trips to Everett High School in Lansing for district meetings back when Magic Johnson was their star player. Drex knew the rules, classes, and 50 years’ worth of riders and their families. He cared enough to do things right, no matter how hard that path was. He was brutally honest, and if you didn’t like what he had to say, he’d change your mind by the end of a conversation because he always got it right.”

When Jeff Stanton made it to Team Honda in 1989, Ed stepped back, allowing his son and his future wife, Sara, to continue their moto journey together. He would occasionally pop up at RedBud or the Detroit SX, but he otherwise focused on the family farm, which had been with the Stantons for six generations.

Jeff reflected on his dad’s passing in March due to dementia, saying, “All three of the Stanton boys were extremely lucky to be raised on a multi-generational farm. Because of that, we were taught how to work hard and the importance of family. I have done some great things in my career because of the values our parents instilled in us. The most significant and satisfying thing I have done in my life is to be there for my mother and father. Last night, after the storm went through and the power was out, Sara and I lit a candle and were with Dad in the family home at the farm until he took his last breath.”

Jeff Stanton was not the only AMA Supercross Champion to lose his dad in 2025. Gary Emig was the father of Bryan, Paige, and Jeff Emig, the 1997 AMA Supercross Champion. He was a lifelong motorcycle rider himself, as well as a business owner and a master mechanic. His Gary Emig Racing shop, not far from Kansas City, had an outsized reach in the motocross world, as people all over the country went to “Big GER,” as they called him, which stood for Gary Emig Racing. Even at age 81, and on the day he died in October, Gary went for a dual-sport ride. When he returned, and while he was putting things away in the shop, he had a fatal cardiac event.

“Dad never slowed down. He never stopped riding. Even when he had to have the big toe on his left foot removed last year due to his diabetes, he was back riding in just a few weeks,” said his son Jeff, who was introduced to motocross by his father at a very young age. “I talked to him that morning on the phone, and he sounded just fine… And I know that that’s pretty much the way he would have wanted to go, after a long ride to start the day.

“I never met a more passionate motorcycle rider than him,” said Jeff of his dad. “He just loved to ride.”

Yvonne Cote was a legend in New England. He owned the Yvon Track ‘N Trail dealership but was also responsible for one of the best tracks in the Northeast, Bull Run, in Greene, Maine. Cote was born in 1934 and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War of the early 1950s. Upon his return from active duty, he married his wife Nancy, became a motorcycle policeman, and started a family of six children. He was soon racing motocross in the Expert classes of the New England Sports Committee (NESC), as well as snowmobiles in the winter. Soon he was building tracks like Lisbon Falls, Leeds Junction, and Bull Run. In 2000, he crashed while testing a motorcycle and suffered a traumatic brain injury. That led Cote to back it down a notch and enjoy the rest of his life focused on his kids and their seven grandkids. When he passed in January at the ripe old age of 90, another icon of the New England moto scene, photographer/publisher Paul Buckley, said of Cote, “Yvon was a great rider, track builder, and the toughest guy I’ve ever met. I was glad we got along and I was able to call him a friend. I thought he’d live forever.”

Stanley Tipton was a longtime motorcycle dealer who became the first sponsor of a young Damon Bradshaw in the Carolinas. He was a regular presence at big southeastern events, as he and his wife Ina enjoyed cooking for everyone at events like the Mini O’s and Loretta Lynn’s. Stanley was born in 1937 and proudly served in the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1968 as an aircraft mechanic. During his service, he earned several awards, including the Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. It was during his first tour that he met the love of his life, Ina, and spent an additional six years serving in the military.

A motorcycle enthusiast, Tip was also the owner of Yamaha of Fayetteville, which is where he came into the orbit of the Bradshaws in the 1980s. As Damon moved up through the ranks, the Stanleys were there to support him. They eventually became a big part of event hospitality, cooking at the track for Team Yamaha, Parts Unlimited, track promoters, and more.

Tip also had a passion for golfing and traveling. He was well-known in the paddock of both professional and amateur motocross and made a lasting impact on many lives.

Philo Jefferson Harvey was born in North Hollywood, California, and went into the military at a young age. He honorably served in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret in the Special Forces before going to college in Phoenix and Tempe, and then the University of Southern California. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, he founded his own company, PJ Brands/PJH Brands/PJ1, for motorcycle products, aerosol paints, and TrackBite compound for drag strips. His business philosophy was simple yet profound: "I love what I do, so I've never worked a day in my life."

By now, you probably realize that Philo Jefferson Harvey was the mastermind behind PJ1 Lubricants, which produced its first chain lube in 1973, followed by a huge line of motorsports products. PJ Harvey himself became a longtime sponsor of the National Arenacross Series, as well as the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), AMA Pro Racing, the NHRA, and more. He helped countless competitors over the years through sponsorship, including a young Johnny O’Mara when he was riding that exotic Mugen Honda in 1980. He was a successful business entrepreneur who also loved golf, travel, and attending motorcycle events all over the world.

He was finally slowed down late in life after developing Alzheimer’s. Harvey was in Iris Memory Care in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he passed away peacefully at the age of 82.

They said Nikolas Domokos had motorcycles in his blood. He was the son of none other than Doug Domokos, the uniquely talented man known to a couple of generations of motocross and supercross fans as “the Wheelie King.” Nik raced both in the dirt and on pavement. He was a WERA road racer, and he worked at Irv Seaver BMW in Orange, California, as a Parts and Apparel Specialist and Service Advisor. It was there at the dealership that they held a celebration of life on December 7 for Domokos after he was tragically killed just a mile from there in a traffic accident on Highway 55 in October.

Wrote his friend Shannon Beauchamp, “Nik was known for his contagious laugh and smile, and he had a gift for making friends wherever he went. He was entrepreneurial, motivated, and always eager to help others improve—whether it was teaching skills on the racetrack or simply offering support. His sudden and unexpected passing has left a monumental void in the lives of his loved ones.”

The MXGP paddock and motocross community in general lost a respected and talented figure with the passing of Enzo Tempestini. He was described as “a passionate photographer, journalist, editor, and much more.” Enzo dedicated his career to capturing the intensity and emotion of MXGP through his work. His images brought the sport to life, preserving iconic moments, great victories, and unforgettable battles on the track. His presence at events was a testament to his commitment to motocross, always seeking to tell the best story possible of each race. While he may no longer be with us, Tempestini’s strong personality, work, and influence remain, leaving a lasting mark on the sport he followed so closely.

Our publisher, Scott Wallenberg, forwarded this requiem for his friend Curt Mastrude:

Curt Mastrude was born in Oregon in 1958. He was the oldest of seven children, and his biggest passion from an early age was anything that went fast, especially motorcycles. He formed a racing team called “Team Slug” with some of his buddies in Baker City. He primarily raced in off-road/enduro races, competing in the Baja 1000 in 1987. He was known to still talk about his Baja adventure almost 40 years later. When his son Dan and grandsons Talon, Kane, and Hasen all started racing in the same type of races, he could often be found cheering them on from the side of the course.

Mastrude owned multiple businesses that encompassed his passion for riding, including Curt’s Yamaha & KTM and Boise Vintage Cycle, winning multiple awards for being top dealerships. He was the proud grandfather of nine grandchildren and a great-grandson. Curt outfitted every grandkid with all the gear they needed to ride at a very early age. His favorite thing to brag about was how talented all his grandkids were.

Curt’s life ended in a very unexpected and sudden manner, colliding with a side-by-side while out trail riding. However, he went out the way he had always expressed he wanted to, which was on his motorcycle in the sunshine. The family finds comfort in knowing that he died doing what he loved the most, without pain, without suffering, and without regret. Curt often expressed to all of his family that he did not care to age; he did not want to lose his ability to ride and often stated that when it was his time to go, “just duct tape my throttle wide open and send me off a cliff.” He will be missed.

In 1972, a New York man named Bob Brew, and his wife Leah began a new venture together that would help motocross racing for generations to come. Fifty-five years later, Claverack Motocross is still open and remains the oldest continuously operating motocross track in the Northeast. An even longer run was the time that Bob and Leah were together—67 years—before Bob passed in January. He was 90 years old. Brew was born in Yonkers, a neighborhood of New York City, and attended NYU before being drafted into the U.S. Army. It was right around this same time that he met Leah Hadley, who would join him on their shared life journey. As they raised a family, Bob worked in all kinds of areas of civil engineering and farming, including Missouri, New Orleans, the Gulf of Mexico, and then back to New York, where they purchased a farm in Claverack. They built a home there, and Bob continued to not only work hard but also pursue his interests in both flying airplanes and riding motorcycles. He even built a mile-long airstrip on the farm. And in 1972, another part of that farm became Claverack Motocross.

Bob Brew may have passed in January, but Claverack Motocross still ran races in 2025, with Leah at the helm, including the Scott Sheak Memorial, a tribute to one of the best riders to ever come out of New York.

On the other side of the country, another track founder passed away this year, also at the age of 90. Vic Wilson grew up as an entrepreneur in a family that ran an avocado farm in Southern California. His first business was a gas station in Newport Beach; his next business was Saddleback Park, a 400-acre dirt bike and off-road buggy playground. In 1967, Wilson, who enjoyed racing the Baja 1000 in dune buggies, leased the land in Irvine, California, from the Irvine Company and set about building “an off-road theme park,” based in part on the success of nearby Disneyland. Saddleback Park, with its trademark “Banzai Hill,” soon became the epicenter of the late ‘60s/early ‘70s dirt bike boom, as it was located in the heart of the emerging American motorcycling industry. Big races like Edison Dye’s Inter-Ams and the Trans-AMA finals took place there, as did the Saddleback National, the World Mini Grand Prix, and more. Saddleback Park was also featured in the film On Any Sunday and was a set for countless other TV shows and movies, including CHIPs and the cult horror classic That Thing with Two Heads. Wilson ran Saddleback Park through 1980 and retired from the promotional business. He did continue working with the State of California in its Off-Highway Vehicle Department to develop trail systems.

Meanwhile, Saddleback Park was getting wrapped up in lawsuits—it was also the epicenter of lawsuits that have plagued the sport ever since—and the Irvine Company decided to suspend the lease. All these years later, the outline of the famous riding park is still there under the brush, having never been developed by the Irvine Company. As for Vic Wilson, he passed away peacefully at his home in Gardnerville, Nevada, on July 12, 2025, survived by his wife of 52 years, Betty Jean Wilson.

In October, former 250 Pro Motocross Champion Dean Wilson won round two of the AUSX Supercross Championships in Redcliffe, Australia’s Kayo Stadium. On the very same day, his mother, Jackie Wilson, passed. Dean described how he felt on his social media:

In Arizona motocross circles, Mike Hoffman was one of the keepers of the flame. He grew up in the sport and, for a time, was one of the hottest young talents in the Southwest. Mike made motocross a huge part of his entire life, often organizing reunions and get-togethers and just living and breathing the sport and the memories for as long as he was alive. Even when he was diagnosed with cancer eight years ago, he stayed with his moto friends and memories throughout the challenging years he had left. After he passed earlier this year, his friend Adam Gruender, whom he met way back in 1976 when both were racing Honda XR75s at Legend City, posted, “Mike Hoffman loved anything with a motor, especially dirt bikes. Mike’s stuff always was sano and bitchin, freshly painted, etc. His passion for MX was impressive. RIP Mike. Godspeed. So many memories; it cracks me up…”

Johner Kight, another standout Southwest prospect back in the day, put together this slideshow of his friend and fellow competitor Mike Hoffman as a nod to his ongoing battle with cancer, which was not going well at the time:

Ken Brewer competed at Raceway Park for decades. He was a beloved member of the New Jersey motocross community on the weekends when he and his wife of 47 years, Gwen, would roll in their massive Bluebird motorhome. During the week, he was a chemical engineer with Rohm & Haas Chemical Company and later FMC Princeton, winning numerous awards along the way for his work. The job also allowed him to travel, and he took full advantage of it, checking out motocross races all over the world. He’s in the Loretta Lynn’s Vault too, finishing 16th in 1996 in the Masters Plus 50 division. After he passed away in February just before his 80th birthday, Clayton Keeler posted on the NJMotocross.com website, “Ken was a very special person who always had time to talk about his world travels in motocross and life adventures. Ken attended most of the Motocross des Nations, regardless of what country was hosting the event that year. His travels were extensive in the name of a sport many of us seem to have a passion for and love.”

Most powersports enthusiasts would probably never recognize the name Curtis Leaverton, but many are likely familiar with and have used a product or two from one of the multiple brands he co-founded with his former wife, Evelina. His introduction to motorcycling came as a young boy when his father gave him an OSSA 250 Pioneer in a box, which the two rebuilt and reassembled together. He rode the wheels off that Spanish bike to the point where he eventually needed to reproduce the connecting rod but could not find the right part. With the help of his wife, they found a factory in Taiwan that could produce just what he needed. Curt then realized the motorcycle industry needed an aftermarket source for connecting rods to rebuild worn engines, and in 1993, the Hot Rods brand was born. Hot Rods then multiplied into the brands Pivot Works, Hot Cams, Cylinder Works, and Wrench Rabbit. The well-known Italian piston brand Vertex was also added to the rapidly growing catalog of repair, performance, and maintenance products for powersport enthusiasts worldwide under the C&L Companies umbrella. After selling the C&L brands, Curt got restless and launched the brand VintCo to do the exact same thing, but for the vintage dirt bike market, ultimately taking him back to his roots.

Leaverton was out riding his bicycle near his Iowa home, preparing for the upcoming Colorado 500 charity ride, when a large, waterlogged tree fell on him across the bicycle trail. He passed away as a result of the injuries. According to his obituary, one of Curt’s core values was building relationships with those he interacted with. Through the years, Curt developed a wide network of relationships that stretched across the globe. He was a mentor and influence to many around him and is deeply missed. In his honor, the Vintco company continues.

While it may seem hard to believe, May LaRocco had a longer career in SX and MX than even her son Mike did. Yes, THE Mike LaRocco, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer who raced professionally for nearly 20 years. May and her husband Mike Sr. started out with a motorcycle dealership, then accompanied their son for much of his career. Mrs. LaRocco became something of a travel agent for her family, and that work soon spread to booking flights, hotels, and rental cars for the teams her son rode on, and then to pretty much most of the industry, including FELD Entertainment/Motor Sports. She also helped with registration, will call, the showroom desk, and more, whether it was at Angel Stadium or RedBud, which was the Indiana family’s home track. May only slowed down her workflow when she developed cancer, which ultimately led to her passing.

One cool anecdote from Mike LaRocco’s last team—Factory Connection—where May made a huge impact, involves owner Rick “Ziggy” Zielfelder. According to company's website, “The decision to go racing happened in the fall of 1997. May LaRocco was Ziggy's travel agent. Mike LaRocco didn't have a ride secured and was looking at racing as a privateer. Ziggy mentioned to Mike's mother that Factory Connection would be interested in helping Mike with his suspension. Somehow this comment led to Mike calling, and Ziggy committing to taking him racing in 1998. Armed with nothing but a Visa Gold credit card, Factory Connection went about organizing a race team.”

That team, which would eventually evolve into GEICO Honda, would prove to be a massive steppingstone for many future superstars, including Kevin Windham, Trey Canard, Justin Barcia, Eli Tomac, Chase Sexton, Hunter and Jett Lawrence, Jo Shimoda, and many, many more.

Terence Cudby passed away in England in November at age 88. The father of our esteemed photographer Simon Cudy, Terence was a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast.

“He loved bikes!” says Simon of his dad. “When he and my Mum were first married, they used to explore the English countryside on an Ariel Twin. Mum has fond memories of riding back home from bike camping weekends in the sideways rain. In 1959, Dad bought a BSA Bantam bike and upgraded to some Belstaff riding gear to help stay dry in the rough English weather. Dad used to take me to the Brands Hatch circuit to watch the motorcycle races, and it was there at age 13 that I found my calling for moto photography. Every time I would FaceTime my parents back in England, Dad would ask, ‘What bikes have you got now?’ and I would take my phone into my garage to show him. He loved that. RIP Dad.”

Corey Benton was known throughout the GNCC Racing Nation as “The Pickle Man,” a beloved fixture throughout the pits who went around on his four-wheeler with a cooler full of his Benton House pickles, which were absolutely delicious. In 2021, news emerged that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and the racing community rallied around him with donations and ride days that would help with his treatment and medical bills. According to the series website, “Corey embodied the GNCC Racing Nation spirit throughout his fight, making a return after a couple of rounds of treatment to some of the GNCC events in 2022.

“Also in 2022, Corey wanted to check an item off his bucket list he said while lined up at rider registration. He signed up and raced his motorcycle in his first GNCC race at round 4, Tiger Run, in Union, South Carolina, and then again at round 5, Camp Coker Bullet, in Society Hill, South Carolina, in the Trail Rider class.

“Though Corey’s fight against cancer has ended, the impact he had—and the memories many will carry of The Pickle Man at the track—will remain.”

Gary Plaatje, a lifelong resident of Northern California, passed away suddenly in his sleep in June. Gary was a motocross racer through and through. He was a lifetime member of the Over The Hill Gang (OTHG) and an absolute encyclopedia of NorCal motocross knowledge. He grew up in the Bay Area and started racing in the mid-'70s at the Santa Clara PAL track and Fremont Raceway. As he got faster, he began to branch out to other California tracks, racing his way toward a prestigious expert ranking. Even after his youthful days of moto were done, Gary pretty much never stopped going to the races and spent almost 50 years of his life traveling to races and hanging out with his friends. Using the nickname "GPMX," Gary, along with his dog Luke, was a fixture at local racetracks, almost always serving as the track MC. He called races at pretty much every track that existed in NorCal, as well as for almost every racing organization that has held races in the region over the years. In fact, just shortly before he passed, he served as announcer at the Hangtown Amateur Classic event, held the day before the annual Hangtown Motocross Classic round of Pro Motocross. He had also recently found a regular home with the Bay Area Chapter of the OTHG, where he would race his own classes and then call the action for nearly every class that weekend. Gary leaves behind his longtime partner Rebecca Ochoa, as well as his beloved dog Luke, the classic #111 YZ250 two-stroke, and literally thousands of friends from the racetrack.

The New England Trail Riders Association (NETRA), as well as GNCC Racing, lost a good friend when Dave Gunn passed away while participating in the Ammonoosuc Turkey Run on Sunday’s second half of the event. Gunn, who was 60 years old, apparently suffered a heart attack while riding in a fairly easy section of the course. According to his close friend Tommy Norton, who won the Blackwater 100 back in 1990 on a KTM 125, "Dave collapsed after the first hero section on day two. Many riders came to his aid and did their best until Fire and Rescue arrived on the scene to take over. Thank you to everyone who was involved in trying to save, not only my friend, but a friend to everyone in the New England racing scene."

His close friend Patrick Timothy shared his memories: "Hard to put it into words, but 35 years of riding and racing together builds a bond that can’t really be described. He was an amazing friend, loyal and dependable, always had your back. I don’t know anyone who enjoyed riding and racing more than he did, just a pure love of the sport. He would ride in any weather, any trail, any time for however long you’d keep going... So many good times. It was a hell of a ride, brother; it just won’t be the same without you."

Gunn hailed from Wallingford, Connecticut, and competed in the GNCC Series in the late 1980s and early '90s in the 250 A class and Pro classes and remained active in NETRA.

Joel Evans was a 30-year-old journeyman privateer from Australia. In April he was competing in the third round of the Australian Pro MX Championship in Gillman, just one week after winning a national event in Thailand. Evans crashed heavily. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he did not make it. The tragedy hit the Australian moto community hard, as he had been a lifelong competitor and was widely respected among both fans and his fellow competitors. Honda Racing Australia’s Yarrive Konsky said of Evans, “Joel lived the dream. Every dollar chased, every sacrifice made was simply to make it to the next race. He embodied what it truly means to be a motocross warrior, a dream chaser in its purest form.”

Making the news even more devastating was the fact that Joel and his partner Michaela were expecting their first child in October. The day after Evans passed she posted, “Yesterday we lost the most incredible person on earth. The most authentic, loved, and kind-hearted soul. He loved and devoted his life to the sport, which brought him so much joy, and he rode it out right till the end. We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support for our beautiful man. He is such a loved partner, uncle, brother, friend, and son, but most proudly a father to our adored little boy who is joining us in October.”

Six months later Michaela posted some very uplifting news—the birth of Freddy Jae Evans: “Our baby is earthside, born at 2:22 p.m. on October 3. He is the perfect mix of love, strength, and a whole lot of his dad shining through, with all the hair and chub to go with!”